Laura Curran, the first women to be elected Nassau County Executive, spoke to the members of the Women’s Club of Farmingdale (WCF) on Wednesday, August 19, at their celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. In addition to County Executive Curran, also present were Rose Marie Walker, Nassau County Legislator; Jeff Pravato, Nassau County Receiver of Taxes, representing TOB Supervisor Joseph Saladino; Village of Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand; Cheryl Parisi, Farmingdale Village Trustee and Maryola Dannebaum, Nassau County Press (whose great-grandmother was a suffragette).
WCF President Tina Diamond organized a red, white and blue remembrance at the Farmingdale Village Green and despite the rain about 30 club members attended.
County Executive Curran recounted that since the club’s founding in 1913 “many past members contributed to the women’s suffragette movement.” Despite your political party affiliation, “it’s so important not to take the right to vote for granted. Democracy is a precious thing. You either use it or lose it. People have struggled and died for the right to vote. We must always make sure to honor these struggles.” She also stated that she is “very proud to be able to pave the way for the women coming behind her.”
Nassau County Legislator Rose Marie Walker praised the current club members “for continuing what past members began many years ago.” She recounted a wonderful story that happened after Hillary Clinton was defeated in her bid for President. As she was reading to a class, a little girl said that maybe someday Rose Marie could be president. With a smile, Legislator Walker answered that there were too many rooms in the White House to clean. A little boy countered that if she was president, she could have a cleaner lady or man to do it for her.”
Both Jeff Pravato and Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand spoke about how well women multi-task and how wonderful that so many women have top positions today.
General Federation of Women’s Clubs, Inc. – New York State (GFWC-NYS) newly elected President Linda Kreussling described how the “first state allowing women to vote was Wyoming. The Wyoming Suffrage Act was passed in 1869 when Wyoming was still a US Territory. On January 27, 1920, the state officially voted to ratify the 19th Amendment and just seven months later, the Amendment officially secured its place as law. However, by 1920, the women of Wyoming had already been exercising their right to vote for 51 years.”
All the attending legislators presented WCF President Tina Diamond with beautiful citations.
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