Monthly Archives: August 2021

Fall Program Kick-Off

Fall Program Kick-Off is Happening Virtually on Saturday, Sept. 11 By Kim Rutledge and Karen Burley

Welcome to Fall at AAUW Sacramento Branch! We are committed to bringing our branch membership a robust array of programs in a virtual format, and hopefully some in-person events as well.

The branch program year starts on Saturday, September 11, with the virtual AAUW Branch Year Kick-Off from 10 am to Noon. This year we will have a joint session with our sister branch Citrus Heights American River (CHAR). We will highlight all that has been happening with Tech Trek, followed by planned programs, Interest Groups, and outreach programs for each branch.

Invite a friend who may be interested in joining our branch and log on to Zoom to learn what the coming year has in store. Registration information for this free event is available on Eventbrite by clicking here. (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aauw-sacramento-branch-year-kick-off-tickets-168649706813 ) A Zoom link will be emailed to all registered members 2 days prior to the event. Please mark your calendars! This event is open to the public, so people who join on the 11th can join at a reduced rate.

As we look to December and beyond, we will assess whether or not we can return to monthly in-person branch events. Regardless of where we do our programming for the coming year, we promise to bring timely, compelling monthly programs to branch members. We look forward to seeing you on Zoom in September!

Here are all of the current program dates for 2021-22:

  • Saturday, September 11, 2021, 10 am – 12 Noon
    Branch Year Kick-off and Tech Trek presentation, on Zoom (a joint meeting with CHAR)
  • Saturday, October 23, 2021, 12:30 – 2:30 pm
    In-person Ice Cream Social and Scholarship presentation, Eastern Oak Park, Maple picnic site (the one closest to the parking lot), 3127 Eastern Ave., Sacramento
  • Thursday, November 18, 2021, 7 – 8:30 pm
    Panel presentation on California’s child care workforce, on Zoom
  • Saturday, December 11, 2021, 11 am – 2 pm
    Holiday luncheon, Northridge  Country Club
  • Saturday, January 15, 2022, Time is TBD
    Speech Trek Challenge, on Zoom
  • Saturday, January 29, 2022, 2 pm – 4 pm
    IBC Luncheon, on Zoom
  • Saturday, February 19, 2022 Time and Location are TBD
    Speech Trek Contest, In-person
  • Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 7 – 8:30 pm
    Panel discussion, Master Plan for Aging update, on Zoom
  • Saturday, April 9,  2022, Time and Location are TBD
    Author’s luncheon
  • Saturday, May 21,  2022, Time and Location are TBD
    Installation of officers, Speech Trek winner, Named Gift and 50-Year Member Honorees

Budget Needs Branch Approval

2021-22 Budget Needs Branch Approval By Liz Jordan

The Board of Directors is reviewing the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2021-22, shown here. Branch members are asked to review the proposed budget, which will be voted on at the September Program meeting.

[Editor’s Note] A big THANK YOU to Liz for creating this budget for us!

Why be a Finance Director?

Why be a Finance Director? By Liz Jordan, Finance Director 2020-2022

Why would you want to be a Finance Director? 

  • Because you get to play with money!
  • Because you are using your brain for an excellent purpose!
  • Because you get to be in the know about all branch activities!
  • Because it’s easy! We have Quick Books! This subscription does all the math, practically reconciles the check book for you!
  • Also, we have a professional bookkeeper to help when you need help! And our branch has a budget to pay for these two important services.
  • It’s all set up and ready for a new volunteer!
  • You are an Essential Member of the leadership team. No Treasurer/No Branch.

I like to say, if I can do this job for AAUW, you can do it.  I am a language person.  I am an associative thinker.  I have an older brain.  If I can do this, you can too.  Volunteer.

Position will be open for the 2022-2023 year.  Find your “YES!” Contact Liz Jordan for more information.

Interest Group News

Interest Group: Reader’s Theater By Diane Petersen

In your wildest fantasy are you:  Ingrid Bergman, Sandra Bullock, Meg Ryan, Katherine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, or Elizabeth Taylor in a comedy, drama, historical event, or mystery?  If you answered YES, then welcome to Reader’s Theater.  Your fantasy will be played out from September to June on the second Tuesday of the month.

Thanks to the California Drama Exchange for bringing plays to AAUW study groups since 1958.  Sixty-three years!  WOW!

The Reader’s Theater interest group continued during the Covid-19 shutdown. We decided to read the plays via teleconferencing instead of Zoom. So, we did the following:

October 2020 – May 2021: The plays were delivered on the second Monday to the members at their homes in a mailing bag on their porches. I picked up the plays on the second Wednesday.

We always go out to lunch in June, so we stretched it throughout the summer months. June—August: We had lunch on the second Tuesday at Obo’s Restaurant at 11:30 am.

September 2021—June 2022: We will meet at Mary Williams’ home at 7 p.m. to read the following plays:

Sept. 14:  “Nude with Violin” by Noel Coward (comedy) — A famous painter of modern art is revealed to be a hoax.  His paintings were painted by at least three artists.  TV movies in 1956 and 1964.

Oct. 12: “Man from Earth” by Jerome Bixby (a science fiction film writer) (drama) — A college professor reveals at a party that he is thousands of years old.

Now it is your turn to look up the following plays and see what interests you to join us on the second Tuesday of the month:

Nov. 9: “The Rainmaker” by Richard Nash

Dec. 14: “A Touch of the Poet” by Eugene O’Neill

Jan. 11: “The Unexpected Guest” by Agatha Christie

Feb. 8: “Isn’t It Romantic” by Wendy Wasserstein

March 8: “Rose’s Dilemma” by Neil Simon

April 12: “Peg O’ My Heart” by Hartley Manners

May 9: “Dead Ringer” by Charles Ross

June 14: “Sweat” by Lynn Nottage

We laugh, cry and have fun reading the variety of plays that are sent to our group. If you are interested in reading any of these plays, please contact me: Diane Petersen (chair), 916-214-4644, ladypetersen@icloud.com to RSVP and get location information.

Walking Group By Vicki Nicholson

Walking Group Anyone?

If you are interested in joining other members who enjoy walking in various nearby locales, please contact Vicki Nicholson, Interest Groups Coordinator, at 916-684-7170 or vlynnnic@yahoo.com.

Day, time and destinations will be determined by participants.  This is a pandemic restriction-proof activity!

Living Our Mission of Equity

Living Our Mission of Equity By Charmen Goehring

We invite you to join us in a monthly equity conversation looking at our own biases, and what actions we can take to attract diversity to our branch and become better people in the process. We have finished the book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” by Isabel Wilkerson and will be selecting our next book for discussing issues related to race and equity. We meet the second Wednesday of each month from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Zoom. Our next  Zoom meeting is Sept. 8th.

The Zoom meeting code is 737 420 3780, or you can join using this link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7374203780. If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen at charminme@yahoo.com.

Membership News

Membership News By Donna Holmes and Marty McKnew

By the time you receive this newsletter you should have received your new directory.  If you have not or want to purchase an additional copy for $5 please contact Donna Holmes at (916) 402-4714.

The following new members are listed in your new directory so feel free to reach out to them:

Please welcome new member Linda Howard, previously a member of the Roseville Branch.  Linda is a retired teacher and has also worked as a real estate broker.  She is interested in evening book groups and singles dining out.  Linda is located in Carmichael.

Our second new member is Stephenie Moczydlowski and she lives in Fair Oaks.  Stephenie is a retired nurse case manager and is interested in Public Policy as well as most of our interest groups!  She has been an active participant at two of the Great Decisions I.

We will be updating the Membership website as soon as possible.  Additionally, with Karen Burley’s help, the directory will also be posted in the members-only section of the website.

See you on Zoom for September’s Showcase or in PERSON at the Ice Cream Social in October and remember to bring prospective members who may join for the reduced rate of $69.50 for joining at an event.

 

AAUW Sacramento Funds & Legacy Circle

AAUW Sacramento Funds & Legacy Circle By  Charmen Goehring

AAUW Sacramento members continue to generously support the AAUW Fund. This is a suite of funds including the Greatest Needs Fund, the Leadership Fund, the Governance and Sustainability Fund, Economic Security Fund and the Education and Training Fund. You can either send a check to our branch, designating where you would like your contribution to go, or safely online via the AAUW website.

Another opportunity to support AAUW and our mission of working to advance gender equity for women and girls is to become a member of the Legacy Circle. There are many ways to recognize AAUW in your estate and the form to join online takes 2 minutes to fill out. I can also send you a hard copy form if you choose. AAUW Sacramento added several new Legacy Circle members last year, giving us the second highest number, behind the AAUW CA Online Branch!!

Please contact Charmen Goehring (charminme@yahoo.com or 207-756-0406) for more information on either contributing to Funds or joining the Legacy Circle.

Public Policy News

Public Policy News By Arlene Cullum

The 2021 Legislative session in California is in the final stretch … In August, bills must be finalized to make their way to the Governor’s desk in September. California AAUW is now following 39 bills of which five are considered the highest level for advocacy.  Of those, a few are two-year bills.  Here are the primary bills for this session:

AB92 (Reyes): Child Care Family Fees — AAUW IS A CO-SPONSOR

 

This bill would waive all family fees for low-income families, using federal funding, through Oct. 31, 2022.  After that, the bill would create an equitable sliding scale for family fees, relieving the burden on working families struggling to pay for daycare.  AAUW is a co-sponsor of this bill, along with three other organizations.  There is no opposition.

SB62 (Durazo): Garment Worker Protection Act

SB62 would expand and strengthen enforcement of wage-theft liability in the garment manufacturing industry, ensuring that retailers cannot use layers of contracting to avoid responsibility under the law.  By eliminating the piece rate in the industry while still allowing for bonus and incentive payments, this bill would ensure that workers are paid for all the time spent working.

SB373 (Min): Consumer Debt: Economic Abuse

This bill would prohibit debt collectors and creditors from being able to collect from an individual when that individual can demonstrate that the debt was incurred through economic abuse.  It also would prevent the debt from being reported to credit agencies.  This will be a two-year bill.

You can stay involved! Be sure to sign up online for the 2 Minute Activist on the Sacramento AAUW Website!  Also, if you would like to track the bills of this legislative session, please visit the California AAUW website (www.aauw-ca.org/documents/2021/04/bill-tracking.pdf/).

Speech Trek for 2021-2022

Speech Trek News By Ann Arneill and Shari Beck

The Speech Trek Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, January 15, 2022. Come explore this year’s topic!

The Speech Trek Topic for 2021-2022 is “Has the U.S. lived up to its pledge of liberty and justice for all? Would requiring the study of diversity, equity, and inclusion in a high school setting help insure liberty and justice for all?”

The Speech Trek Contest  will happen on Saturday, February 19, 2022.

Member Birthdays, Book Groups, and Printable Articles

Celebrating September Birthdays! By Sharon Anderson

  Happy Birthday to All!

  • Barbara Jacobs                    9/3
  • Kathleen Keers                    9/3
  • Anne Just                              9/6
  • Fakhri Alereza Rice             9/6
  • Rebekah Machado de Quevedo  9/9
  • Jeanette Finn                       9/10
  • Barbara Kamilos                 9/12
  • Marchetta Schneider         9/13
  • Pamella Vaughn                  9/15
  • Malinda Rice                        9/20
  • Hedda Smithson                 9/20
  • Cherril Peabody                  9/22
  • Marjorie Daughhetee        9/26
  • Elinor Anklin                        9/26
  • Kathryn Brann                    9/26
  • Danielle Metzinger             9/26
  • Karen Humphrey                9/27

Book Groups and Printable Newsletter Articles

  • Click here for Book Group books for September
  • Click here for Printable Newsletter Articles