Gerrie Carey, left, the first female Clarks Summit Council president, and Bridget Malloy Kosierowski, the first female Democratic state representative of PA District 114 in 55 years, get their photo taken with the steel wire sculpture, Eleanor.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
Board members and friends of The Gathering Place wave to passersby on the road. First row, from left, are Paul Baillie, board member, Emily Rancier, vice president, Anne Armezzani, secretary, Cathy Rachkowski, volunteer of programming, Gerrie Carey, Clarks Summit Council president, and Dori Waters, board member. Second row, from left, are Sharon Pitoniak, Katie Foley, volunteer of Align: Autism Parenting Support Group, and Sue Wittman, volunteer.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
CLARKS SUMMIT — Some drivers honked their horns driving through State Street as they’ve seen board members of The Gathering Place waving to them on Tuesday.
The board members wore sashes and displayed a banner to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. They encouraged that right by giving away Pennsylvania Voters Registration Applications and cookies outside the building.
“The Gathering Place believes that voting is the foundation of our democracy,” said Anne Armezzani, events director of The Gathering Place. “And the fact that women had to work so long to get the right to vote makes that right even more precious.”
The newsletter of The Gathering Place has been currently highlighting a suffragist each week, adding up to 22 of them. These suffragists range from Abigail Adams to women who lived during the 1930’s. They include daughters of African slaves, Asian women who never had the right to vote because of status, and a Native American woman who didn’t get to vote until 1924 when Native Americans were considered to be American citizens — four years after women’s suffrage. Women came a long way politically after the women’s suffrage, especially locally.
The event was attended by the first female Democratic state representative of PA District 114 Bridget Malloy Kosierowski.
“It’s a great celebration,” she said.
The first female president of Clarks Summit Council, Gerrie Carey, also joined the female members of The Gathering Place in waving and greeting the passersby who drove by or visited The Gathering Place.
“It just shows that Clarks Summit strongly supports that 100 years ago, women fought for the right to vote,” said Carey. “And women have politically grown stronger and stronger.”
