Advancing Gender Equity for Women and Girls | |
MAY 2024 NEWSLETTER
edited by Dottie Burk, Jeanne Lese, Cherie Sorokin, and Ann Vercoutere
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Voting Continues until May 14
As noted in last month's newsletter and at our April program, the boards of directors of AAUW, AAUW Marin, and AAUW CA all support eliminating the degree requirement for membership in AAUW; all three organizations are asking members to approve the necessary bylaws change. Voting continues on this important issue until 9:00 am Pacific Time on May 15. If you have not yet voted, please do so now. If you are on the fence about how to vote, please email or call Leslie Zimring, 1-732-580-4988, or lzimring33@gmail.com or Cherie Sorokin at cheryl@sorokinsf.com 1-415-730-0204.
Note, this bylaw amendment requires approval from two-thirds of those voting. It was very close last time we voted on this issue, but just not quite enough. YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!
Other AAUW News
AAUW just awarded $6.25 million in Fellowships and Grants for the 2024-2025 academic year.
The EEOC just issued strong and clear regulations to implement the Pregnant Women's Fairness Act. AAUW organized more than 1600 comments to the EEOC in favor of such strong regulations.
AAUW is mobilizing its Two Minute Activist group to help support the stronger Title IX regulations just issued by the Department of Education. These new regulations reverse regulations issued under the prior administration that weakened protections for women who are sexually harassed or assaulted on campus. Challenges to the new rules can be expected in the current political climate. Hope those of you who are Two-Minute Activists took the time recently to tell our Congressional Representatives to voice their support for these new regs. If you haven't yet, there's no time like the present! The Two-Minute Activist Program makes it easy! Sign in or sign up using this link.
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AAUW-CA's annual event was held last Saturday, You can use this link to view the recording if you missed it. The program ran from 9 am to noonish, so you may not have time to watch all of the recording. Below are some highlights and the time each occurs in the recording:
Meghan Kissell who spearheads our advocacy efforts at the national level spoke passionately about the new regulations under Title IX which become effective this summer and will help undo efforts during the prior administration to weaken Title IX's effectiveness. (Meghan's introduction starts at the 2:16 minute mark on the video.)
The winning AAUW CA Speech Trek and Gov Trek presentations were fabulous. (The speeches start at the 38 minute mark and the 1 hour 6 minute mark, respectively.) And kudos to our neighbor branch in Petaluma which won the Branch Activity of the Year award for its public program "Normalizing Safety, Gun Violence Protection. (Jean Reed's presentation starts at the 1 hour 37 minute mark in the video).
Throughout the morning AAUW-CA board members reviewed their accomplishments during the year, and it was quite a list. We are so lucky in California to have strong, passionate and highly competent state board members who devote their time and energy to AAUW's mission and helping branch organizations thrive!
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Chat with Leslie
Dear all,
It's time to celebrate another great year of AAUW events, interest group meetings and adventures. What was your favorite moment? Come share your moments over brunch! I'm also looking forward to highlighting the work we all did this year and to honoring our members who inspire us with their passion for AAUW. Join us!
We will be restructuring the Marin board, so there will be 2 votes during this annual branch meeting: a by-law vote and a vote for the 2024-2025 board of directors. We will send out the slate of board directors mid-month. Don't forget your vote for the national by-law change in membership requirements is important!
This month two young women representing College of Marin and Dominican University will be attending a leadership conference in Washington DC thanks to your generosity to our scholarship fund. I am looking forward to hearing about their experience. And our TechTrek cohort for the summer of 2024 will be meeting this month to get to know each other. A busy spring!
See you June 1 for brunch at McInnis!
Leslie O. Zimring
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We have moved our annual spring brunch to June 1 this year. Come enjoy the company of your AAUW friends as we celebrate our accomplishments over the past twelve months, announce our Named Gift Award winners, give out a few more kudos, thank our retiring board members and officers, elect new board members for the ensuing year, make a few changes to our bylaws and
perhaps hear from some special guests! All this and bacon too!
When: June 1 at 10:30
Where: The Club at McInnis Park
Cost: $42 if paying by PayPal. Use this link.
$41 if mailing a check made out to AAUW Marin to Sue Torres at 256 Marinda Dr., Fairfax, 94930
RSVP Deadline: May 24. If paying by PayPal, your payment is your RSVP. If mailing a check, your check must reach Sue by the 24th. Those of you paying by check, please also email Katherine Brinnier to let her know "your check is in the mail." If you are bringing a guest, regardless of how you are paying, please also email Katherine with the name of your guest. Notifications to Katherine really help her ensure we have name tags for everyone attending our events.
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Members Lobby for AAUW California's Priority Bills
On April 2 and April 3, Dottie Burk, Nancy Lubamersky, Deborah Learner, Cherie Sorokin, and Leslie Zimring met via Zoom with State Assembly Member Damon Connolly and State Senator Mark McGuire’s offices to promote AAUW California’s priority bills for 2024.
Each year the AAUW-CA Public Policy Committee chooses bills to support based on at least one of our four Public Policy Priority pillars: economic security for women, equal access to quality public education for all students, social and racial justice for all members of society, and increased representation of women in leadership roles.
The three priority bills this year are:
- AB 2843 “Health Care Coverage for Rape and Sexual Assault Survivors”
- AB2326 “Title IX Oversight and Compliance Act”
- AB 2099 “Protecting Reproductive Health Clinics"
To see the full 2024 Legislative Agenda go to our Bill Tracking Report. This report is updated as bills move through the legislative process, so you will always be able to see the latest status.
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Jean Reed and Stefanie Capps from the Petaluma branch and Dottie Burk and Nancy Lubamersky from the Marin branch met with Senator McGuire's staff member Andrew Medina. Amy Hom, co-chair of the AAUW-CA Public Policy Committee and Kathy Van Osten, AAUW-CA's legislative advocate, observed the meeting. | |
Deb Learner, Cherie Sorokin and Leslie Zimring met with Damon Connolly's staff member Christina Sanchez. | |
AAUW Marin Celebrates AAUW Past, Present, and Future
AAUW Marin celebrated our history and our future on Saturday April 13 during our annual fundraising event for the National AAUW Fund. We honored women who have been members for 50 or more years, highlighted our interest groups, learned about our history and recommitted to continuing the battles our founding mother began so many years ago. Members who donate to the AAUW Fund this year can proudly wear the pin designed by Nancy Finston.
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President Leslie Zimring introduced our longest members. | |
Nancy Finston presented a slide show on our past, present and future. | |
Sarah Perry and Sandra Brim | |
Karen Scheder and Diana Lyster | |
Love those tea sandwiches and scones with lemon curd made by Homeward Bound. | |
Robin Sparks, member for 48 years, and Nancy Greenfield, member for 52 years. | |
Tech Trek Camp is Coming Soon!
Volunteer to be Part of the Experience
Tech Trek, a program of AAUW California, encourages young women to be confident in their STEM pursuits. Camp is just around the corner and the excitement is mounting!
The 2024 Marin branch campers have been selected and will attend Camp Franklin at Sonoma State University, June 23-29. They will meet each other for the first time on May 5, have fun with STEM activities, and hear what to expect at camp from Tech Trek alumnae.
You can be part of the camp experience. Volunteer to monitor a core class, workshop, or field trip – commit to one session the week of camp and see Tech Trek in action.
Signup here: AAUW Northern California: Class Monitors TT Franklin @ Sonoma 2024 (signupgenius.com)
Contact AAUW Marin Tech Trek Coordinator, Angela Nuckles, 415-686-8394, with questions.She would love to see you at camp!
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Time to Renew Your Membership?
For members who joined AAUW before July 1, 2022, your membership expires on June 30. You should have received a renewal email from AAUW National a few days ago to remind you. Why not renew NOW.
Options for Renewing
- Click on the link in the email from National and follow the instructions.
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Go to the National website, www.aauw.org. and follow the instructions in the How to Renew Your AAUW Membership Online doc.
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Open, print, and complete the Dues Renewal Form. Send it along with your check payable to AAUW Marin to Sue Torres at the address on the form.
Membership Chair Chris O’Neill says: “Please renew NOW. You don’t want to miss all that AAUW has to offer in the coming year - great programs and interest groups, interesting National and California Zoom programs and webinars, the branch friendships you’ve made and, most importantly, your support for all the work AAUW does to promote and support equity for women and girls.”
If you have problems renewing, contact Sue Torres (415-459-4581).
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Celebrating Our Mother-Daughter Members | |
A very Happy Mother's Day to all our mother and mother-substitute members!
This month we particularly want to celebrate our mother-daughter members. Not surprisingly, most of the daughters were brought into AAUW through their mothers. What about you? Have a daughter or daughter-in-law in the area? Maybe give her a membership as a Mother's Day present! Contact Chris O'Neill for information about how to do this.
Congratulations to our mother-daughter members. They are, with the year they became members, (clockwise from top left):
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Nancy Major (1997) daughter Marissa Major (2023) and daughter-in-law Hillary Major (2023)
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Jean Marchant (1945) and daughter Susan Angel (2023)
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Chris O'Neill (1997) and daughter Rebecca O'Neill (2023)
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Lorraine Voskanian (1986) and daughter Elizabeth Clark (2015)
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Jane Hall (2012) and daughter Laura Hall (2014) and granddaughter/future member Grace
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Nancy Lubamersky (1987) and daughter Katie Wickes (2016)
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Ready to join a new interest group?
All groups welcome new members. Just contact the group leader for information or to be added to the group email list. For a list of all Marin branch interest groups with leader contact information, click HERE. Note: Interest Groups are just for members of AAUW Marin, but guests who may be thinking of joining are welcome to visit an interest group twice before being asked join.
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Art Tours
Art Tours is planning a trip to the Legion of Honor on May 21. The exhibit is Japanese prints, highlighting the striking changes in fashion, history, industry, landscapes and beautiful women in 18th-20th c. The Japanese print show has become a block buster and tickets are selling out fast. For May 21, please order you tickets online for 10:30 a.m.(earlier times are sold out already). Meet at Strawberry commuter lot no later than 9:45 a.m.
RSVP to Marilyn South or 415-492-2685.
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Hiking Group
Our next hike is planned for May 7 at China Camp. Hopefully with wildflowers galore still there. Laura says it's about 6 miles, but only modest elevation and great views. If interested, contact Laura Phipps for details.
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LitWits Reading Group
LitWits meets 3rd Wednesday at 10 AM, in person or with Zoom, and for Wednesday, May 15 the group is reading Love in the Ruins: Adventures of a Bad Catholic at a Time Near the End of the World. This is the second of three novels we are reading by Southern writer Percy Walker. We welcome new members, Contact Ann Thomas for information.
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What Are You Reading?
What Are You Reading book group will meet on Monday, May 13 from 10-11 on Zoom. Members share what they are reading. You always come away with a list of great books to read! Contact Cherie Sorokin or 415 730-0204 if you wish to join the group.
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Reading Arts Group
The Reading Arts group will meet on Thursday, May 16 at 1PM. Our book for May is Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson. This our our last meeting until September, and we’ll choose our books for the upcoming months. Please contact group leader Ann Jessup for more information.
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Nonfiction Reading Group
The AAUW Marin Nonfiction Reading Group is meeting May 13 at 1:00 on Zoom to discuss American Midnight: The Great War, Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis by Adam Hochschild. If you would like to be on the group’s email list and join us, please email either co-leader for the Zoom link: Phyllis Kuehn or Olivia Ruel. We always welcome new members! The AAUW Marin Nonfiction Reading Group meets the second Monday of the month at 1:00 on Zoom.
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Behind the Headlines
Our May meeting will be Wednesday May 8, at the home of Cherie Sorokin and will start with a light potluck supper. The group will be discussing the persistence of misogyny. Contact Cherie Sorokin or 415 730-0204 if you are interested in attending or joining the group.
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Happy Hour Group
Our next Happy Hour is Thursday, May 2 at 5:00 pm at Whipper Snapper in San Rafael. Contact Dottie Burk if you would like to attend and/or be added to our email list.
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Meet Me at the Movies!
7 of us met in April to see and discuss Driving Madeleine, a French subtitled movie about the unfolding of a woman’s life story to a cabdriver as he drives her from her home to an assisted living facility. The group all gave it top ratings and recommend it highly. In May we will meet on the 14th with the time, place and movie to be decided closer to the date. Contact
Mary Mossteller or Freddie Green with any questions you have or if you want to join the group.
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Handcraft Circle
Handcraft Circle: On May 21st we will meet at Mary Mossteller’s home in Larkspur from 12:30 to 3:30. We'd love to have you join us. Contact Mary Mossteller if you are interested in being part of our group..
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Play Mah Jongg?
Join us for our weekly games on Wednesdays in members' homes 1:30 to 3:30. If you are interested in joining or would like to get on the list, email the group leader Chris O'Neill. We play American Mah Jongg. You need the card to play and should have a basic knowledge of the game.
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Interest Group Pictures of the Month | |
Member Amy Anderson led the Hiking Group and guests on a Tree Identification outing at Lake Lagunitas (an auction item from the December auction). Among the walkers are Leslie Zimring, Laura Phipps, and Ann Vercoutere. | |
Four members of the group that visited the de Young in April to view "Fashioning San Francisco" and the Irving Penn exhibit. L-R: Pat Ernsberger, Mardi Leland, Rebecca Allen, Leslie Murphy. | |
So Much to Do, So Little Time | |
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Elaine Petrocelli on Summer Reading Picks. In store or online. May 14 at 11. Check it out here!
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A Focus on Healthspan - An Update on Research at the Buck Institute--This is a May 16th luncheon at the Club at McInnis featuring Erik Verdin, CEO of the Buck. Cost is $38. Register at this link, or call the Marin Coalition. RSVP before May 13.
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Petals and Ice Exhibit--This exhibition features internationally known polar explorer, geographer and San Rafael native Louise Boyd. Though September, 2024, at the Marin History Museum, 1125 B Street, San Rafael. The museum is open 11:00-3:00 on Saturdays, 10-2:00 Wednesdays-Fridays.
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July 14: Summer Fling at Chris O'Neill's home.
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September 14: Meet Our Tech Trek Girls
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Know Someone Who'd Like to Join AAUW? | |
AAUW women make an impact on women and girls.
Word of mouth is the best way to recruit new members!
Why Join? AAUW offers multiple ways to stay engaged with our mission of advancing equity for women and girls, as well as to develop friendship with others who understand that the fight for equality is still critical! Excellent national webinars! Engaging monthly branch programs! A wide variety of interest group meetings! Energetic, intellectually curious friends! A mission that is more important than ever! CONTACT Chris O'Neill for membership information.
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© 2019 AAUW
AAUW is a top-rated 501(c)(3) charity. Donations are tax deductible.
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