Minnesota Pine – Deep Roots-Strong Branches
A PUBLICATION OF AAUW OF MINNESOTA
VOLUME 39 NO. 4, Winter 2011
AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.
IN THIS ISSUE:
AAUW: Bridging the Gap for Women
and Girls—Minnesota AAUW State
Convention 2011………………………………..1
Branch Project Wall of Fame………………..2
President’s Column…………………………….3
Young Women for Equity Awards………….4
MISSION IN MOTION Award………………..4
National AAUW Convention………………….5
One Member, One Vote – Preview…………5
Branch Website Competition………………..6
St. Cloud Branch Presents Two
Community Awards…………………………….6
SPECIAL SECTION:
2011 AAUW STATE CONVENTION
INSERT WITH
REGISTRATION FORM………………… 7-10
Breakout Sessions
Winona Convention 2011…………………….7
Heads up! Coming to 2011
State Convention!……………………………….8
Rachelle H. Schultz, Keynote Speaker
“Building Bridges vs. Building Blocks”….8
MN Convention 2011 Agenda………………9
MN Convention Registration Form………10
AAUW MN Candidates for Office………..11
AAUW Funds Report…………………………12
Other MN Candidates for Office………….12
Moorhead Branch Celebrates……………..12
NCCWSL – National Conference of
College Women Student Leaders………..13
AAUW of MN Board of Directors…………13
MN Pine is Moving Toward Email
Distribution………………………………………14
Fellowship Awarded to
AAUW Student Speaker…………………….14
Cuba Adventure………………………………..15
AAUW of Minnesota Calendar 2011…….16
Continued on next page MN Pine information………………………….16
AAUW: Bridging the Gap for Women and Girls—Minnesota AAUW State
Convention 2011 Rose Cyert, Convention Co-Chair
AAUW Winona cordially invites all Minnesota AAUW Branches to
journey down the river or across the state to our beautiful city for the
Minnesota State AAUW Convention AAUW: Bridging the Gap for
Women and Girls, April 29 – May 1, 2011, Riverport Inn and Suites.
The convention begins on Friday, April 29, 2011 with a Welcoming
Reception and Eleanor Roosevelt fund raiser at the Minnesota Marine
Art Museum on the beautiful banks of the Mississippi River. You’ll have
an opportunity to view all the wonderful marine art that is on display at
the museum, enjoy warm hors d’oeuvres and visit with old friends and
make new friends, as well!
Saturday’s activities will be held at Riverport Inn and Suites. The
MORNING BEGINS with our keynote speaker, Rachelle Schultz,
President/CEO of Winona Health. Rachelle has more than 20 years
experience in healthcare management. At Winona Health, she oversees a
99-bed acute care hospital, a 140-bed nursing home, three assisted living
facilities, related healthcare services and much more. She graduated
from Georgetown University, and completed her Master’s in Healthcare
Administration at the U. of M. She is also involved in the community,
including serving as Board Chair of the MN Marine Art Museum that we
will visit on Friday night! Rachelle will help us become better informed
of the current and future status of health care…a topic all women shouldbe interested in. Several of our afternoon workshops follow up on the
theme of Women’s Health.
The BUSINESS MEETING completes the morning activities.
SATURDAY’S LUNCHEON SPEAKER is LAF Plaintiff Lulu Sun,
an English professor, who has alleged sex and race discrimination in the
promotion process at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. The
title of her presentation is “Awareness, Acknowledgment, and Action:
Gender and Race Discrimination in Higher Education.” Sun filed two
charges of discrimination with the Massachusetts Commission against
Discrimination (MCAD), the first in 2005 and the second in 2006. For
the first charge, MCAD found probable cause of discrimination based
on gender, race, and national origin. In the second charge, MCAD found
probable cause of retaliation and of discrimination based on gender, race,
and national origin. Sun will seek not only a promotion and damages for
the alleged discrimination but also an order from MCAD requiring the
university administration to undertake diversity and anti-discrimination
training and to actively recruit and promote women faculty, especially
women of color.
On January 21, 2011, the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund announced
that it is awarding monetary support to the case Sun v. University of
Massachusetts, Dartmouth. AAUW has provided $3,000 to her case and
expects to disburse more soon.
You’ll be moved by the impact LAF/AAUW funds do to support
women and be moved to donate more financially. You will also have an
opportunity to financially contribute to AAUW funds by bringing items
for the AAUW Funds silent auction and/or making the highest bid on an
item at the late afternoon auction.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS will be available for your
participation. There is a variety of topics: choose from strictly AAUW
information, osteoporosis, social media and/or an introduction to T’ai Chi,
Chi Gong and acupuncture. Or feel free to utilize the pool at Riverport.
LATE AFTERNOON we are honored to have Linda Hallman,
Executive Director of AAUW conduct a town hall meeting for our
members. The town hall meeting will be very informative, but do come
with your questions, too.
SATURDAY’S BANQUET entertainment will be Kenny Salwey, local
author and story teller. Kenny spent a portion of his life living on the
river and sustaining himself with whatever he could trap or hunt. Kenny
will delight you with his tales.
Wake up SUNDAY MORNING and enjoy our wonderful Lake Winona
bike/running/walking path. Attend a church service of your choice.
Schedules will be available. Enjoy a continental breakfast with old and
new friends. Return home refreshed as AAUW members to continue
the mission, “AAUW advances equity for women and girls through
advocacy, education, philanthropy and research”.
BRANCH PROJECT WALLOF FAME
by Carol Sheggeby
Many great ideas for projects and programs are brought to fruition
every year in our Minnesota AAUW Branches. This year we’d
like to encourage sharing of those projects, especially mission-based
ones. Along this line of thinking, you are encouraged to apply for
the Association Breaking Through Barriers Award, which rewards
three mission based branch or state programs each year with a $3,000
prize. A second option is the Mission in Motion award at the state level,
which has mission based programs or projects as one of its criteria.
See the article elsewhere in this Pine, and online at aauwmn.org.
As a third option, this year we plan a “Wall of Fame” at the
Winona Convention. There will be display boards with photos and
descriptions of special projects done by different branches. This
is not a competition, but a place to share and perhaps give other
branches ideas for programs and projects. If you are writing up a project for
the Mission in Motion award, or even if you are not, we invite you
to participate in our Wall of Fame. If you are interested, please contact
Sara Kuether, State Administration officer for details at saraku@
comcast.net, phone 651-644-7929.
Don’t hide your successes,
let’s show them off!
President’s Column by Carol Sheggeby
As I write this in the January of a brutal Minnesota winter, it’s great to have some good things to look forward to – like spring; like a great April MN
convention in Winona; like a national AAUW Convention in Washington, D.C.
I don’t have to tell you about spring, but I would like to talk a little about the conventions, though you’ll read all about them elsewhere in this newsletter.
Long ago, when Barb Link first asked me to serve on her State Board, I was encouraged to attend the conventions to get a better understanding of AAUW. I was hooked for life after attending the state and
national conventions. This year we meet in the lovely river town of Winona
at the end of April. The Winona Branch is very proud of the beautiful new Minnesota Marine Museum, built next to the river. It’s a lovely ambiance, and the Friday event night this year is more than just a welcome, it’s a fund raiser for the Eleanor Roosevelt fund and will serve lovely warm appetizers, which could actually be a light supper for you as you come into town for the convention. Read all about the rest of the convention elsewhere in this Pine.
Later, in June, the Association convention in Washington, D.C., promises to be amazing. It’s our headquarters, as you know, and it is very gratifying
and inspiring to watch our AAUW staff in action, and to join AAUW Public Policy and Government Relations Director Lisa Maatz and company on a trip
to Capitol Hill. I hope you’ll take advantage of these opportunities to learn, to have a good time, to be inspired by great speakers and by your cohorts around the state and nation; your AAUW family.
Borrowed from Branch President Letter
Many interesting articles appear in our branch newsletters. Recently Glenda Schnirring, Hastings Branch President, included the following in The Twig
newsletter. Thanks to Glenda for allowing me to share it with you.
Some Landmark Achievements Accomplished on a National Scale by AAUW
in 2010
• Completed research report on Why So Few Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, (STEM)
• Started 12 college student teams to implement College Action Projects to better equip women for leadership.
• Provided $90,000 to five plaintiffs in legal cases which would set significant
precedents.
• Through the Legal Aid Fund, created a Title IX compliance tool to be used to measure high school athletic programs.
• Action Fund Lobby Corps made 1,800 visits to Capitol Hill advocating Paycheck Fairness, Hate Crime Prevention, & more.
• 200 women in graduate studies received $3 million in fellowships, grants, and awards based on their projects and disciplines.
In equity, Carol Sheggeby, MN State President
YOUNG WOMEN FOR EQUITY AWARDS
Do you know a young woman who is exceptionally involved in
making life more equitable for women and girls? If so, AAUW
MN would like to hear about her and recognize her efforts.
The Young Women for Equity Award nominations are now open.
The criteria for this award are 1) The nominated young woman
must be of high school or college age (up through age 25).
2) She must be involved in a specific action or event that
reflects the AAUW Mission. 3) There must be evidence of
the impact of the action or event. The recipient(s) of
this award will be announced at the State Convention and
she will be invited to our convention banquet along with
her parents or friend as our guests. Each winner will have
the opportunity to speak briefly at the banquet. The award will
consist of a framed certificate.
More information and nomination forms are available from Karen Kirkwood 13210 Downey Trail Apple Valley, MN 55124 or karenskirkwood@cs.com.
Forms must be returned no later than March 15, 2011.
MISSION IN MOTION Award
An AAUW Minnesota Branch Award Program
In a several year process of strategic evaluation, AAUW determined that
the future growth and success of our organization lies in a strong focus
on the organization’s mission: “AAUW advances equity for women
and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.”
This award recognizes branches that work to incorporate the mission
in all areas of branch activity. Branches that satisfactorily complete all
four areas will receive the “Mission Powered” award. Satisfactorily
completing three areas, branches will receive the “Mission Forward”
award, and those branches satisfactorily completing two of the areas
receive the “Mission on the Move” award. The one required area for all
levels of awards is a three year strategic plan. A strategic plan looks to
the future and emphasizes our mission. Long range plans tend to review
and rework the past.
Contact Kathy Vruwink, Award Chair, at kjvruwink@yahoo.com or at
320-382-6129 for help. To submit an application for the award, complete
the following by March 15, 2011
(No more than 150 words per each answer. Please double space.)
1) Attach a three year strategic plan.
2) We spread and promote our mission when we collaborate with
others. Describe a branch project or program in which the branch
collaborated with an educational institution (college/university or
K-12), a library, or a community-based program for children or
youth (preferably one that supports equity). What was the program
or project? What was its purpose? Who and how many attended? No
more than 150 words.
3) Describe three branch programs, projects or events that focused on
the AAUW mission. (You may include the program/project described
in number 2 as one of the three.) No more than 150 words.
4) List at least three steps you took to keep and add new members?
What was your percentage of net gain? (Points deducted for
membership loss of more than 2%.) No more than 150 words.
Send completed application to:
Kathy Vruwink
Award Chair
10341 SE 67th Avenue
Lake Lillian, MN 56253
by March 31 or submit by Word document (preferred) to
kjvruwink@yahoo.com by the same date.
One Member, One Vote – Preview
by Dave Kirkwood, AAUW Director at Large
The June 2011 AAUW National Convention is being held in Washington,
DC and that means it is time to elect candidates for the board of directors
and vote for proposed bylaws amendments, resolutions and the Public
Policy Program. New this year is the concept of “One Member, One
Vote”, which was adopted by the delegates to the 2009 AAUW National
Convention. It provides every member the opportunity to have a personal
voice in the process of directing the future of AAUW and the right to
vote on all aspects of AAUW governance.
AAUW members are offered the opportunity to vote EITHER with a
mailed paper ballot or online. Ballots will be mailed to all members
on April 15. If the voter chooses to return mail the ballot to AAUW for
counting, it must be postmarked no later than May 31st. Alternatively,
the voter can submit an online ballot, which will open May 1st and close
June 17th at 9pm Eastern (the first full day of Convention.)
To assist in the election and voting process, a wealth of information
is being provided both through our national magazine, Outlook, and
the aauw.org website. The Fall Outlook has an article that describes
the One Member, One Vote process. The Winter and Spring Outlook
issues will provide candidate profiles and the details for the proposed
bylaws amendments, resolutions and Public Policy Program. The same
information is also being published online about one month earlier with
the addition that most candidate profiles also include videos.
Minnesota has a long history of strong voter participation and we hope
that you will exercise your right to participate in the AAUW election and
voting.
NATIONAL AAUW CONVENTION
JUNE 16 – 19, 2011
RENAISSANCE HOTEL
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Join us at the 2011 AAUW National convention to celebrate
130 years of AAUW and be part of a community that breaks through
educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.
• Join AAUW members from across the country in advocating for change with a Lobby Day on Capitol Hill
• Be inspired by nationally recognized speakers while you learn new leadership skills and AAUW best practices to take home to your community.
• Play a direct role in our future by participating in AAUW strategic breakout
sessions.
• Celebrate the inaugural Breaking through Barriers Awards ceremony featuring innovative AAUW state and branch programs.
For much more information, please visit www.aauw.org/convention
St. Cloud Branch Presents Two Community Awards
The Branch presented $1,000 to support women students of ALVA.
This program is a leadership development program for 50+ adults. St.
Cloud Technical and Community College, Vital Aging Network, Central
Minnesota Council on Aging and the Whitney Senior Center have
coordinated efforts to foster the goals of discovering lifework, exploring
opportunities and barriers for leadership in later life, and building the
skills someone may need to be a civic leader. Classes meet one day a
month for eight months.
Two St. Cloud members are enrolled in the program.
Pictured are(L to R) Amy Dinkel-Van Valkenberg, S. Cloud AAUW Branch president, presenting the check to Janet Jacobson, Minnesota VAN representative, and Kathleen Gilbride and Marge Henkemeyer, SCTCC faculty. We also have supported Hands Across the World’s Learning Together
Program. The program trains and pays refugee and immigrant women
after they complete 30 hours of training designed for future early child
care/family child care providers. Brianda Cediel, director of HAW
designed the course topics: caring for our baby, organized play/ reading
with children, milestones, early indicators of progress, nutritional
information, first aid and CPR, financial information, and SIDS/shaken
baby syndrome. The $1,000 grant will serve as a monetary incentive
for mothers who want to gain specific training to be an early childhood
caregiver and will serve as an initiation into the work world through
reimbursement for students helping and learning in the childcare setting.
New!
BRANCH WEBSITE COMPETITION
Our State AAUW Board has a genuine desire to empower and encourage each Minnesota branch to invest in the trend of 21st century communication.
You’ve guessed it – branch websites! At the suggestion of several members, we’ve decided to initiate a friendly competition, not unlike the yearly newsletter competition. We are developing a list of judging criteria, and will
be putting together a committee of members to do the judging. So
start planning now. We will release further news about this initiative and the competition as soon as it becomes available. Winners will be announced at convention inWinona.
Please contact
Amy Dinkel-VanValkenburg (St. Cloud Branch President) at amy.dinkel.vanvalkenburg@gmail.com if you currently have a branch
website or are planning one. Questions and ideas are welcomed. Good luck and thank you for getting ‘on board’!
Session 1
Note: Counterpart sessions are not for counterpart
officers only, but for any interested member.
1. COUNTERPARTS I. – YOUR BRANCH AND
YOU : INCLUDES AAUW FUNDS AND MORE.
AAUW Funds V.P.s Julie Olilla and Janet Wettergren
would like to demystify AAUW Funds and have
members understand their gifting options and the
appropriate way to deal with the forms.
Discussion of program ideas will round out the
workshop.
2. COUNTERPARTS II. – Reaching Out :
Membership and NCCWSL Scholarships
Membership V.P. Sue Grove will discuss membership
promotions offered by AAUW that can be very helpful
to your branch. Bring your own ideas for discussion as
well.
Past President Mary Parcheta will bring information
about the NCCWSL (National Conference for College
Women Leaders) taking place in June. She will
describe the scholarship program that our state AAUW
offers to help branches sponsor local young women
to attend the conference. We may even have students
visit us who have attended the conference!
3. OSTEOPOROSIS AND WOMEN’S BONE
HEALTH
Ann Falkenberg Olson, PhD in nursing research,
Nurse Practitioner certified in Women’s Health and
Family Practice, works in the Winona area. She
will speak about her research findings focused on
perimenopausal women and bone health. She has
presented at national and international conferences,
and is happy to be presenting to a group of women
motivated to stay healthy, enjoy life and give back to
our world!
Session 2
1. SOCIAL MEDIA – FACEBOOK, WEBSITES,
AND YOUR BRANCH
A panel of members familiar with these areas will
discuss the ways social media can be useful to your
branch and where to find help concerning this new
area. Did you know that AAUW has a Social Media
Task Force to help us? We will have information from
them and discussion with questions welcome.
2. STRATEGIC PLANNING
Help your branch develop a Strategic Plan with easy
step-by-step helps available in this practical workshop.
By the conclusion of the workshop, attendees will
have a draft plan in their hands. Branches that
have a strategic plan in place are stronger branches.
Former State President Pat Sween, Red Wing, has
a background in strategic planning and in AAUW
leadership.
3. INTRODUCTION TO T’AI CHI CHUAN, CHI
GONG, AND ACUPUNCTURE
T’ai Chi Ch’uan is meditation in motion. Based on the
law of nature, it is the perfect exercise. Chi Gong is
the art of utilizing breath, posture and simple exercise
to accumulate energy (Chi) and enhance the healing
of the mind and body. Bahieh Habibi-Wilkinson has
a Master’s degree in Counseling from Winona state
University where she teaches as an adjunct faculty
member. She has been playing and teaching T’ai Chi
for 30 years.
Acupuncture expert, Jade Fang will introduce the
group to her specialty as well.
Breakout Sessions Winona Convention 2011
2011 AAUW State Convention Special Section
with Registration Form
Winter 2011 | 8
Rachelle H. Schultz, Keynote Speaker
“Building Bridges vs. Building Blocks”
Rachelle H. Schultz, President/CEO of Winona Health, has more than
20 years of experience in healthcare management. At Winona Health,
she oversees a 99 bed acute care hospital, a 140 bed nursing home,
three assisted living facilities, physician clinics, home care and hospice
programs, retail pharmacies, a foundation and related healthcare
services.
From 1990 – 2002, Schultz worked with Banner Health System, a multistate
nonprofit healthcare system. During her tenure there, she directed
rehabilitation services for a children’s center, served as administrator
for a skilled nursing facility, directed regional home care/hospice
services and was appointed CEO/Community Administrator of Lookout
Memorial Hospital and related healthcare services in Spearfish, SD.
In her years as an administrator, Schultz has a proven record of
accomplishments. They include organizational restructuring that
resulted in greater efficiencies to successful completion of building
projects, development and implementation of strategic plans, physician
recruitment, and new product line development. Service excellence,
continuous performance improvement and team development are key
components of her successful working style.
Schultz graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. degree
in Economics and then completed her Master’s in healthcare
Administration at the University of Minnesota. She is a member of the
American College of Healthcare Executives and was invited to be a
member of the Minnesota’s State Quality Improvement Institute in 2008.
Schultz serves on the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI)
board and is a board director for the Minnesota Hospital Association.
She is also involved in the community as Board Chair for Winona
National Bank and Board Chair of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum
located in Winona, Minnesota.
Heads up!
Coming to 2011
State Convention!
As was previously announced, the
popular silent auction will be held
at the 2011 convention in Winona.
By vote of the Minnesota board of
directors, proceeds will be divided
equally among all five PEARL
categories of AAUW Funds.
Look for information, both by U.S.
Mail and e-mail, in the near future.
2011 AAUW
State Convention
Special Section with
Registration Form
Winter 2011 | 9
Bridging the Gap for Women
and Girls: Winona State AAUW
Convention 2011 Agenda:
Friday, April 29
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. State Board Meeting at Riverport Inn & Suites
6:30 – 9:00 p.m Welcoming Reception and E.R. fundraiser with hot
appetizers at Minnesota Marine Art Museum
Saturday, April 30
7:00 – 9:30 a.m. Registration in the Riverport Inn Lobby
6:30 – 8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
7:15 – 8:00 a.m. Branch Presidents Counterpart Meeting & Breakfast
8:15 – 8:30 a.m. Opening Ceremony
Girl Scouts Flag Presentation
Welcome by Carol Sheggeby,
MN AAUW President,
Joan Greshik, Winona AAUW President
and Debbie White, Winona City Council
8:30 – 9:15 a.m. Keynote Speaker Rachelle Schultz,
CEO of Winona Health
“Building Bridges vs. Building Blocks”
9:15 – 11:15 a.m. Business Meeting and Awards
11:15 – 11:45 a.m. Break and Silent Auction Setup
11:45 – 1:15 p.m. Buffet Lunch –
Speaker LAF Plaintiff Lulu Sun, Awards
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. Workshop Session I, 3 workshops – see list
2:30 – 3:15 p.m. Workshop Session II, 3 workshops – see list
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. Break
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Town Hall Forum with
AAUW Executive Director Linda Hallman
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Silent Auction and Social Hour
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Banquet and Awards
8:00 p.m. Entertainment – Kenny Salwey –
Local Author and Storyteller
Sunday, May 1
8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
Personal Time for Meditation, Church, Walking
9:00 a.m. Continue Business Meeting if Required
2011 AAUW
State Convention
Special Section with
Registration Form
A woman is the full circle.
Within her is the power to
create, nurture and transform.
Diane Mariechild
AAUW Executive Director Linda Hallman
will host a “Town Hall Forum”
Winter 2011 | 11
TERESA K.
SAGEN
Teresa is a
member of the
Ely Branch
and has served
as Branch
President
since 2008. She has also held the
positions of Vice President of
Program and Public Policy. At the
State level, Teresa was elected to
the Nominating Committee, has
served on the “Mission in Motion”
Awards Committee and has been a
delegate to State Conventions for
many years. In 2009, she attended
the AAUW National Convention in
St. Louis, MO as a Branch delegate.
Teresa attended the University
of Alabama, where she received
a B.S. and M.A. in English and
Library Science and an Ed.D. in
Special Education and Research.
Her professional experience
includes over 30 years in education
as a high school and community
college instructor, assistant
professor at the University of Iowa,
and educational consultant for the
State of Iowa.
Teresa is active in the Ely
Community, serving on the boards
of community organizations, such
as Friends of the Ely Public Library
and WICOLA (White Iron Chain of
Lakes Association). She frequently
volunteers for the Ely-Winton
Historical Society, reviews grants for
the Ely Area Community Foundation
and until most recently, served as
treasurer of the 6th Senate District.
CAROLINE
OWENS
In 2004,
Caroline
Owens joined
the Ely Branch
of AAUW,
serving as
secretary for four years and as
newsletter editor for the past five
years. Three years ago, when
she was an interim accounting
instructor at Vermilion Community
College, she established a
connection between the Ely
Branch and VCC. VCC is an
AAUW College/University Partner
member, and currently 120
students are e-affiliate members.
She has been a delegate to two
state conventions and was a
delegate to the 2009 national
convention.
Caroline earned a BA from
Grinnell College and a MBA from
George Mason U. She is a CPA,
she worked as an auditor for public
accounting firms, and as controller
and VP of finance in the real estate
and software development sectors.
Girl Scouting has always been
a part of her life. She served as
Chairman of the Audit Committee
and a member of the Governance
Committee of the Girl Scout
Council of the Nations Capital.
In Minnesota, she has become
active in the Ely community, and
also in the broader iron range
community. She currently is a
member of the church council.
She has been chairman of the
Finance Committee and a member
of the Board of Directors of North
St. Louis Habitat for Humanity
for seven years, and is currently
serving her second one-year term
as President.
Treasurer
DIANE
HELLIE is
currently
President of
the Rochester
branch of
AAUW.
She has
also served
as public policy vice president,
secretary, program chair, newsletter
editor, and science fair chair. On
the state level, she has served as
membership chair, nominations
chair, and on the minutes
condensing committee.
Diane has worked at IBM for
32 years as a software engineer
reviewing computer design for
the IBM i computer and writing
computer documentation. She
enjoys using social media such as
Facebook to connect with other
people and share information.
Diane is interested in public policy
issues affecting women and girls.
She is newsletter editor for the
League of Women Voters and
active in United Methodist women.
She enjoys quilting, reading,
international films, swimming and
traveling.
AAUW Minnesota Candidates for Office:
Co-President Elect
Winter 2011 | 12
AAUW FUNDS
REPORT
by Julie Ollila and
Janet Wettergren
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Once again, we have wonderful
news to report to all Minnesota
AAUW members. Because of your
strong support of AAUW Funds
in 2010, we exceeded 2009 giving
by several thousand dollars. The
$53,000 total figure is preliminary
at this time, until Minnesota
records are reconciled with those at
the national office. The final figure
will likely be higher, because of
gifts sent by members in response
to AAUW’s direct solicitations.
These are individual gifts that
don’t cross our desk, so we get
the information about them some
time after they’re made. A full
report will be published in the state
convention booklet.
A second piece of good news
is that we have completed the
Mona McMahon Research and
Projects Grant. We appreciate
all of the branch support through
the 10 years it took to raise the
$35,000+ to fulfill the stipendproducing
requirements. This
Grant was created by the Winona
Branch in 1999, following Mona’s
death. Initial gifts were made
by the Winona Branch and Mona
McMahon’s family. Appropriate
to the AAUW mission, educational
equity for women and girls was her
special interest, and she enjoyed a
long career as a college educator in
Minnesota.
THANKS!!
Irene Hogan, Margaret Callsen, Helen Rudie, Yvonne Condell, Gwen Pitsenbarger
The Moorhead Branch celebrated the 80th Anniversary of the group
in September. Current, past and prospective members were invited.
In recent years, the Branch has joined with the Fargo, ND Branch for
programming and conducting the annual book sale. Proceeds of the
sale are used to fund scholarships and other activities that support
women and girls on a local and national level. Locally, the two
branches sponsor scholarships at MN State University at Moorhead
and ND State University. They also sponsor other events such as an art
show featuring local women artists.
Other MN Candidates for Office:
V.P PROGRAM 2011-13—
Leslie Agard, current VP Program
V.P. PUBLIC POLICY 2011-13—
Char Kahler, current VP Public Policy
V.P. AAUW FUNDS 2011-13—
Position still open!
NOMINATING COMMITTEE—
Susan Moody, Hibbing and Karen Kirkwood, St. Paul.
OTHER NOMINATING COMMITTEE POSITIONS OPEN.
WANTED, WANTED
We have an opening for a AAUW Funds person and/or persons. This
position is a one year term with the option of running for an additional
2 years. Not only would you have the opportunity to fill this important
position but serving on the State Board with some wonderful women
where many decisions are made for Minnesota AAUW. Julie Ollila and
Janet Wettergren currently have this position and would be happy to
answer any questions you might have regarding what all is involved.
We urge you to give this serious consideration.
Moorhead Branch Celebrates
Winter 2011 | 13
NCCWSL – National Conference of
College Women Student Leaders
By Mary Parcheta St. Croix Valley Branch
Calling all Minnesota AAUW members….. All of you must know a
young woman who is an outstanding individual with personality plus,
drive and leadership skills. We know they are out there and we would
like to invite them to apply for a scholarship to attend this wonderful
leadership conference to be held June 2-5, 2011 at University of
Maryland College Park. In 2008 we sponsored the first student from
Minnesota. Her experience was incredible with the comment, “this was
as valuable as a 3 credit college course.” She came away with lasting
friendships and many networking opportunities. Last year we had four
students attend and their comments were the same. I hope you read the
write up by one of them, Brandi Schembri, in the PINE last summer. I am
personally going to ask two of my High School team captains from two
years ago to apply this year. They were outstanding leaders of my team.
AND best of all, the State Board has voted to allocate a $500
reimbursement/scholarship to each attendee from Minnesota. It is
estimated the total cost to sponsor a student would be approximately
$750 which would include registration, lodging, meals and a stipend
for travel expenses. Some members of my branch chose to underwrite
the additional cost (over the amount reimbursed by state) which is a tax
deductible expense. The goal for this year is to send ten students from
Minnesota. A second goal of this program would be to have students
bring back to campuses what they learned about AAUW and the work
AAUW has done to pave the way for their future.
Send names of selected students to
Carol Sheggeby or Mary Parcheta by April 1.
The early bird registration is April 17, 2011.
If you have questions or a suggested application form to give to
applicants, please contact Mary at mparch01@aol.com.
2010 – 2011: AAUW OF MN
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Elected Officers:
PRESIDENT
Carol Sheggeby – St. Paul
651-454-7448
csheggeby@msn.com
VICE PRESIDENT PROGRAM
Leslie Agard – St. Croix Valley
651-439-9239
leslieaal@msn.com
VICE PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP
Sue Grove – Austin
507-433-5464
sgrove@riverland.edu
VICE PRESIDENT PUBLIC POLICY
Char Kahler – Fairmont
507-235-9837
chark@kaco.net
CO-VICE PRESIDENT AAUW FUNDS
Julie Ollila – Minnapolis
612-823-4630
olefin@worldnet.att.net
CO-VICE PRESIDENT AAUW FUNDS
Janet Wettergren – Minneapolis & St. Croix Valley
651-439-8676
djwetter@aol.com
SECRETARY – HISTORIAN
Alice Laudon – Rochester
507-289-3592
ali_lau@msn.com
TREASURER
Mary Brugger – St. Cloud Area
320-656-5669
mgbrugger@charter.net
COLLEGE-UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVE
Joanna Pucel
jkpucel@stcloudstate.edu
Appointed Officers:
FINANCE CHAIR
Nancy Sommer – Metro West
952-934-3501
nansommer@yahoo.com
MN PINE EDITOR
LouAnn Hoppe – NE Metro
651-426-2266
lhoppe_2@msn.com
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Sue Kuether – St. Paul
651-644-7929
saaku@comcast.net
Off-Board Positions:
DIRECTORY / DATABASE & WEBMASTER
Pat Welke – Red Wing
651-388-2100
pwelke@charter.net
BY-LAWS
Barb Link – Minneapolis
952-934-1836
blink@mchsi.com
Winter 2011 | 14
Fellowship Awarded to AAUW
Student Speaker
OWATONNA, Minn. (May 10, 2010) –When she addressed the
Minnesota state convention of the AAUW, held in Owatonna last spring,
twenty-four-year-old Erica Schultz told of the burden and joy her love of
science has been in her life. The audience was visibly moved. As a girl,
Schultz said she felt ostracized by her peers for her interest. As far back
as the second grade she remembers a girl exclaiming, “Erica’s a boy”
when she was drawing an alien and space ship in art class.
But Schultz stayed to true to herself, and her perseverance has paid off.
Schultz, who graduated from Owatonna High School in 2004 and later
from Macalester College, in St. Paul, was recently awarded a National
Science Foundation Fellowship.
In application essays for the fellowship, she cited the AAUW talk as
one of the ways she’s influenced others to encourage girls and women in
science, whether or not they are in the sciences. She believes the talk is a
reason she was chosen for the award. “They [the foundation judges] look
for ways you’ve impacted the community at large,” she says.
“People don’t realize that girls are discouraged from going into science
and math because they are considered ‘boy’ interests.” Encouragement
doesn’t have to be big. “The little things people have said to support me
along the way have made a huge difference.” Receiving the fellowship is
big encouragement – and that’s important, too. It will fund the remaining
three years of her Ph.D. program in synthetic organic chemistry at
the University of California-Berkley, ground-breaking research and
international travel to present her research.
Her research, while still underway, has the potential to shed new light
in the fight against cancer. Schultz hopes to provide support to others,
saying she would like to be a professor so she can encourage people to
study science – especially young women. Women who could just make a
significant difference in conquering life-threatening diseases, or perhaps
be the first humans on Mars.
Woman must not accept; she
must challenge. She must not
be awed by that which has
been built up around her; she
must reverence that woman
in her which struggles for
expression.
Margaret Sanger
MN PINE IS MOVING
TOWARD EMAIL
DISTRIBUTION
We are exploring use of listserv
services to distribute the MN Pine
to those who have email and would
like to receive a color copy of the
newsletter. It will be quicker, more
convenient and more attractive.
Postal mailed copies will be sent
to those who do not share an email
address.
In order to assure that we have
the most current and preferred
email addresses, we ask that all
membership chairs and branch
members update their email
address by contacting Association.
This can be done online at:
AAUW.org/MemberCenter/forms/
recordchangeform
Or mailed to:
AAUW 111 Sixteenth St. NW,
Washington DC 20036
Do Not send it to the MN Pine
editor.
Winter 2011 | 15
Cuba Adventure
by Sandy Wollschlager, Red Wing Area Branch
In November I joined a delegation to Cuba sponsored by AAUW. We
met with female leaders in education, the arts, politics, law, etc. Fifty
women from 20 states brought a broad perspective of life experiences
to the many meetings we had with Cuban women. It was a professional
research trip to gather information on gender equity and the role of
women in Cuba.
Why Cuba? Last year The White House Project put out a report entitled
“Benchmarking Women’s Leadership.” The report shows that on a
global scale, the U.S. ranks 71st out of 189 countries in terms of the
proportion of women in their national legislatures. And yes, Cuba is
ahead of the U.S. Research has demonstrated that achieving critical
mass of women being in at least one-third of leadership positions is
essential to moving beyond basic gender discrimination issues. Cuba has
already achieved this milestone. By contrast, in the U.S., the percent of
leadership positions held by women is 18 percent—with a high of 23%
in academia and a low of 11% in the military.
Right before we left, the United Nations passed the 19th Resolution
(non-binding) calling for an end of the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba with
a vote of 187-2 (Israel was the only country to vote with the U.S.). I
suspect it will be increasing pressure by big business that will lift it.
For me, I wanted to see Cuba’s quaintness, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The streets of Havana are like a living car museum. Outside our
hotel, there were a couple of rows of phone booths in use. There
are no commercial billboards anywhere. Every restaurant had live
music during meals. The once beautiful mansions owned by former
sugar barons are now a little south of shabby chic. These mansions
were ‘redistributed’ and are now split into multiple apartments. Many
are falling down around the people’s ears, yet people are out on the
balconies like there’s nothing to worry about.
Cuba is a poor country. The U.S. State Department website listed the
average monthly salary is $18, or yearly earnings of $216. A Cuban
guide confirmed this, but added that all levels of education, health care,
rent and a basic food basket are provided free. Although there is some
satellite communication, the vast majority of Cubans aren’t connected to
any online social networks. Real life social networks seem alive and well
in Cuba, however. Everywhere we went, we saw people enjoying the
company of other people—conversing together, making music together,
and repairing a car together. The Cubans have been trying to make a
point that there’s a difference between being rich and having a rich life.
In conclusion, the Cuban women we met all emphasized the same core
values, and very little had to do with the political system. Women are
strong contributors to society.
People are like stained-glass
windows.
They sparkle and shine when
the sun is out, but when the
darkness sets in, their true
beauty is revealed only if
there is a light from within.
Elizabeth Kübler-Ross
INFORMATION
Address and email changes for copies of the Minnesota Pine should be sent to AAUW offices in Washington. Mailing information is then sent from Association to the Pine mailings.
Do not send address changes to the Minnesota Pine editor.
This can be done online at:
AAUW.org/MemberCenter/forms/recordchangeform
or mailed to:
AAUW, 1111 Sixteenth ST. NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Articles for the Minnesota Pine can be sent via e-mail
(preferred method) to lhoppe_2@msn.com
Mailing address is :
LouAnn Hoppe
3754 White Bear Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN 55110.
Send any materials for the state website to Pat Welke at
pwelke@charter.net
minnesota
Minnesota Pine
4319 Robinson Street
Duluth, MN 55804
Promoting education and equity for all women and girls
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 721
Duluth, MN
AAUW OF MINNESOTA
CALENDAR 2011
February 2011
1 President’s Mailing to Branches
1 Early Registration for NCCWSL
Conference Opens
15 Deadline for Resolutions for
State Convention
15 Convention Mailing to Branch Presidents, State Past Presidents, C/U Reps, Committee Chairs & State Board
15 Credentials Chair Notifies Branches of Number of Eligible Delegates
March 2011
1-31 Board to Branch Calls
8 International Women’s Day
15 15-Month Dues Accepted for New Members
15 Deadline to Register for State Convention (Late Fee after this date)
15 Deadlines for Mission in Motion Award, Young Women for Equity Award Applications
15 Deadline for Convention Booklet Assignments, Best of Branches Articles
29 Deadline for Hotel Reservations for State Convention
April 2011
12 Equal Pay Day
15 NCCWSL Scholarship Applications & Early Registration Deadlines
29 State Board Meeting in Winona
29-May 1 State Convention in Winona
May 2011
15 Pine Deadline
18 NCCWSL Registration Deadline
June 2011
2-4 NCCWSL Conference in Maryland
17-19 AAUW National Convention,
Washington, D.C.