Monthly Archives: August 2022

September Kick-Off and Coming Attractions

September Kick-Off, By Angela Scarlett

Since February 2020, AAUW Sacramento has limited nearly all of our branch meetings to digital offerings on Zoom to ensure the safety of our members from COVID-19.

We are excited to inform you that we will meet in person on September 17 at the Carmichael Library Meeting Room, 5605 Marconi Ave.! While our reservation is from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., we want to encourage members to arrive around 10:15 a.m. to check in, have coffee or snacks, and socialize.

We have a variety of items on the agenda for the day, including:

Voting on our annual budget. You can find the proposed budget <here>.
Hearing from our scholarship recipients
Getting an update on all the exciting ideas coming out of our Strategic Planning Committee

Jay Cohen, who works for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, will speak to us that day. We hope to hear about the impact of the SCOTUS Dobbs decision on women, girls and other folks, as well as the implications for AAUW’s core mission. Planned Parenthood Mar Monte has 30 health centers throughout mid-California and northern Nevada.

We will provide registration via Eventbrite (you only have to give us your name and email), but we won’t turn away folks at the door. Don’t forget to bring proof of COVID-19 vaccination. We also encourage folks to bring masks, especially if they’re medically at risk. Come, bring a friend and get involved!

If you would like to provide refreshments or help with setup, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Angela Scarlett via her contact information in the directory. We look forward to seeing you all!

Coming Attractions – Mark Your Calendars!! By Donna Holmes

Saturday September 17th the new and improved Showcase from 10:30AM to 1PM at the Carmichael Library, 5605 Marconi Ave., Carmichael, CA 95608
Thursday October 20^th, in partnership with CHAR, 4:30PM Zoom meeting on the California ballot propositions
Saturday December 10, 2022 from 11AM to 1:30PM Holiday Luncheon at North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave., Fair Oaks, CA 95628
Saturday January 28, 2023 IBC Funds Luncheon on Zoom
Saturday February 18, 2023 Speech Trek location TBA
Saturday March 25, 2023 Annual Meeting – Author’s Luncheon location TBA

President’s Message

President’s Message, By Angela Scarlett

As I enter my third year as president of our AAUW branch, I have been reflecting on the fact that I didn’t think I would be here. Many of you know that we have struggled to find replacement board members and officers in the past year.

This lack of volunteers is a likely consequence of our branch aging. We have had many dedicated members who served in leadership for multiple years. It is only natural that folks would want to step back and allow others to step forward.

Our Nominating Committee recruited Susana Mullen and Carole Cline to serve as our financial director and secretary but could not find a president. We held a branch meeting to address our volunteer gap with our members. After this meeting, Lori Franz and Mary Miller stepped forward to helm our Tech Trek program.

We also convened a Strategic Planning Committee to address long-term branch needs. Marty McKnew, Gloria Yost, Liz Jordan, Tiffany Ardisana, Hedda Smithson, and I serve on the committee. Nancy Lawrence, a long-time dedicated member and former president of AAUW Sacramento, was originally going to help but recently passed away after a bout with cancer. We will greatly miss her and will memorialize her in next month’s newsletter.

We have had some productive sessions and have come up with excellent suggestions for restructuring the board. We will review this first piece of committee work at the September 17 meeting for feedback. To give you an idea of “Regroup, Renew, Refresh,” here are some bullet points.

The board will consist of nine members.
Four elected officers: president, vice-president of programming, financial officer, and secretary
Five appointed directors-at-large.
Officers shall serve a two-year term.
The board officers shall appoint directors for an initial one year.

Please share your ideas and suggestions with us! We are in the directory. But most importantly, come to the September meeting!

Membership News

Membership News, By Donna Holmes and Marty McKnew

Renewals and Nimble
To say the new database and renewal system has been a nightmare is to put it mildly. Marty and I cannot thank all of you enough for your perseverance and patience in getting things processed. We still have a handful of unrenewed members and hope to be wrapped up by Labor Day.

Your Directory will not be printed and mailed until renewals are complete.

50-year members!
At the May meeting, we honored our three new 50-year members: Mary Lou Lentz, Linda Sparks (pictured) and Susan Whetstone. Because of the National database conversion problems, we were not able to get them their certificates until this month.

New Members
We have several new or returning members: Mary Margaret Baker (moved here from Hawaii), Joy Clous, Mahnaz Khazari, Monique Stovall and Rita Walker. We hope to meet them face-to-face at our Sept. 17 meeting at the Carmichael Library!

Stayed tuned for a new-member event host by us later this fall.

Vaccinated Hugs,
Donna Holmes & Marty McKnew

Living Our Mission of Equity-Book Discussion

Living Our Mission of Equity, By Charmen Goehring

We hope you will 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. Each month, we read a section of our selected book, then meet to discuss what we have learned, along with exploring other issues related to race and equity. We will meet the first Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a joint CHAR/Sacramento activity.

The Zoom meeting code is 737 420 3780, or you can join using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7374203780

We will be discussing the first half, up to page 109, of our new book, “Sister Outsider” by Audre Lorde, at 7 p.m. Sept. 7. If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen at charminme@yahoo.com.

Upcoming Interest Group Meetings

Upcoming Interest Group Meetings, By Vicki Nicholson

*Art & Architecture: First meeting Friday, October 7. Contact Deborah Dunn for more information.

*Board Games: September 30, 7 p.m., at Ruth Werner’s residence.

*Film Fans: September 20, 11 a.m., Zoom Group occasionally meets in person to attend theater screenings. Contact Cherril Peabody for current offerings.

*Great Decisions I: September 19, 7 p.m., Zoom, topic-A Century of Drug Wars. Contact Cathy Locke.

*Great Decisions II: September 8, 7 PM – 9 PM on Zoom. September topic ”No end in sight: a century of drug wars”. Contact Lynn Wood.

*Great Decisions III: September 19, 1:00 p.m. Subject and location to be determined. Call Kathy Schrumpf for details. A new Great Decisions book to be purchased in January.

*Healthy Heart: September 16, 11:30 a.m.; place to be determined at August gathering.

*Reader’s Theater: plays will begin in October.

*Scrabble: September 26, 1 p.m., at Vivian Counts’ home.

*Singles Dining: September 4, 6 p.m. Contact Nancy McCabe or Karen Burley.

Speech Trek and Tech Trek News

Speech Trek News, By Ann Arneill, Speech Trek Co-Director

Speech Trek, AAUW’s public speaking contest, is in its 16^th year. The very timely topic for 2022-23 is “How can communities, organizations, and citizens of all ages help protect and expand voting rights?”

We work with the nine high schools in the Elk Grove Unified School District and recruit students to compete in the contest that will be held this academic year on Feb. 18, 2023. We hope to hold the contest in person this year at Cosumnes River College.

Students deliver 5-to-6-minute speeches extemporaneously for cash prizes ranging from $200 to $500. The local winner can go on to the statewide competition to compete for a prize of $1,500.

The committee is currently busy planning for student recruitment and scheduling workshops. We hope for a successful year.

On Jan. 14, 2023, we will hold the Speech Trek Challenge, designed for AAUW members to attend to discuss the topic in anticipation of the student contest.

Tech Trek is Getting Ready for a Great New Year, By Cathy Locke

Tech Trek, under the new leadership of co-chairs Mary Miller and Lori Franz, is busy planning for a great new year.

After a short hiatus and the COVID slow-down of Tech Trek activities, our branch committee is actively making plans for funding, recruiting and selecting participants for the 2023 camp at UC Davis.

Nurturing and encouraging girls in the STEM fields is an important part of the AAUW mission as we support the education of women. Our branch continues to be proud of the impact we have had in our local community through opportunities provided for many campers over the years.

Do you have a fondness for STEM or simply a desire to increase educational opportunities for young women? The Tech Trek Committee welcomes your enthusiasm, ideas and support!

Join the Legacy Circle!

Join the Legacy Circle! By Charmen Goehring

We were talking to an AAUW friend the other day about the Legacy Circle. She revealed to us that she thought one needed to have a healthy bank account to become a member. We thought that if she has this assumption, others might as well.

The answer is, no, you do not need to be well off to be a Legacy Circle member! A Legacy gift is not something you give during your lifetime — it is given by your estate. There are many ways to leave a gift, including making AAUW a beneficiary on an insurance policy or annuity (this is what Charmen has done), donating a set sum or a percentage of your estate, creating a charitable gift annuity, or even creating a COD account at your bank (you deposit money now, either one time, or several deposits, and it is payable to AAUW upon your death). Knowing that we are a part of helping secure the future of AAUW, an organization that we have contributed time and talents to for more than 30 years now, makes us feel proud.

The top three motivations that AAUW donors cite for making a planned gift are the importance of AAUW’s mission, the belief that AAUW makes a significant impact, and the ability to make a larger gift through an estate gift than is normally possible during the donor’s lifetime.

There is no minimum gift requirement to join the Legacy Circle, and the benefits are many. For example:

Planned gifts afford you flexibility to provide for your family and support AAUW.
Certain planned gifts may reduce estate or capital-gains taxes.
Planned gifts need not affect your cash flow during your lifetime.
Certain types of planned gifts allow you to support AAUW while also providing income for the rest of your life — or a fixed income for a loved one.
The joy of knowing that your legacy gift will sustain AAUW’s programs for years to come is the ultimate benefit!

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of planned giving, please contact Judy Horan and Charmen Goehring, of the AAUW Legacy Circle Team (queenjah@pacbell.net and charminme@yahoo.com). You can also find more information on AAUW’s website: https://www.aauw.org/resources/member/support-aauw/leave-a-legacy/. We would be delighted to welcome you to the Legacy Circle — AAUW’s recognition society for our beloved visionaries who are committed to advancing equity for women and girls long into the future.

Reproductive Choice Committee Forms

Reproductive Choice Committee Forms, By Liz Jordan

On June 24, 2022, the U. S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs Decision changed the political landscape for organizations like AAUW. We discovered that we are further from winning the equity war; we have lost one of the most important hills on the battlefield. While there is much talk within all women’s rights organizations, California is in the lonely company of only 11 other states protecting a woman’s right to control her body and her future. In August, four Sacramento branch members joined for two meetings over Zoom.

To date, we have contacted all members of our Public Policy Committee that existed in 2020-21 under the guiding hand of Arlene Cullum. We have met twice to determine our purpose/mission and how we can achieve that mission. Briefly and within the mission of our mothership – we will research national, state and local topics about reproductive rights, create resources we can share, and prepare to educate our branch members for action and advocacy.

Our third and next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. over Zoom. We are using Zoom because members are so busy that this relieves us of arranging for a meeting site and time driving back and forth. In the future, if the committee wants to meet in person, we will make those plans.

We need to share with more members the time commitment for all this research and chronicling of resources, and so we welcome any interested member joining the fun.

At this time, you may contact Liz Jordan, Carole Cline, Lisa Howard or Arlene Callum to get more information. Please see more contact information in the directory. We will send you the Zoom invitation for the Sept. 9 meeting and any future meetings that we plan.

When Women Vote

When Women Vote, We Change the Conversation! By Liz Jordan

Since 1881, AAUW has been a leading voice promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW encourages women voters to get involved in the political process and gain a better understanding of the impact legislative action can have on our lives.

The recent US Supreme Court Dobbs decision on abortion has stimulated action in many states across the nation, including California. Our Legislature passed and Gov. Newsom signed AB1666, which will enable a woman coming into California to receive an abortion to be protected from lawsuits originating in her home state. This bill was co-sponsored by AAUW CA! A further step protecting a woman’s right to make personal medical decisions is a constitutional amendment, Proposition 1, which will be on the Nov. 8 ballot. It would amend the California Constitution to prohibit the state from denying or interfering with an individual’s reproductive freedom in her most intimate decisions, which includes the fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives. AAUW CA supports this constitutional amendment.

Congressional races are particularly important this November. Redistricting after the 2020 Census has changed the boundaries of many congressional districts. In the current partisan climate, we need to be aware of what is at stake in both our national and state upcoming elections. Your current member of Congress may no longer represent you – be sure to become informed soon on the candidates for Congress in your district. As you sort through all this, please reflect on priority issues affecting us, our daughters and granddaughters, and evaluate candidates’ positions on these issues.

Here are resources to get helpful, non-partisan information:

AAUW CA website: aauw-ca.org Public Policy section will soon have more detail on priority issues and questions to ask of candidates.
AAUW website: org/policy/advocacy/tool-kit Ideas for branch activities, C/U partners, and specifics for 501 c 3 and 501 c 4 branches.
CA Secretary of State website: sos.ca.gov voter info, ballot Initiatives.
State and County Voter guides – mailed to all registered voters in October.
wedrawthelinesca.org – maps of newly redrawn congressional districts

Register to vote, if you haven’t already! And if you have recently moved, you need to update your information with your county registrar of voters! Voting is a powerful tool to bring about change!

NOTE from your branch’s Public Policy Committee: we are joining with CHAR (Citrus Height American River Branch) to host a propositions discussion Oct. 20, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. over Zoom. The link for the meeting is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4350679895?pwd=TjMvZFZtSE4xdXFCUjhDU0dKWnlCdz09

Birthdays, Books, and Printable Articles

Celebrating August Birthdays! By Donna Holmes

Happy (Belated) Birthday to All!

Jennifer Krebsbach 8/5
Linda Patterson 8/5
Marlys Fredrickson Huez 8/6
Nancy McCabe 8/14
May Ruth Lynch 8/22
Susan Rubinstein Szabo 8/22
Barbara Smith 8/25
Vicki Nicholson 8/28
Catherine Locke 8/31

Celebrating September Birthdays! By Donna Holmes

Happy Birthday to All!

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
Elinor Anklin 9/26
Kathryn Brann 9/26
Danielle Metzinger 9/26
Karen Humphrey 9/27
Joy Clous 9/28

September Book Groups By Sharon Anderson

Book Group 2:
The Code Breaker, by Walter Isaacson, on Sept. 6; coordinator is Carol Hayes

Book Group 3:
Caste: the Origins of our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson, on Sept. 28; coordinator is Carolyn Meeker

Book Group 4:
The Daughters of Yalta: the Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans, by Catherine Grace Katz, on Sept. 14; coordinator is Pat Morehead

Book Group 6:
Infinite City: a San Francisco Atlas, by Rebecca Solnit, on Sept. 19; coordinators are Angela Scarlett, Gloria Yost

Book Group 8:
Afterlife, by Julia Alvarez , on Sept. 26; coordinator is Diana Squire

Book Group 10:
Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook, by Celia Rees, Sept.15 ; coordinator is Sandi Schoenman

Book Group 12:
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir, on Sept 1; coordinator is Linda Cook

Book Group 33:
Lady Clementine, by Marie Benedict, on Sept. 1; coordinator is Jane Pivetti

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