In Memoriam: Ruth Ann Hines
By Molly Dugan

Ruth Ann Hines, a devoted 50-plus year AAUW member and steadfast branch and state leader, died Dec. 25 in her home. She was 76.

AAUW is but one beneficiary of Ruth Ann’s energy; she also held leadership positions in the Parent-Teacher Association, and was an active volunteer for her church, the California State Fair and Sacramento State athletics.

But AAUW had a special place in heart, her family and friends said.

“She looked at a lot of us as part of her family,” Marilyn Orrick, a longtime friend and AAUW member said. “As an only child, we took the place of some extended family for her, as well as (providing) intellectual stimulation.”

Chuck Hines, Ruth Ann’s husband of 49 years, said she cherished Tech Trek in particular. She served on the founding Tech Trek committee and as a “dorm mom” for several camps.

He said she was also proud of her work on the branch’s “Vanishing Victorians” and recalled spending hours with her in the basement of a government office to conduct research for the book, which was published in 1973.

Ruth Ann was a two-time Sacramento branch president, in 1986-1987 and 1999- 2000, and a longtime parliamentarian. She was a named-gift honoree multiple times.

She was also a well-known figure at the state. She served on the AAUW-Ca Governance Committee, the state’s Legal Advocacy Fund and Bylaws committees and was a familiar face at AAUW events at the State Capitol.

Ruth Ann participated in Great Decisions, Reader’s Theater and the now-defunct AAUW puppeteers and book sale fundraisers.

“She was generous to a fault,” Orrick said. “There wasn’t anything you could ask of her that she would refuse.”

A native of Arcata, Ruth Ann earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Humboldt State University and worked as a third-grade teacher at Lone Tree Elementary School on Beale Air Force Base. After marrying and moving to Sacramento, she worked as teacher’s aide and substitute teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Sacramento (now defunct).

Her involvement with public schools did not end there. She was active in the Parent-Teacher Association for decades – even after her son Aaron graduated – and served as the PTA president for the third district of California. She even decorated the PTA’s 100^th anniversary Rose Parade float in Pasadena, Chuck said.

Ruth Ann and Chuck worked together at women’s and men’s Sacramento State basketball games for nearly 40 years, Chuck at the scoreboard and Ruth Ann at the shot clock. They sat courtside together for every home game. The couple also volunteered at the California State Fair for 39 years, primarily working in the “counties” building and running bingo games.

They attended the American Lutheran Church of the Cross and volunteered for the St. John’s Program for Real Change (formerly the Shelter for Women and Children), and Ruth Ann’s always-in-motion knitting needles created an untold number of hats and cold-weather gear for the WIND Youth Services, a program for homeless youth.

At the time of her death, Ruth Ann was caring for 14 feral cats.

In addition to her husband and son, Ruth Ann is survived by two grandchildren and numerous friends. Services will be private.

Donations may be made to AAUW Sacramento Scholarships in Ruth Ann’s memory. Please be sure indicate Ruth Ann’s name on any donation. Checks can be sent to Finance Director Liz Jordan, who is listed in the directory.  

If you are interested in donating any knitting or crochet to WIND in Ruth Ann’s honor, please contact Donna Holmes.

AAUW MEMBERSHIP MATTERS By Bonnie Penix and Jan Stuter

Thankfully, President Joe Biden’s inauguration went smoothly. When you read this we will be well into the second month of 2021. But I’m fairly certain that many of us will still be in pandemic mode, waiting for the first of two vaccinations or waiting for the second. We will still be mostly isolating, not meeting person to person at our branch meetings or in our interest groups. Some are hoping that life will return to “normal” by the summer; others are predicting that it may take as long as 2022 before we can safely re-engage. Whatever happens, AAUW Sacramento is facing serious difficulties in recruiting new members during the Covid19 pandemic.

Janice Stuter

In the past, we have relied on in-person sign-ups at monthly, public branch meetings, extending invitations to acquaintances we might meet in other organization meetings, making presentations to different groups of people who might be interested in joining once they hear about our goals and local activities, email requests for information on joining, referrals from existing members, and personal friends and relatives. Unfortunately, because of current public health concerns, our potential recruitment circle has been severely impaired.

At our January board meeting, we were charged with establishing an ad hoc committee to explore methods to increase membership focusing on two particular areas:

1) Monthly branch program presenters (i.e., possible one-year honorariums?),

2) Individuals whom board and general members meet who have the potential to become active members of our branch but do not have adequate finances to join.

Our immediate goals would be to determine:
a) What qualifications are necessary to identify potential new members in those two categories?
b) What methods of financing are possible for our branch to offer an initial membership year (e.g., a designated new member Starter Fund)?
c) How to evaluate the success of the program.

We would also appreciate help in designing and implementing other methods for increasing our membership. We are planning to hold several Zoom meetings in the near future to brainstorm an overall plan. I am hoping to recruit a five- to seven-person committee.

We need your help! Please volunteer to be on our committee and/or suggest new member recruitment techniques for pandemic times, funding ideas and evaluation methods. We’re easy to contact. Please check the branch directory for our email addresses and telephone numbers. And a special thank you for taking the time to think about how to expand our membership in these trying times!

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
We have just celebrated the inauguration of Kamala Harris as the first female, first Black and first Asian-American Vice President of the United States. An exciting achievement! Did you know that before VP Harris, there was another Black woman who was nominated for that position? Her name was Charlotta Amanda Spears Bass. Charlotta was born on Feb. 14, 1874. She was an American educator, newspaper publisher-editor and a civil rights activist. She attended Brown University and the University of California at Los Angeles. She ran on the Progressive Party ticket in 1952. While she was not elected (Eisenhower/Nixon won on the Republican ticket), Charlotta gave much of her time to the causes of housing rights, police brutality and harassment, voting rights and labor rights — causes AAUW still works to advance today. Charlotta was buried in Los Angeles in 1969 at the age of 95.

WELCOME BACK
We are very happy to welcome Anne Rhodes back to AAUW Sacramento after an absence of nearly 2 years. Anne received her BA in English from CSU, Fresno and an MA in education, with a reading emphasis, from the University of Guam. She is retired from a teaching career and continues her education involvement with a special interest in our Speech Trek and Tech Trek programs. She also is planning to enjoy Art & Architecture activities, Cultural History discussions and Scrabble. Anne will celebrate her 87th birthday on April 1.