Monthly Archives: October 2024

November Program-Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Title IX

AAUW Sacramento  Branch Presents

“The Rights Stuff”

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Right to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Title IX

Saturday, November 16, 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Eskaton Village, 3939 Walnut Avenue, Carmichael
South Auditorium

This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which was enacted into law by Richard M. Nixon on June 23, 1972. Title IX changed the Federal Education Amendments to “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Join us as we continue our mission of equity for women and girls by learning the history of Title IX in U.S. schools. What started this legislation? How has it changed? What protections have been expanded? What outside forces threaten its future?

Tickets are available only on Eventbrite until Wednesday, Nov. 13. Please click <here> for tickets.

Our program guest speaker is Aileen Rizo, associate director of the AIMS Center for Math and Science, a graduate math/science education professor and is currently pursuing a PhD in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education.

In 2012 Aileen began a fight for pay equity and became an advocate for the economic security of women in our state and throughout the country, working with legislators to pass some of the strongest pay equity bills in the nation.

This program should be very informative. We encourage you to invite friends to accompany you. The Membership Committee will have AAUW membership applications available for interested attendees. Seats may be limited, so please act soon. Refreshments will be provided. Wear your name tag if you have one.

President’s Message

President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

We are deeply saddened by the news of Lilly Ledbetter’s passing on Oct. 12th at the age of 86. Lilly was a courageous champion for wage equality, whose fight for fair pay transformed workplaces across the nation.

As the driving force behind the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, she opened doors for countless women and workers to seek justice for wage discrimination. Her grace, grit, and unwavering dedication to wage equity will continue to inspire us all.

Our thoughts are with her family and all who knew and loved her.

Rest in power, Lilly. Few women embody the AAUW Mission better than Lilly Ledbetter.
[Courtesy of AnitaB.org]

Interest Group Happenings

Interest Group Happenings By Pat Winkle

If you would like to propose a new Interest Group for our branch, please contact me and I will present your ideas to the board for approval. My contact information, as well as the contacts for each of the Interest Groups, is in your branch directory.

 

  • Art & Architecture: Friday. Nov. 1, 10 a.m. Tour of the Gorman Museum of Native American Art on UC Davis Campus. Optional lunch to follow. Contact: Deborah Dunn
  • Great Decisions I: Monday, Nov. 18,  7p.m. on Zoom. Topic: Risky Science Across Borders. No meeting in December or January. Meetings will resume in February. Contact: Cathy Locke
  • Great Decisions II: Thursday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m. on Zoom. Contact: Lynn Blair Wood
  • Great Decisions III: Monday, Nov. 18, 1 p.m. Meets in a member’s home. Contact: Margaret McCarthy
  • Healthy Heart Lunch: Friday, Nov. 15, 11:30 a.m. Contact: Jane Cooley for location.
  • Reader’s Theater: Contact: Diane Petersen for updates.
  • Scrabble Just for Fun: Monday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m. in the game room at Eskaton Village Carmichael.  Contact: Vivian Counts
  • Singles Dining Out: Sunday, Nov. 3, 6 p.m. at Zocalo University Village, 466 Howe Ave. Contact: Nancy McCabe

Book Groups Update

Book Groups Update By Sharon Anderson

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

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.

November Book Groups

Book Group 1:
Middlessex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, on Nov. 14; coordinator is Joy Clous

Book Group 3: 
No meetings in Nov. and Dec.; coordinator is Carolyn Meeker

Book Group 4: 
The Wager, by David Grann, on Nov. 13; coordinator is Pat Morehead

Book Group 6:
Horse, by Geraldine Brooks, on Nov. 18; coordinator is Susana Mullen

Book Group 8:
The Book of Lost Names, by Kristin Harmel, on Nov. 23; coordinator is Diana Squire

Book Group 10: 
The Reporter Who Knew Too Much, by Mark William Shore , on Nov. 21; coordinator is Sandi Schoenman

Book Group 12: 
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride, on Nov. 7; 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, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. We will discuss chapters 9 through the Conclusion chapter (pages 162-236). If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen at charminme@yahoo.com.

December Program-Winter Luncheon

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Right to Reading Opportunities and Food Security

Saturday, December 14, 11 AM
North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave., Fair Oaks

Our program year continues with the beloved Winter Luncheon where we will welcome and recognize all our new members.

The focus of this event is Reading Opportunities and Food Security. Plans are underway for our meal and our speaker(s). Stay tuned. Be aware that because of requirements from North Ridge, the deadline for making reservations is Friday, Dec. 6. PLAN AHEAD!! <Here> is the reservation form which is needed for the check payment registration.

There are two entrée choices, and both include a  garden salad, coffee, tea, water:

A. Chicken Parmesan with whipped potatoes and vegetables
B. Mediterranean Quiche with seasonal garden vegetables

There are two ways to register:

  1. Use a credit card and pay during your Eventbrite registration. Fees will apply. The Eventbrite link can be found <here>.
  2. Write a check to AAUW Sacramento for $30. Write A or B in the memo section to select your choice of entrée. Mail it to Reservations Coordinator, Hedda Smithson, 4033 Main Street, Fair Oaks, CA 95628

Want to start shopping? We will be collecting new and gently used children’s books to share with at-risk children and families. Our own Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin founded Love, Talk, Read, a Children’s Book Drive and Literacy Program. In addition to the usual places to shop – Barnes & Noble, Amazon and the like, consider the your local library, the Book Den, Underground Books, Half Price Books, Time Tested Books, Crawford’s Books, etc.

The focus for food security is the Associated Students Inc. (ASI) Food Pantry at CSUS. Their mission is to provide food and basic necessities to Sac State students with financial hardships and low food security, at no cost. The wish list includes nonperishable food items, menstrual products and toiletries. That web page is ASI Food Pantry .

Please remember to register by Dec. 6th!

Membership Doings & AAUW Funds

Membership Doings by Gloria Yost

We Have More New Members!

Fay Grundel

  • One of our Ranch Murietta members. She works in the San Juan school district and wants to be active in our outreach programs.

Karylle Ilao

  • A recent UC Davis engineering grad and former Tech Trekker with a new job in Sacramento. She is already on the Tech Trek committee.

Billie Veerkamp

  • A former president of the Sac State AAUW Student club and a NCCWSL attendee. She is the co-owner of Tiferet Coffee House

WELCOME Fay, Karylle and Billie. We are glad you have joined.

Membership Ambassadors Are Back and Growing!

  • Bring in a new member — get your name on our Wall of Honor
  • Bring in a new member — get your name added for our drawings
  • Monthly drawing for prizes at meetings
  • Recruit the most new members — WIN a free AAUW membership for 2025-26

Current ambassadors – Jan Stuter, Charmen Goehring, Gloria Yost
Congratulations to Jan — our October drawing winner!

Help us Strengthen our Branch connections and friendships. Contact Gloria Yost or Vicky Lovell, our contact information can be found in the Membership Directory.

Celebrating November Birthdays! 

Happy Birthday to All!

  • Kathleen Asay                                  11/2
  • Esther Gaines                                  11/3
  • Julie Sporrer                                    11/10
  • Ann Arneill                                       11/11
  • Eileen Heaser                                  11/12
  • Joy Allender                                     11/13
  • Donna Holmes                                11/14
  • Rebecca Stone                                11/15
  • Linda Lawrence                               11/16
  • Carole Cline                                     11/18
  • Elaine Ellers                                     11/23
  • M. Fay Grundel                               11/28
  • Elaine Moody                                  11/30

AAUW Funds By Karen Burley

As we head into the last months of 2024, I am asking that you consider a gift to the AAUW Fund. Women and girls can reach their full potential when the barriers holding them back are broken down. Help AAUW smash the obstacles that hold women back.

It is easy to give online where you will be able to choose which fund you would like to support. The Greatest Needs fund is the top recommendation as it allows AAUW to pay its bills as well as stay nimble to respond to issues and needs as they arise. You can access the AAUW Greatest Needs Fund online <here>.If you choose to send a check to AAUW, please make sure you write “AAUW Sacramento” in the memo line and include a cover letter specifying that you are in the AAUW Sacramento branch and where you would like your donation to be designated.

If you are planning to give by way of an IRA Distribution ( or a Required Minimum Distribution), contact your account custodian to request a “Qualified Charitable Distribution.” The check, accompanied by your name and address information, must be sent directly from your financial institution to AAUW. Provide the recipient information below to your custodian, along with AAUW’s Tax ID #52-6037388. Before sending, please also notify AAUW by sending an email to planned-giving@aauw.org so they can keep an eye out for your gift and be sure to include the amount, your name, address and the designation of your gift (for example: Greatest Needs), and the financial institution sending your gift. Please direct your check, drawn on your IRA account and made payable to AAUW, to:

AAUW
Attn: Planned Giving-IRA Distribution
1310 L St. NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005

You can learn more about Planned Giving <here>.

One other consideration for those of you who love this organization and want to see AAUW continue to fight for equity for all into the future, you can become a Legacy Circle member. This is a gift that you leave from your estate and there is no minimum amount. There are many ways to set this up and you can contact me for more information. We have about 140 Legacy Circle members in California, including several in this branch, and we welcome more! As Judy Horan says, “Live, Love, Leave a Legacy!”

If you have any other questions, please reach out to Karen Burley, whose contact information can be found in the Membership Directory. Thank you for your consideration as we move into the season of giving!

Tech Trek Needs You!

Tech Trek Needs You! By Kathleen Deaver

It’s fall. The leaves are changing. The days are shorter. The temperatures are milder.
And…

It’s time for the Tech Trek Committee to commence the business of selecting and
sponsoring exceptional seventh-grade girls to attend AAUW STEM Camps (Virtual and
UC Davis In-Person) during the summer of 2025!!!

Tech Trek is one of AAUW’s most important programs. Just ask those past campers and
their families or the middle school science teachers who nominated the girls, and the
camp staff and volunteers, what it means to them. Or just ask someone who has been a
member of the Sacramento Branch Tech Trek Committee. It’s exciting and rewarding!

There’s also much work and many tasks to complete. We would like to expand our
committee to welcome new ideas and viewpoints. No matter what task you may be
interested in or how much time you can contribute, we welcome you!

Please contact me, Kathleen Deaver, if you need more information. My contact information is in the Membership Directory. We invite you to join the Tech Trek Committee!

I hope to hear from you!

Speech Trek

Speech Trek News By Ann Arneill

Speech Trek, AAUW’s public speaking contest, is in its 18th year. Speech Trek is getting into full swing with our busy fall season. Eight high school campuses in the Elk Grove Unified School District are participating in our contest.  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 $2,500.

The topic this year is very timely:  “Climate change is happening.  The effects are widespread and touch upon almost all aspects of our life on this planet.  Select an area of impact and explore the effects climate change is having on women in the USA, and around the world.”

Now is the time we recruit students to participate by distributing our promotional materials and having students sign up for workshops scheduled for November, which Liz Jordan and Ann Arneill will conduct.  At these workshops, we inform students about the contest rules, present the topic, give them resources for researching the topic and provide public speaking tips.  Once the students who decide to participate complete their speech drafts, we will give them feedback on their speeches.  The contest will be held on Feb. 15, 2025 at Cosumnes River College, so put that on your calendars!

Don’t forget about the Speech Trek Challenge that will be held via Zoom on Jan. 11, 2025.  Members will have a chance to discuss the topic in advance of the contest to pique their interest.

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Public Policy News – from CA State AAUW

Please click <HERE> for the October issue of Public Policy News. Included is an article about Public Policy Priorities and the Election – Highlight: Student Debt, for your branch newsletters. Also included are Get Out the Vote (GOTV) resources and strategies, and more.

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.

Printable Newsletter Articles

Click here for Printable Newsletter Articles.