Membership Matters By Donna Holmes and Marty McKnew

Do you have a unique story of why you or an acquaintance joined AAUW?  We would love to be able to celebrate your story and share with AAUW California.  Here is an example posted recently in a state publication:

A few months ago, the most unusual thing happened at the Beach Cities Branch scholarship awards.  A woman came into the room as the meeting began and took a seat at one of the far tables.  Each recipient came forward and shared her Tech Trek, TTAG, and AAUW journey. The gratitude expressed and pride of the families in attendance brought many to tears. At the end of the meeting, the woman revealed that she walked in on the wrong meeting.  Hers was in another room, but she felt drawn to the magic in this place and stayed. It turned out that one of our members taught her daughter as well. This lovely woman not only joined AAUW on the spot, she also wrote a check for $1,000 to support the scholarship fund.  Perhaps it actually was magic!

What was the magic that drew you to AAUW and why do you stay?  We are interested in your stories – magical or not.  Forward to martymcknew@comcast.net.

We have a new member!  Please welcome Tracy Ramondini.  Tracy is the chair of the PE Department at Sheldon High School.  She is interested in reproductive rights, Title IX enforcement, motivating women to get out and vote, diversity, equity, inclusion, keeping college campuses safe for women, equity in education and pay, to name a few.  Tracy has also applied for a position on the AAUW California Board.

Please welcome all our new members to your interest groups.  We have had a number of inquiries from women new to the community who are looking for in-person interaction.

New member gathering planned for November

Plans are underway for a new member gathering in November.  If you know of a prospective member who you would like to invite, please provide their email address to Marty or Donna.

Service planned for 50-year member Mary Ann Fleming

Mary Ann Fleming, a member of AAUW Sacramento for more than 50 years, died Oct. 11 at her Sacramento home. She was 85.

A memorial Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at St. Mary’s Funeral Center Main Chapel, 6509 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento. A reception luncheon will follow the Mass.

Mary Ann was fluent in Spanish and for many years was an active member of an AAUW Spanish conversation group. She also helped with hospitality at branch meetings and faithfully attended the annual Speech Trek contest at Cosumnes River College.

According to her obituary published in The Sacramento Bee, Mary Ann was born Jan. 8, 1937 in Stockton, and grew up in St. Helena and Sacramento. She graduated from Sacramento High School and California State University, Sacramento, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. A music lover, Mary Ann played the French horn in both her high school and college marching bands.

She taught fourth grade at Maple Elementary School in Sacramento before starting a family.

Mary Ann and husband Benjamin Fleming were married for 64 years. She leaves four children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In addition to AAUW, Mary Ann was active with Sacramento Friends of the Library and served as a board member with the organization.

Nancy Lawrence Tribute By Cathy Locke and Donna Holmes

A memorial celebration for Nancy Lawrence, a longtime AAUW Sacramento member and past president, will be held Sunday, Oct. 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Northridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave., Fair Oaks.

Nancy died Aug. 9 at her Fair Oaks home. She was 78.

Nancy served as branch president in 1994-96 and again as co-president with Hedda Smithson in 2004-06.

AAUW was a family affair for the Lawrence women. Nancy’s mother, Marjorie Lawrence, was active in the Sacramento branch, serving as president in 1964-65, and sister Linda Lawrence is a branch member as well.

Nancy was a member of the AAUW 100^th Anniversary Celebration Committee, planning for the gala and writing articles for the Memory Book that marked the Sacramento branch’s centennial in 2020. She also was a strong supporter of branch outreach programs, including scholarships and Tech Trek.

More about Nancy’s life and her contributions to the greater Sacramento community is provided in the following obituary, published Sept. 18 in The Sacramento Bee.

Nancy Lawrence Obituary

December 29, 1943 – August 9, 2022 in Fair Oaks, California
Nancy Lawrence, blessed with a happy family and friends, died at home on August 9, 2022, at age 78.

Nancy liked to say that she and her sister, Linda, won the lottery when they were born. Their educated parents, Carl and Marjorie McGlashan Lawrence, loved and supported them. They grew up in California’s post­ war prosperity with its strong public education system, and had travel and learning opportunities all around them. Nancy attended Bret Harte, Cal Junior High, and McClatchy High School in Sacramento where she found real joy in learning. She then earned her BA and MA in English literature at Stanford. While attending Stanford’s semester in Italy she got an eye-opening glimpse of the world and other cultures. This grew into a love of travel including years of summer travels to the Middle East and to Asia where she fell in love with archaeology and cultural history. Repeat visits to Europe were a treat for her always.

After Stanford, Nancy decided teaching and academics would be most satisfying and taught 17 years at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera in southern California. Teaching and exploring ideas in literature and the arts formed an interesting life for her. In 1984, Nancy married Gordon Klein, a math teacher and data processing specialist at Pico Rivera. Three years later they moved to Sacramento to manage Lawrence Properties, together with her sister, Linda, and their very valuable property managers, Pat Quarton-Rodini and then Stephanie Paschal-Jividen. Their first project was to computerize the business records and investments, and then they grew the size of its holdings.

In Sacramento, Nancy became involved with local organizations (like her mother before her), particularly Sacramento AAUW and the Crocker Art Museum, where Nancy was a Docent for many years. She served on boards and led groups serving cultural and educational purposes: the Crocker Art Museum, the former Sacramento Public Library Foundation, AAUW, the Kingsley Art Club, the Girl Scouts, the Sacramento Literacy Foundation, and the Mondavi Center. Education provided such satisfaction to Nancy that she worked tirelessly to “give back” by expanding educational opportunity for many more. And Nancy always said that in turn these organizations provided her with education, stimulation, and wonderful friends and relationships that endure forever. At the same time she and Gordon enjoyed the Opera, travel (including regular visits to Gordon’s family in North Dakota), and expanding the Klein family group in Sacramento.

COVID struck soon after the time Gordon died. Nancy said that it was with help from her many friends and family that she was able to meet the huge challenge of these years: her sister Linda Lawrence, the Deck Diners, the Fair Oaks Wine and Dine, her many Crocker friends, her AAUW friends, Club 61, and Stephanie Paschal-Jividen, together with Margaret Schrupp, Heidi and A.J. Amstrup (Lara, Luke), Karin Lewis (Jasmine, Dalton), Elisabeth Klein, Vince and Jamie Klein (Kristina, Karol), Ottie Maxey, and Pam Saltenberger, who kept the horrors at bay. Nancy would say she had a terrific life, was lucky, and hopes that she helped others to lead happy lives too.

A memorial celebration will be held October 16, 2022, from 4-7 p.m. at Northridge Country Club. Memorials can be made to the Crocker Art Museum, the Kingsley Art Club Education Foundation, the Sacramento Children’s Literacy Foundation or to St. Johns Shelter in order to reach out to the young who need help to flourish and thrive where they are planted.
[Obituary can be found at here]

WE HAVE A PLAN – LET’S GROW! By Donna Holmes

Hey there. Our awesome committee is excited to take on this challenge of growing AAUW California.  Every needs assessment analyzing our declining membership numbers always uses fancy consultant language. Yet, my cartoon friend Maxine sums it up best. “We’re old. We’re burned out. We’re unknown.” (Her coffee cup reads, “I love my attitude problem!”)

What would happen if we changed that mindset? What if we radiated energy that says, “Come join us.  Be part of something bigger that can change the lives of women and girls!” Our new mindset dances to this tune!

We are vibrant and smart. We are action people.  We are AMBASSADORS.

What IF (and that is a big IF…) all of us would just invite one person to join AAUW – a friend, neighbor, relative, co-worker – that number would be – let me see “9,167 X 2 = 18,334” What!?! If each one would bring one … whoa, Nelly!  That’s growth! (Don’t worry, our goals are a little more modest than that. Six percent for next year, but it is so fun to dream!)

The above article is from the State board, and Marty and I heartily concur.  Our branch has done an excellent job of membership retention. We went into 2021-22 with 191 members and currently are going into 2022-23 with 185 members.  Retaining 90% of membership is part of 5-star recognition.  Five members moved away, four members have passed away and we have a few not renewing.  We also have new members — the latest is Christine Osterman, who joined at our Sept. 17 branch meeting.  Our formal count will be taken on Sept. 30.  Stay tuned for a new members gathering when Marty returns from her travels!

Membership News, By Donna Holmes and Marty McKnew

Renewals and Nimble
To say the new database and renewal system has been a nightmare is to put it mildly.  Marty and I cannot thank all of you enough for your perseverance and patience in getting things processed.  We still have a handful of unrenewed members and hope to be wrapped up by Labor Day.

Your Directory will not be printed and mailed until renewals are complete.

50-year members!
At the May meeting, we honored our three new 50-year members:  Mary Lou Lentz, Linda Sparks (pictured) and Susan Whetstone.  Because of the National database conversion problems, we were not able to get them their certificates until this month.

New Members
We have several new or returning members:  Mary Margaret Baker (moved here from Hawaii), Joy Clous, Mahnaz Khazari, Monique Stovall and Rita Walker.  We hope to meet them face-to-face at our Sept. 17 meeting at the Carmichael Library!

Stayed tuned for a new-member event host by us later this fall.

Vaccinated Hugs,
Donna Holmes & Marty McKnew