HISTORY OF THE RYE CIVIC LEAGUE
The League was founded in 1968 by Frances Holway, Joan La France and Marjorie Miller for the
purpose of informing citizens about issues and decisions before town boards. It published a free
monthly “Town News” which was distributed around town in red bags. The News was run off
on a mimeograph machine in the Holway cellar, with Joan’s daughter, Edie, and Frances’
daughter, Jane among the volunteers. Members paid dues and did the work of attending
meetings, researching, writing, editing and distributing the News. Meetings were lively and
disagreement was not uncommon. Frances was involved in local politics for years and served
briefly as Selectman. Joan was an expert on state laws as they applied to local government and
she attended many Selectmen’s meetings where she was often the most knowledgeable person
in the room. Marjorie was the editor of the News during its last decade and she now had the
mimeograph machine. Although sometimes the Civic League committee engaged in heated
debate through the Town News, for the most part the reporting was fair and presented both
sides. The League disbanded in 1993 and the balance in its treasury of $2000 +was donated to
Rye Senior Serve. For a quarter of a century the League had served the town well by providing
monthly news about town government and a forum for political discussion.
In 2009 Alex Herlihy heard Frank Drake ask, at an overflowing ZBA meeting discussing Rye
Harbor development, “Where were all of you at the first meeting?” That very pointed question
was the inspiration for Herlihy to revive the League, but before he did, he visited Marjorie, the
last of the founding troika, to tell her the news. Although Marjorie was dying of cancer, she
perked up quickly and was very excited. “But I gave the money to Senior Serve,” she said. She
was glad to know that no money was needed to get started because the News would be sent
by e-mail. The Selectmen were informed and the first, very modest Town News was sent from
Herlihy’s home computer to a handful of people in November 2009. By 2010 a regular group
was attending monthly RCL meetings at the library and the distribution list was growing as was
the content of the News. 2011 saw an even more active presence at Civic League meetings and
at town board meetings. Residents began to bring ideas for petitioned warrant articles to
meetings where they were discussed and debated. Nine out of ten of these articles was passed
in the March 2012 election. 2012 also saw the publication of an RCL created Town Government
Handbook, incorporation of RCL as a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization with an elected Board, a
vibrant web site, a greatly expanded newsletter with a new name (Civic News), a regular
presence at town board meetings, a new brochure and a distribution list which soared over the
1000 mark at the November election. RCL meetings remain lively and filled with diverse points
of view and these monthly gatherings serve as an opportunity to learn from each other and do
the necessary homework to be able to engage intelligently at town board meetings.
RCL will become a membership organization in 2013 which will connect people to a
variety of tasks and a stronger engagement in town government. Today the mission of the
Civic League remains the same – to educate and motivate Rye residents to be informed citizens.
Rye Civic League, PO Box 971, Rye, NH 03870 www.ryecivicleague.org
Civic News editors: Steven Borne, Peter Crawford, Alex Herlihy
RCL Board
President – Alex Herlihy Susan Rizkalla – Asst. Treas.
Vice President – Steven Borne Cecilia Azzi – Asst. Sec.
Secretary – Peter Crawford Victor Azzi – director
Treasurer – Peter White Jane Holway – director