As I think about our organization during this Holiday Season, I am focusing on the following Cs: Compassion, Communication, Culture, Connections, Courage, and Congratulations!

Compassion to me means concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. The meaning of compassion is to recognize the sufferings or misfortunes of others and then take action to help.

I belong to AAUW because we show compassion as we advance our vision of equity for all.

As we know, women were more likely to quit their jobs or reduce their hours during the pandemic because schools and day care centers were closed.  Service jobs, which are more likely to be held by women and people of color, have been the slowest to recover. Those who are now rejoining the labor market are virtually all men: Women who are returning to the workforce are predominately looking for jobs (97%), while most men who are returning are already employed (88%). The pandemic has been an economic disaster for women. The pandemic isn’t over and the economic gap that creates so much inequity in America is only growing bigger. Because we are compassionate, we must keep up the crucial advocacy for equity, paid leave, equal pay and other urgent priorities. Our organization shows compassion at the national, state, and branch level.

Communication is so important today. I am extremely concerned that our country seems so divided and is becoming more and more violent. Modeling how to have civil debate is really important. We need to take an interest in what good communication is. We must listen to one another. When having a difficult conversation, I am trying to pause on my first “that’s wrong” in order to listen, hear the other person, and ask a question instead of pushing back. How are you communicating with others? It is important that our organization and its members communicate well when dealing with those that might have an opposite viewpoint to ours. It is also important that we communicate often with our members. When there is a void in communication, negativity often fills it.

Culture is a way of life of a group of people – the behaviors, beliefs, and values that they accept. As an organization, we can build a great culture by living our values and valuing our members. We must consistently share our vision of equity for all and our mission to advance gender equity through research, education, and advocacy. Great organizations not only have a mission statement, but they also have people who are on a mission. Each branch can show its members that they are valued during this Holiday Season. Reach out to those that haven’t attended a meeting or that don’t seem engaged in branch activities.

Connections are so important in today’s world. Connect one on one with your team and branch members. Get to know them! You can’t lead someone effectively if you don’t know them.  Serve those that you lead. When you serve their growth, they will help you team and organization grow.

Courage is defined as the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Without courage to take risks, to challenge convention or to move beyond a comfort zone, experimentation will not happen. I believe strongly that we need to experiment to survive as an organization, particularly during this time of COVID. Courage means being bold enough to question beliefs and try something new. I fear speaking in public, but rather than not do this, I am challenged by this fear and have taken on leadership roles which demand public speaking.

Recently, AAUWMI Co-Vice President of Programs and Past President, Deb Kennedy, resigned from her board seat. It was a sad day for our board, but especially for me.

I have been fortunate enough to call Deb my friend for the last 20 years. I first met Deb as I was working in a workforce development program for chronically unemployed and disenfranchised individuals. These were some of the most down-trodden of Metro Detroit’s residents. Deb generously volunteered to perform makeovers on all of our female participants to prepare them for job interviews. I’ll never forget that day because of the transformation the ladies made—and I’m not just referring to how they looked, although that was impressive. There was an obvious and significant improvement in their collective self-esteem. Some even cried after seeing themselves looking beautiful for the first time in a very long time. Deb had a huge impact on those women.

Deb and I remained friends throughout the years and she, at one point, asked me to join AAUW, which I had never heard of at the time. I, eventually, did join, and, taking her lead, I immediately started on the path of branch leadership.

Deb has made the very difficult decision to resign her position on the state board following her breakthrough case of COVID, from which she is only now recovering, and in light of her mother’s recent medical diagnosis. Deb has made the important decision to be with her family during this very difficult time. Deb will still be staying active with the Big Rapids branch as the Co-Vice President of Membership and also as a dual member of the Wyandotte-Downriver branch.

As a board, we understand Deb’s situation and wish her all the best. As a personal friend, and someone who has lost both my parents, I’m so proud of Deb for making this decision.

Deb, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Sheila Blair

In a recent letter and email message from the national office we were asked to make a year-end donation in honor of the 140th anniversary. All donations made before December 31, 2021 will be matched up to $75,000 which was gifted by AAUW’s Board of Directors, committee leaders and staff, for the purpose of doubling your donation. This is the largest amount in matching funds ever, so let’s show our gratitude and our commitment to AAUW with a year-end gift.

We’ve come a long way baby…but so much more to accomplish. Our greatest achievements are still ahead, and they are worthy of your support. Please make that year-end donation and have it doubled between now and December 31, 2021.

All branches are tasked with raising and donating $30 per member, per year. If you can, branch leaders would appreciate those who can cover donations for those who cannot. Many branches sponsor fundraisers just for the purpose of raising the $30 per member. The AAUWMI website lists many ideas for fundraisers that have been successful. Feel free to “borrow” any of those ideas to raise funds for your branch…and remember, all donations, individual or branch are doubled between now and December 31, 2021!

As the new year approaches many of us begin the process of making decisions about how we want to leave a legacy. AAUW would appreciate us considering joining the AAUW Legacy Circle. It isn’t required to disclose an amount of money you want to leave, what’s important is that you want to leave a legacy to AAUW. When you make the choice to join, you’ll be in a group of nearly 700 who have made the same choice. This places you in a circle of people who’ve made the decision to assist in continuing to support an organization that over its 140 years has prioritized the goal to make certain every woman and girl has equal access to leadership opportunities, fair pay and discrimination-free workplaces and classrooms.

Join the Legacy Circle today by contacting AAUW Director of Advancement Heather Miller at 202.785.7766 and make your legacy count.

AAUW asked branches and states to incorporate the Five Star program into their strategic planning for 2021-2022. Because of that, AAUWMI added the following to their strategic plan:

• the request for a $30/member donation in FY22 towards the Greatest Needs Fund

• an increase in contributions to the Greatest Needs Fund by 25% from the last fiscal year

• an increase in Legacy Circle membership by 10%

• a branch contribution in honor of AAUW's 140th anniversary to the Greatest Needs Fund

These donations will help the individual branches and the state to earn stars in the 21-22 Five Star Recognition Program.

Many of you have heard about AAUW’s Greatest Needs Fund and how we’re asking you to donate to it versus the endowment funds handled by AAUW. Our predecessors, and us, have donated enough funds to those restricted accounts that they are funded into perpetuity. Those funds no longer need our financial support to provide fellowships and grants each year. If you’ve served on a non-profit organization, you’ve probably heard how difficult it is to provide unrestricted funds to support the day-to-day operations. The staff of AAUW want to remind you that dues cover only 20% of those day-to-day operations. Complaints are heard about delays in answers from staff. In order to balance the budget, the board and executive staff have had to make hard decisions about the number of staff to keep employed which has made it difficult to keep the questions from members answered in a timely and efficient way. BUT, AAUW has kept its promises to continue the many programs that support the mission. That’s where the Greatest Needs Fund comes in. That fund provides the board and executive staff avenues to make decisions that best support the needs of AAUW. When making your decision about what fund to donate to, please consider the Greatest Needs Fund (and remember, all donations between now and December 31 will be doubled!).

When making those precious donations, just go to www.aauw.org and click the DONATE button. Your donation will go directly to the Greatest Needs Fund and it will be MUCH appreciated.

Please remember, I’m always available to answer questions in person, online, or on the phone.

Thank you and have a warm and wonderful holiday season!

There have been some changes with AAUWMI Programs in the last quarter. Deb Kennedy, unfortunately, has stepped down as co-VP Program. We are all very grateful for all her hard work and creativity in this role, as well as previous board positions including President.

With Deb's departure, we have had to reconsider some of the plans for the year, including scaling back on the number of programs we will be offering throughout the year. That said, we will still host some great events between now and July!

In addition to a presentation on redistricting this month, we also invite you to join us for a festive holiday gathering. Many members let us know they enjoyed last year’s Holiday Happy Hour, so we are bringing it back this year!

Grab a cup of whatever brings you cheer- whether it be a festive cocktail or a comforting cocoa! We will start the meeting at 5pm and give everyone time to sign in and join us. Around 5:15 we will start the actual program. We will offer up some icebreaker questions to get discussions flowing and mix everyone up into groups so members from around the state can get to know each other. Register to join us for a chat and some cheer.

You will also want to save the date for some great events coming up in 2022!

We Demand: The Suffrage Road Trip, is a historical fiction novel based on the true story of an epic road trip taken in 1915 by four women. They were attempting a desperate cross-country journey to Congress and the President demanding an amendment to the Constitution that would give women the right to vote.

Plans are underway for a great convention to be held in the spring. In addition to our traditional convention and Annual Meeting, we will also be celebrating 100 Years of AAUW of Michigan! Midland is slated to host and the branch is working on some activities to highlight their area. Activities will begin Friday afternoon, with the convention itself ending late afternoon Saturday.

As with everything, we are keeping an eye on COVID numbers. We are planning to adjust as health and safety dictate as well. Look for more details in the new year!

The past few months have been busy from a Public Policy perspective. There were elections in November in communities around the state, several voting rights bills in the state legislature that could have a direct impact on access to an absentee ballot and ease in casting that ballot and our AAUWMI Public Policy Committee met to revise and update the public policy entries on the AAUWMI website.

AAUWMI’s statement regarding election accessibility clearly states that we are opposed to any efforts by the legislature, or anyone else to make it harder to vote. (You can access the full text of the statement on our website.) Therefore, we are opposed to signing the ‘Secure MI Vote’ petition which is currently circulating across the state because;

• it would eliminate the option to verify your identity by signing an affidavit at the polls;

• it would require voters to contact their city clerk to get an absentee ballot, no longer able to download the form;

• it would require voters to disclose driver’s license, personal ID and partial SS Number when applying for an absentee ballot;

• it would ban the use of donated spaces like places of worship as polling locations ;

• it would ban election officials from using volunteers to help voters apply for and return an absentee ballot.

There is another petition drive that is likely to get underway soon which is a backdoor attempt to institute a school voucher program in Michigan. Mary Pollock and I will keep you updated.

At the national level be on the lookout for Action Alerts (Two-Minute Activist) and Washington Update. These give you a picture of what is happening at the national level and opportunities to take action. We have to be vigilant at all levels of government!

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the AAUWMI Public Policy Committee mem-bers; Julie Leavitt, Julia Ludwig, Renee Richer, Mary Pollock, Kathy Shaw and Jan Van Gasse for their help in making public policy revisions to our website. We consolidated the material under one heading and hopefully made it more user friendly. Check it out!

As I write this message, I am encouraged by the responses from our sitting finance officers. Your work is essential in maintaining a smooth organization. It was great being able to interact with many of you on the Zoom calls that we had. I learned a lot more about what your concerns are, and I also learned that you are a very capable group of women.

I have recently been spending some time on the AAUW website – specifically the (MSD) Membership Services Database. While downloading membership numbers of the branches, several ideas occurred to me. By the way, I will be sending this summary to the finance officers via email.

According to the national listings, AAUW Michigan branches have 117 honorary members – members that have been on the record at least 50 years – and 64 Paid Life Members – members, who paid 20 years dues to become paid national members. That’s 181 members. Sometimes, in reporting our membership to national, we forget to include the honorary members. We also may forget to report if they move or pass away.

Usually, we include those paid life members, who renew their membership as they still pay local and state dues, but national does not remove them if we don’t report them. Until they get a report that a member has moved her membership to another state or branch or is deceased, she’s still on your list.

Some of the areas in the Five-Star Recognition Program are based on your membership numbers.

I also see that unlike last year, we are attracting new members – 106 so far. Do remember that although there is a limit of free memberships to a branch with the Shape the Future Program, there is no limit to the number of members joining at an event that would qualify for half national dues. Your free memberships are limited to this year. If you send in a free membership in April, it will be for the 22-23 year.

We also have 211 members that have not renewed as of this date and will be removed from the list if their renewals are not sent in by November 30th. After that date you will have to report their renewal as you would a new member. I assume some people are no longer able to join. If that is the case, do nothing at this point.

Please, take a moment to check your numbers. AAUW Michigan is looking good at the moment, but we want to verify where we are so that we can move forward. I am looking forward to interacting with more of you soon.

Winter is a time of death and rebirth, death because all the life that sprang forth in the seasons preceding are now fading away and we go into a sort of dormancy. Rebirth because most life begins growing in the dark and during this period we slow down and become reflective; we search to find new ways to make the new year better.

So, out with the old and in with the new, these are the rituals of most. As humans we constantly seek perfection and so does nature. Living things always seek homeostasis, which is to maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival. Both physics and economics hope to achieve equilibrium at times, and when our spaces are out of whack, we incorporate a little feng shui.

Out with the old, in with the new, no one or entity wants to stagnate, evolution is a natural process and as humans when this is not occurring, revolutions are created. Most people are in a constant state of evolution, why?  Looking at the contributions from a societal stance has led to greater improvements in living standards, public welfare, health, and security. But for some places in various societies that have not accepted diversity in all forms, chaos and stagnation take place. It is necessary to get rid of antiquated mindsets to evolve societally and/or biologically, diversity is part of evolution.

Every culture, every nationality, every single person sees the world in a different way. As we grow together, travel to, or have travelers come to our areas, gifts of knowledge are exchanged, these gifts teach us how to do things a little better. When we all work together, we create a better place for self and others. Evolution continues, and the antiquated mindsets or functions that cease to serve progress die, and the rebirth of giving, love, and life takes place. Click on the image below to enjoy a music video that illustrates this message. "If you give a little love, you can get a little love of your own."

After five months in the position of State Services Manager, it’s time to introduce myself to the AAUW of Michigan membership. I provide administrative support to the board and manage communications to members, including e-newsletters, social media, and the website. I was an academic librarian in my former career. This new position has offered me the opportunity to develop my electronic communications and web design abilities to expand my knowledge and skill set.

In my contributions to this and future editions of the AAUW of Michigan e-newsletter, I will be offering tips on how I can help members stay engaged and informed about the organization. After distributing several Constant Contact communications, I’ve noticed a significant number of bounced messages due to bad email addresses. AAUW of Michigan gets its email lists from the Member Services Database on the AAUW website, so if we have bad email addresses, the national organization does as well. If you know an AAUW member who thinks they should receive national and AAUW of Michigan emails, but they don’t, please ask them to check their profile record in the Member Services Database to make sure that AAUW’s directory information does not include an old email address or an address with a typo. Members can contact me to get their information corrected in the state directory, but the issue needs to be corrected in the Member Services Database for a permanent fix and to ensure that email communications from the national office are received. In coming weeks, I will send lists of bad email addresses to branch membership vice presidents to enlist their help in making these corrections. I hope to see a reduction in the number of bounced emails when the next AAUW of Michigan e-news message is distributed!

It is urgent for the public to give the MICRC some feedback on whether you like the proposed map for your area or not, and comment if you would like. Mary Pollock will give a little background on the Commission mapping process and then use the proposed resources and maps on the MICRC Web site to demonstrate how to access the maps and give the map a Yes or No with an optional comment. 

The Equal Rights Amendment has been fully ratified according to Article V of the Constitution, but has not yet been published by the National Archivist.

Laura Callow, member of the Livonia branch and Michigan ERAmerica, recently wrote the following letter to the Assistant Attorney General in regard to ERA passage.

AAUW of Michigan encourages you to also write a letter. Like Laura, our passion for passage of the ERA should not be diminished and we need to remain diligent in our pursuit.

Don't forget that AAUW of Michigan is selling note cards featuring the work of American artist Meneese Wall. We feature a line of her notecards depicting icons of the women's and civil rights movements. The 5" x 7" notecards are printed on high-quality stock and can be purchased individually or in sets. Each card includes a colorful print of Wall's original artwork on the front and a detailed description of the depicted individual or event on the back. We also have Wall's new, award winning book, We Demand the Right to Vote. Proceeds support AAUW of Michigan programs.  Support AAUW of Michigan by making a purchase either for yourself or as gifts!

Monday, December 13, 7:00 p.m. ET – “Learn How to Comment on Proposed Political Redistricting Maps” via Zoom

Thursday, December 16, 7:00 p.m. ET – Lobby Corps

Thursday, January 20, 7:00 p.m. ET – Lobby Corps

Tuesday, December 21 – AAUWMI Christmas Event via Zoom

Tuesday, January 11, 6:30 p.m. ET – Book Read (via Zoom) of We Demand: The Suffrage Road Trip – a discussion with author Anne Gass

Wednesday, January 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m. ET – Branch Presidents’ Quarterly Zoom Meeting

Wednesday, February 2 

Saturday, February 12, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon ET – Board Meeting (via Zoom)

Thursday, February 17, 7:00 p.m. ET – Lobby Corps

Wednesday, February 24 – Call to Annual Meeting goes out

Wednesday, February 24 - Appoint Annual Meeting Parliamentarian, Timekeepers, Editors of Minutes, and Chairs of Credentials, Tellers, and Pages Committees

Saturday, February 26, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon ET – AAUW of Michigan Board Meeting (via Zoom)

Monday, March 7 – Winter/Spring Newsletter goes out   

Thursday, March 17, 7:00 p.m. ET – Lobby Corps Meeting

Send notice of April 29 Board Meeting to all members

Report the names of all qualified nominees to branches

Announce recommended resolutions to branches

Send written notice of amendments to the bylaws requiring member vote

Wednesday, March 30, 6:30-8:00 p.m. ET – Branch Presidents’ Quarterly Zoom Meeting

Thursday, April 1 – Deadline to receive names of Annual Meeting delegates

Thursday, April 21, 7:00 p.m. ET – Lobby Corps

Friday, April 22 – Annual Report goes out 

Friday, April 29, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Tentative time) – AAUW of Michigan Board Meeting, H Hotel, Midland (Lunch at 12 noon)

Friday evening, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 – Convention and Annual Meeting

Thursday, May 19, 7:00 p.m. ET – Lobby Corps

Monday, June 6 – Spring/Summer Newsletter goes out

Wednesday, June 15 – Branch Annual Reports Due

Thursday, June 16, 7:00 p.m. ET – Lobby Corps Meeting

Wednesday, June 29, 6:30-8:00 p.m. ET - Branch Presidents’ Quarterly Zoom Meeting

Friday, July 15-Sunday, July 17 – Summer Board Retreat – Place and Time TBD

Appointment of non-elected officers

Approval of Budget

Note: Any member of AAUW of Michigan is welcome to attend our Board meetings. Please send an email to Jan Van Gasse, President, janicevangasse@gmail.com if you would like to attend any meeting and she will send you the details.