Monthly Archives: September 2018

California Ballot Proposition Forum by Deborah Dunn

Worried about those 11 (yes 11!) propositions on the Nov. 6 ballot? How will you find out what they mean and how they impact you and others? Your AAUW Branch has a solution for you. You will not want to miss this opportunity to help prepare yourself for the November election.

On Saturday, Oct. 13, the Sacramento and Citrus Heights-American River branches of AAUW are co-sponsoring a California Ballot Proposition Forum at 10 a.m. at Christ Community Church, 5025 Manzanita, Carmichael.

Professor Mary Beth Moylan and a panel of McGeorge School of Law students will review each of the propositions, providing an overview of the arguments in favor and in opposition to each. Attendees will have an opportunity to submit questions to the panelists, which will be addressed during a question-and-answer period after the presentation.

The Forum is free of charge, but seating is limited, so please register through Eventbrite by clicking on the following button:

Eventbrite - November 2018 Ballot Proposition Forum

Eventbrite registration is encouraged, as it is very easy (we only ask for your name, email and whether you are an AAUW member. Alternatively, you can register by emailing Dawn Boyd at darnone1@att.net.

 

Presidents’ Message by Liz Jordan and Donna Holmes

Liz Jordan

This year is off to a fast start, and lots of great meetings are planned. Special thanks to our program directors Deborah Dunn and Cathy Locke and their committee, there are planned events every month except March, and this will change soon. At the summer board retreat on Aug. 4, we established a theme and goals to achieve the theme.

 

 

2018– 2019 Theme  Working for Equity

Here is our plan to get there:

  1. Sacramento County Commission for Women
    1. Short term: Get more members to participate in this commission, measured by attendance at its planning meeting in September and reporting back to board. To attend, please contact Marty McKnew & Charmen Goehring for meeting time and location.
    2. Long Term: Getting AAUW representation on the board if the commission is formed.
  1. Salary Negotiation – Work Smart program (Start Smart already running at CSUS, and it should continue.)
    1. Short term: 5 to 10 members complete online training by Dec. 31.
    2. Mid Term: Coordinating via outreach Work Smart sessions.
    3. Long Term: Institutionalize into AAUW Sacramento branch programming.
  1. Start a one-day STEM camp for girls we cannot send to Tech Trek. More details on this will be forthcoming.

Donna Holmes

We hope to see you at the IBC training on Oct. 6 or our joint meeting with CHAR on Oct 13. Also on Oct. 13, our branch marks our fourth anniversary of participating in Take Back the Night, at 7 p.m. in downtown Sacramento. Many thanks to Nancy McCabe for taking the lead on this important event.

 

***

From Liz’s Laundry List, here are few more items for members to know:

  • This year’s branch budget was passed by membership in attendance at the Showcase event on Saturday, Sept. 15.
  • Additionally, we heard wonderful, well-prepared reports from all six Teck Trek participants. They were thankful, inspiring and enthusiastic about all that they experienced.
  • Several Cosumnes River College women who are participating in the AAUW grant-funded program Focus4Women spoke powerfully about the impact of that program on their confidence, their friendships, and aspirations.
  • Four scholarship winners for this year’s financial awards also brought the attendees to tears with their life stories and their appreciation of our assistance.
  • Members and potential members gave positive feedback about the Showcase, saying it was an inspiring meeting. The attendees also seemed to like our 12:30 p.m. start time.
  • I also announced at Showcase that one of our goals to meet our theme (as stated above) is to institutionalize our salary negotiation program, which will be aided by Work Smart Online, a virtual salary negotiation workshop being launched this month by AAUW national. Stay tuned for a video about this program coming to our branch soon.
  • You can also read about this program in an article entitled How to Be an Ace Salary Negotiator (Even if You Hate Conflict)which was published in the New York Times on Aug. 10. AAUW’s Chief Executive Officer, Kim Churches, was quoted.
  • 6 training for Non-Profit Leadership, $20 fee, available to all AAUW members. You should have already received an email from Davis East Consulting about signing up for the four-hour training on Eventbrite. This training would be a great addition to your resume. For questions, please call Liz or Donna.
  • Did you know you can take classes online at com for FREE if you have a Sacramento Library Card? Eight classes “to boost your creative know-how” from photography to video game development are available. I’m signing up for one on how to use WordPress to learn how to update our website.

 

Happy Halloween!

Directories for Sale, Printable Interest and Book Group Calendars, and Birthdays Here!

Directories for Sale by Sharon Anderson

If you would like a second copy of the Branch Directory, please send cash or a check for $5 (which includes postage) made out to AAUW Sacramento, and mail it to Sharon Anderson, 9045 Thilow Drive, Sacramento, 95826.  If questions, email Sharon at anderson.aauw@att.net or call 916-396-9790.

Interest Groups, Book Groups, Birthdays and Printable Articles Here:

Funds Update by Kathleen Asay and Danielle Metzinger

Cecelia H. Payne

Did you know that AAUW’s fellowship program gave its first award as long ago as 1890? It was $500 for postdoctoral study, supported by individual donations. Almost from the beginning, the Association of Collegiate Alumnae (AAUW as it was then) saw the need to help women financially to further their education. In the following years, as the quality of AAUW’s recipients became recognized, memorial endowments were given so similar awards could be made.

By 1919, aid to gifted women had become so much a part of the mission of AAUW that $.25 of member dues was committed to the funding of fellowships. In 1923, International fellowships were developed with the provision that the recipient study in a country that was not her own, a provision that still applies.

With that in mind, consider Cecilia H. Payne of England who in 1924 was doing breakthrough work in mapping and understanding the stars but needed a Ph.D. in astronomy to advance her position at Harvard’s Observatory. Payne received $1,000 from the Rose Sidgwick Memorial Fellowship of AAUW to complete her degree, becoming the first person to obtain a Ph.D. in her field at Harvard. Her thesis that many of the stars she was studying were primarily hydrogen is still an accepted principle of astronomy. In 1956, Payne became the first female full professor at Harvard and soon after the chairman of the department of astronomy. At $14,000, her salary became higher than her husband’s (he also worked at the Observatory) but was far below that of her male peers.

The members of our book section 8 read about Cecilia Payne in The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel. You never know where you will encounter the amazing women who have benefitted from the AAUW Funds program.

AAUW in the 1970s: Capitol Puppeteers Mr. Toothbrush Saves the Day! by Ruth Burgess and Ruth Ann Hines

During the 1970s, the Sacramento Branch had a great partnership with the Sacramento District Dental Society Auxiliary, which provided dental hygiene education to grade school children in the Sacramento City and San Juan district schools—and brought a source of income for our own scholarship funds because the Auxiliary paid us for each presentation.

The script was prepared and recorded by the Auxiliary. It was based upon the familiar story of “Hansel and Gretel,” with a twist on the idea of the children eating too many sweets, which attracted them to the witch’s house in the forest. It was a marionette show with a pre-recorded tape of the voices of the various characters: Hansel, Gretel, the wicked witch, and the hero “Mr. Toothbrush.”

Volunteer AAUW members loaded the backs of their station wagons with a large plywood platform, the puppet stage, a full-sized tape recorder, and the puppets. They usually did two performances at each school after learning how to manipulate the string puppets and bring them to life. Sometimes they even brought their own preschoolers along when they couldn’t get babysitters, and they joined the audience. They put the shows on in the multi-purpose rooms to excited audiences who got the message about the importance of good dental hygiene practices. They “booed” the witch and cheered the toothbrush when he rescued the children. Volunteers had to have strong backs and legs to lug around the equipment and stand on boxes to be tall enough to reach over the top of the puppet stage—but they have fond memories of this community service.

Interest Groups Update by Cherril Peabody

Our Showcase meeting in September was delightful, but it didn’t result in a lot of sign-ups for Interest Groups. Therefore, I thought I would mention again some groups that would welcome new members. Participating in interest groups is a great way to make new friends and expand your horizons!

  • Board Games meets on the last Friday at 7 p.m. Members play card and board games. Contact Anne Rhodes, rhodesmicasa@yahoo.com
  • Book Groups: There are currently eight groups that meet either during the day or in the evening, and most are accepting new members. Two new groups have been proposed, as well. Contact Book Group Chair Linda Cook, lindacook5833@comcast.net
  • Bridge for Fun, which meets on the first Tuesday at 1 p.m., needs substitutes. Contact Jane Reinmuth, cajane42@aol.com
  • Chicago Bridge meets on the fourth Wednesday at 10 a.m., and they also need subs. Contact Margot Leidig, MHLeidig@aol.com
  • Cultural History meets on the first Thursday at 1 p.m. Members discuss two or three books during the year about cultural changes that have impacted history. Contact Diane Preece, dpreece@mcn.org
  • Great Decisions I meets on the third Monday at 7 p.m. They discuss world issues using materials from an international organization. Contact Jen Henderson, jenhen@gmail.com
  • Great Decisions III meets on the third Monday at 1 p.m. See above for description. Contact Marlys Huez, mhuez@comcast.net
  • Healthy Heart meets on the second Sunday at 6 p.m. in members’ homes, bringing healthy, tasty food to share with the group. Contact Jane Cooley, janecooley1@gmail.com
  • Readers Theater meets on the second Wednesday at 7 p.m. Members read aloud plays that are provided by an AAUW branch. Contact Diane Petersen, 916-214-4644
  • Scrabble Just for Fun meets on the last Monday at 1 p.m. Members play one or two games of Scrabble in groups of two or three. Contact Vivian Counts, viviancounts@yahoo.com

September 2018 Board Briefs by Liz Jordan

Following are highlights from the September AAUW Sacramento Board Meeting:

  • Co-President Donna Homes reported she has printed 100 copies of the new yearly study “Broken Ladders: Barriers to Women’s Representation in Nonprofit Leadership,” available for members to use.
  • Two important Oct. 13 events with our sister-branch CHAR: a morning meeting to educate members and the public about the November ballot measures, followed by Take Back the Night table in downtown Sacramento in the evening.
  • New Business – a small committee will meet with Membership Directors Linda Patterson and/or Sharon Norris to create guidelines for the Dues Assistance Program. The fund currently has about $700 that the branch is not currently using but is set aside for assisting members with dues in a time of need.

November 2018 CA Ballot Proposition Forum on October 13

November 2018 CA Ballot Proposition Forum on October 13

On October 13 at 10 a.m., AAUW Sacramento is co-sponsoring a forum on the November 2018 Ballot Propositions with the AAUW Citrus Heights- American River branch. Professor Mary-Beth Moylan and a panel of McGeorge Law School Students will review the propositions on the November 2018 ballot. A Q & A will follow the panel.

Register for free on Eventbrite. Here is the Ballot Proposition flyer.

Eventbrite - November 2018 Ballot Proposition Forum