Upcoming Events

SML Democrats Activities

All meetings and events are held at the SML Democrats office unless otherwise specified. The office is located at 16483 Moneta Road, on the Bedford side of the bridge.

Open Table/Open Minds – Wednesday, March 1, at 10 am

Fundraising & Events Committee – Thursday, March 2, at 1 pm

Election Support Committee – Thursday, March 9, at 1 pm
Note from the committee chair: As Virginia is in a constant state of elections, we welcome new ideas as to how to inform our membership of the candidates, political events opportunities and in what to invest our assets of time and finances. We encourage and invite you to get involved in the political arm of this club and expand our activities.

Public Relations Committee – Monday, March 13, at 2 pm

Book Club – Tuesday, March 14, at 10 am
We will discuss The Persuaders, by Anand Giridharadas.

Pints & Politics: St. Patrick’s Day Celebration – Friday, March 17, at 5 pm
We will have an Irish inspired potluck meal prior to a performance by Ar Maidin Deardaoin (On Thursday Morning), a Celtic band. Wear your green, bring some food to share along with spirits of your choiceand get ready to have a lively good time! NOTE: This was a well-received event last year so a sign-up will be required. More information to come!

General Membership Meeting – Monday, March 27, at 1 pm
The Political Outreach and Issues Committees are pleased to present Lisa Via, Drop-In Center North Council of Community Services and Chief Dempsey Moore, the Scruggs Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department. They will discuss use of NARCAN for dsrug overdioses and review CPR techniques.

Road Clean-Up – Wednesday, April 26, at 9 am
Rain Date: Wednesday, May 3, at 9 am
Meet at the SML Democrats office to pick up vests, litter bags, pickers and organize before cleaning up litter on our Adopt-a-Highway section of Route 122. We meet back at the office afterward to load up for the dump, take pictures, tell war stories, and make lunch plans.

Vibes – Sundays at 10 am at the SML Democrats office
Our community outreach play-and-sing-along is going strong. Feel free to join in with our lively group. Anyone who would like to sing or play an instrument, or just listen, is welcome. Also, if you’d like to learn to play the ukelele, come at 9 am for lessons.

Details on times and locations for all activities are provided in the Member Newsletter that is sent by email. If you prefer a calendar view, see below.

County/Community Events

School Board Meetings

Our presence at local School Board meetings goes a long way to balance out the meetings with reasonable voices countering misinformation and fear about topics such as Critical Race Theory, book bannings, curriculum concerns, LGBTQ+ issues, and more.

If you would like to speak at one of these meetings, please look up your county of residence school board protocol and plan accordingly. Note: You must live in the county where you wish to speak. You do NOT need to reside in the county if you simply wish to attend. Here are some reasons why you should attend or speak at your county’s School Board meeting.

• Bedford County: Thursday, April 6, at 5 pm
The location of the Bedford County School Board Meetings varies from month to month. In April, the meeting will be at Jefferson Forest High School Auditorium, 311 South Bridge Street in Bedford.

• Franklin County: Monday, April 10, at 6 pm
25 Bernard Road, Rocky Mount

County Democratic Committee Meetings

Bedford County Democratic Committee
The Bedford Democratic Committee meets virtually via Zoom on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 pm. Contact us to be notified of the meeting.

Franklin County Democratic Committee’s Dining With Democrats
Thursday, March 16 (second Thursday of each month) at 6 pm
527 South Main Street in Rocky Mount
Guest speaker, Sullivan Manley, Co-President of the Roanoke Valley Young Democrats, will join us. We will also discuss fundraising, recruitment of new members, and planning for our annual Spring Dinner and General Membership Meeting. Your input is vital and, as always, you are invited and encouraged to attend, either in person or online through a Zoom link, which will be provided by request at fcdemocratsva@gmail.com. 

Democratic Activities Further Afield

• Democratic Party of Virginia’s annual Blue Commonwealth Gala – Friday, June 23, at 6 pm at Richmond’s historic Main Street Station. Our gala night is an opportunity to see old friends, meet new Democrats, have some good food, and hear from the extremely talented group of Virginia Democrats who will be taking the stage. Virginia is one of the most important battleground states in the nation and, in 2023, we have the most important elections anywhere in the country: our 2023 General Assembly races. Attending the gala helps the DPV provide resources to campaigns for winning programs all across the Commonwealth and up and down the ballot. Use this link for more information and to purchase your tickets.