Southern Highlights – Austin
Minnesota Branch
Volume 8 Number 6 March 2010
Shaping the World One Woman at a Time
Co-President’s Column
The February meeting was such an inspiration! The weather kept some of you away and you missed an inspiring presentation by three local women explaining their work with mentoring in three situations. Melody Morem is the foreign student advisor at Riverland and has done huge amounts of mentoring of students herself. She is also coordinating “Friendship Families” to mentor the foreign students. (She is looking for volunteers!) Janice Mino is Adult Learning Coordinator for the public schools and she volunteers to help coordinate a mentoring program for scientists at Hormel Institute. Karla Conradt is a Success Coach at Austin High School and works in an after school home work club called Jovennes de Valor. As we questioned them about their experiences, they all concluded that their work with folks from other cultures is the very best way to work toward world peace, person-to-person, day to day. That is a big challenge to all of us to see our own opportunities in our lives to promote peace and understanding.
Don’t miss the March meeting when we will hear a panel of women from other cultures tell of their experiences. Here is another chance to broaden our understanding and to look for opportunities to live together in this quickly changing world. AAUW is one of my main sources of education and I look forward to learning from these women.
In this same vein, I want to bring to your attention the Great Decisions study group that meets on the last Monday of the month at 1 PM at Riverland. The February topic was about presidential special envoys and their role in United States diplomacy. The study materials, as well as the video material that we watch together are top quality. In March the topic is Kenya. Opportunities abound right here in our Austin AAUW Branch to become better world citizens. Take advantage of these riches!
Carolyn
March Program
The March program will feature a panel of women from diverse cultures speaking of their life experiences. Please be on the look out for an email with further details regarding the speakers in the upcoming week. The meeting will be held at Riverland College in Room C123 in the East Building on March 9th. As usual, refreshments will be served at 6:30 PM with the program and meeting to follow at 7 PM. We hope to see you there!
Dani Heiny & Sue Howard
Program Committee Co-chairs
Small Groups
These groups are open to any member wishing to attend.
Morning Book Group
Morning book group will be discussing Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. We will meet on March 18th at Jerry’s Other Place at 9 AM. Our April selection is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Please call Liz Richardson at 433-7655 if you plan to attend.
Evening Book Group
Evening book group will be discussing Thunder Bay by William Kent Kreueger. It is the Austin Page Turner’s selection for the year. Please join us on Tuesday, March 16th at 7 PM at the home of Dorothy Krob to discuss this thriller. RSVP Dorothy at 437-2855.
Just Come
We will meet at Tolly Time Out, 100 14th St. SW, on Friday, March 5th at 11:30 AM. Eunys Kloempken is the contact person for this month. Please call 437-1126 or email eokloempken@yahoo.com by Thursday, March 4th to RSVP. Just conversation and lunch! Come and get to know other AAUW members.
Travel Group
Still traveling! Our next meeting is tentative for May 6th.
Great Decisions
We will be meeting next on March 22th at 1 PM in room C128 at Riverland. The March topic is ‘Halting Atrocities in Kenya’.
New Branch Email Account
We are pleased to announce that our AAUW Chapter now has its own email account. It is aauwaustinmn@gmail.com. Please use this account when you wish to pass on information to the entire membership. The account will be monitored by our leadership and information will be forwarded on to appropriate membership as needed.
Women’s History Month Project Features Ann Bancroft
March is Women’s History Month and Austin AAUW is once again proud to be sponsoring the Women’s History Month project at Austin High School. AP history students in Andrea Malo’s class are participating in research/ presentation projects concerning one of two topics. This year’s topics are: 1) Profile an American woman who achieved an important first in her field and 2) Profile and important woman in American local, state, or national politics.
Judging of the student’s projects will take place March 5th from 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM in the Hastings Gym at AHS. Those wishing to participate in the judging process may contact Peggy Benzkofer.
Presentation of the award winners will be held in conjunction with a presentation by Ann Bancroft to the entire student body of Austin High School. This presentation will be held on March 10th at 10:19 AM in Knowlton Auditorium. Austin AAUW members are welcome to attend but need to RSVP to Carolyn Bogott.
Ann Bancroft is one of the world’s preeminent polar explorers and an internationally recognized leader who is dedicated to inspiring women and girls around the world to unleash the power of their dreams. In 1993, Ann became the first known woman in history to cross the ice to both the North and South Poles. Through her various roles as an explorer, educator, sought-after speaker, and philanthropist, Ann believes that by sharing stories related to her dreams of outdoor adventure, she can help inspire a global audience to pursue their individual dreams.
Public Policy Notes
AAUW continues to join coalitions which aim to advance the status of gender equality. Vision 2020, tied to the centennial anniversary of women’s suffrage, is a program of Drexel University College of Medicine’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership. Its flagship event will be an American Conversation about Women and Leadership taking place October 21-22, 2010, in Philadelphia. AAUW is encouraging its members to attend the conference. Those who become delegates will have expenses paid by Vision 2020 (transportation, lodging, and most meals).
Another example of AAUW’s work with other groups is the following: Celebrate International Women’s Day 2010 with CARE! AAUW is partnering with CARE this year on their International Women’s Day events. We as AAUW members in Minnesota have an opportunity to help. On Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 7:30 pm, CARE will present “Half the Sky” LIVE in movie theaters nationwide; inspired by the best-selling book from Pulitzer-prize winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Half the Sky LIVE is the perfect way for AAUW members and branches to celebrate International Women’s Day together and stand in solidarity with women and girls all over the world. CARE will provide a discussion guide and other tools to help you make the most of the event. At this time, theaters participating are: Duluth 10 Theatre DULUTH MN 55802; Eagan 16 EAGAN MN 55122; AMC Eden Prairie 18 EDEN PRAIRIE MN 55344; Movies 8 MANKATO MN 56001; AMC Arbor Lakes Megastar 16 MAPLE GROVE MN 55369; Kerasotes Block E MINNEAPOLIS MN 55403; Brooklyn Center 20 MINNEAPOLIS MN 55430; AMC Rosedale 14 SAINT PAUL, MN 55113; Oakdale Cinema SAINT PAUL MN 55128. See www.halftheskylive.com for more information.
AAUW ACTION supported the extension and expansion of unemployment benefits included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed last year, but as workers continue to face a tough job market, more help is needed. The Department of Labor Statistics reports that there is only one job for every six unemployed workers looking for work. Nearly 40 percent of unemployed workers — more than 6 million Americans — have been out of a job for six months or more, more than five times the number of people who faced long-term unemployment three years ago. In November of 2009, thousands of AAUW Action Network members urged their senators to help millions of Americans dealing with economic hardship by extending unemployment benefits, and their voices were heard and an extension lasting through February of 2010 was signed by President Obama. Time is running out for many people and the senate has been urged to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA insurance subsidies.Equal Pay Day is quickly approaching on Tuesday, April 20, and AAUW members and supporters across the country are already planning events to mark this symbolic day when women’s wages catch up to men’s wages from the year before. More than 46 years after passage of the Equal Pay Act, women continue to earn only 77 cents on the dollar to their male counterparts. Minority women face an even larger wage gap. Pay disparities affect women of all ages, races, and education levels-regardless of their family decisions. Last week, we marked the anniversary of the enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and pushed for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act. The White House also announced the establishment of a National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to improve compliance, public education, and enforcement of equal pay laws. And Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis wrote on the White House blog, reiterating that pay equity is “Not Just a ‘Women’s Issue.'” Evelyn GuentzelPublic Policy Chair
EQUITY IS STILL AN ISSUE!
AUSTIN BRANCH
AAUW BOARD MEETING
FEBRUARY 23, 2010
The treasurer reported a balance of $7,732.37. She asked for board members to be considering their budget requests as the budget must be put together and presented at the April meeting. She also asked that the decision about next year’s dues be made at the March board meeting, as that is essential to building the budget.
The program for March will be a panel of women from other cultures. Peggy Benzkofer and Jane Rosenberg are in charge of hospitality.
We are $400 short for the speaker’s fee for Ann Bancroft. Sue Grove will make a donation and Peggy Benzkofer will check with the Lion’s Club. There was also a request for approximately $150 to cover lunch for Ann Bancroft , the history contest winners and a few guests, plus the purchase of copies of Ann’s books to be contributed to the AHS library. A motion was made and seconded that we use unused funds in the budget from the areas of training, space rental and program fees to cover these costs associated with the Women’s History event. Motion carried. There will be four members available on Friday, March 5 to help with the history contest judging.
With regard to the book sale, it was brought to Laura’s attention that the library doesn’t open until 10 AM now due to budget cuts, so the worker’s schedule for the book sale will have to be changed.
The AAUW state convention is April 16-18 in St. Cloud. The registration fee is $50. There is $500 in the budget for registration, making it possible for 10 members to attend. Our branch is entitled to four delegates. Peggy and Carolyn plan to attend and Marijo will attend if her schedule allows. Silent auction items were discussed. Sue Howard suggested a Heart Smart basket containing oatmeal, pedometer, sweat band, weights, etc. and Carolyn volunteered to donate some bird prints to be combined with bird book, bird seed etc. Members will be asked to donate appropriate items for these ideas. Fifty year members are to be honored at the convention and we think that Lois Mc Connell and Helen Knutsen may qualify. This will be researched.
Rochester Branch has invited us to their Educational Foundation luncheon on March 20. Tickets are $20 payable with reservations by March 15th. Several board members are interested in going. Peggy and Carolyn will facilitate this.
There is an opportunity to send a college student leader to a national conference. State AAUW will match up to $300. Sue Grove will investigate the possibility of a Riverland student’s going to this event. She will also check about a candidate for the AAUW Young Women for Equity Award.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Bogott , Secretary Pro Tem
| March Board Meeting
Tuesday, March 23th 6:30 PM Home of Marijo Alexander |
| AAUW Monthly Financial Report | ||
| January and February 2010 | ||
| Period: 1/1/10-2/28/10 | ||
| Opening Balance: | $7,828.87 | |
| Income: | ||
| Dues | 32.50 | |
| Total Income: | $32.50 | $7,861.37 |
| Disbursements: | ||
| Programs-January | 100.00 | |
| National Dues | 24.50 | |
| State Dues | 4.50 | |
| Total Disbursements: | $129.00 | |
| Closing Balance 2/28/10 | $7,732.37 | |
Mission Statement: AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research.
Vision Statement: AAUW will be a powerful advocate and visible leader in equity and education through research, philanthropy, and measurable change in critical areas impacting the lives of women and girls.
Southern Highlights Editor: Rae Dawn Rao
rao_raedawn@yahoo.com
Minnesota State Website:
http://www.aauwmn.org
The Pine Editor: LouAnne Hoppe
Association Website:
Association e-mail: info@aauw.org