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Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, May 2008

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2008

Charter House - Northview Room - 3rd Floor

6:00 pm - social time and used book sale

6:30 pm - Dinner, Meeting and Program

~ Springtime in France - Food and Fashions~

 

Please join us for our last General Meeting of 2007-2008. We will honor our Past Presidents and Honorary Life Members (those who have been members for 50 years or more), enjoy a buffet dinner together, buy used bookjs to support the Legal Advocacy Fund, and catch up on the latest fashions from Coldwater Creek.

We have a delicious dinenr planned for you. The "Taste of France" buffet will begin with Fresh Fruit with Creme Fraiche, French Tonmato Salad and Asparagus Salad. The main course includes coq au Vin (Wine Braised Chicken), Casosulet (Sausage and Pork with Beans), Poisson Veronique (Sole with White Grapes), French Country Potatoes, Vegetable Ragout and French bread. Enjoy French Silk Pie and French Apple Pie for dessert. The all-inclusive dinner is available for $16.00. In addition, a wine cash bar will be available at $2.00 a glass.

Following the dinner and meeting, we will enjoy a style show featuring fashions from Coldwater Creek modeled by some of our very own members.

We are looking forward to seeing all of you! Dinner reservations need to be made by Friday, May 16. You are obligated to pay for your meal if your reservation isn't cancelled by the 16th as we need to give Charter House a firm count by that date. Make your reservation by contacting Connie Schuelka . You may bring cash or chek payable to AAUW for the amount of $16.00 to the meeting on May 21st.

In addition to the delicious dinner and fun program, we will have our annual $1 used book sale benefiting the Legal Advocacy Fund. So, further questions or need more information, please contact Mona Price.

Please join us for a fun evening.

Connie Schuelka and Barabar Cain, Program Vice-Presidents

(Sneak Preview March 2008 Newsletter)

FROM THE PRESIDENT – Alice Laudon

            As I am  writing this we are in February cold spell, but I am optimistic that when you read this there will be some early signs of spring about.
            On January 28, Marilyn Morem and I attended a presentation sponsored by the Red Wing Area Branch on Behind the Pay Gap, an AAUW research report that was released last May and has attracted a lot of attention from the public, media, and congress.  The presenter was Lisa Maatz, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations, at AAUW in Washington, D.C.  Lisa presented a clear picture of this study and its importance, not only to women, but families as well.  We often hear the “women earn 77 cents for every dollar that men earn,” and this is true, but that statistic comes from lumping all women and all white males, without regard to jobs, education, etc.  Some of this disparity can be explained by job segregation, i.e., “pink collar” jobs, work patterns (women may work less hours because of children, etc.), and discrimination.   Behind the Pay Gap is a study that actually compares “apples to apples.”  The study was controlled for factors known to affect earnings, hours worked, education, experience, etc.  This study compared women and men who had attended similar colleges (with women earning slightly better grades than men), working in the same fields, and working the same hours.  They studied people who had graduated in 2003 and were working for one year, and people working ten years after graduation in 1992-1993.  They found that women made 5% less than men one year after graduation and 12% less ten years after graduation.  The conclusion of the study is that this suggests sex discrimination continues to be a problem in the workplace.  If you would like to learn the details of this research I have a branch copy I will be glad to lend anyone, and the research is also on the AAUW web site.  As members of an organization whose mission is equity for women and girls, we need to make our voices heard on these issues.  There are three legislative initiatives in congress now that address this, the Paycheck Fairness Act, Fair Pay Act, and Ledbetter Bill.  I encourage everyone to educate themselves regarding these initiatives and communicate with our legislators.  Information on these can be found on the AAUW website, or you can use whatever resources you use to follow legislative activities   This is for our children and grandchildren!
            I hope everyone is planning on attending the March EF Luncheon on March 15.    Bring along a guest as well.  This event celebrates our educational efforts for the past year and having more people there to hear what we are doing as a group would be great.
            Our Nominating Committee has done its job and we have a slate for next year.  I want to thank everyone who stepped up and accepted the challenge and ask everyone one in our Branch to support them in the coming year.    

Alice Laudon
289-3592, ali_lau@msn.com

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, February October 2008

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, February 16, 2008

Charter House - Northview Room - 3rd Floor

9:30 am Coffee and 10:00 am Meeting & Program

~ Breast Cancer: What are some of the latest research results ~

Dr. Margo Cleary

How is breast cancer development related to caloric intake and changes in body weight? This is one of the key areas of research being studied by our speaker this month, Dr. Margo Cleary. Dr. Cleary is a Professor at the Hormel Institute, Univesity of Minnesota, in Austin as well as a Research Collaborator in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine with the Mayo Foundation in Rochester.

The major focus of her research section (Nutrition and Metabolism) is the interaction of breast cancer, caloric intake and changes in body weight. In addition, funding has also been obtained to study the role of body weight in the development of prostate cancer. Researchers in the Cleary lab are studying the hypothesis that leptin, which is synthesized in fat tissue in proportion to its amount, is a growth factor for breast tumor development.

We hope you can join us for this topic of importance to all women.

-Connie Schuelka and Barb Cain, Program Vice-Presidents.

Rochester Reads Author Visit Feb 11, 2008

AAUW member Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea," will be speaking on educating girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan at 7:00pm Monday February 11 at the John Marshall Auditorium. Greg spoke at the AAUW national convention and has been featured in AAUW OIutlook magazine. See www.rochesterreads.org for a list of all Rochester Reads events.

EF Luncheon Saturday March 15, 2008

Save the date for the 2008 EF luncheon which will be held at Willow Creek Golf Course again this year!

Membership

Febrary brings celebrations of our Presdients, Valentines Day and even Groundhog Day. In February, celebrate your AAUW Membership by inviting a friend or coworker or a newcomer to Rochester to an AAUW Geeral Meeting or your study group.

College is Possible!

The third annual College is Possible! We Will Help, scheduled for February 9, 2008 at UMR announces the speakers and presenters for the workshops. Kim Sin, survivor of the Khmer Rouge War and instructor at UMR will deliver the keynote address. Patrice Howard, Page Education Foundation, will discuss the importance of high school choices in preparation for college. Barbara Porter, Mayo High School, will faciliatate the workshop on college applications and Kathy Richardson from Upward Bound RCTC will, by interactive participation, instruct the students in completing forms and coping with (FAFSA) the financial aid statements. This one-half day free conference is open to all students grades 8-12 in Olmsted County and is produced in collaboration with the University of Minnesota (RCTC), the Youth Commission of Olmsted County and the American Association of University Women.

From the President - Alice Laudon

 

 

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, September 2007

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, September 19, 2007

Charter House - Northview Room - 3rd Floor

7:00 pm Meeting and Program

~ Come meet the new Superintendent of the Rochester School District~

All are invited to come meet and hear Dr. Ronmain Dallemand, superintendent of the Rochester School District. Dr. Dallemand joined Rochester Public Schools as superintendent in July 2007. He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Argosy University in Sarasota, Florida; a master's degree in Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disorders from the University of Miami in Miami, Florida; a master's degree in Mental Helath Counseling from the Carlos Albizu University in Miami, Florida; and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas.

Dr. Dallemand has served as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent. He strongly believes in supporting all learners under his charge and is committed to bolstering their academic growth and social development through a strong curriculum that focuses on improving academic achievement.

Over the years, Dr. Dallemand has devoted time and effort to understanding and meeting the diverse needs of all learners. His career has been devoted to ensuring the challenges presented to all learners are met, conquered, and rewarded with a diploma. His goal is to work with District staff, parents, and the community to prepare all learners fot the demands of a global economy.

Please join us to hear Dr. Dallemand give an overview of our school sysgtem and his goals for its future.

-Connie Schuelka and Barb Cain, Program Vice-Presidents

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

AAUW believes that quality pubic education is the foundation of a democratic society. We advocate equity, academic freedom, protection from censorship, bias-free education, and responsible funding for all levels of education. We advocate increased access to higher education, especially for women in poverty.

-From AAUW Public Policy Principles for Action

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The deadline for the 2007 yearbook is October 31. If you have any additions or cocrrections please send them to Kathy Lawrence. If you don't receive a Yearbook in November by mail, let Julie Caesar or Kathy Larence know and one will be sent to you.

-Yearbook

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The Silent Auction to benefit the Legal Advocay Fund will be held at the November general meeting. Pease start rounding up items you wish to donate. Questions? Call Mona Price

-LAF

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President’s Column
October 2007
RESTRUCTURING OF THE ASSOCIATION
            At the National Convention this year the Association adopted changes in the structure of our organization.  These changes are scheduled to take place in 2009.  The next two years will be spent taking care of the details of the change and working to see that all goes smoothly.  There are still many questions that need to be answered with respect to how this all will affect local branches.  
The recently adopted change essentially is to restructure the Association, Educational Foundation, the Legal Advocacy Fund, and the Leadership and Training Institute into a 501(c)(3) organization, leaving only a small 501(c)(4) entity for certain advocacy activities such as voter education or related political activities.  The keynote speaker at the Convention on Saturday was Sherry Schiller, President of Schiller Center which helps business, government officials, educators, and nonprofit leaders understand, anticipate and create change.   She emphasized the need for AAUW to change.  She found that AAUW has failed to articulate its vision and that it has been flexible about things that we need to be firm about and rigid on things we need to be flexible about, that we had three scenarios facing us:  Certain death if we do not adopt the proposals, Lingering death if we adopt the proposals but do not change our behavior, and “Phoenix Rising,” adopting the proposals and focusing the vision and work of AAUW, which, of course, is the preferred outcome.
In order to focus our vision AAUW needs to create a clear, compelling, and consistent story that is relevant and taps into societal need, makes sure our story plays to our strengths, i.e., what we are passionate about, what we are best at, and what drives our resource engine.  We will need to focus on that story at all times.  Schiller believes our organization needs to focus.  We need to walk our talk, everything we do should be consistent with message.  We need to throw out the rule books—desperate times call for desperate actions, and solutions are sometimes counterintuitive.  We should not get bogged down by details.  State and local Branches need to work with the national office.  Societal changes cannot be addressed merely at local level.  Most importantly, we need to shift our culture by modeling values of equity and respect for everyone.  We need a constructive, nondefensive culture, and all parties need to feel appreciated with a need for cooperation and trust. 
How this all will be done we will hopefully learn about in the coming year or so. 

Jo Johnson has called and Mayo’s Women’s Cancers 2007 is asking for volunteers from our organization again.  The program this year will be on Saturday, November 3, 2007, so if you are available that day, please consider volunteering.  A sign-up sheet will be passed around at our September general meeting.  If you aren’t at the meeting and would like to volunteer contact Jo Johnson.
We will be participating in Herberger’s Community Day event again this year.  Coupon booklets and a sign-up sheet for volunteering to sell in-store will be passed at our September meeting.  This event supports our own community projects, so please be generous with your time and money.  Remember, these coupon booklets can be sold to the community at large, so think about getting booklets to sell to others outside our organization or think about getting extra booklets to give as gifts or tokens of appreciation.  The Community Day will be on Saturday, November 10, 2007.
We will also participate in Apache Mall’s Evening of Giving again this year.  The date for this is November 18, 2007.  We will have more information on this later.

Alice Laudon, President
507-289-3592, ali_lau@msn.com

 

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, September 2007

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, September 19, 2007

Charter House - Northview Room - 3rd Floor

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Study Group Displays

7:30 pm Meeting and Program

~ Daughters of the Game - The First Era of Minnesota Girls High School Basketball~

For our September program, we are pleased to welcome Dorothy McIntyre who will present our program on the first era of girls basketball in Minnesota from 1891-1942. Dorothy comes to us from Edina, Minnesota and has co-authored (with Marian Bemis Johnson) a book on this subject.

The book recounts the history of girls high school basketball from its origins in 1891 at Carleton College in Northfield. This era ended in 1942 when state and national organizations influenced the ending of competitive teams for girls. The girls played for fun, in small towns and larger cities all over the state, but they faced all sorts of obstacles which finally ended competitive play until the advent of Title IX in the 1970's.

Dorothy McIntyre began her professinal life as a teacher and then became an associate director at the Minnesota High School League in 1970 where she was active fot the next 32 years promoting equity for girl's and women's sports. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has named McIntyre as one of Minnesota's 100 most infuential sports figures of the 20th century.

"Please join us at 6:30 pm to learn more about our wonderful and varied AAUW study groups. Door prizes will be awarded! Then plan to stay and hear a most interesting program ."

-Connie Schuelka and Barb Cain, Program Vice-Presidents

FROM THE PRESIDENT - Alice Laudon

Welcome back!    Right now it is a warm July day and I have recently returned from my trip to Arizona, four days of which were spent in a VERY HOT Phoenix at the Association Convention.  This was my first National Convention and I was very interested in all that was happening.  I arrived around noon on Friday, June 29 and went immediately to a Briefing session on Strategic Process to try to education myself on the changes to the Association on which we voted on Sunday.   I attended the first Business Session, which included election speeches for the contested offices.  Friday evening was a reception in the Exhibit Hall and further opportunity to meet the candidates for office.  The evening ended with a panel discussion, Dare to Lead:  Women-to-Women Dialogue with four very interesting and diverse women who have very successful careers.

Saturday a.m. we attended the Plenary Session with the Keynote Speaker Sherry Schiller, President, Schiller Center, the outside consultant who assisted the Association with strategies for change that the Association faces.  The remainder of the morning was workshops.  There were many to choose from so it was difficult to decide.  Diane and I attended different ones to cover more ground.  We attended the Upper Midwest Regional Caucus in the afternoon, followed by more workshops and voting. Saturday evening we attended a filming of the movie North Country with a discussion with the authors of Class Action, the book upon which the movie was based. 

Sunday was a big day.  The second Business Session was the vote on the proposed by-laws amendments and restructuring proposals.  The Association had done a pretty good job of explaining the necessity of the restructuring so this passed with very little discussion.  A mechanism for voting between elections was also passed.  This has not existed before.  The Association also voted to withdraw our membership in the International Federation of University Women.  A sad decision but we just can not afford to continue our membership.  Unfortunately, our Minnesota candidate for Director at Large, Terri Griffiths, lost her bid for re-election, and Florine Swanson, our outgoing Regional Director, lost her bid for election to Development Vice President.  Our new Regional Director is Myrna Sandvik from Iowa.  Sunday afternoon was the Plenary Session with Keynote Speaker, Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, and then more workshops.  Sunday night was the Legal Advocacy Fund 25th Anniversary Dinner, with Speaking Out for Justice Awardees Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler, authors of Class Action.

 Monday morning was our third Plenary Session, Honoring Our Legacy, Embracing our Future:  An Intergenerational Panel on Leadership, with the Keynote Speaker, Renee Poussaint, CEO and co-founder of National Visionary Leadership Project.  This was followed by our Third Business Session which entertained amendments from the floor, introduced the new boards, and took care of unfinished business.  I left the convention following the Third Business Session, but Diane stayed through the day and end of the Convention.  I was glad to have Diane there since she was so helpful to me in understanding the processes.  We will be hearing much more from the Association in the coming months regarding the restructuring.

The Arizona Convention Center was an excellent facility; the Hyatt Hotel was nice and just across the street from the Convention Center.  There were restaurants and activities close to the Center so despite the record heat, we were able to stay cool most of the time. 

I’m looking forward to seeing you all on September 19.

Alice Laudon, President

289-3592, ali_lau@msn.com

 

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, March 2007

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, April 18, 2007

Charter House - Northview Room - 3rd Floor

7:00pm coffee, 7:30pm Annual Meeting and Program

~ Education and Health Care in Nepal~

"By educating the women, you educate a family, and hence, the whole village." - Dr. Earl and Beverly Thompson

Earl Thompson, a retired veterinarian and his wife, Beverly, a public health nurse, live on a farm near Clarks Grove but spend much of their time abroad. They have been particularly involved in the establishment of adult literacy programs, health clinics, and agricultural projects in the remote mountainous country of Nepal. In 1984, the Thompsons started the Nepal Social Service Fund which established health clinics and literacy classes for women. For their work, the Thompsons were awarded the prestigious Jefferson Award in 2004. Established in 1972 (by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U. S. Senator Robert Taft and Sam Beard) the Jefferson Award honors individuals for their achievements and contributions through community and public service.

Hope to see many of you for this program which is so relevant to our AAUW mission of educatin and equity for all women and girls.

-Connie Schuelka and Beth Nienow

LAF BOOK SALE MAY 16

The $1.00 Book Sale to benefit the Legal Advocay Fund will be held at the May 16th General Meeting. Please bring books to sell. Any left over books will be donated to the Rochester Public Library.

ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

The Rochester International Festival is having its 31st Annual World Festival on April 20 and April 21, 2007, at Mayo High school. On April 20 there is an ethnic talent dance, music, and entertainment show at Mayo High School from 6:30pm to 9:00 pm with the show beginning at 7:00pm. April 21 is the exposition with country and cultural displays from the many nationalities in Rochester, games, and ethnic food from 9:30 am to 3:00pm.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Happy Spring! I am writing this the first week of March and there is three feet of snow on the ground but hopefully by the time you read this we will be having much more spring-like weather. It is hard to believe that we only have two general meetings left before the summer hiatus.

Our April Board Meeting will be our goal-setting session. I invite and encourage all interested members of our organization to attend this meeting. This is a time when we can use input and ideas from lots of people, and we do welcome new ideas! Sometimes those of us on the Board are busy with our assigned tasks and it helps to have other input for new ideas and ways to achieve our goals.

Toward the end of April, April 27-29, is the State Convention. This year it is in Willmar and our state has been chosen to host Ruth Sweetser, Association President, at its convention. We can send eight delegates to the convention so it would be nice to see a big Rochester Branch delegation at the convention. Even if you do no want to be a delegate, think about coming anyway. There are good speakers interesting workshops, and Willmar is a nice area with lots of lakes. Delegates at the convention will vote on a proposed bylaws amendment raising the Minnesota Dues to $9.00 per year. There will also be three resolutions that have been submitted thus far that will be voted on: (1) Resolution on the definition of the public school; (2) Resolution on the future of the Association; and (3) Resolution on the Earth Center. I will have Deb Lloyd put these on our website for you to read and we can discuss these at our April General Meeting. (Click here for the resolution on our website. )

We also have an opportunity to nominate candidates for three special awards that are given at the State Convention. One is the Minnesota Women Agents of Change Award which recognizes women who, through their volunteer efforts, have advanced the status and equity of women. This woman does not have to be a member of AAUW but some preference will be given to members. The second is the Young Women of Achievement Award, which recognizes the exemplary achievements of young women between 12 and 18 in our communities. The third award is the Initiative for Education Equity Award given to schools, organization, businesses, or AAUW branches who have projects that have resulted in significant progress toward gender equity. If anyone has a possible nominee in mind for one of these awards please notify as soon as possible as the deadline for these nominations is March 31.

Again, I encourage members to attend the State Convention. The interaction with members from around the state is invaluable.

-Alice Laudon

 

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, March 2007

GENERAL MEETING

SATURDAY, March 17, 2007

Willow Creek Golf Course

11:15 am - Social Hour

Noon - Luncheon

~ Computers, the Internet and I-Pods: How News Media is Changing Education~

Vivian Williams will be the speaker at our luncheon this year. Vivian is a broadcast journalist specializing in health and medical information. Many of us are awareof who she is because of her former work for station KTTC.

We will be announcing and honoring our branch's Educational Foundation Named Grant Recipients for this year.

Also, as is customary, we will be inviting the two Science Fair award winenrs and their mothers to be our guests.

All of this held in the lovely golf course setting should make for a pleasant, informational time to celebrate the mission of AAUW and the role we play in achieving it. Please come!

NOMINATIONS for 2007-2009 AAUW Rochester Branch Offiers

The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the following slate of officers to be presented for election at the Ap[ril 18th general meeting held at the Charter House at 7:00 pm.

President Elect: Pauline Krieger

Program Vice-President: Barbara Cain

Membership Vice-President: Rosemary Bradshaw

Public Policy Chair: Debbie Lloyd

Treasurer: Nancy Brubaker

Membership Treasurer: Kathy Lawrence

Nominations from the floor will be accepted at the April meeting if the nominee's consent has been obtained prior to the meeting.

Thanks to the committee members, Kathy Mcleod, NOla Christiana, Kay Morcomb, and Sharon Brodhun.

Jo Johnson and Carol Nelson (Nominating Committee Co-chairs)

LAF Book Sale

The $1.00 Book Sale to benefit the Legal Advocacy Fund will be held at the May 16th General Meeting. Any left over books will be donated to the Rochester Public Library.

-Mona

FROM THE PRESIDENT

March is the month that our Branch pays tribute to the Educational Foundation of AAUW. We do this at a luncheon which this year is on Saturday, March 17, at the Willow Creek Course Clubhouse. I hope that lots of us will be able to attend this events.

The following information has been taken from the AAUW Online Museum. For accompanying photographs and artifacts click on the following links.

Scholarships 1888 to 1959
Scholarships 1960 to 1999
Scholarships 2000

Although awarding fellowships and grants began very early in AAUWs history, the Educational Foundation, Inc. was not established until 1958. The very first fellowship was given in 1888 to Ida Street, a University of Mnichigan alumna. The very first International Fellowship was awarded in 1917 to Virginia P. Alvarez Hussey, who studied medicine at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. Marie Curie, who eventually won a Nobel Prize, received $156,413 toward the purchase of one graft of radium. Some of this money was returned by her daughter after her death and used to create the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship. The AAUW Adult Education program was initiated in 1923 and the Association's programs triggered widespread movements in continuing education for adults. The Million Dollar Fellowship Funds campaign was begun in 1927 to put AAUW fellowships on a sound basis with permanent endowments to enable the Association to give generous support o promising woman scholars. This campaign was completed in 1953 when an irrevocable Fellowships Trust Fund was established. In 1943 Scientist Florence Siebert was awarded the first AAUW Achievement Award, established to recognize a U.S. Woman for distinguished scholarly or professional achievement. In 1945 an international grants division of the Fellowship Program was initiated. As mentioned above in 1958, the nonprofit AAUW Educational Foundation was established to administer AAUWs fellowships and grant programs. In that same year ground was broken for the new AAUW national office in Washington.

In 1962, the College Faculty Program was started with a $267,000 grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. In 1963 the African Educators Program was established to provide opportunity for women from newly independent African nations to study in the U.S. In 1969 EF launched the Coretta Scott King Fund which provides opportunities for black women to study African American history and culture, social change, and peace. In 1980 EF programs, awards, and grants exceeded $1 million in one year for the first time, as well as a record set for awarding more than 100 American Fellowships. In 1981 AAUW received a $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to launch the Families & Work Project which examined the new and changing relationships between family life and work. In 1986 EF sponsored Equity by 2000: Meeting the Nairobi Challenge International Conference to develop strategies for implementing findings of the U.N. Decade for Women, which was attended by more than 1,000 women. In 1987 AAUW members raised more than $235,000 to establish the Judith Resnik American Fellowship Endowment, a memorial to the 1975 fellow who was an astronaut killed in the Challenger space shuttle disaster. In 1988 EF celebrated the centennial of its first fellowship. More than 5,000 fellowships had been awarded to women from more than 100 countries and EF held $40 million in endowed funds. The Foundation estalished the Eleanor Roosevelt Fund, expanding AAUWs education focus to girls in grades K-12.

In 2002 EF distributed $4 million in fellowships, grants, and awards, bringing the total number of awards to more than 8,000. That year EF partnered with the Educational Testing Service to sponsor International Perspectives: Global Voices for Gender Equity, a symposium to explore how women use education to create change. In 2004 EF distributed a print version of Harassment-Free Hallways along with Hostile Hallways research report to more than 5,000 public schools.

We members of AAUW have many reasons to be proud of our organization and the Educational Foundation is certainly one of them!

Alice Laudon, 289-3592, ali_lau@msn.com

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, February 2007

GENERAL MEETING

SATURDAY, February 17, 2007

Charter House - Northview Room - 3rd Floor

9:30 AM Coffee

10:00 AM Meeting and Program

~ Out of the Cookie Box~

As former Girl Scouts ourselves, or mothers, sisters, or friends of current Girl Scout, surely AAUW members know that Girl Scouting is about more than selling cookies. Or do we? Please join us in February to learn more about the impact the Girl scout program has on girls' lives. A representative from the Girl Scout Council of River Trails of Southeastern Minnesota will join us to share stories that illustrate how Girl scouts help girls to succeed in our increasingly dive4rse society.

-Connie Schuelka and Beth Nienow, Program Vice-Presidents

COLLEGE IS POSSIBLE WE WILL HELP (Saturday, March 24, 2007, RCTC/UCR, 10:00 am-2:00pm)

A free and active half-day college planning event sponsored by Rochester AAUW, The Olmsted County Youth Commission and RCTC/UCR. Keynote speaker, Jerry Casper, RCTC, followed by an interactive panel of college students, and three workshops addressing: Transition to College Life, College Appplication and Financial Aid, with break for lunch in between. College representatives from area colleges will be available for questions and information. AAUW volunteers are requested for greeting students, and monitoring workshops. Contact Ione Schloegel.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

WOW, what a winter(?) we have been having! As I write this in January we have yet to experience much in the way of a real Minnesota Winter. Hopefully by the time you read this, we will have a little bit of snow on the ground (but not 20 degrees below zero). However, this nice weather makes me think of spring even if it is a ways off. March 17 we will have our Educational Foundation Luncheon at the Willow Creek Golf Club. Also March 3 is another Herberger's Community Day and we will again participate to raise funds for community projects. The November Community Day sale raised in excess of $500 for our Branch. I ask you to again support this effort. At our April general meeting we will have our used book sale in support of LAF. It's always fun to be able to find "new" books to read. Also, the Minnesota AAUW State Convention will be April 27-29, 2007, in Willmar, Minnesota. This is always a great event to attend to learn more about our organization and to meet and interact with members from around the state. There will again be a raffle in conjunction with the convention. Tickets for this raffle will be sent to members sometime soon as we have in the past, so be looking for them, and I hope you will support the Educational Foundation by purchasing or selling tickets for this raffle. All proceeds of tickets sold or purchased by our Branch members will be credited to our Branch for the Educatinal Foundation.

When I joined AAUW, I was awestruck by the incredibly talented people we have in our group. We have many women who have been members for a long time who have served in many capacities for our Branch, both elected and appointed, and we appreciate all that you have done. Others of our members have not yet had an opportunity to serve in an elected office. At our general meeting in April we will again vote for new officers for the coming year. As of this writing, we still have some vacancies to fill. I really hope that all members, both those who might already have served in the past and those who have not yet served, will consider serving our organization in an elected position. I think if you talk with any current officer you will find that we all work together to accompish our goals and serving as an officer is very rewarding and canb e quite enjoyable.

March 1 and 2 is the Sciene Fair. AAUW is again awarding a prize to a middle school girl and a high school girl. Diane Hellie has worked on this for several years, but she would like to have one or two other members of our group help her with judging for the prizes. If you can help with this, or want more information, please contact Diane or me. This is a very worthwhile project.

As I mentioned int he December Highlights our Branch is seeking new community projects to consider that would serve our mission, help with our commnity, and help AAUW stay visible in our community. If anyone has a proposal for a project please contact me or another board member.

Alice Laudon

289-3592, ali_lau@msn.com

 

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, January 2007

GENERAL MEETING

SATURDAY, January 20, 2007

Charter House - Northview Room - 3rd Floor

9:30 AM Coffee and Birthday Cake

10:00 AM Meeting and Program

~ A Visit from Marion Talbot~

Happy Birthday to AAUW! We celebrated our 125th birthday in November but we're having a belate3d birthday celebration in january. Come enjoy a piece of birthday cake and then hear a wonderful program on one of AAUW's founding mothers, Marion Talbot.

Pat Sween, immediate past presidet if AAUW-MN, has a log standing interest in women's history., She is especially interested in the women leaders of mevements t advance women's rights,. At te January 20 meeting, she will present her research on Dr. Marion Talbiot, ine if tge ci-fiunders of AAUW, as "Marion," using marion's own words from one of her speeches. Pat will also include informarion on marin's years as a college teacher and administrator.

Pat has a BA in English from St. Olaf College and a Masters of Science in tEaching with a composite study emphasis in language, literature and speech. She was an educzator for 35 years ending her career as an adjunct faculty member at the College of Stl Catherine. Her personal interests include women's history, music, writing, and theater as well as five grandchildren!

Please come and help to celebrate our special birthday!

-Connie Schuelka and Beth Nienow, Program Vice-Presidents

AAUW MARCH EF LUNCHEON

The AAUW Educational Foundation Luncheon will be Saturday March 17 at Willow Creek Golf Course. Please mark your calendars! Additional information will be int he March newsletter.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Happy New Year! We are now in the year 2007 and all the holiday hubbub is behind us. Remember that our January and February meetings are on the third Saturday morning of the month.

On November 28 twelve members of our Branch gathered at Rochester City Hall where Mayor ARdelle Brede read and presented to us a proclamation, proclaiming November 28, 2006, American Association of University Women Day in Rochester. This event was covered by KAAL News, Channel Sux. Following the presentation most f us et at Pabera for coffee and conversation. A very nice day! Thanks to all who came for the presentation.

With November 2006 beingthe 125th Anniversary of our Associations's founding, members of the Association have been looking back at our long history of service and fellowship to women and girls. We have many, many accomplishments of which we should be very proud, including helping women obtain higher education, pay equity, war efforts int he 1940's, civil rights, Title IX, voter registration initiatives, plus so many other initiatives. Those interested in more detail regarding our past history can go to the national wesite history page.

I am looking forward to a new year of good works, interesting activities,and great fellowship int he Rochesrer Branch.

Alice Laudon

289-3592, ali_lau@msn.com

 

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, November 2006

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, November 15, 2006

Rochester International Event Center at 7333 Airport View Drive SW, Rochester, MN 55902

6:00 pm Silent Auction and Social Time; 6:30 pm Dinner; 7:00pm Meeting & Program

~ Arriving in Algiers before McDonald's ~

Please plan to join us for a very special meeting in November. We will be enjoying a delicious dinner at the Rochester Internatinal Event Center followed by an interesting program given by Dr. Virginia Wright-Peterson, a teacher at RCTC. Dr. Wright-Peterson spent the spring semester of 2005 teaching at the University of Algiers, Algeria on a Fulbright program. In her lecture, she will present observations on the global impact of the American Dream on developing nations and how cultural assimilation modifies the impact.

For dinner, we will jave a choice of Chicken Cordon Bleu for $19.95 or Vegetarian Fettuccini for $16.95. Please make your reservation to Connie Schuelka at schuelka@charter.net by November 8th. You will need to indicate whether you would like the chicken or the fettuccini. Payment can be made on the evening of the meeting. You are obligated to pay for your meal if your reservation isn't cancelled before the 8th as we need to give the Event Center a firm count by that date.

In addition to a fabulous dinner and inspiring program, we will also be having a silent auction to benefit our Legal Advocacy Fund program which provides money to women fighting discrimination in the academic world.

We look forward to a fun and festive evening and hope to see many of you at our November meeting! Remember, there is NO general meeting in December.

-Connie Schuelka and Beth Nienow, Program Vice-Presidents

ANNUAL SILENT AUCTION

The Annual Silent Auction to benefit the Legal Advocacy Fund is November 15, 2006 at our General Meeting. Bring your slightly used treasures and join in the fun. If you have something to donate but cannot come to the meeting call Mona for pickup. We will be setting up at 5:30. Thanks!

-Mona Price

AUDIT

Barbara Swart has completed the audit for the preceding fiscal year with the following statement: "The audit of the financial status of the Rochester Branch AAUW for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, has been completed. Based upon my rview of the financial records and supporing documents submitted by the treasurer and membership treasurer, it appears that the annual financial report properly shows the branch's financial status." If anyone desires a copy of the full audit report, please contact Alice Laudon or Barbara Swart and one will be provided.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

November 28 is AAUW's 125th Anniversary!

On November 28, 1881, Marion Talbot and her friend Ellen Richards met at Talbot's home to organize "an association of women college graduates" who would work to answer the questions that this new breed of college-educated alumnae were asking all over the nation: Why was a college education important to women? How could they make more of their degrees? And most important, how could they help other young women who wanted to attend college? Not surprisingly this association, which they called Association of Collegiate Alumnae, was a success and within a year they had more than 60 members. The ACA continued to grow and other regions of the country formed like organizations such as the Western Association of Collegiate Alumnae in 1883, who in 1888 awarded $350 to a Vassar graduate for the first-ever fellowship of its kind. The Southern Association of College Women, who spent 18 years relentlessly working to create an equitable curriculum, regardless of gender, and detroy the "college for Women" stigma that prevailed in the south. As these three groups grew they realized they had much in common and in 1921, ACA, WACA, and SACW merged to become the American Association of University Women.

Our own organization also has a very long distinguished history. Formed in 1919 by forty-five women who were interested in promoting greater friendliness and sociability among the college women in Rochester, as the Women's College Club, the group affiliated very early with AAUW and members became active in serious projects as well as social activities. We members of AAUW Rochester Branch can be very proud of our contributions to the Association, as well as our contributions to our community in the form of scholarships, science awards, sponsorships of various community projects such as the Young Women's Conference, I'm Going to College at the state level, and most recently the initiation of a similar project locally called College is Possible - We can Help, in partnership with Rochester Community and Technical College, and the Olmsted County Youth Commission. We have also at times joined forces with the League of Women Voters and the Rochester Business and Professional Women's Association to share ideas and programs.

As you can see, as an orgaization we have a great interest in projects that help our community be a better place to live and we are always looking for new projects that will help us fulfill our mission. If you have an idea or proposal for any such project please contact me or any other board member and we will be glad to consider it.

We are going to have a new adventure for our November meeting. We will be having our dinner meeting at a NEW PLACE, the INTERNATIONAL EVENT CENTER. This Center is south of Rochester, near the airport. Details of the evening's activities are in this Newsletter and on our Web page. If anyone would like to attend the meeting and needs a ride, please contact me and I will arrange a ride for you. We are very happy to do this for any member and hope many members plan to attend.

EVERYONE please support our upcoming fundraisers: Silent Auction for LAF, Herberger's Community Date, November 11, for Community Projects, and Apache Mall Evening of Giving, November 19 for EF.

-Alice Laudon, ali_@msn.com

 

 

 

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, October 2006

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, October 18, 2006

Charter House-Northview Room, 3rd Floor

7:0 pm - Meeting and Program

~ Rochester Downtown Alliance~

We are fortunate to have as our speaker Audrey Betcher, President of the Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA). Formed in February 2005, the RDA is a partnership made up of a broad range of people representing property owners, business leaders, city government, and others with a direct stake in the enhanced business and economic dvelopment of downtown Rochester. The RDA aims to help downtown Rochester position itself as a vibrant urban experience--a central gathering place for the community that is attractive, inviting, fun, and liveable.

In addition to her work with the RDA, many of us know Audrey as the Director of the Rochester Public Library. She is also active in the United Way, the Rochester Arts Council, Rotary, the Strive mentorship program, the Minnesota Library Association, and as a youth soccer and softball coach. She is the mother of two children ages 8 and 4. Audrey's favorite hobby is reading and she actively promotes the joy and importance of reading and literacy at the state and local levels and at home. Notably, she is a recipient of the Athena Award for her work with high school girls in the Strive program and with the Leadership Greater Rochester group.

.Please join us to hear Audrey give an overview of the RDA--its origin, its mission, its plan, and its accomplishments so far.

-Connie Schuelka and Beth Nienow, Program Vice-Presidents

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Our busy season is now in full swing. There are so many activities going on in our community and in our branch. With election activities now in full swing, there have been, and will be, any candidate forums. I hope all of our members can attend at least one forum, or watch the local cable network for the televised forums. REMEMBER - go to our website where we have the League of Women Voters Forums listed.

I know Debbie Lloyd has informed the membership at large about our new Website, but I want to emphasize this great new tool we have to keep informed about our activities, other community activities, as well as some state and national initiatives. The address for those few who may not yet have looked in is http://aauwrochestermn.org.

The membership committee is again planning an informational coffee for prospective new members in early October. If any of you know of any person who may be interested in receiving an invitation to this coffee, please contact me either by e-mail or phone and I will pass this on the membership VP's.

Other activities this fall will be Herberger's Community Day on November 11, 2006. Coupon booklets will be available at our next general meeting, as well as at your interest group meetings. We also need volunteers for selling booklets at the door at Herberger's on several dates. If you can volunteer for a couple of hours, it would be great. The proceeds from all coupon booklet sales can be kept by our organization which we have designated for community projects.

The Apache Mall is again sponsoring an Evening of Giving on Sunday, November 19 from 7-10p. This event is our major fundraiser for the Educational Foundation. You will receive tickets in the mail for this event which you can use for yourself, give to others,or sell to others as you see fit. All proceeds from the ticket sales are kept by our organization to benefit EF.

Thre Board passed the 2006-2007 budget at our September Board meeting. If any member desires a copy of this budget please let me know and I will see that you get one.

I hope to see you all at our general meeting.

-Alice Laudon, 289-3592, ali_lau@msn.com

Herberger's Community Day Sale - November 11, 2006

We are again selling coupon booklets for the next Herberger's Community Day. Booklets are $5.00. There is a coupon worth $10.00 toward a purchase! If you are interested in purchasing a booklet, or interested in volunteering to work at Herberger's on the day of the sale, please contact Alice Laudon, 289-3592. We are also distributing booklets to interest group chairs. Money raised for this event is used for local community projects.

-Alice Laudon, Event Chair

Legal Advocacy Fund (LAF) Silent Auction

We will have a silent auction to raise funds for LAF at our November 15 General meeting. Pease bring a new or gently-used treasure you no longer need to donate to the Silent Auction.

-Mona Price, 282-1306

Membership

There will be an orientation for prospective members in October. AAUW members should let Maryette Braithwaite or Carol Arend know if there is someone they'd like invited to the coffee. Pease pay your membership dues if you have not paid as yet.

-Yalanda Rishovd, Maryette Braithwaite, Kathy Lawrence

Yearbook

The deadline for the 2007 yearbook is October 31. If you have any additions or corrections please send them to Kathy Lawrence. If you don't receive a Yearbook in November by mail, let Julie Caesar or Kathy Lawrence know and one will be sent to you.

-Kathy Lawrence

 

 

Rochester Branch HIGHLIGHTS, September 2006

GENERAL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2006

Charter House-Northview Room, 3rd Floor

6:30pm - 7:30 pm Study Group Displays

7:30 pm - Meeting and Program

~ CHALLENGES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION: WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID ~

For our September program, we are pleased to welcome Deb Las, winner of the Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Testing, as our guest speaker.

In May, Deb traveled to Washington D.C. to receive her citation from President George W. Bush. She spent a week in Washington attending a number of celebrations and meetings with scientists brought in by the National Science Foundation.

Deb developed a love for science as a student at John Adams Middle School. She came back to John Adams as a science teacher in 1991 and has been teaching there since. Deb received a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction and is finishing her doctorate degree in Leadership with an emphasis on K-12 Education.

Deb is married to Andy, a registered nurse at St. Mary's Hospital. They have two children. Their daughter, Khiara, will be starting third grade at Elton Hills and their son, Brennigan, will be entering first grade.

Please join us at 6:30 PM to learn more about the AAUW study groups and to sign up for doorprizes!

-Connie Schuelka and Beth Nienow, Program Vice-Presidents

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Welcome to a new season of AAUW! This is my first newsletter and I am looking forward to our activities. First of all, I would like to thank everyone who agreed to run for an open office this year. I also thank everyone who has agreed to be on the Board as a committee chair, or special appointment. I look forward to continuing to work with those who have been on the Board and with those who are new to the Board., The Board members are listed (on the website). As you can see, we still need a Chair for Ways and Means and for Communication/Visibility. If anyone would be willing to come onto the Board in either of these positions, please contact me.

When I attended the Leadership Training Session in Willmar in June, I learned that the Association has a theme dedicated to the coming year of "Education as the Gateway to Women's Economic Security." If we have any members with expertise in a financial area and would like to present to our group we sure would appreciate it. Or, if you know someone who could do this, please contact our Program VPs, Beth Nienow or Connie Schuelka.

This is an election year and although it is a mid-term election, there are some important races and issues that will affect our state. AAUW-Minnesota is encouraging branches to participate in a program, WOMEN-to-WOMEN VOTER TURNOUT. The goal of this challenge is to engage all Minnesota branches in action based community political involvement at some level. I know we have several members who particpate in political activities. If anyone has any suggestions for our Branch for a nonpartisan activity (e.e. voter turnout, voter education), please let me know. Debbie Lloyd is our Public Policy chair and I think she would welcome suggestions, as would our Program VPs.

On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone who sent cards or expressed condolences to me on the death of my mother July 5. I was truly touched by so many AAUW friends.

I am looking forward to seeing you all September 20 at Charter House.

-Alice Laudon, President

JOIN THE JOURNEY BREAST CANCER WALK

We need sponsors and walkers as we participate in this worthwhile community project. Check out their website for more information at http://www.jointhejourney.us/. The ten mile walk for breast cancer will be held on Sunday, September 17 at Mayo High School. Check is is at 7:30 am. Opening ceremony starts at 8:45 am. the walk which begins and ends at Mayo High School is from 9-1:00 pm. Closing ceremony is at 1:00 pm. JTJ t-shirt and box lunch is included. Participants are required to raise a minimum of $50.00 to walk. Therefore, we're looking for walkers and sponsors for the walkers.

We'll be wearing our teal AAUW t-shirts which can be ordered from the national AAUW website at http://www.aauw.org for $9.00. I have one of each size which can be used to check out the fit. If you are interested in participating or sponsoring an AAUW member, contact Debbie Lloyd at dlloyd52@aol.com.

-Debbie Lloyd

PUBLIC POLICY

AAUW is a nonpartisan organization which encourages women to vote and to maximize their civic participation within their communities in order to protect and promote issues important to women. Your vote can make a difference. Be sure to vote in the Primary election on September 12th and the General Election on November 7th!

Just One vote in

1. 1771 Gave the United States the English language instead of German
2. 1845 Brought Texas into the Union
3. 1876 Elected Rutherford B. Hayes president of the United States
4. 1920 Gave women the right to vote in Tennessee, the last state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Constitution
5. 1941 Saved selective service, just weeks before Pearl Harbor
6. 1960 Per precinct in key states, made John F. Kennedy president of the United States
7. 1984 Elected the mayor of Athens, Alabama
8. 1992 Decided a town council seat in Trinity, Alabama
9. 1999 Per district, decided a Virginia state senate race
10. 2000 Per precinct in key states, made George W. Bush president of the United States
11. 2004 Determined the outcome of a Salt Lake City School board race

-Debbie Lloyd

LEGAL ADVOCACY FUND

We will again be making "Coins for Cannisters" available for the Legal Advocacy Fund. This is the largest legal fund dedicated to the elimination of gender discrimination in the U.S. Over 1 million dollars has been contributed to those who have taken their struggle to the courts. One filled cannister is equal to the $5.00 donation recommended for each AAUW member. The cannisters will be available at the September General Meeting. There will again be a silent auction at the November meeting - so start saving your goodies.

-Mona Price

YEARBOOK

The deadline for the 2007 yearbook is Octobert 31. If you have any additions or corrections please send them to Kathy Lawrence. If you don't receive a Yearbook in November by mail, let Julie Caesar or Kathy Lawrence know and one will be sent to you.

-Kathy Lawrence

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