Tag Archives: communications

March 16th Branch Meeting – Important!

Important March 16th Branch Meeting

7- 8:30 p.m. on Zoom!!

What is the impact of AAUW in Sacramento?

Tech Trek: over last three years, 18 local middle school girls to STEM camp, for total tuition of $16,500. Imagine the impact over the last 22 years!?!
Speech Trek: over last five years, 37 local student speakers won $4,675 in awards.
Scholarship: over past five years, 21 local women have received $42,000 in scholarship money toward a college degree.
NCCWSL: for the past two years, we have sent 5 young women student leaders to a national leadership conference at Univ. of Maryland for $2,400.
Advocacy: last year several members lobbied our state legislators about the impact of legislation on the equitable treatment of women and men all over California.
From 2019-2021 we helped reconstruct a new Sacramento County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

CALLING ALL MEMBERS TO A BRANCH MEETING TO BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS. March 16, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. over Zoom, we will discuss in small groups, 5 critical questions to help us find answers for the future of our branch.

Why do we belong to AAUW?
How do we ignite interest and motivation among members to continue our mission of empowering women and girls?
What inspires or prevents us from serving on branch board or a committee?
What inspires or prevents us from participating in meetings and programs?
Should we discontinue some of the outreach efforts described above?

Today, the Sacramento Branch of AAUW is in a crisis of leadership. We cannot find volunteers to step forward to lead some of these important outreach efforts. The Nominating Committee has searched for several weeks to fill necessary board positions; some critical positions remain unfilled.

FACTS: A branch must have an executive officer, a treasurer and a branch secretary to exist.

Over several weeks, the Nominating Committee has found two of the three required volunteers to serve for the next two years.
No local students will be attending STEM CAMP this summer from AAUW Sacramento. We have $17,000 in the account to send six girls. We don’t have a Tech Trek Director.
We are not participating in Lobby Week in April organized by AAUW CA because we do not have a Public Policy Director.

FACT: No outreach can occur, no money spent, no beneficiaries awarded without the structure of the branch.

The March 2022 branch meeting is an opportunity to brainstorm some solutions. Please attend! You will receive the Zoom link in an email prior to the March 16th meeting.

President’s Message

President’s Message By Angela Scarlett

Hi Dear Members,

I cannot believe it’s nearly February of 2022. Our programming committee, headed by Kim Rutledge, had a meeting where we discussed the continuing unpredictability around new COVID-19 variants.

Angela Scarlett

While we enjoyed the Holiday Party, we can’t plan an in-person Authors Luncheon in good conscience. One of our members pointed out having a digital meeting means we can be more ambitious in our planning.

My presidency is up in June. I had hoped we could meet more in-person to connect more with our many legacy members, but that hasn’t been the case. If you have felt disconnected from the organization, please let me know. If you have difficulties with technology, we can help with that. I also want to encourage folks to attend Speech Trek in February. The committee is so dedicated, and I’ve seen many excellent speakers over the years. As always, please reach out to me. My information is in the directory.

-Angela

President’s Message

President’s Message By Angela Scarlett

Hi all,

Angela Scarlett

I hope this note finds everyone well and that everyone had a lovely holiday! We were able to celebrate our Holiday party in person this past December 11. As we celebrate the new year, I hope that we are able to celebrate in person safely again. As always, your dedication to AAUW’s mission and our branch programs continues to inspire me. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Angela Scarlett

President’s Message

President’s Message By Angela Scarlett

Angela Scarlett

For the past two years, I’ve always struggled to find a topic to write a monthly president’s message, much to our newsletter editor’s chagrin. I never wanted to repeat what our other officers were writing. You may have noticed that I have missed several months.

What do I have to say this month as your president? I’ll make this as simple as possible: I look forward to seeing everyone at the holiday party on Dec. 11. After nearly two years of separation, this event will allow us to connect in person! Meanwhile, if needed, please get a booster shot and consider gifting someone with a membership if it is within your means.

President’s Message

President’s Message By Angela Scarlett

Dear Members,

We are easing into the holiday season. Many of us will, hopefully, be looking forward to spending time with family during Thanksgiving. For some, this might be their first opportunity in two years to give Thanks.

Angela Scarlett

What am I giving thanks for this year? I am particularly thankful for Kim Rutledge, this year’s program director, and Donna Holmes, the key organizer of our annual Holiday Party. This event, detailed in this month’s newsletter, will be our first opportunity to meet in person. Our first event, the October Ice Cream Social, had to be canceled due to bad weather.

We hope that we can come together as a branch and celebrate safely. To that end, we require proof of COVID-19 vaccination. I mentioned last month that this was the decision the board made to best meet our older members’ health needs. Donna and her Holiday Party team have been working hard and creating a fun, rewarding and collaborative event. We hope to have many members there!

I am also still looking for members to serve in Tech Trek and Public Policy. These gaps have left us with substantial leadership needs. If you have time and capacity, please consider this path.

-Angela

President’s Message

President’s Message By Angela Scarlett

Fellow AAUW Sacramento Members,

This month feels more critical than others, as we face a shortage of active volunteers in our organization. Our members have been incredibly generous financially supporting AAUW Sacramento’s core outreach programs. The financial support makes a lot of sense; as our AAUW members age, it becomes easier for many to write a check than volunteer our time.

Angela Scarlett

Right now, our Tech Trek program is facing a shortage of active members who can work with schools, recruit, interview and mentor students, and administer our local program. Our needs also include someone who can serve as a Tech Trek director on our local board. This program has been a vibrant part of AAUW Sacramento for many years, and it would indeed be a shame if we have to let it go, given the substantial financial support it receives from our members. If you are interested in helping for even a few hours, please reach out to me.

Lastly, COVID-19 is on my mind (I am sure it’s on yours, as well). We have an outside ice cream social planned for October and hope to celebrate with you! We will require vaccinations and masks to minimize the risk of Delta variant infections. If you have a medical exception, again, contact me via our directory.

Warmest Regards to all!
Angela Scarlett
AAUW Sacramento President

Member Birthdays, Book Groups, Printable Articles and More!

Celebrating October Birthdays! By Donna Holmes

Happy Birthday to All!

Kathy Schrumpf 10/1
Judy Maben 10/2
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
Tina Taggart 10/14
Lyn Roefs 10/15
Susan McLearan 10/17
Betty Riley 10/20
Elizabeth Hendrickson 10/21
Marianne Rorden 10/21
Sandra Winter 10/21
Christina Calpo 10/23
Gail Evans 10/26
Bakula Maniar 10/27
Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin 10/27

Book Groups By Sharon Anderson

Book Group 2:
The Invisible Bridge, by Julie Orringel, on Oct. 5; coordinator is Carol Hayes

Book Group 3:
Reading a book selection and meeting on Oct. 27; coordinator is Carolyn Meeker

Book Group 4:
Notes of a Native Son, by James Baldwin, on Oct. 13; coordinator is Nancy Lawrence

Book Group 6:
The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben, on Oct. 11; coordinator is Angela Scarlett

Book Group 8:
The Language of Butterflies, by Wendy Williams, on Oct. 25; coordinator is Diana Squire

Book Group 10:
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, by Bill Gates, on Oct. 21; coordinator is Sandi Schoenman

Book Group 12:
The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson, on Oct. 7; coordinator is Linda Cook

Book Group 33:
The Other Mrs., by Mary Kubica, on Oct. 7; coordinators are Jane Pivetti, Nancy Lawrence

Walking Group Forming By Vicki Nicholson

A nucleus of members have created a new group and welcome other women to join. If you would enjoy walking the regional trails and park pathways in the Sacramento area in the company of others, please contact Kathleen Deaver. Kathleen’s contact information can be found in the Membership Directory.

Tokyo Olympics – Did You Hear? By Charmen Goehring

US women athletes brought home more medals than men! You can read more in USA Today (which attributes this success to Title IX) at https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/olympics/us-women-are-dominating-medal-count-at-tokyo-olympics-in-ways-they-ve-never-done-before/ar-AAN0W6E

Printable Newsletter Articles

Click here for Printable Newsletter Articles

Welcome Summer!

Welcome Summer! By Karen Burley

Welcome to AAUW Sacramento’s mid-summer newsletter! We hope you are enjoying your summer and staying cool when the thermometer rises into triple digits. Your branch leadership team continues to work on your behalf, planning an enlightening and enjoyable year for our members starting in September. Please continue to tell your friends and acquaintances about all the benefits of AAUW membership and that we would love to have them join us. Enjoy this update, and we’ll see you in September!

AAUW Program year ends with honors, speeches, hope for our city

AAUW Program year ends with honors, speeches, hope for our city – By Kim Rutledge

The final program of the AAUW Sacramento Branch was held on Saturday, May 15 on Zoom. The meeting started with the installation of new officers for the 2021-22 branch year, led by Gloria Yost. Marty McKnew and Donna Holmes were sworn in as membership co-directors, and Carole Cline was sworn in as secretary.

Liz Jordan presented President Angela Scarlett with her past-presidents’ pin, even though she will serve as president for another year. Liz also gave us a fascinating history of the pin’s origins and design. Other past presidents in the meeting shared about what the pin means to them.

Outgoing Membership Co-director Bonnie Pennix honored the branch’s 50-year members: Dorie Bracchi, Susan McLearan, Elaine Moody, Pat Stilwell and Gloria Yost. Each 50-year member received a certificate, which was mailed to their home.

Speech Trek winner Saher Haidari delivered her winning speech and impressed us all with her intelligence and poise, even over Zoom.

Funds Director Charmen Goehring presented this year’s branch named gift honorees: Karen Burley, Sharon Anderson, Marty McKnew, Arlene Cullum and Pat Winkle.

Our keynote speaker was Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela. She engaged our members in a discussion about her priorities for the city, including addressing housing and homelessness issues. She also spoke about the importance of having more women in leadership roles at all levels of government.

Looking ahead to the 2021-22 program year, please save the following dates for the Fall 2021 programs: Saturday, Sept. 11; Saturday, Oct. 23; Saturday, Nov. 13; and Saturday, Dec. 11. More program details will come in the next newsletter. If you are interested in helping plan next year’s programs, please email Kim Rutledge – you will find her contact information in the Sacramento Branch Membership Directory.