President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

Those of you who attended our Winter Luncheon in December may recall the big stack of books our members contributed to the Love Talk Read program. You can find a copy of the thank you letter from the program’s director Celeste Roseberry-Mckibbin, CSUS, <here>.  The grand total of books donated was … drum roll … 240 books! Proving once again that our members are so generous and awesome!

Also, there is a metric that AAUW branches use to measure how well we are doing, called the Five Star Program. Earning all 5 stars is awesome, and most branches do not achieve it. For 2024, our branch did reasonably well but there is room for improvement. Here is the notice we received from the AAUW Deputy Director of Advancement:

Dear Branch President,

It is with great pleasure that I share some exciting news—AAUW Sacramento Inc. (CA) Branch has achieved three stars in AAUW’s FY24 Five Star Program! Your branch attained the Advancement, Communications & External Relations and Programming stars. This recognition is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and commitment of your branch members to advancing AAUW’s mission of gender equity for women and girls.

The Five Star Program is designed to honor branches that align their work with AAUW’s strategic priorities in areas such as Advancement, Public Policy & Advocacy, Governance & Sustainability, Programming, and Communications & External Relations. Earning three stars is an incredible accomplishment, and we are thrilled to celebrate this success with you.

Congratulations again on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you for your continued leadership and dedication to creating a more equitable world.

And a reminder that we are still requesting help with next year’s programs and presidency. Partnering with a buddy is a good way to do it. Having a partner makes the position easier as you can share the tasks.

As the outgoing president, I can state that the position of president is not difficult. The members of the board are responsible and get their parts done. The monthly board meeting is on Zoom and typically lasts no longer than an hour. A position in the branch gives you opportunities to meet and plan with a really nice group of women! Do choose to get involved in our mission, now more than ever.