Dear Members,

Thank you for all you do for AAUW. Just your membership shows your dedication to the continuous fight for women’s equality!

Voting in the November election was quick and easy. I am sure you participated. Proposition 9 passed, so most retired teachers will be appreciative of a cost-of-living increase. Meanwhile, Governor Abbott continued to press for school vouchers as he called lawmakers back to Austin for a fourth Special Session to negotiate his plan to subsidize private education with public dollars. House lawmakers struck vouchers from the bill and the bill passed 84 to 63! Then the bill's author withdrew the entire package from consideration. We don't know if Governor Abbott will try for a fifth Special Session to push his top priority.

Please participate in our Textbook Scholarship Fundraiser. We are a little behind in donations as compared to past years. The drawing will take place during our December meeting.

I hope you plan to attend our December Monthly General Holiday Meeting, December 2nd, 11:00A.M. at the Baha’i Center. For this meeting we will socialize, participate in a fun game, and complete a giving project to donate to a non-profit. There will be door prizes and snacks. If you have a holiday treat or dish you wish to share, please bring it. We can swap recipes! You will have an opportunity to donate for more scholarship drawing entries before the drawing. Also, we are looking for a pianist for the meeting.

Remember, there is no January monthly General Meeting. We start the second half of the year in February with our Champagne and Chocolate Fundraiser. Also in February, scholarship applications are gathered and vetted.

We celebrate Women’s History Month in March. Look for a slightly different speaker arrangement for March. More to come. “Can We Talk?” is Wednesday, 13 March 2024. The theme is “Can We Talk about Public Education?” Also, the 2024-2025 slate of nominees for Elected Officers of our affiliate will be introduced to the membership in March.

April is very busy for AAUW San Antonio. This is the month we recognize our scholarship awardees and elect our 2024-2025 officers. The 2024 Texas AAUW Virtual Conference is in April. The theme is “Charting a Course Through the Challenge of Change”. This half day conference is free for all Texas members. We, AAUW San Antonio, are responsible for registration and administration for the conference. So, call me if you can type on a computer. Your help is needed.

There are lots of opportunities for members to volunteer and participate throughout the year. Attend the December meeting and engage with other members. Bring a friend or someone you feel may be interested in our mission. Come celebrate the holiday season.

Have a wonderful Holiday,

Diane Claiborne-Carr

President

AAUW San Antonio

571-330-1039

dcarr23.woman@gmail.com

Claudia Walker, President-Elect, attended the AAUW Central States Regional Conference held in St. Louis on October 19-21.

CONFERENCE REFLECTIONS

My first conference as a member of AAUW was more than I expected, in a very positive manner. The sessions were fantastic, and the Infusion/Inclusion will definitely be adopted/adapted in the San Antonio Branch effective July 2024. The best part of the conference for me was meeting and making connections with women who are phenomenal. When I met CEO Gloria Blackwell, I knew I belonged! I met Inclusion and Equity Committee Chair Melissa LaDuke and I immediately felt a kindred spirit because she is serving this country as an Air Force member, as I did. A very special thank you to the AAUW Texas SHARE Committee for providing the grant for me to attend. I must say thank you to Malinda Gaul, we belong to the same branch, but she has been a wonderful mentor since the day I met her. Ultimately, I must thank Martha Steele for inviting me to become a member of AAUW. Had I not sat next to her at a Can We Talk? breakout session at Texas A&M San Antonio, I would have never been exposed to AAUW.

Claudia L. Walker, Ed.D

2023-2024 Branch Leaders

Executive Committee

President

Diane Claiborne-Carr       

President Elect

Claudia Walker     

Vice President Membership

Ruth Lyle                         

Vice President Programs

Deborah Andrepointe              

Secretary

Mary Ellen Pratt     

Treasurer

Antonina Duridanova

Parliamentarian

Suzanne Benson

Standing Committees

Public Policy

Pat Sanford

Budget/Finance

Antonina Duridanova

Scholarships/NCCWSL

Jeanette Pierce

Karen Reichensperger

Colleges/Universities

Martha Steele

Funds

Vacant

Communications

Malinda Gaul

STEM

Mary Ellen Pratt

DEI

Kimberly Henry

Governance

Jeanette Pierce

Appointed

Historian

Vacant

Community Coordinator

Vacant

Reservations

Vacant

Publicity

Michelle Burk

Member Outreach

Kathy Dicke

AAUW SAN ANTONIO

DECEMBER GENERAL HOLIDAY MEETING

2 DECEMBER 2023

11:00 A.M.

BAHA’I CENTER

735 W. MAGNOLIA AVE

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78212

LET’S GET TOGETHER FOR A

FUN HOLIDAY SOCIAL!

SNACKS!              DOOR PRIZES!  

GAMES!            GIVING PROJECTS!  

FUNDRAISING DRAWING!

 Reserve your space by emailing

Antonino Duridanova

NLT 28 Nov. 2023

ninadanoff@sbcglobal.net

 If you have a special holiday dish or dessert

you would like to share,

bring it! Share it!

IMPORTANT

We are way behind on our donations.

Please consider participating in this Fundraising event.

AAUW SAN ANTONIO

TEXTBOOK SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER

The AAUW San Antonio Branch offers scholarships to assist women in purchasing textbooks. Scholarships are given to undergraduate/graduate students who are attending a college/university in Bexar County and high school students with an unconditional letter of acceptance to a college/university in Bexar County for the upcoming summer/fall semester.

To raise money for these scholarships we are

holding a drawing for VISA cards.

$200 VISA CARD

$100 VISA CARD

$50 VISA CARD

$50 VISA CARD

This fundraiser is open from 28 Sept-2 Dec 2023.

The drawing is on 2 December 2023 during our Monthly General meeting.

You do not need to be present to Win!

You do not need to be a member of AAUW-SA!

1 Entry $10

3 Entries $25

10 Entries $75

15 Entries $100

How do I get entries?

• During the December monthly meeting.
• During some Interest Group gatherings.
• Zelle – recipient address for AAUW SA aauwsatx@gmail.com (Email Antonina Duridanova, ninadanoff@sbcglobal.net, to notify of Zelle payment and number of entries.)
• Mail check with number of entries requested to:

AAUW SA Branch

P. O. Box 460825

San Antonio, TX 78246

If you pay by Zelle or check, we will fill out the entry form and place in the drawing.

If you have return address labels include one for each entry if you mail a check or bring to the general meeting (saves you time filling out the entry form).

Please support this worthy scholarship by participating in this fundraiser and sharing this information with non-members. Please forward this flyer to friends and family or pass it to members of other organizations of which you may be a member.

Contact Ruth Lyle with questions.

Call/text 210-722-1732

Email ruthannlyle@gmail.com

Giving Project

Bexar County Fostering Educational Success Program (www.bcfes.org) is hosting a Holiday Bash for the young adults in the program on December 14th. Airika Crawford, LLMSW, Project Director, needs volunteers for the event.

Contact her at: airika.buford@utsa.edu  210

Gingerbread & Jammies-Celebrate the Holidays with BCFES

Dec 14, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM CST

501 W César E Chávez Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78207, USA

During our November 4 General Meeting, Airika mentioned that the main activity is the Gingerbread House Contest in which teams consisting of a volunteer and a group of students will assemble a gingerbread house to be judged and awarded a prize. AAUW members asked about the purchase of the gingerbread houses. If you would like to donate a gingerbread house, below is a list of links for purchasing the item. Also, below is the address to send the purchase. 

Gingerbread kits: We were unable to find them in bulk but came across the option below that we can try to purchase as many as possible:

Click Here for Frosty the Snowman

Click Here for Candy Land

Click Here for Holiday House

Click Here for Christmas Village

Bexar County Fostering Educational Success Program

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Institute of Texan Cultures

801. E Cesar E Chavez Blvd.

San Antonio, TX 78205

Rm. 1.01.03

To Do, Doing, Done

To Do

There is an excellent time management book titled To Do, Doing, Done by G. Lynne Snead and Joyce Wycoff. As AAUW members continue working to gain, maintain, and now regain freedom and equity, the title seems apropos for us too. AAUW founders had a vision of the United States where women and girls have status, rights, and opportunities equal to those of men and boys. This was and continues to be our “to do.”

Doing

Currently, National has produced, published, and distributed letters, comments, testimony, and legal briefs on economic security, civil rights, and education. This extensive list includes finalizing Title IX and endorsing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. AAUW Texas conducts quarterly meetings where members and leaders throughout the state learn national priorities and share branch actions and strategies. AAUW TX also works directly with a lobbyist who helps guide us through the legislative process and advises us on actions to take to make the greatest impact on achieving our state public policy priorities. And here in our AAUW SA branch all of our meetings revolve around our theme of Achieving Economic Security for Women in Challenging Times. Our Programs VP Dre Andrepoint and her committee have found speakers who inspire and motivate us to take action here in our community. National, state, and local actions are what we are “doing.”

Done

Across this country there are too many disconnects between what voters want and what politicians want. On Election Day just a few weeks ago, Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia voted to uphold women’s choice by voting against abortion bans. Without reproductive freedom, women cannot be equal. At the polls we have said we’re not going to let you take us back in time. We are demonstrating that we are tired of elected officials who are interested in self-promotion but not in service and not in working together for solutions. We know what to do, we’re doing much to make it happen, and we’re experiencing the joy and hope that comes with what we’ve “done.”

This next election year may well be crucial for democracy. Thank you for your continued support of women’s issues.

Pat Sanford

AAUW SA Public Policy Chair

AAUW Texas Public Policy Advisory Committee

WELCOME NEW MEMBER

Sally Ann Rigdon

Invite a friend or family member to attend a meeting. If they join as a New Member after attending a San Antonio AAUW event or meeting, the National dues are half price: only $36. AAUW Texas dues are $13.00, and San Antonio Branch dues are $16.00, for a total of $65 for their first year.

IF YOUR MEMBERSHIP IS DUE, PLEASE RENEW TODAY!

You can pay online with Zelle or by check.

AAUW-SA Directory has been sent to your email address. Please check your information. If anything is incorrect please let me know.

call/text/email Ruth Lyle for assistance

210.722.1732

ruthannlyle@gmail.com

Update on Marilyn Traylor

Thank you for checking in on my mother. Unfortunately, she doesn't participate in virtually any of her previous groups which she so much enjoyed. She suffers from severe dementia and while she is still mobile and relatively healthy at 98 years old, she would be very confused if she tried to participate at any level now.

I will certainly let her know that you asked about her. She will be glad to hear that her friends haven't forgotten about her (even though she doesn't always remember what AAUW is and that she had been very active in it).

Thank you!

Jill Traylor

Saturday, December 2 and Sunday, December 3

9am - 5pm

219 Palo Grande

San Antonio

Dudley Harris is a master craftsman. Each piece of pottery he creates is a beautiful object d’art worthy of display. Each piece is also beautifully practical (food, dishwasher and microwave safe).

Think of it as retail therapy. This is a truly enjoyable shopping experience. So much of the shopping that happens at this time of year is impersonal (online), or rushed and frustrating (long lines, parking nightmares, too few staff and impatient fellow shoppers.) The pottery benefit is the antidote to all that. You may have to compete with deer for a parking spot, but after that you can enjoy the serenity of Dudley and Cindy's Japanese-inspired urban oasis with a mimosa in hand and like-minded friends all around.

www.thebeautifulbowl.com 

100% of proceeds go to Texas Public Radio (Saturday) and Planned Parenthood (Sunday). Stop and shop after the December meeting. 

Be sure and say hello - I’ll be helping with the sale both days. 

Ali Heller 

Culinary Adventures

Arenas Marisqueria Lounge

Camp Outpost

Camp Outpost is a casual American dining experience that serves quality rotisserie-driven, wood-fired comfort food with efficiency and flair. Situated in an industrial warehouse space in South Town/King William, San Antonio, Camp Outpost features a custom world class rotisserie, a spacious patio, communal fire pit, and a vintage Airstream bar evoking a nostalgic camp-like ambiance. Camp Outpost offers a fast-fine model of service which ensures swift ordering and attentive, hill country hospitality.

Movie Goers

Since the movie schedule comes out every Thursday we cannot plan a month in advance. Look for notice when there is a good movie.

DONATE!

You can donate to the AAUW San Antonio Branch for Scholarships by making a check out to AAUW SA and sending it to AAUW San Antonio Branch, P.O. Box 460825, San Antonio, Texas 78246.

You can also donate to AAUW Greatest Needs

by clicking HERE.

Follow AAUW San Antonio on:

Facebook www.facebook.com/aauw.sanantonio

Twitter @AAUW_SanAntonio

LinkedIn AAUW San Antonio