President's Ponderings
by Trudi Manuel

Where are the Larimer Janes headed and what are we about? Ann Harroun's web article reflects that the club came of age in the 1950s in an era when many women worked behind the scenes and let men take front and center roles in politics, business, and other endeavors.Large numbers of women are making impacts on our society in notable ways. Today women in leadership positions are making waves: women like Senator Nancy Pelosi, first woman speaker of the House, Joan Fitz-Gerald, first woman president of the Colorado Senate, Mary Lou Makepeace, Executive Director of the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado.

But what type of woman was Jane Randolph Jefferson (1720-1776), the namesake of our club? Mary Bradford, founder of the club, said she selected Thomas Jefferson's mother as our namesake because she fulfilled a promise to her husband that Thomas would get a college education. She was born in London and reported to be a descendant of Charlemagne, married Peter in Virginia and became a widow at a young age and raised eight children. Research shows that Thomas didn't speak of her in public and had difficulties being overseen by his mother when he became the de facto patriarch of the large estate at age 14. He did name one of his daughters, Jane Randolph after his mother, but she died at 17 months.

Moving into the 21st century, the Douglas County Jane Jefferson website states that in 1955, independent clubs were federated into a statewide organization (Colorado Federation of Democratic Women, CFDW) and by 1976, clubs existed in 28 counties. The main purpose of the club was to provide "fundraising opportunities, a study group and forum for Democratic speakers, and to assist the party during election years."

Our club welcomes women and men members to our informative breakfast with speakers meetings. We are striving to be a vibrant, activist group of movers and shakers in Larimer County. So far we have changed our name from Loveland-Berthoud Jane Jefferson Democratic Women's Club to the Larimer County Jane Jefferson Democratic Club and updated our bylaws. We are developing a website linked to the Larimer County Democratic website. Plans are taking shape for our club to host a September seminar in conjunction with clubs affiliated with CFDW. Club attendees and the public will be invited to interact with informed and stimulating speakers, network with engaging people, and get inspired to become active in the goings-on of the Larimer Janes and Democratic Party.

After serving two years as president, I've been impressed with the energy, ideas and support offered by many members to our club officers and elected officials. However, our club would be even stronger if more members, new and longstanding ones, increased their participation levels from serving on committees to becoming an officer!

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