September 2011 Newsletter

Southern Highlights

Volume 10 Number 1 September 2011

 

Shaping the World One Woman at a Time


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexander and Liz Richardson, Co-Presidents

Co-President’s Column

Welcome back to AAUW, and if you are new we especially welcome you! Our lives seem to become busier all the time, so we appreciate you taking time to share with us in this great organization.

 

Thank you for helping me attend the national convention in June in Washington D.C. The nearly 800 high energy delegates gathered for four days, listening to inspiring speakers, brainstorming in workshops, participating in special interest groups, and lobbying our senators. What a thrill to get a note after the convention from Amy Klobuchar’s assistant saying Amy has agreed to co-sponsor the Campus SaVE Act. Protection for our young women on college campuses is a continuing concern, and this program will help strengthen that safety.

 

The 2013 national convention will be held in New Orleans June 9 – 13. Wouldn’t you love to be the one our branch sends? To be that lucky person all you have to do is volunteer to be our next AAUW chair!

 

Kari Bain and Nel Zellar, program co-chairs, have been working hard on putting together programs for the coming year beginning with a potluck dinner at Christ Episcopal Church on September 13. Read more about this in a separate article. This is a time to reconnect with members who you may not have seen during the summer, and to bring a guest.

 

Some of our small groups have continued to meet during the summer which shows strong interest in these activities. You are invited to join any of these groups.

 

Our house tour is coming up quickly since September 25 has been set as the date, not our usual first Sunday of October. Co-chairs Gerry Rustad and DedaRae Graber will update us on this scholarship fundraiser.

 

We’ll see you at our September gathering!

 

 

Liz Richardson

Co-President

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Southern Highlights – May Newsletter

Southern Highlights

Volume 9 Number 8 May 2011

Shaping the World One Woman at a Time


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marijo Alexander and Liz Richardson, Co-Presidents

Co-President’s Column

 

We hope to see all of you at our end-of-the year banquet celebration on May 10. Our program committee has arranged an enjoyable evening at the Hormel Historic Home. If somehow the callers miss you, please call either Sandy at 433-9150 or Marcia at 433-7823.

 

The program will include installation of new officers for the 2011-2012 year and recognition of outgoing officers. We’re grateful to all who have served on our board this year.

 

As you read this the state convention in Winona will be a thing of the past, but as I write it six of us are planning to attend: Sue Grove, Marijo Alexander, Ellen Stark, Carolyn Bogott, Gerry Rustad, and myself. “Bridging the Gap for Women and Girls” is the theme of the convention. Highlights of the week-end include Lulu Sun, an LAF Plaintiff speaking at the Saturday noon luncheon and Linda Hallman, Executive Director of AAUW, conducting a town hall meeting for members.

 

I am looking forward to attending the national convention in Washington, D.C. in June. Thank you for sending me as your co-president. Marijo is not able to go as her son is getting married on June 18.

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April 2011 Newsletter

Southern Highlights

 

 

Volume 9 Number 7 April 2011


Shaping the World One Woman at a Time


Dani Heiny, Dorothy Krob, DedaRae Graber, Peggy Benzkofer, & Carolyn Bogott at the Women’s History Month Event at AHS


 

 

 

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION


Our Women’s History Month collaboration with Austin High School was a great success again this year! Honors American History teacher, Andrea Malo, did a wonderful job motivating her students to complete projects on the topics that we chose for this year:

  • Profile and describe the struggle for the vote for women through the eyes of one of the leaders of the women’s suffragist movement.

 

  • Trace your family history. Research and describe your family’s arrival in this country emphasizing women’s roles.

 

  • Write a short historically accurate play explaining the fight for women’s suffrage. The play should be 5 to 10 minutes in length and could be about any aspect of the women’s suffrage movement.

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March 2011 Newletter

Southern Highlights

Volume 9 Number 6 March 2011

Shaping the World One Woman at a Time


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marijo Alexander and Liz Richardson, Co-Presidents

Co-President’s Column

We were treated to another excellent program on February 8 when Sue Howard presented the film “Lives for Sale.” The human trafficking problems shown in the film made us resentful and angry of how women and girls are treated, and but also thankful to not be in those circumstances. Much needs to be done to eliminate this problem.

Another problem surfacing in Minnesota is a proposal to repeal the fair pay laws for women. The majority party introduced legislation that would repeal the 1984 Local Government Pay Equity Act. Our retired members may not be directly affected by this law, but our daughters and granddaughters certainly will. You’ll remember the recent national debate about the Lily Ledbetter case which was showcased at the last AAUW national convention. Lily was a supervisor at a Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Alabama and didn’t discover until nearing retirement that her male colleagues earned much more than she did. In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the case, ruling that she should have filed her suit within 180 days of the date that Goodyear first paid her less than her male counterparts. Four in ten Minnesota mothers are now the primary breadwinner in their family and women’s wages constitute 40 – 50% of married family income on average. Minnesota was the first state to pass pay equity laws – let’s certainly not fall back on this.

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February 2011 Newsletter

Southern Highlights

Volume 9 Number 5 February 2011

Shaping the World One Woman at a Time


 

Marijo Alexander and Liz Richardson, Co-Presidents

Co-President’s Column

It is not too early to begin thinking about our Minnesota state convention. It will be held in Winona this year on April 29, 30 and May 1. We hope several of our members will be able to attend at least one day. Besides inspirational speakers and information about the branches an added highlight this year will be the Minnesota Marine Art Museum on the beautiful Mississippi River. The fall edition of The Pine has more information on the convention.

If you were unable to attend the January meeting you missed a very entertaining and interesting speaker. Author Alison McGhee, a Minnesota author who currently teaches at Metropolitan University in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and has written novels and short stories of all sorts for all ages, was with us. She read from “Shadow Baby” which won a Pulitzer Prize. She writes for picture books of all ages, and read from several more of her books. Our thanks to Nel Zeller for inviting Alison to speak to our group.

If you would like to have a part in choosing officers for next year, you will want to join the nominating committee. Let Marijo or I know. Our officers play a large part in determining the direction of AAUW and the nominating committee determines the officers.

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