Category Archives: Newsletter

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Membership Happenings

Membership Happenings By Gloria Yost and Vicky Lovell

Strengthening our AAUW Sacramento connections and friendships

Fellow active members, WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Do you know that only about half of our members read Capital Ideas?
Even fewer read the e-Blasts!
How can they participate when they are so uninformed?

Please help us increase member participation by checking on your AAUW friends.  Help them add AAUW Sacramento to their contact lists so it doesn’t end up in spam or worse

  • Our newsletter, Capital Ideas, arrives near the end of each month. Did your fellow members open and read it?
  • Look for Eblasts, usually sent out on Monday or Wednesday, that provide details about our upcoming branch events and how to sign up to attend. Do your friends read them?
  • Finally, if they accidentally unsubscribed to AAUW Sacramento, or are having computer troubles, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN HELP.

Meet our New AAUW Sacramento Members!

We now have 18 new members who have joined this year so far.  If you meet them at an event or a book group or interest group, let them know what you enjoy and appreciate most about our branch — after telling them how glad you are they joined.  Our three newest members are:

  • Paola Mendez
  • Rebecca Peebles
  • Jeannie London

Welcome all to AAUW Sacramento!

Celebrating February Birthdays! 

Happy Birthday to All!

  • Anna Storey                                  2/1
  • Kathleen Deaver                          2/2
  • Margaret Steinberg                     2/3
  • Arlene Cullum                               2/4
  • Kathie Huff                                    2/4
  • Susan Whetstone                         2/9
  • Jane Cooley                                    2/14
  • Nancy Fox                                      2/16
  • Jean Brown                                    2/24
  • Carol Finney                                  2/25
  • Inger Lindholm                             2/26
  • Karen W. Smith                            2/26

Did You Know?

Did You Know? By Liz Jordan, Nancy McCabe, Karen Burley

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

Every AAUW member is entitled to a number of perks and discounts. As a member of leadership for the last few decades I used the old Office Depot discount to make copies of all kinds of materials for different programs in which I participated. Recently, I learned that Office Depot has completed a reorganization of their discount program, and if I wanted to continue to get a great discount on printed copies, etc. I needed to take a few new steps. It was easy to do. If you want to get an Office Depot discount card, here’s is what you do:

  1. Go to aauw.org. Click Log In and sign into your membership. You probably set this up when you first paid your membership online. https://www.aauw.org/membership/
  2. Once on your Profile page, click Membership tab on the upper right corner of the menu band across the top of the page.
  3. On the new page, on the right side there is a menu list. The very last item is Discounts and Perks. Click through to the list of opportunities.
  4. Scroll down. Under the red band Other Discounts and Services, the third item is Office Depot.
  5. When you read through the information, it will tell you that to receive your member discount, you’ll need to re-enroll or register for an account through our dedicated ODP site. REGISTER NOW. Click through and follow the directions, giving your name and address to register for the program. Once you have registered, you will receive an email at the address you gave, to click through and get access to the card you can carry in your wallet.

You print the paper, take it with you the next visit to Office Depot, and they will laminate the card for you.

TA-DA! “Up to 80% discount off of Preferred Products!”

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 is issuing 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!

 

 

Printable Newsletter Articles

Click here for Printable Newsletter Articles.

AAUW Fund Update / Printable Articles

AAUW Fund Update By Charmen Goehring

Thanks to the generosity of many members in our branch, AAUW Sacramento contributed $17,487.50 to the AAUW Fund in 2022. This amount topped last year! Most of the funding was designated to the Greatest Needs account, which allows AAUW to remain nimble and able to respond to needs that arise. Thank you to those who donated so bountifully!

AAUW Sacramento also leads all other branches in the state in number of Legacy Circle members. There is always room for more! A special event for prospective members was held last month and netted two additional members in CA and others across the country. Another exclusive online event will be held in May for all current Legacy Circle members — I would love to see so many Sacramento faces on that Zoom screen!

You can find more information on how easy it is to become a member Here or contact me at charminme@yahoo.com. Legacy Circle is a fantastic way to ensure that our organization is around for years to come “fighting the good fight!”

Printable Newsletter Articles

Click here for Printable Newsletter Articles.

Branch Birthdays, Book Groups, Printable Newsletter Articles, and Interest Groups

Branch Birthdays, Book Groups, and Printable Newsletter Articles

  • Click here for Branch Birthdays for May
  • Click here for Book Group books for May
  • Click here for Printable Newsletter Articles

Interest Groups

You can find out about the Interest Groups offered by the branch by looking at the banner on the home webpage (just under the branch photo) and clicking on “Activities”. Click on “Interest Groups” and you will find a list of all Interest Groups, when they meet, and the group leader to contact for more information (email addresses and phone numbers can be found in the Branch Membership Directory and Handbook).

Some Interest Groups are taking a break during the pandemic, but a number are still meeting – virtually! According to the Interest Group Coordinator, Vicki Nicholson, here are the groups that are currently meeting:

  • All Book Groups
  • All 3 sections of Great Decisions
  • Art & Architecture
  • Film Fans
  • Reader’s Theater
  • Travel

Feel free to contact a group leader to learn more about the Interest Group. They would love to have you join in!

Branch Birthdays, Book Groups, Printable Articles, and Board Briefs

Branch Birthdays and Printable Newsletter Articles

  • Click here for Branch Birthdays
  • Click here for Book Group books for October
  • Click here for Printable Newsletter Articles

Board Briefs  by Karen Burley
The Board met at the end of August and will be holding its next meeting on October 5, the first Monday of the month as per our regular schedule. Look for the October Board Briefs in the next edition of the branch newsletter.

President’s Message

President’s Message By Angela Scarlett

I wasn’t sure what I would say in my first president’s message. The impact of COVID-19 on our lives seems surreal.

If you do not know me, please let me introduce myself. I’ve been a member of AAUW Sacramento for approximately 10 years. Gloria Yost recruited me after I started attending the Great Decisions group. I am also a member of the Working Women book group and have held several board positions, including membership and communications director.

I will be in the presidency for two years. My aspiration for my tenure is to look at our organization to see how we can ensure that this 100-years-young institution remains vital and relevant.

Our program directors, Kim Rutledge and Gloria Yost, are working hard on creating engaging programming that we will host digitally over Zoom. We will have our traditional Fall Showcase, and we will be doing our best to resume in-person meetings when it is safe to do so.

Until then, please feel free to contact me at angela.scarlett@gmail.com or 916-612-8442. If you would like your interest group to use our branch zoom account, please contact the communications director, Karen Burley, here for more information.

I hope to see everyone online at our September meeting.

Until then warmest regards,

Angela Scarlett

Past President’s Message

Liz Jordan

Past President’s Message By Liz Jordan

Dear Branch Members,

I joined AAUW Sacramento in 1976 and I have been glad to pay my dues every year because I believe in the mission to bring a state of equity to the lives of women and girls; because I have made many life-long friendships and acquaintanceships as a member; and because I have learned so much, and grown with some leadership skills by participating in our Sacramento branch.

As your co-president these past two years, I learned about leadership from a hospital bed, from my computer screen, from standing before you at branch meetings and from leading the board meetings each month.

I am proud I was able to participate in the 100th anniversary program, to figure out a way to help us vote electronically, to work on laying the groundwork for fulfilling some of the expectations of AAUW’s 5 Star Recognition Program.

  • I express my deep gratitude to Ruth Ann Hines for all her guidance as our parliamentarian.
  • I am grateful to Shari Beck and Ann Arneill and proud of the Speech Trek program’s 13 years of successful contests.
  • I brag about our Tech Trek program that Jo Reiken has led with others for the past several years. Jo has led us gracefully through this joyful and painful year.
  • I am excited about the 5 young women that Anna Storey and Linda Patterson worked so hard to find and help with $2,000 each for the coming academic year.
  • I am amazed by the programing that Cathy Locke and Karen Burley put together for us this year, in spite of all the uncertainty.
  • I am forever grateful to Donna Holmes for jumping in (in spite of still being a co-president!) last spring to keep our branch’s accounts, pay our taxes, make our reports, and keep us informed about our financial well-being.
  • I have great admiration and appreciation for all the work that Jan Stuter has put into recruiting and introducing several new members to our branch.
  • I was very excited to recruit Amy Rose to lead public policy. What a great job she did for us, organizing our participation in the Women’s March 2020.
  • I am continuously thankful to Tiffany Ardisana-James for taking our board minutes and getting them back to board members to review in a timely manner.
  • I relied upon Kathy Asay and Merrie McLaughlin, and they led us beautifully through big changes in AAUW Funds.
  • I’ll never be able to thank Sharon Anderson enough for all her help and knowledge about our membership, for her guidance onto the MPP renewal, and for submitting the book group calendar and birthdays to the newsletter each month.
  • Thanks, and thanks again go to Barbara Smith who agreed to lead us though the planning for changing over to the MPP Program.
  • Thank you to Kathy Papst and Becky Anton for keeping the interest groups informed about branch activities, attending monthly board meetings, getting interest group calendars etc. for the newsletter.
  • Thank you Cherril Peabody for writing our “Board Briefs” for the newsletter each month and asking helpful questions.
  • We can never say thank you enough to Kim Rutledge for editing our newsletter for how many years? Every month, every article, every word!
  • And Angela Scarlett for getting the newsletter up on the website, and working on website renovation, social media outreach, etc., etc., etc. So much for which to say thank you.
  • Thank you, Jane Cooley, for sending our good wishes, our get well wishes and our condolences to so many branch members for how many years??
  • Gloria Yost wore several hats this year, but most importantly as C/U liaison, building and strengthening our relationship with CSUS and those young women who are our future. Gloria also led and guided the 100th Anniversary Committee for over two years, getting us to do research, write articles for the newsletter, for holding monthly planning meetings, for creating the Memory Book and planning our wonderful, memorable 100th Anniversary Party. I know she did it so well because of Linda Whitney’s steady hand and reliable guidance as co-chair.
  • I want to thank Nancy McCabe, with the help of Michele Hobza and Becky Anton, for leading the Nominating Committee for two years, finding board members to serve in seven positions.
  • I saved my thanks to Charmen Goehring and Angela Scarlett, the presidents, to the end because I can never express my appreciation for how much and often I relied on them. They saved me from my own mistakes, offered guidance and solutions, technical expertise, AAUW knowledge, and I am grateful for their opinions. I made it to this moment because of them.

It takes the talent, time and generosity of 27 women to lead this branch of AAUW. I speak not just for myself, but for our membership — Gracias, Merci, Thank You.

Fall Program Lineup Adapts to Times With Virtual Format

Fall Program Lineup Adapts to Times With Virtual Format By Kim Rutledge and Gloria Yost

We enter the AAUW Sacramento branch program year for 2020-21 in truly unprecedented times. The way we live has been turned upside down by the global pandemic, but as your new program directors, we are committed to bringing our branch membership a robust array of programs in a virtual format.

The branch program year starts on Saturday, September 12, with the virtual AAUW Showcase from 10 am to Noon. Like always, the Showcase will highlight membership, interest groups, outreach programs, and our scholarship winners, but this year we will hold the Showcase on Zoom. Invite a friend who may be interested in joining our branch and log on to Zoom to learn what the coming year has in store. Registration information for this free event is available here. A Zoom link will be emailed to all registered members 2 days prior to the event. Please mark you calendars! This event is open to the public, so people who join on the 12th can join at a reduced rate.

Our October and November events will also be held virtually over Zoom. In October, our branch will partner with CHAR for a ballot proposition presentation from the McGeorge Law School students. November’s program will highlight the California Women’s Well-Being Index with the California Budget and Policy Center. We will also discuss the results of the November general election and their impact on women.

As we look to December and beyond, we will assess whether or not we can return to monthly in-person branch events. Regardless of where we do our programming for the coming year, we promise to bring timely, compelling monthly programs to branch members. We look forward to seeing you on Zoom in September!

Meet AAUW Sacramento’s 2020-21 Branch Scholarship Recipients

Meet AAUW Sacramento’s 2020-21 Branch Scholarship Recipients by Molly Dugan and Cathy Locke

Zoom into the Sept. 12 Fall Showcase and meet AAUW Sacramento’s 2020-21 branch scholarship recipients.

Thanks to the generosity of our members, Sidra Awais, Phuong Ly, Tiffany Joseph, Maria Carrillo and Elizabeth Adam will each receive $2,000 to assist them as they pursue degrees at Sacramento City College, American River College and California State University, Sacramento.

The Scholarship Committee thanks the many branch members who support the scholarship fund through annual donations and memorial gifts.

We also want to acknowledge the commitment of a longtime member who notified us that she has included a bequest to the scholarships fund in her trust. The member, who asked not to be identified, said she received scholarships that enabled her to attend college and she wants to pass it along.

She has specified in her trust that a percentage of her IRA account balance at the time of her death will be donated to scholarships.

“With the increased cost of a college education, scholarships are more important than ever,” she said.

 

 

AAUW Members: Socially Distant But Still In Touch & Branch Board Outreach

AAUW Members: Socially Distant But Still In Touch by Bonnie Penix

Distance — a word so often used right now. Physical distancing, social distancing. We agree with the first, not so much with the second. It seems, perhaps, even more important these days to connect intellectually, emotionally, and socially. Membership in AAUW is a perfect vehicle for that.

How so?

Meet other educated, dynamic women. Network to find new jobs, opportunities, friends. Support our mission of improving equity for women in the workplace, in education, and in work-life balance. Promote individual and social justice. Join interest groups — there are many — for friendship and fun.

Let’s grow our membership. Reach out with email or a phone call to those you know from your book groups, place of employment, neighborhood, school, organizations to which you belong. Invite them to attend our Fall Showcase with you on Saturday, Sept. 12. Help us build relationships and our branch. The collective is stronger than the individual. Remember, we also have a dues assistance program, and a dues discount for joining at a public event such as on September 12.

So let’s decrease distance — the social distance.  Zoom into AAUW, and grow together.

Branch Board Reaches Out to Membership During Covid-19 Stay-at-Home By Liz Jordan

At the April 6 board meeting, members of the board suggested that we might need to check on our branch members.  We knew we were cancelling the popular Author’s Luncheon, a good time to see fellow AAUW members and friends.  So, we created a script so the callers would know what kinds of things to be sure to discuss, such as the membership renewal process that changed this year.

Twelve board members volunteered to call and each was assigned about 12-15 members to call.  Jane Cooley, our Sunshine chair, reached out and called everyone in her zip code, surprising all of us.  During the last week of April and the first week of May, we tried to call every branch member.  When a member didn’t answer her phone, messages were left on answering machines and many members returned those calls.  Past President Molly Dugan volunteered with a small group of helpers to run errands for members who might need some extra help.

The response to the program seemed to be universally positive.  The phone callers reported back what they heard:

  • “I appreciate the phone call … I have been a member of AAUW for years—I am so proud to be a member, it is my ‘touchstone.’”
  • One member lamented her book group was not meeting due to lack of understanding and skill in using a computer.
  • Another member is taking this time to learn to play an instrument.  We called one member who mentioned she was stuck in another state waiting out the stay-at-home orders.

The board members who made the calls said:

  • “What a pleasant and enjoyable task!”
  • “This was a really good experience!!”
  • “Definitely a worthwhile endeavor we should probably do more often.”
  • “I got as much out of the calls as they (members I called) did.”

Seems like there are a few silver linings to this very difficult time.