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!

September President’s Message
By Cathy Locke and Karen Burley

If the barrage of news and events during the summer hiatus has you frustrated and asking, “What in the world can I do?”, we encourage you to join your Sacramento AAUW members as we launch our 2025-26 program year.

Our theme for the past two years was “Lights, Camera, Action”. We will continue in that vein this year with “Spotlights”. Many of our programs will focus on areas of education that are experiencing new challenges at local, state and national levels. The goal of each program is to inform members about the issues and to equip us for action.

Our kickoff meeting on Sept. 20 will celebrate another successful year of Tech Trek, the AAUW-sponsored STEM camp for middle school girls. Students who attended the weeklong in-person camp at UC Davis and those who participated in the virtual camp will tell us about their experiences and answer questions.

Also at our Sept. 20 meeting we will vote to approve our branch budget. You can find the proposed budget <here>.

Hopefully you saw the email from the AAUW CEO, Gloria Blackwell, inviting you to the AAUW Fall Member Gathering on Thursday, September 18th 5-6pm ET. We’ll celebrate our achievements and learn about latest Initiatives. Register <here>.

In October, branch members Kathleen Papst and Carole Cline will turn the spotlight on California school choice initiatives and their effect on public schools.

We also want to welcome former CHAR (Citrus Heights American River) branch
members who have joined the Sacramento branch. They have added to our list of interest groups, which now numbers more than a dozen. These groups and our book groups offer the opportunity for education, entertainment and friendships.

In April we will be trying something new. 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. If you attended in the past you know that it’s not just watching – there will be breakouts and opportunities to engage. To be the host you must have a wifi-enabled TV or monitor so that you and your guests can easily see the event, and enough seating for at least 6 people. As a host, you are providing the room so your guests should provide snacks or beverages. 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! We have one host so far; is the next one you?

Please read the newsletter articles about our programs, interest groups and
opportunities to further AAUW’s mission.

We look forward to seeing you in September.

President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

As my term of president winds down, I have a few thoughts to share. First, this AAUW branch has the nicest group of women (and an occasional man) that I have met. I would suggest that if you are a member, and don’t know many others, that you take a leap of faith and join one of the standing committees. It is difficult to make meaningful connections with others if you attend meetings and then go home. Volunteering is the best way to get to know members as you work on a mutual interest in AAUW’s mission. Join a group who can use your time and ideas, such as Program and Public Policy. Both of these areas have had outstanding years and we have a lot to build on. There are other ways that you can contribute which you will see on your renewal forms. Volunteer with Karen and Cathy to take a role in leadership. Most do not have to attend the monthly zoom board meetings-just send a form to the director of your area telling what you have done during the month. See? Easy Peasy! The more you get involved, the more rewarding your membership will be. Volunteer to be a greeter for meetings and get to meet the new branch members who are transitioning from CHAR. Engage the person sitting next to you at meetings and see what AAUW interests you share. You will be glad you did. Because I am leaving the presidency doesn’t mean I am going away. I will see you at meetings and Singles Dining- I am never above publicizing our Dinners out!

Incoming Co-Presidents Message By Karen Burley and Cathy Locke

Our duties as AAUW Sacramento co-presidents don’t officially begin until July, but we want to introduce ourselves, as we will be asking for your help in the coming weeks.

We joined AAUW about four decades apart, one right out of college and the other after retirement. Cathy joined what is now the Oakdale-Riverbank-Escalon AAUW branch in Stanislaus County in 1975. As a recent college grad, she was impressed by AAUW’s emphasis on promoting equity and educational opportunities for women and girls, and “education over the lifetime.” She joined AAUW Sacramento in 1987 and has served as chair of the scholarship, funds and program committees. She retired from The Sacramento Bee in 2018 after a 43-year career in community journalism. She is single, has no children – but enjoys dog-sitting her extended family’s canines.

Karen joined the Cupertino-Mountain View branch of AAUW in 2017 when she retired from High Tech. Shortly after moving to Sacramento a year later, she joined our branch. In addition to supporting equality for women and girls, she is passionate about fighting climate change and will eagerly tell you about the many changes she has made in her life to try to eliminate her dependence on fossil fuels. Karen has three adult children: a son who lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains and two daughters who live in Sacramento. She is the proud grandmother of three granddaughters (latest born just a month ago!).

We are happy to partner to lead AAUW Sacramento in the coming year, welcoming CHAR members to the branch.

We know many members join AAUW to participate in our various interest and groups, but it is the branch structure that provides for those groups and we need your help to maintain that. One of our goals is to involve more members in branch volunteer activities, whether it be serving on program, scholarship, Tech Trek, public policy, membership, communications or other committees, or bringing refreshments or helping as greeters at branch meetings. So if you
receive a call or email asking for help, please say “yes”. You’ll make friends and enjoy yourself, guaranteed!

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.

President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

The start of a new year generally feels like a clean slate for whatever goals one might have. Do you want to start an exercise program, a new way of eating, a new way of organizing your time/bills/social events or your volunteer time? I have no suggestions about the first five, but I do have a suggestion about the last one. You have heard us request help with next year’s programs and presidency. At the Winter Luncheon, a new member volunteered to cochair program, so she needs a partner to help plan and execute the programming. Having a partner makes this position easier as you can share the tasks. As the outgoing president, I can state positively that the position of president is not difficult. The members of the board are responsible and get their parts done. The monthly meeting is on Zoom and our technology coordinator sets it up on the Internet. Any 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 of advancing gender equity locally.

President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

As we head into the holiday season, we hope you are able to spend time with loved ones, with gratitude for all that we enjoy living in the Sacramento area.

Also reflect on what you might do to help keep our branch a vibrant community focused on equity for women as well as enjoying interest groups with other members of the AAUW Sacramento branch. When you get involved, you will get to know other active members who just could become your great friends. There are a number of areas we could use some help, such as the Branch Local Projects team, the Tech Trek team, Hospitality or Communications, to name a few.

That old saying is so true “many hands make light work.” It takes a lot of hands to accomplish our goals, and we would like to have your time and talents to help accomplish our goal of advancing gender equity for women and girls! Be in touch!

SEE YOU AT THE HOLIDAY PARTY!