President Nancy McCabe

Community service organizations are struggling to maintain membership and to interest new people in their missions. That is not headline news to anyone who is paying attention to social changes. AAUW is no different in that we lose about 30 members each year and then add about the same number during the business year. I would like to believe that women join our organization because of our charter to advocate for women and girls. We need to continually assess how well we are meeting our mission and evaluating what added value we contribute to the community.

There are many programs that the national organization encourages us to incorporate into our branch, but due to lack of member involvement, we are unable to pursue very many. They would like us to have a daylong event for the girls who applied to but were not chosen to attend TechTrek camp. They would like us to contact the schools in our area to see if they are training staff on the legal requirements of Title IX and give them information that national can supply. We should be reaching out to promote diversity in our membership. The potential for dynamic programming is endless. National supplies the structure, but we have to supply the woman power. Be in touch if you would like to participate in these or anything else that you see on their website. I would like for us to be known as the most dynamic organization in town!

As it is, we have focused this year on adding programming that is beneficial to our membership and the greater community. On March 10, we are hosting a blue ribbon panel discussion on human trafficking in our community. You will receive information on this event and how you can participate. You can get involved by being a greeter, helping with refreshments, or by attending and bringing your friends. This is an opportunity to expand your knowledge as well as to raise our community profile. We have invited other organizations to cosponsor as we feel it is a program not to be missed. It is our largest event of the year. I hope to see you all there.