DON'T MISS THE LATEST NEWS!
DECEMBER 2019
OUR MISSION
is to advance gender equity for women and girls
through research, education, and advocacy.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls. Since our founding in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of educational, social, economic, and political.


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AAUW Strategic Plan 2018
Beyond Aspirations: Advancing Equity for Women and Girls
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January's Program
Jan 11 (Sat. 10-12) Photography as Art. When Artists Shoot Fashion. Speaker Avril Angevine, Art Educator and Docent SF Moma, BioMarin Conference Center, 770 Lindaro St, San Rafael, CA 94901 . Sliding scale donation $5 to $10.

Avril Angevine
Art Educator, Lecturer, Francophile, Fashionista, and Friend to Dogs
read more About Avril
Highlights From November's Program
The Book Passage with
Elaine Petrocelli
We had a wonderful time with Elaine Petrocelli at Book Passage. She told us all about her favorite books for this year. A percentage of the book sales is always generously donated back to AAUW, Thank you Book Passage and Elaine! This event has been a tradition for our branch and a member favorite. Many members picked up great holiday gifts and fascinating books for themselves all while helping AAUW. Thank you for your attendance.

Did you know that the Book Passage has been serving the Bay Area for over 40 years? A world renowned community bookstore, they offer a wide variety of books ranging from children’s literature to travel guides, from top-selling fiction to mystery novels, and we continue to work diligently with community and nonprofit organizations.

For more fun facts on our favorite Book Passage store visit this link


March Meeting Change!

Please mark your calendars. Our previously scheduled meeting on Saturday morning March 21st has been changed to Wednesday evening March 18. We are delighted to be co-sponsoring an evening event on this date with the Women's Leadership and Philanthropy Council at Dominican that will feature professional actress (and AAUW Maryland member) Kate Campbell Stevenson and her one woman show on the women's suffrage movement. Kate is a fabulous actress and has developed this particular show in honor of the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote. Kudos to member Kat Braeman for her work in making this program possible. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the date. For now, please just note the time and date change on your calendars.

December 3rd is Giving Tuesday, help AAUW and our branch by giving just $30 to national click on Facebook or the Website AAUW’s board of directors has donated the largest matching gift in our organization’s 138-year history! From now through Dec. 31, the board will match — dollar for dollar — every donation we receive up to $68,800 . You do not have to donate on just December 3rd for it to count, once you have donated email, Sherene so we can track our progress as a branch!
Please help us fund the critical research and advocacy that AAUW National works so hard on to promote gender equity, AND this counts towards our branch winning our Five Stars! Let's be the first branch to get all five.
UPDATES
Interest Groups
If you have interest group updates for the newsletter email Sherene

Wonderful exhibit of James Tissot at the Legion on Wednesday, Nov. 20th This was a beautifully curated exhibit; one that had us wanting more. His work was so easy to view and yet, looking at history from an interesting perspective of class distinction and wealth at the time period in Paris and London. His color and detail showed off his talent and gave us an insight on why he was hired to paint the elite of his time.. For those who did not come with us, the exhibit is on until February.  Don't miss it!!!!
The Marin Women's Hall of Fame is scheduled for Thursday march 26th, 2020.
Co-founded by AAUW and the Marin Women's Commission, our branch will be sponsoring a table as well as hosting an information table in the lobby this year. If you would like to be part of the table please email Sherene. For more information and to see who will be honored this year visit YWCA
Monthly Spotlights

Monthly Interest group Profile
LitWits, the third Wednesday AM reading group, reads and discusses literary fiction. This may loosely be defined as novels which are introspective, convey a deeper meaning than the story itself, and – important for members - trigger lively conversation.  LitWits is successor to the Sinna Reading Group which read works of one author for the entire year, but has adopted a more flexible system of three works each by three writers, or three works on a related theme. This year began with works not by one author but all regarding Greek mythology:  Song of Achilles  and  Circe  by Madeline Miller, along with the new Emily Wilson translation of Homer’s epic poem, the  Odyssey  (in iambic pentameter verse). In 2020 LitWits delves into three works each by Louise Erdrich ( Plague of Doves ,  Round House ,  LaRose ) and then three books by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje ( In the Skin of the Lion ,  The English Patient ,  Divisadero ). Books are selected at the group's last meeting each year, in June, and members commit to reading the novels selected and coming to each meeting prepared for discussion.

  
NEW MEMBERS 
I've been a member of AAUW since 1991. Years ago in Marin we had a German AAUW Chapter and we met to sing German Christmas carols at Holiday time. 
I have two Master's Degrees: an MA from UC Berkeley in German and an MBA from SF State in Finance. I work as a Market Manager at Bank of Marin and serve on the Board of the Marin Symphony.
We also would like to WELCOME
Melanie Chancelor and Vanitha Sampath to our branch. Thank you for joining and we look forward to getting to know each of you.  
Joining AAUW Marin more than 30 years ago was a familial obligation. My mom, Ann, was elected Branch President. She had been a re-entry student at CoM and Dominican before there was such a term. When Mom died in 2000, the family wanted to remember her through an AAUW donation. I worked with the Branch leadership to establish our AAUW Marin Scholarship Fund. Our family committed funds and have contributed annually since then. the fund now has an endowment of nearly $160,000 for Tech Trek and scholarships at COM and Dominican University. 
 
After receiving my degree in Political Science from Cal, I worked in Washington, DC for HEW. I returned to Berkeley as the first Business Manager of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics, post-Title IX. I completed my MBA at USF and went on to a career in telecom. I retired two years ago.
 
In addition to my work on the AAUW Scholarship Fund, I chair my Cal Gamma Phi Beta sorority House Corp Board and lead the Cal Alumni Club of Marin. I co-founded Marin Musical Theater Company and sing in the Mayflower Chorus and St. Patrick’s Choir My husband and I live in Larkspur and enjoy travelling the world and spending summers at our Lake Tahoe house (at the corner of Golden & Bear in Kings Beach – yes, I bleed Blue & Gold!)  
GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD

Nancy Lubamersky
College Coordinator for
Dominican and Scholarship Chair
After other careers, I began teaching at 50, became a personal trainer at 65 and now I’m aiming towards my next incarnation, my “second mountain” – have you read David Brooke’s The Second Mountain? Associating with smart, accomplished, socially conscious women in AAUW has enriched my life through the many interest groups in which I’ve participated to the various positions I’ve held. I’m one of AAUW’s biggest fans, bringing in new people whenever I can. One of my favorite things to do is attend the Saturday monthly meetings…I never fail to leave them inspired, often in some unexpected way.

Follow me as I begin my next journey exploring aging – follow Fit for Rest of Your Life on Instagram, Facebook and/or my blog:  https://wordpress.com/view/fitforrestofyourlife.com. 
MEMBER HIGHLIGHT
Mary Rawles

NATIONAL NEWS
The midterm elections ushered in changes at all levels of government: Democrats  took control  of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Republicans will likely  increase their ranks  in the U.S. Senate. At the state level, Democrats flipped  seven state legislative chambers  and picked up at least  seven of 26  previously Republican controlled gubernatorial seats. Read more
5 Issues We’re Watching in 2020


AAUW will be watching closely to see where candidates stand on these five issues:
  1. Equal Pay for Equal Work. To close the stubborn wage gap, we need leaders who will pass the federal Paycheck Fairness Act and advocate for laws and policies that ensure women are not discriminated against at work.
  2. Investing in Education. Education is the pathway for women and girls, but too many of our schools are falling short. We need to raise teacher pay, invest in STEM education, protect Title IX and make education a top national priority.
  3. Reducing Student Debt. Women hold two-thirds of the nation’s $1.46 trillion educational debt. Policymakers should protect grant programs, champion tuition and debt-free options and expand loan forgiveness programs.
  4. Strengthening Social Security. Because of lower wages and time off from work, women collect about $320 a month less than men do in Social Security benefits. Our lawmakers need to address the retirement wage gap women face.
  5. Implementing Paid Leave. The U.S. is the only developed country without paid family and sick leave. Let’s adopt policies to give workers paid time off for illness and care giving.
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