Daily Archives: December 27, 2023

AAUW Fund Luncheon-January

AAUW Fund Luncheon By Donna Holmes

Sponsored by your Capitol Counties Interbranch Council

Saturday, January 20, 2024 Northridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave. Fair Oaks, CA
Noon – 2:00pm

Keynote speaker: Tracy Ramondini, Elk Grove Sheldon High School teacher  and Gov Trek State Committee member, will update us on the Gov Trek program.

In addition, two current AAUW Fund Recipients will share their educational journeys,  focusing on details and progress of their work.

Reserve your spot today; Deadline for reservations is  January 10, 2024.

Make your $40 check payable to AAUW CHAR and mail to:
AAUW CHAR, P.O. Box 1555, Fair Oaks, CA  95628
Include the following information:

Name _______________________________________ Branch _________________________

Phone __________________________ Email _______________________________________

Please indicate your menu choice:

____ Turkey w/mashed potatoes & veggies

____ Vegetarian Risotto

2024 AAUW IBC Luncheon Flyer

Speech Trek News

Speech Trek Update By Ann Arneill

The Speech Trek Committee has completed its recruitment for Elk Grove high school students to compete in the contest with this year’s topic:  “If an educated population is essential to a nation’s prosperity, then how can we ensure a robust public school curriculum that is accessible to all and teaches historically accurate information?” 

The contest will be held on Feb.10, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cosumnes River College, Room Winn 150. Please note that it is being held on the second weekend in February instead of the third weekend, and that it is starting at 10 a.m. rather than 9 a.m.  We hope that these changes will make it more convenient for AAUW members to attend. We hope to see you there!

We are looking forward to the Speech Trek Challenge that will be held via Zoom on Jan.13, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Members will have a chance to discuss the topic in advance of the contest to pique their interest.  Groups will discuss the questions: 1) What is included in a strong, robust curriculum in a high school? 2) How do we shift to more historically accurate information in public school curriculum? 3) What is the meaning of Martin Luther King’s statement:  “Education is the road to equality and citizenship.”  To receive the Zoom link for the Speech Trek Challenge, register on Eventbrite <here>. We hope to see you there for a lively discussion of this important topic!

The committee is interested in increasing its membership.  We have a variety of tasks that committee members can perform from helping recruit students to doing administrative work.  Call Shari Beck or Ann Arneill for more information – their contact information can be found in the Membership Directory.

President’s Message

President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

I have been asked how members can be more politically active within AAUW, given that as a 501(c)(3) our affiliate cannot advocate for partisan politics. But, AAUW supports lobbyists, at the state and national level, to advocate for issues that further our mission statement of advancing gender equity for women and girls. Note the difference: We are non-partisan, but not disinterested. We are issue focused, not political-party focused. You can certainly do that on your own time or with other organizations.

National AAUW supports a program called the Two-Minute Activist, in which many of us participate. Aside from donating to the state and national organizations, it is the easiest way to get involved. The process is as follows:  On your computer, go to AAUW.org. Log in if you have before or have forgotten your password. If not, follow the ‘Donate, Engage, Renew’ which prompts you how to set a login if you have not previously set on. Log in, which takes you to the ‘Personal Snapshot’ page. Check your information, return to the top of the page and click ‘Take Action.’ On the right of the screen click ‘Two-Minute Activist’ and sign up. Again you will see your contact information and then click on your interests. Click ‘Submit’ and you are in! This sounds like a lot, but it is pretty intuitive. Don’t you hate that when someone says that? Generally I say, then why do I need directions! Really, it is easy! Trust me.

You will get emails that tell you what the issue is and give you the chance to add your own thoughts to the prepared message. You agree for it to be sent to your representatives, or not, as you see fit, and you are done. Try it. Besides being told of the issues and AAUW’s position, you are informing your representatives!

 

 

Interest Groups and Sojourner Truth Museum Tour

Interest Group Happenings By Vicki  Nicholson

  • Art & Architecture: February 2, 10:30 a.m., No meeting in January.  Next meeting to visit an artist’s studio on February 2, 10:30 a.m.  Contact Deborah Dunn
  • Great Decisions I:  resumes in February, 2024, on Zoom. Contact Cathy Locke
  • Great Decisions II:  Social meeting in January; first regular meeting Thursday, February 8, 6-8 p.m. on Zoom.  Contact Lynn Wood
  • Great Decisions III: Contact Margaret McCarthy
  • Healthy Heart:  Contact Jane Cooley
  • Reader’s Theater:  Tuesday, January 9, 1 p.m., “The Constant Wife” by Somerset Maugham at Mary Williams’ home. Contact Diane Peterson
  • Scrabble Just for Fun:  Monday, January 29, 1 p.m., game room at Eskaton.  Contact Vivian Counts
  • Singles Dining:  Sunday, January 7, 6 p.m.. Fabian’s Italian Bistro and Bar, 11755 Fair Oaks Blvd in Fair Oaks.  Contact Nancy McCabe

Sojourner Truth Museum Tour By Lisa Howard

Mark your calendars! The Sojourner Truth Museum and African Market field trip in October was a success so we are scheduling a second opportunity on Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. We will map out additional recommendations for a full field trip into Sacramento black neighborhoods that you might not have explored.  Set a date with a girlfriend and make a day of it.  More updates to come in January.
Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, 2251 Florin Road, Unit 126, Sacramento

Book Groups for January

Book Groups Update By Sharon Anderson

Reminder there is a “books” page under “Activities” on our branch website (https://sacramento-ca.aauw.net/bookgroups/).  If you wish to see what others are reading, or get ideas for your book group or yourself, please find the books page and take a look.

Each book group has its own tab, by book group number.  (These book group numbers correlate with page 6 of the branch Membership Directory.)  On each list, the meeting days, times and coordinator are listed.  Feel free to call me if you have trouble locating it.

January Book Groups

Book Group 1:
The Foundling
, by Anne Leary, on Jan. 18; coordinator is Joy Clous

Book Group 2:
Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus, on Jan. 9; coordinator is Carol Hayes

Book Group 3: 
Trust, by Herman Diaz, on Jan. 24; coordinator is Carolyn Meeker

Book Group 4: 
<Book Selection> on Jan. 10; coordinator is Pat Morehead

Book Group 6: 
TBD on Jan. 22; coordinator is Susana Mullen

Book Group 8: 
<Book Selection> on Jan. 29; coordinator is Diana Squire

Book Group 10: 
Why We Sleep:Unlocking the Power of Sleep, by Matthew Walker, on Jan. 18; coordinator is Sandi Schoenman

Book Group 12: 
Travels with Charley, by John Steinbeck, on Jan. 4; coordinator is Linda Cook

Living Our Mission of Equity By Charmen Goehring

We hope you will join us in a monthly equity conversation where we look at our own biases, seek 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 meet the first Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom.

The Zoom meeting code is 737 420 3780 or you can join using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7374203780  We will discuss our current book, Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under The Color Of Law by Richard and Leah Rothstein, on Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. We will discuss Parts One and Two (through page 92). If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen at charminme@yahoo.com.

Membership Happenings

Membership Happenings By Gloria Yost and Vicky Lovell

Strengthening our AAUW Sacramento connections and friendships

As we wrap up 2023 and turn toward a new year, it’s a good time think about how AAUW Sacramento can contribute even more to your life, and how you can contribute more to the branch.  Would you like to try a new interest group this year?  Do you have a friend who would like to join a book group you’re enjoying?  We’ve already hosted several excellent events this fall – are you keeping up to date on which you’d like to attend?  There are so many opportunities to learn and enjoy the company of other members.

Our Membership Ambassadors

Our Membership Ambassador ranks grew by two this month.  Marjorie Wade and Monique Stovall each brought guests to the December Winter Luncheon.

Winner of our “bring in a new member drawing” in December:  Marlys Huez

Congratulations Marlys!  Please be sure Gloria Yost knows when you bring a guest and potential member to a meeting so you can get your name on the wall of recognition.

Meet our New AAUW Sacramento Member!

Please join the membership team in welcoming our new member who joined in December.

Hopefully you’ll have a chance to get to know her at a branch event, or an interest group or book group meeting:  Kathryn Rutledge

Celebrating January Birthdays! 

Happy Birthday to All!

  • Lana Widman                                  1/1
  • Susana Mullen                                1/1
  • Marilyn Orrick                                 1/6
  • Joanne Reiken                                 1/6
  • Tiffany Ardisana                             1/6
  • Mary Miller                                     1/14
  • Jane Pivetti                                      1/15
  • Gloria Yost                                      1/17
  • Gretchen Christophel                   1/18
  • Nancy Nolen-Swanson                  1/21
  • Kimberly Rutledge                         1/23
  • Betty Hayes                                    1/24
  • Elizabeth Rose                               1/24
  • Katherine Henderson                  1/26
  • Joan Hammond                             1/27
  • Molly Dugan                                   1/31

The Latest ERA News

The latest in ERA News By Liz Jordan

National AAUW

On Dec. 13, 2023, AAUW participated in the ERA Coalition March in Washington DC.  Our CEO, Gloria Blackwell, spoke during the program, which was streamed on Facebook.  We were alerted to this event by email.  Did you tune in?

According to Meghan Kissel, AAUW senior director of policy and membership advocacy, AAUW’s strategy is as follows:

Congress:

  • 2 Joint Resolutions: H.J. 25 to affirm that the deadline is arbitrary and, therefore, remove it. AND H.J. 82 to remove the deadline and ask the Archivist to publish the ERA as the 28th Amendment.
  • Discharge petition to get H.J. 25 out of the Judiciary Committee (Chaired by Rep. J. Jordan of Ohio) and force a vote.

States:

  • Some states will be introducing resolutions of support for the ERA, serving to continue putting pressure on the Biden administration.

2024 Elections:

  • Polling shows favorable numbers for the ERA, and the November elections are critically important. Electing representatives, as well as senators, who believe in the necessity for an Equal Rights Amendment could produce the majority and, hopefully, the 60 percent needed in the Senate to pass the previously mentioned resolutions.

National urges us to use the Two-Minute Activist tool that comes with email messages from Washington.  It’s so easy to use; just click through, type in your name etc. and send!! On Dec. 18 we received an email from Meghan Kissell about supporting AAUW’s efforts to get the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) passed by using the Two Minute Activist.  It took me less than a minute to send email messages to both California senators and my House representative.  If you haven’t tried it, you really should.  It makes me feel like I can do something besides jump up and down!!

AAUW also recommends writing letters to the editor, which has two lives – first when letters are read in the publication, and again when they are posted on social media and tagged to the decision makers in question, i.e. Biden, your House representative, senator, etc.  We do have voices.  We just need to use them.

Local Letter Writing

As a follow-up to our joint Oct. 14 meeting about the Crises in Reproductive Healthcare and the ERA, the CHAR branch (Citrus Heights/American River) formed a new interest group called the Social Justice Power Hour.  They have been writing to the news media and politicians, and when we hear back, we will “shout it from the rooftops!”

A Novel Suggestion

Bonnie Penix, in Sacramento AAUW, sent me a suggestion for a good novel, “A Spark of Light” by Jodie Picoult on the topic of reproductive healthcare.  Bonnie writes: It is about a women’s reproductive health services center and those who come for birth control, abortions, etc.  It takes place in Mississippi. While fiction, it touches on so many of the stories in The Abortion Chronicles, the reader’s theater presentation we performed at the October meeting. Bonnie says book groups might want to put it on their lists for their future selection meetings and perhaps it could become an all-Sacramento-branch reads.  So, Book Groups, take notice!

Need an email message model?

One last item on the local list is a model email message that you can adopt or adapt, address it, sign it, and make it your own.  As I mentioned at the December branch meeting, I am including a model email message you might want to adopt and use.  National’s critique was that the tone of my model was “too confrontational” and, therefore, less effective.  I made some modifications to the model to lower the confrontational temperature.  However, every individual should modify it to her own voice and intention.  You may access here through this link <here>.

December 9th – Looking Back

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents By Hedda Smithson

Having Fun and Doing Good – December 9 Looking Back

Our December gathering was one to remember. North Ridge Country Club didn’t disappoint with a lovely setting, delicious food, friendly wait staff and all our friends!! Countless bags of offerings for the CSUS Food Pantry covered the donation table that we crammed into a small car. The following Monday Team Smith and Smithson drove to CSUS, met a young man with a golf cart, visited the pantry, and helped unload the golf cart!

Our three scholarship winners reminded us of our heritage – helping women achieve their dreams through financial support and encouragement. We met Elizabeth, an Anthropology and Economics major who received the Charlotte Rasmussen scholarship. Nataliia received the Wyndel Holmes scholarship and is majoring in Business Administration. Wahida told us she was an Asian Studies major.

Cathy Locke and Cherril Peabody gave us some details about our Scholarship Program. Liz Jordan told us about our Speech Trek program and also shared the latest about the Equal Rights Amendment. Nancy McCabe reminded us that several projects could use a helping hand: the March program (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), Public Policy, Gov Trek, Speech Trek, and Newsletter. See page 8 of your directory for names of contacts. Gloria Yost reported that we have 15 new members so far and held the monthly opportunity drawing.

Thank you to all who brought donations and thank you for transporting them to a loading zone outside the building. We are stronger together!

 

Did You Know?

Did You Know? 

You can get up to 75% off of office supplies! By Liz Jordan

Refer to the December 2023 newsletter for information on this discount.

Ordering AAUW Name Badges By Nancy McCabe

You probably have seen some of our members wearing AAUW badges with our branch inscribed. We ordered them about six years ago when we were using paper badges on a string around our necks. It reminded some of a work badge or a nametag for a cocker spaniel. Ten dollars looked like a bargain for a bit of self esteem. Strangely, the badges are still $10 and can be ordered at aauw.source4.com, then choose Accessorize. My second line is ‘Sacramento Branch, Inc.’ We chose not to add our leadership position name as we often change jobs within our branch. After all, $10 is $10! When we ordered the badges earlier, they added ’empowering women since 1881′ but I gather they are no longer doing that. Anyway, the badges are pretty cool, so feel free to order yours, and shop the site for other logo stuff!

Sunshine Chair

Pat Winkle is our Sunshine Chair and needs to hear from you if you know members who might appreciate a get well, sympathy or “thinking of you” card. As she doesn’t know everyone, she needs your help in remembering our friends. Her contact information is in the directory.

RBG Stamp

The U.S. Postal Service has issued a Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp! The Postal Service has issued a new Forever stamp that honors the legacy of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Available now!

 

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