Daily Archives: September 26, 2025

October Program

Spotlight on Redistricting and Gerrymandering

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents

“Understanding California Proposition 50”

Saturday, October 18th, 12:15pm – 3pm

Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 10

Proposition 50 is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on the Nov. 4, 2025, statewide special election ballot in California put forward in response to the 2025 Texas redistricting.  The measure would temporarily replace the congressional district maps drawn by the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission with new maps drawn by the state Legislature.

Our own Public Policy experts Kathy Papst and Carole Cline will present a program to help us understand the difference between redistricting and gerrymandering, and to interpret what 2025 California Proposition 50 (Temporary Changes to Congressional District Maps in Response to Texas’ Partisan Redistricting) would mean for us. This is a proposed California Constitutional Amendment that we will be voting on very soon – Nov. 4th.

This meeting will be held at the Sierra 2 Community Center, Room 10. The Sierra 2 Center is a former Curtis Park school that is now a thriving community hub. It is located on 24th Street, but street parking is for only two hours. Sierra 2 has two parking lots – both free – one that you enter on the south side of the building (from 4th Street) and one on the north side, which you enter before the school. The South parking lot has 40 spots, and you can enter the building right beside Room 10. Carpooling could be helpful in making sure you get a spot in this one. The other parking lot requires a short walk to the sidewalk on 24th Street and walk south to the school entrance. Then turn right and walk to the end of the hallway. You can find a map of the Sierra 2 Center <here>.

October President’s Message

October President’s Message

By Cathy Locke and Karen Burley

We hope you are enjoying the busy-ness of the Fall Season! Hopefully, the weather will cool off soon.

We kicked off our program year on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the North Natomas Library Community Room. First we held a short business meeting where the proposed 2025-26 budget, which was in the September newsletter, was unanimously approved by a quorum of our membership.

Then Lana Widman introduced us to 13 of the 15 girls, now eighth-graders, that we sent to Tech Trek STEM Camp at UC Davis this summer, Lana quizzed each girl and then the girls fielded questions from the audience. The girls’ proud parents were in attendance. Look for photos and information about Tech Trek elsewhere in the newsletter.

Nancy McCabe and her hospitality team provided a bountiful spread of finger foods and beverages. Yum!

Note a change for our October program: The Public Policy team, led by Kathy Papst, saw an urgent need for a program providing voter education before the Nov. 4 special election. The Oct. 18 program will explore Gerrymandering, Redistricting, and the California Ballot Proposition 50. We will engage in some interactive activities to aid our learning. The program on federal money for private and charter voucher schools may be presented later.

We are looking for experienced AAUW members to mentor newer members (joined within the past two years). If you are willing to provide a guiding hand to a newcomer for a few months, please reach out to Hedda Smithson and get on her mentors list.

Finally, in the last newsletter we talked about “watch parties.” We are looking for folks to host watch parties in their homes on April 18 to participate in the AAUW CA Annual Event held online on Zoom. If you attended in the past you know that it’s not just watching – there will be breakouts and opportunities to engage. The program committee is looking for members to serve as hosts, so here’s what you need to do:
Be able to accommodate at least 5 people who will be asked to bring refreshments. The one necessary item will be a Wi-Fi adaptable television so the Zoom meeting can be viewed on a bigger screen. If anyone wishes to volunteer or has any questions, please contact Kathleen Deaver, whose contact information can be found in the Membership Directory. Be creative, and be sure to take a photo of your group. We will announce a winner in May for the most interesting watch party and the host will win a prize!

AAUW Sacramento Members Directory

AAUW Sacramento Members Directory

By Hedda Smithson

What was blue in 2021, bright pink in 2022, lime green in 2023, and lemon yellow in 2024? You got it! Our list of current members of AAUW Sacramento – our Membership Directory. Your 2025-26 directory, with its lovely purple cover, was mailed mid-September and should have reached you by now. PLEASE take a look at your entry and let Donna Holmes know of any updates. Her contact information is in the Membership Directory. THANKS!

And if you didn’t receive a 2025-26 Membership Directory, let Donna know.

Now, take a close look at the wealth of information available to you. The cover reminds us of our mission – Empowering women since 1881. Crucial basic information is found on page 1 – mission statements and current contact information. Next you will find the list of current leaders and an outline of the program year (which will be updated as the year progresses). Note how many women make our branch tick  – think about how you could jump in and help. When was the last time you did something for the first time? Please read each issue of our Capital Ideas newsletter for modifications to our programs as well as branch news.

Pages 4 and 5 of the Directory cover membership requirements, board meetings and a brief summary of all things AAUW. In addition to our mission, we have interest and book groups. Many members of the Citrus Heights American River Branch (CHAR) have joined us and bring their energy, interest and book groups. Here is another way to get involved and meet new friends.

Beginning on Page 10 is the roster with contact information and, in many cases, the areas in which a member has earned degrees and from which institution of higher learning.

But wait – there’s more! A new feature is the list of members who have joined the AAUW Legacy Circle. Easy to do – and a good cause!

On pages 32-34 is the Zip Code Directory. Take a look at your zip code – see anyone you know? If not, reach out and make a new connection. Pages 35 and 36 list our Branch Named Gift Honorees and the names of the many women who have accepted the role of branch president – a few were repeat performances!!

Finally, we recognize our place in the digital world with links for Facebook, Instagram and our Members Only page where you may take a look at important branch documents.

The saying “many hands make light work” is exemplified in the production of the membership directory. Carrying the bulk of the effort is Donna Holmes, who collects your information and keeps a database that is used in putting together the document. A big shout-out goes to Lana Widman, who helped with formatting. Thank you, Lana!!  A small crew of worker bees gathered to place sealers, postage and address labels for the 200+ directories to be mailed. Thank you to Donna Holmes, Vicki Kloock, Nancy McCabe and Hedda Smithson. Donna reports that the 2025-26 edition of the directory came out two months and two weeks earlier than last year!!!

Your Membership Team: 

  • Gloria Yost – Membership Recruitment
  • Hedda Smithson – Membership Engagement
  • Donna Holmes – Membership Treasurer

Interest Group Happenings

Interest Group Happenings

By PJ Missman

Hopefully you’ve checked out a new Interest Group. If not, Fall is the perfect time to try something new!

Art and Architecture: Friday, Oct 3, 10:30 a.m. Artist Studio Visit. Contact: Deborah Dunn
-Great Decisions I: Monday, Oct 20, 7 p.m. on Zoom. The topic will be “Competition, Cold War, or Conflict? Navigating US-China Relations in Tense Times”. Contact: Cathy Locke
Great Decisions II: Thursday, Oct 9, 6 p.m. on Zoom. Contact: Lynn Blair Wood
-Great Decisions III: Monday, Oct 20, 1 p.m. Meets in a member’s home. Contact: Margaret McCarthy
-Great Decisions IV: Books are ordered in October, but meetings are 1st and 3rd Tuesdays beginning in February through May. Meets in a member’s home. Contact: Virginia Sturdevant at hands619@gmail.com
-Healthy Heart Lunch: Friday, Oct 1 Time/Place TBD Contact: Marlys Huez
-Lunch Bunch: Wednesday, Oct 8, Noon at Kolbeh Kabob Persian Cuisine 8700 Greenback Ln, Orangevale. Contact: PJ Missman
-Mahjong: Thursday Oct 9 and Thursday Oct 23, 1-3 p.m. at Edgewood Community Center 5700 Spyglass Center, Citrus Heights. Cost is $5/meeting as this is a fundraiser for AAUW Funds. Contact: Darlene Houston
-Reader’s Theater: Tuesday, Oct 14, 1 p.m. at Mary Williams home. The play is “An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen. Contact: Diane Petersen
-Scrabble Just For Fun: Monday, Oct 27, 1 p.m. Eskaton Village Carmichael game room. Contact: Vivian Counts
-Singles Dining Out: Sunday, Oct 5, 6 p.m., Pho Bac Hoa Viet, 3110 Bradshaw Road, Sacramento. RSVP by Saturday. Contact: Nancy McCabe
-World Country Study: Wednesday Oct. 22, 1:30 p.m. at Fran Clarke’s home.  Share a memory, pictures, or objects from Greece. Crete? Santorini? Corfu? No meetings in November or December due to the holidays. Contact: Fran Clarke

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 9 of the branch Membership Directory.)  On each list, the meeting days, times and coordinator are listed.

October Book Groups

Book Group 1:
The Diamond Eye, by Kate Quinn, on Oct. 9; coordinator is Susanna Mullen

Book Group 3:
Book Selection on Oct. 22; coordinator is Julia Maclay

Book Group 4: 
The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson, on Oct. 8; coordinator is Pat Morehead

Book Group 5: (Formerly CHAR)
The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon, on Oct. 16; coordinator is Pat Morehead

Book Group 8: (Reads Women Writers only)
Legacy, by Bethany Brookshire, on Oct. 9; coordinator is Diana Squire

Book Group 10: 
The Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, by Amanda Jones, on Oct. 16; coordinator is Sandi Schoenman

Book Group 12:
Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine, by Uche Blackstock, MD, on Oct. 9; 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 PM 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 Wall Between, by Anne Braden, on October 1 at 7 p.m. We will discuss from the Preface through Chapter 9. If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen at charminme@yahoo.com.

Recap September Program-Tech Trek!

SEPTEMBER’S SPOTLIGHT ON TECH TREK

By Lana Widman, Tech Trek Coordinator

The program was held in the North Natomas Library Community Room on Sept. 20th. Following a short business meeting, the spotlight was on Tech Trek. The 2025 Tech Trekkers came to the September branch meeting to show their appreciation to AAUW members for supporting their attendance at this year’s Tech Trek Camps.

The Sacramento branch sponsored six campers at Camp Jemison, a residential camp on the UC Davis campus, and three campers completed the Virtual Camp.  Citrus Heights American River (CHAR) sponsored six campers, five attended Camp Jemison and one attended the Santa Cruz camp. Thirteen of the total 15 campers were able to come to the meeting.

Attendees watched a compilation video of the girls participating in the many STEM learning opportunities offered to them, from how to identify DNA to building solar-operated toy race cars, making their own musical instruments, writing their own computer programs, holding giant stick bugs and building their own cardboard canoes in which they had to race across a pool!

During the meeting, each camper was introduced and talked about a key project or activity they completed during camp. Members asked the campers about their personal experiences with being away from home, many for the first time in their life. They were an especially poised group of young women whose parents were obviously very proud of them – and rightfully so!

Listening to the campers, it was so rewarding to hear about their positive experiences and their love of STEM activities.

We need your help! The Tech Trek Committee is about to kick off the 2025-26 project year.  We need help with contacting the teachers, helping the students through the application process, interviewing the applicants, organizing the orientation event, and lots of other administrative tasks.  I hope to have the first committee meeting in early October to plan out the coming year.

If you want to be a part of the Tech Trek experience, please email Lana Widman. Contact information can be found in the Membership Directory.

Public Policy News and Actions

Branch Public Policy

By Kathy Papst

Public Policy is an important part of the mission of AAUW. When I joined AAUW 15 years ago, I had just moved from Southern California to Sacramento. I didn’t know anyone in town. When I attended my first Showcase in September, I was excited that the branch offered book discussion groups. I missed my discussion group that I was in for 11 years, and I immediately joined one in our branch. There were all sorts of fun interest groups and I loved attending Happy Hour! I attended some of the programs, which I enjoyed, but only because it was a way to go out to lunch and meet and visit with other women. I really didn’t make a connection between the programs and our stated mission of equity for women and girls.

As I continue as a member of this branch and now being on the board of directors, I have spent some time thinking about what we are attempting to do for women’s equity and how important the work of this organization has been over more than 140 years in this country and abroad.  I have learned more of what the state and national organizations offer to its members and ways to become informed and involved with activities that can make a difference in people’s lives.

I encourage our members to attend programs and also to suggest topics that interest you or that you feel need to be spotlighted.  Please encourage members of your book group or other interest group to attend a program. I think that they might be surprised at what is presented.

Our next program for Public Policy is “Spotlight on: What is Gerrymandering, Redistricting and Ballot Proposition 50. The date is Saturday, Oct. 18, at noon at the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community, Room 10. The address is 2791 24th Street in Curtis Park. The center has plenty of parking available.

With this program, my co-presenter Carole Cline and I will explain the history of voting districts and how the process is done, as well as who are the people on the committees in charge of redrawing the voter distribution. We also will look at how these changes affect voter registration and election turnout. We will have some interactive activities and give you some information to take home to refresh your memory before Election Day on Nov. 4.

Make sure to check your email for any updated information to the programs, as stated in eBlasts.

CA State Public Policy News

By Missy Maceyko and Amy Hom, Co-chairs, AAUW California Public Policy

The Public Policy team has several items for you to take urgent action at the state and national levels:

1) Action on AAUW California co-sponsored bill SB 771 “Social Media Platforms Endangering Californians”

SB 771 has now reached the Governor’s desk, and he has until Sept. 30 to sign it. Please reach out to his office to encourage him to sign the bill. You can do this by submitting a comment via email or fax via Resistbot (click HERE) or by calling the Governor’s office phone (916-445-2841). If you choose to call the Governor’s office, please use the Resistbot script to guide your call.

You can also share the Resistbot petition by reposting the attached image (below) on your own social media and inviting others to visit the site linked below or “text SIGN PCJNIY to 50409.” You can also repost our existing posts on Bluesky (HERE).

For your reference, AAUW California’s Lobby Day talking points on SB 771 can be found HERE and full bill text can be found HERE.

Shareable Resistbot link: https://resist.bot/petitions/PCJNIY

2) Action on U.S. Department of Labor Attempt to Roll Back Anti-Discrimination Protections

AAUW National is asking for us to act to challenge the U.S. Department of Labor’s attempt to roll back anti-discrimination protections. These rule changes will impact the United States’ 36 million federal contract workers, which accounts for nearly one in five U.S. workers. Many of these workers are women and people of color who are vulnerable to discrimination.

We are asking you to leave a public comment to challenge the proposed rule changes. 

Note that while AAUW has provided a template letter (HERE) to guide your comments, you must personalize your comments for them to be counted. This means that you can use the template as inspiration, but you cannot simply copy and paste the content. As such, we suggest that you personalize your comments by reading through the AAUW template linked above then drafting a short 3-5 sentence response of your own that includes the following information:

  •     A note you are a member of AAUW California and that anti-discrimination is part of our public policy priorities;
  •     Statement indicating that discrimination continues to be a problem in the workplace; and
  •     Provide a specific example of your own personal knowledge of or experience with discrimination in the workplace. This can be your own experience, others’ that you know, or something pulled from existing reliable news or media reports.

After your comments are ready, you can drop your statement into the comment window at regulations.gov directly by clicking HERE or you can comment via AAUW’s action alert center by clicking HERE.

3) Join the Los Angeles LGBT Center to Support Equity Legislation (including AAUW California’s priority bill SB 418 “Ensure Equal Access to Care for All”)

California continues to work to protect LGBTQ+ dignity, privacy, and health, which is critically important for meeting wider goals of gender equity. We invite you to join the Los Angeles LGBT Center in their push for a slate of eight important pieces of equity legislation, which includes advancing AAUW California’s ongoing support for SB 418. You can reach out in support of these bills via the LGBT Center’s platform by clicking HERE.

4) Learn about Proposition 50 ahead of the special election on Nov. 4

AAUW California’s focus will be on providing information about and emphasizing the positive impacts of Proposition 50. Please note that we are NOT making a formal recommendation or endorsement. Rather, as a trusted resource, we are providing non-partisan and information-centric information with focus on:

  • ​​​​​​​California impacts
  • AAUW California Public Policy Priorities
  • Combating misinformation
  • The importance of saving democracy for Californians

We have two resources to get you started:

  1. Newsletter Article “Investing in Our Democratic Future: Non-Partisan Voter Education Around Proposition 50 in California” –  AAUW CA Prop 50 NL Article.docx – Google Docs
  2. Messaging Guide to follow for postcards and campaigns  – AAUW CA-Prop 50 Messaging Guide – Google Docs

Thank you for fighting with us to advance gender equity and social justice.

MEMBERSHIP DOINGS

MEMBERSHIP DOINGS

By Gloria Yost, Hedda Smithson

Members of AAUW Sacramento, you all need to be proud of yourselves for the part you played in helping our branch start the 2025-26 year with a 91% retention rate!! You:

  • Actively participated in branch meetings and special events.
  • Invited guests to come and learn about our mission of equity for women and girls.
  • Became ambassadors.
  • Promptly renewed your membership.
  • Encouraged fellow members to follow suit.

You made true the statement, “All members are part of the membership committee.”

Let’s do it again! – Join Ambassadors Fran Clarke and Donna Holmes

* * * * * * * *
Membership Ambassadors Program Continues!

  • 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 2026-27

Help us Strengthen our Branch connections and friendships

Gloria Yost and Hedda Smithson – Our contact information can be found in the Membership Directory.

Celebrating October Birthdays! 

  • Kathryn Schrumpf                          10/1
  • Janice Stuter                                    10/5
  • Mary Williams                                 10/8
  • Karen Ann Smith                            10/9
  • Lynn Blair Wood                             10/12
  • Linda Cook                                      10/13
  • Jennifer Virginia Stanley                10/14
  • Susan McLearan                             10/17
  • Elizabeth Hendrickson                  10/21
  • Marianne Rorden                           10/21
  • Christina Calpo                               10/23
  • Darcy Burton                                   10/26
  • Gail Evans                                         10/26
  • Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin         10/27

In Memoriam – Member Jane Pivett By Barbara Smith

Jane Pivetti, a longtime active branch member, passed away peacefully on
August 23, 2025 at the age of 95.

Jane was a voracious reader, and until a few months before her death, she was
still regularly attending Book Section 10 and playing bridge at every opportunity.  She was fiercely competitive at bridge and earned Silver Life
Member status in contract bridge tournaments.

For more than 60 years in the branch, Jane frequently participated in at least two book sections, two bridge sections, a gourmet group, and the Spanish language group simultaneously.

Together with her husband, Chuck, she traveled the world, including many long international summer bike trips.

Education was always very important to her. Jane was an inspiring teacher of
math at Will C. Wood Middle School for her entire teaching career. The busy
mother of five children, and the doting grandmother of seven and great-
grandmother of seven, she was constantly encouraging their curiosity about the world.

Jane was born in the Philippines and lived in several countries around the world while her father was employed by an international corporation, but she completed her high school and college education in the United States. She continued to practice speaking Spanish and French, and organized language interest groups in the branch.

Everyone who knew Jane remembers her positive outlook and upbeat
personality.  She was never without a brilliant smile.

Imagine all the major societal changes, and opportunities for women and girls
that Jane experienced in her lifetime. She took all of them in stride  while participating in AAUW Sacramento and epitomized AAUW’s commitment to
lifelong learning.

Did You Know?

Did You Know? 

Have You Joined “Members Only”?

On our website, https://sacramento-ca.aauw.net there is a banner across the top of the screen telling the viewer what we offer. Click on Membership and a drop-down menu appears. Click on Members Only and everything you want to know about the Sacramento branch of AAUW, from bylaws to our operating budget to Board meeting minutes are at your fingertips. But you need to know the password. While we can’t publish the password here, you can easily find it in the back of your Membership Directory under “Social Media.”

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

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