Monthly Archives: March 2024

April Program: Author’s Luncheon on Book Bans

April: Author’s Luncheon on Book Bans By Hedda Smithson

Saturday, April 20, 2024, 11:00 AM
North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave., Fair Oaks

ACTION CHECK LIST:

Before April 9-

  • Make your choices on the reservation form below and mail it to arrive no later than April 12.
  • Write a personal check payable to AAUW Sacramento for $32.
  • Gather friends to come with you. AAUW Sacramento Zip Code listings begin on page 31 of our Membership Directory.
  • Think of questions for our panelists.

On April 20-

  • Listen to our panelists: Justin Azevedo, youth materials selector for the Sacramento Public Library, and Brenna Bellavance from Underground Books.
  • Participate in the quizzes and questions.
  • Browse and buy books from Underground Books.
  • Enjoy the lovely North Ridge Country Club and all it offers.

After April 20 on your own or with others-

  • Start a Banned Book Club.
  • Suggest a banned book for your book group.
  • Read a new-to-you banned book.
  • Check out the Book Den for titles.

After April 20 with your favorite device explore these options-

  • Saclibrary.org has :”Let’s Talk About Banned Books”, a panel discussion,
  • Red, Wine and Blue, redwine,blue for podcasts and news.
  • Everylibraryinstitute
  • Americanlibaryassociation

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AAUW Sacramento Branch Author’s Luncheon

Name                                              ______________________________
 (Print, Last, First)

Your email address here:                                                                           

YES! I plan to attend the Author’s Luncheon on April 20 at 11 AM. My reservation must be received no later than April 12.

Meal Choices (circle one in each category):

Main:          Thai Chicken Salad     or  Chicken Piccata     or   Pasta Primavera

Dessert:     Limoncello Cake     or    Fruit Cup

Make your selections. Mail this form and payment of $32 to AAUW Sacramento c/o            Margaret Steinberg, Reservations Coordinator. Margaret’s address can be found in the Membership Directory.

Note: Payment at the door will not be accepted.

Highlights of March Program:

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents: The Rights Stuff

Civil Rights and the Right to Fight for Them By Hedda Smithson

Lisa Howard organized and facilitated our March meeting. Great job! We met at the lovely Roberts Family Development Center (RFDC) where we were more than 30 strong. Jessica Waugh led members and guests in exploring the meaning of  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Cherril Peabody reviewed the requirements and benefits of our scholarship program to staff members of RFDC; Charmen Goehring pointed out opportunities for high school juniors and seniors to take part in Gov Trek, a new AAUW-CA program; Gloria Yost deciphered the meaning and possible impact of NCCWSL. Each is supported by AAUW Sacramento and can offer opportunities to clients and participants of the RFDC.

The amazing Tina Roberts told stories of her journey, along with her husband Derrell, in founding and creating this special family-focused nonprofit organization. We listened to Jaqueline Kendricks and Bryant Wyatt, who passionately shared their vision of two main programs offered by RFDC. Monique Stovall took us deep into the benefits and power of the summer Freedom School from her perspective as a school administrator.

Our hard working and very organized Kathy Papst arranged for light refreshments. Thank you and your team for the amazing snacks.

Lights, Camera, Action is the program theme for 2023-24. Here are some suggested actions for each of us to take:
– Dine at Colo’s Southern Café, 2326 Del Paso Blvd or King Cong Brewing Co, 1709 Del Paso Blvd
– Log onto www.robertsfdc.org  and search for

  • How the Other Half Eats
  • Lyrics for Something Inside So Strong
  • The California Reparation Report
  • AAUW history, a webinar available at aauw.org
  • Saclibrary.org offers opportunities to tutor others in Adult Literacy

President’s Message

President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

Welcome Spring! A couple of activities to note this past March:

AAUW Sacramento Branch was well represented at Sacramento County’s Inaugural Women and Girls Festival on March 9. This was the first time in Sacramento that so many people have gathered to celebrate women and girls at a festival organized by women, with women, for women. Mahnaz Khazari, Jan Stuter, Terry Chekon and I hosted an AAUW table at Sac City College. It was also a learning experience that we need a more dynamic presentation to engage passersby, with interesting handouts and perhaps a spinning wheel with prizes.

You can see highlights of the event in these <photos>.

On March 16, the AAUW California Gov Trek Committee hosted the 2024 Gov Trek Finale! Here are the results:

The student campaign team that won the highly contested 2024 Gov Trek mock election competition: Team Vote Eliana. This team includes four high school girls from San Ramon, two from Roseville-South, and one from Santa Cruz County. Congratulations to the members of those branch communities and these up-and-coming leaders! The team members will receive internships and awards.

Watch the Gov Trek Finale and Campaign Competition recording and share it with your branch members HERE.

To view each campaign video, click the team name.
 Grand Prize: Vote Eliana
 Best Candidate Speech: Gov Trek Girlies
 Best Campaign Management: Melissa 4 Riverside
 Best Campaign Ad & Flier: Abby for Senate 
 Best Voter Outreach Plan: Vote Delisha
 People’s Choice Award: Gov Trek Girlies

Interest Group Happenings

Interest Group Happenings By Vicki  Nicholson

  • Art & Architecture:  Friday, April 5, 10 a.m.: tour of Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC); contact Deborah Dunn.
  • Great Decisions I:  Monday, April 15, 7 p.m. on Zoom; topic–Invisible Indonesia; contact Cathy Locke.
  • Great Decisions II:  Thursday, April 11, 7 p.m. on Zoom; topic–Science Across Borders; contact Lynn Wood.
  • Great Decisions III:  Monday, April 15, 1 p.m.; topic–Science Across Borders; contact Margaret McCarthy.
  • Healthy Heart:  Friday, April 19, 11:30 a.m.;  Scott’s Seafood Roundhouse, 924 Sutter St., Folsom, contact Jane Cooley.
  • Reader’s Theater:  Tuesday, April 9, 1 p.m., play “The Little Foxes” by Lillian Hellman; home of Mary Williams; contact Diane Petersen.
  • Scrabble for Fun:  Monday, April 29; 1 p.m.; Eskaton retirement community game room, 3939 Walnut Ave., Carmichael; contact Vivian Counts.
  • Singles Dining:  Sunday, April 7, 6 p.m.. Leatherby’s, 2333 Arden Way, Sacramento; Contact Nancy McCabe.

Book Groups

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.

April Book Groups

Book Group 1:
Foster, by Claire Keegan, on April 11; coordinator is Joy Clous

Book Group 2:
Damnation Spring, by Ash Davidson, on April 2; coordinator is Carol Hayes

Book Group 3: 
Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan, on April 24; coordinator is Carolyn Meeker

Book Group 4: 
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride, on April 10; coordinator is Pat Morehead

Book Group 6: 
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride, on April 15; coordinator is Susana Mullen

Book Group 8: 
Madame Restell: the Life, Death and Resurrection…, by Jennifer Wright, on April 22; coordinator is Diana Squire

Book Group 10: 
Horse, by Geraldine Brooks, on April 18; coordinator is Sandi Schoenman

Book Group 12: 
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver, on April 4; coordinator is Linda Cook

Looking for Readers!

The Tahoe Park Book Group (Group 1) is looking for new members, whether they live in the Tahoe Park area or anywhere, meeting the 2nd Thursday at 1:30.  Contact coordinator Joy Clous for more information.

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, The Four Pivots: Reimaging Justice, Reimaging Ourselves, by Shawn Ginwright, PhD., on April 3rd at 7 p.m. We will discuss the Introduction and Pivot 1 (up to page 91). 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

April is here!  The time to enjoy our longer days before the summer heat and get ready for the school parties, graduations, and holidays ahead.  It’s also the time for most of us to renew our AAUW memberships.  Let’s shoot for the stars with a 100 percent renewal rate!!!

Vicky, Donna and Gloria are here to help, so reach out if needed.

Meet our New AAUW Sacramento Member!

Our newest member is Valerie Connors. If you meet her at an event or a book group or interest group, let her know what you enjoy and appreciate most about our Branch — after telling them how glad you are they joined.

Winner of our “bring in a new member drawing” in March: Cherril Peabody
Congratulations Cherril!

We think it might be time for a reminder about how we coordinate membership tasks.

               – Vicky  coordinates outreach to new and continuing members.

               – Gloria  manages prospective/new member recruitment activities.

All of you, branch members, are a part of our committee in that it takes the efforts of all of us as a community to build and maintain a vibrant organization where everyone wants to be involved.

Celebrating April Birthdays! 

Happy Birthday to All!

  • Jeanne P Garcia                               4/1
  • Anne Rhodes                                   4/1
  • Tom Smithson                                 4/1
  • Carol Nyman                                   4/3
  • RosaLee Black                                 4/7
  • Theresa Chekon                              4/9
  • Sandi Schoenman                           4/10
  • Sandra Young                                  4/11
  • Ann Pickens                                     4/17
  • Pamela Saltenberger                     4/17
  • Janelle Kauffman                            4/19
  • Carol Doughty                                 4/22
  • Loretta Hom                                    4/25
  • Margaret Brown                             4/27

It’s Exciting Times for Tech Trek

It’s Exciting Times for Tech Trek By Marlys Huez

On Sunday, March 3, the time arrived to meet the vibrant young women who have applied to represent our branch at Tech Trek Camp.

After diligent work by Gloria Yost and Kathleen Deaver with the cooperation and assistance of teachers at 24 middle schools, eight applications were completed and successfully loaded into the CampDoc system.  The committee was able to use the conference room at Bel Air Market on Arden Way as a meeting place and interview location.  The girls, all seventh graders, arrived for their interview with eager parents and some with other family members accompanying them.

Selection to attend camp at UC Davis, or even to attend a virtual camp, can be an opportunity that changes a young woman’s life.  It can ignite an existing spark of interest in STEM, feed strong interests in a field of study, or simply create an insatiable desire to attend college.

The committee’s task was to evaluate the students’ enthusiasm for STEM fields, the availability of opportunities to the student, and evidence of curiosity and potential.  Along with teacher evaluations and essays submitted by the girls, the committee then met to select the six applicants who would have the opportunity to attend the residential camp and the two who would be offered the virtual camp.  Working together, Marlys Huez, Tech Trek coordinator, with committee members Monique Stovall and Mary Miller, reached consensus on the girls who would attend.  The letters have gone out to the campers, the camp directors have been notified and we eagerly look forward to the next steps of Tech Trek.  We encourage anyone with an interest in this important project to join the 2024 committee and volunteer to help with camp activities in person or virtually in July.

Title IX – What Is It and Why Is It Important?

AAUW PRIORITIES By Kathy Papst

“Title IX – What Is It and Why Is It Important?”

AAUW was instrumental in championing and supporting legislation for equality for women and girls in schools, colleges and universities, which led to the passage of TITLE IX in 1972. This important law was established “to ensure that male and female students and employees in educational settings that receive federal funding are treated equally and fairly”. It protects against discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment.

This law fundamentally changed how schools treat girls in the academic setting, but also in high school and especially collegiate sports programs. This law forced schools to change both funding and opportunities for equal involvement in sports programs. Before this law was enacted, the NCAA (National College Athletic Association) reported that women’s sports were only 2 percent of the budget for all sports programs in colleges and universities. This includes both participation in and scholarships for athletic endeavor.

At first, there was considerable opposition from administrations and coaches. Many of them felt that if they were to give women equal share in sports funding, then it would force schools to severely reduce or even eliminate some men’s programs. Rules were established for how the funding would reach the goals of equality and has been a tremendous success.

Is TITLE IX still relevant? The 50th anniversary of this legislation was celebrated on June 23, 2022. TITLE IX is much more than athletics. This legislation affects all aspects of education, including, for example:

  • Recruiting and admissions
  • Career and technical education
  • Comparable facilities and course offerings
  • Financial assistance
  • Student health and insurance benefits
  • Sexual harassment and assault
  • Harassment based on gender identity

In 2024 TITLE IX’s work is not done. In recent years, the Department of Education has worked to dismantle many of the TITLE IX protections, including harassment and violence. AAUW encourages support for the GEEA (GENDER EQUITY IN EDUCATION ACT), which would provide, in part, TITLE IX coordinators the resources, training, and technical assistance necessary to ensure that TITLE IX protections are not further eroded. It also would establish an Office of Gender Equity in the Department of Education.

For further information, please go to both the national and California websites. There is a fact sheet on the national website, published in 2022 with the history and developments over the last 50 years of this landmark law. I would like to encourage our members to educate yourselves regarding issues of the ongoing work for equality for women and girls. If you wish to do more, please contact Kathy Papst (my contact information can be found in the Membership Directory) and I will help you to become involved at the branch level to contribute and support this and other Public Policy issues. Thank you.

HOW TO GET THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT PUBLISHED

HOW TO GET THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT PUBLISHED By Liz Jordan

Last October, the Sacramento and CHAR branches held a joint meeting about Reproductive Rights and the Equal Rights Amendment.  We are not alone in believing that the Dobbs Decision in 2022 probably would not, could not, have happened, if the ERA, RATIFIED in January 2020, had been published in the Constitution.  The President, through the Attorney General, instructed the Archivist to not publish the ERA as the 28th Amendment.

We shouldn’t have to beg for fundamental rights, and we shouldn’t have to fight for 100 years for basic equality!  It’s time for action, not excuses.

This year, the ERA Coalition, a coalition of more than 300 rights organizations of which AAUW is a member, has taken the stand that 100 years to wait is long enough.  They have a new campaign “Not One More!”  Recently, they started a companion campaign “Shouting for Equality.”  They are asking all of us who care, to call the U. S. Archivist, Colleen Shogan, to tell her it’s time to officially add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.  Here are the Coalition’s instructions:

Call into the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) general line asking the Archivist to publish the ERA. Please be polite and respectful in your language. We have a sample script for you below!

Call the Archivist directly at 202-357-5900 and leave the following message:

This message is for the U.S. Archivist. My name is …{your name}… and I’m calling from {your state}. I would like to ask you to do your duty and publish the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment. The ERA has fulfilled the requirements set forth in Article V of the Constitution, and we can wait no longer for full constitutional protections. Thank you!

NOTE:  Call Monday-Friday.  The Archives do not take messages on weekends or Federal Holidays.

Also, for more information about these campaigns or to learn more about why the ERA is languishing in political limbo go to https://eracoalition.org; https://equalmeansequal.com; https://www.equalrightsamendment.org

Did You Know?

Sacramento Branch Interns!! By Liz Jordan and Gloria Yost

In the March Capital Ideas, we introduced Renee Walters, one of our two CSUS Interns.  Just to review the context, in December of 2023, the Board approved a pilot program of Internship with Professor Lina Rincon at CSUS.  In January, we looked over applications and two young women were hired to work along with Professor Rincon to reestablish an affiliate branch on the CSUS campus.

Alexis Perrott is a Public History major who wants to expand our understanding of US History through research and education.  She grew up in Hanford, CA in the Fresno area, and is a junior at CSUS this year.  Alexis is excited to develop ideas for empowering women and girls and is grateful for the opportunity to sharpen leadership skills through this internship with AAUW Sacramento.  She says, “Mostly I am grateful to be part of something greater than me.”

We are grateful to have Alexis and Renee developing a new AAUW branch on the CSUS campus and raising awareness of AAUW’s mission and opportunities.

Nevada County AAUW Scholarship Gala – April 27, 2024

Bup Greenwood of the Nevada County AAUW has sent an invitation to their April 27th Gala to support Nevada County AAUW’s local scholarship program.  Some of our members hiked with Auburn members who asked for this information.  It should be a fun evening at Karen Hull’s lovely estate in the country north of Auburn.

The invitation <here> gives the information about the event and the web address to purchase tickets online.  Or, just click this link to buy tickets:

AAUW Events – Nevada County Branch

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.

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