Wishing you all a Sweet Day!
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A Message from Our President
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FEBRUARY……my favorite time to remember my friends and family, because I want them to know that they hold a special place in my heart. And to reach out the wonderful members of the American Association of University Women Greater Naples Branch with a special thought borrowed from Maya Angelou: “The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious, the desire to reach hearts is wise.” Our Branch members have proven this to be true in so many instances throughout the time that I have served as Co-President and President. Labors of love, loving memorials, generous contributions of time and resources and capital have nurtured and sustained a culture of giving from the heart. The Janet Martin Welch Reading is Fun! Program continues to thrive and grow through the ongoing support and commitment of Judy Blackburn, Karen Clegg, and the many contributions received through the sustaining fund. Our Scholarship Program is beginning another cycle of giving and is generously endowed and heartfully lead by Jeanine Stetson and her committee of dedicated volunteers. The STEAM Program is set to continue it’s 26th year providing activities to inspire girls to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering, the Arts, and mathematics. Charmaine Klein’s expert organization and her highly competent committee continue to provide quality experiences for fifth grade girls. SmartStart provides workshops designed to help close the continuing gender wage gap that stress negotiating skills in the workplace. Judith McGregor continues to spearhead this effective offering.
The Branch Board has worked tirelessly to provide the leadership that has brought us Five Star status, and enables you, our members to participate in a variety of ways to promote gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. As you continue to reach for the stars as AAUW members, we thank you for offering your time, your ideas, your talents out of the goodness of your hearts!!!
' Sincerely,
Jacky Territo, President
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From Program VP Julie Olander | |
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Report of Speakers for AAUW General Meeting for Feb. 4, 2023
The Speakers for our Meeting on Feb. 4 ,2023 will be a panel of health professionals speaking about Women’s health from various fields, such as Mental Health and Heart Issues. A question- and- answer session will follow.
The meeting will take place at the Collier County Education Association Center, 6710 Lone Oak Blvd., Naples, FL, 34109. Refreshments are available at 9:30 a.m., followed by the program at 10:00. and the Business Meeting at 11:00.
Meeting Event
This month, in honor of St. Valentine’s Day, we will be making Valentine Cards for Seniors.
Bring a ruler, a glue stick and a small pair of scissors, and any décor you would like to donate for making the cards. We will have some supplies, like card stock, envelopes, doilies, foam hearts, trimmings, ribbons, bottles of glue, etc. There will be some samples to inspire you. You may want to add a personal note on the Valentine. I am sure it will warm the heart of our Seniors!
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At the January 7 Greater Naples Branch Meeting, Karen Clegg offered a memorial tribute for
our dear friend, fellow Board Member, Public Policy Program Co-Director, and dedicated AAUW
member, Janet Martin Welch (1/12/45- 1/4/2023).
Janet was the New York.
State Librarian from 1996 to 2008. She was the first and remains the only woman to hold the
position since the New York State Library was established in 1818. She was the daughter of
library science pioneer Lowell Arthur Martin. Janet Welch was an early internet advocate,
recognizing the power of the "information superhighway". She prioritized bringing web access
to libraries across New York state in the 1990s before most homes were web connected.
Following the events of September 11, 2001, Mrs. Welch oversaw efforts to collect and
preserve artifacts from the World Trade Center at the New York State Museum.
Janet was a treasured member of AAUW Greater Naples Branch and among her many
contributions, Janet is responsible for the highly acclaimed and successful READING IS FUN!
Program which distributes books to children in poverty areas of the Collier County Schools. The
Janet Martin Welch sustaining fund for this program is administered through the AAUW
Greater Naples Charitable Foundation. The READING IS FUN! Program activities are led by Judy
Blackburn and members of the AAUW Greater Naples Branch.
May She Rest in Peace
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From our Treasurer, Susan Barley | |
$64 of your AAUW dues are tax deductible ($30.50 - if you were part of the Shaping the Future Campaign).
The entire amount of your donations to the AAUW Fund, Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, and AAUW Florida Tech Trek is also tax deductible. Acknowledgement notices have been sent.
In-kind and monetary donations (including the holiday auction) to the AAUW Greater Naples Branch are not tax deductible.
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Our Greater Naples Branch continues to be very active in many projects
and events. We currently have 88 Members in our Branch. Many of our
new members were brought to one of our Branch Meetings and then joined.
Let’s see how many guests you bring to one of our meetings will join our
branch…….
Elaine Wade
Membership Director
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Needed: Press Releases and Publications Person: This position is responsible for promoting the Greater Naples Branch of the AAUW to various media outlets including distributing monthly releases announcing branch meetings and speakers as well as press releases regarding activities and events. Please contact Lynne Romito.
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An Early Valentine Treat for You! | |
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TREAT YOURSELF TO A HAPPY HOUR ON FEBRUARY 6th
We have planned an event just for fun at MXYN Scents located at The Galleria on Vanderbilt Beach Road. From 4:30 to 6:30
Captivate and stimulate your senses with this unique, personalized scent mixology workshop. Participants will create and mix their very own custom scented products ranging from body scrubs and shampoos to massage oil. Everyone returns home with both individualized products containing that “aha feeling” and memories that last far beyond the workshop experience. Participants will explore a variety of scents, take notes and decide what scents they should mix creating a fun discovery process. Choose from luxury, essential or everyday scents such as Frangipani, Lily of the Valley and Eucalyptus. This interactive outing is fun, engaging and educational at the same time. Let your inner scents come through under the guidance of our Mixologist to make your perfect
scents!
Bring your own Beverage…light snacks will be provided. Feb 6th, 2023, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
Options: Choice of 2 items 2oz each Non-Luxury Scents
Lotion, bed & body mist, body spritz, body butter, sugar
scrub, or car diffuser $25/person*
Choice of Rollerball or 1.75oz Cologne/Perfume
Non-Luxury Scents $40/person*
A “good will offering” will be accepted for the Branch or designated programs.
Invite a guest to meet and mix and learn what a fun and dynamic group of women belong to the AAUW Greater Naples Branch!! RSVP to Jacky Territo at her email dby Monday, January 30 with your choice of options!
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READING IS FUN!
Reading Is Fun is happening this year in several of the Collier County elementary schools.
Donations from AAUW members and friends enable the school medial specialists to purchase
books for students pre-K through 5th grade. Students come to the media center (libraries), one
class at a time, to choose a book they can keep forever. If you wish to volunteer to help with the
book distributions in the spring, please contact Judy Blackburn, Reading Is Fun Coordinator.
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Public Policy - Eye on Public Education | |
The public policy committee met on January 11 and determined that our main branch focus this year will be education. We will also continue to advocate for reproductive choice.
With a new school board in place, Collier County Public Schools have already seen a significant change in direction. Dr. Kamela Patton reached agreement with the board to step down in December. She had been scheduled to retire at the end of the school year. She was temporarily replaced by Dr. Leslie Ricciardelli, who will serve until a new superintendent is hired.
The three new school board members have vowed to oppose mask mandates, social-emotional learning, critical race theory, and other so-called “woke” ideas they believe permeate K-12 education. The public policy committee is concerned about the politicization of education at all levels as it distracts from learning, fosters a distrust of professional educators and public education, and undermines the foundations of a democratic society.
AAUW supports quality education for all. We also oppose the use of public funds for nonpublic elementary and secondary education and to charter schools that do not adhere to the same civil rights and accountability standards as required of other public schools. We would like to see the Collier County schools maintain their “A” rating and be able to successfully compete for quality educators in a tight market. We hope you will join us in monitoring the new school board as it goes through the process of hiring a new superintendent, approves new textbooks, and reviews existing policies and curricula.
If you have any questions, please contact Carol Light, Public Policy Chair
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The Great Decisions group will meet on Monday, February 6, 2:00-3:30 p.m., in the community room at the North Collier Government Center, 2335 Orange Blossom Drive (behind the headquarters library). This month’s topic is Energy Geopolitics. Pat Rogan will lead our discussion on how the move toward sustainable energy and supply chain shortages could impact U.S. foreign policy. If you are interested in learning more about the group, please contact Carol Light at her phone or email in the GNB AAUW Directory
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Holiday Lunch Silent Auction Coordinator Needed | |
Want to be more involved and help the Branch without making a big commitment? This is your opportunity since this is a once-a-year activity without a big commitment of time and no recurring committee meetings. To learn more, call or write to retiring coordinator Laura Candris.
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The Non-Fiction Book Club meets on the 4th Monday of every month from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6340 Napa Woods Ways, Naples. We welcome new members. Book Selection for January was How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Noble Prize Winner Maria Ressa. Future Dates: February 27, March 27, April 24. If you desire the book for February or further information, contact Karen Clegg, Non-Fiction Book Club Coordinator, at her phone or email in the Members Directory.
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February NonSequiturs
Thursday February 16
5:30 p.m.
Place TBA
Chris Basler has recently returned from her adventures in Cuba!
She is eager to share her experiences and discoveries.
You won’t want to miss her fascinating tour.
We will provide an update once we have a location.
RSVP to Nancy Beights at her updated email address.
Please bring a delicious evening dish to share, and your favorite beverage!
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Now Accepting Scholarship Submissions
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The scholarship season has commenced and the link on our website is live to receive submissions!! We need all the help we can get to put the word out to the community and make sure we attract candidates to apply. If there is any contact that you feel would be beneficial in our search for applicants, feel free to direct them to our website. The deadline to receive the submissions is February 28th.
Our second meeting will occur on Wednesday, January 25th at 11am. If you were not available for the first meeting and would like to join the committee, please join us for the second one. You can join us in person at my office at Naples Trust Company, 5920 Goodlette Frank Road Naples FL 34109, or if you prefer to participate via web conference, please send me an email at jstetson@naplestrustcompany.com and I’ll get the invite over to you to join electronically. Please email me or call 239-961-3481 with any questions
Thank you, Jeannine Stetson, Scholarship Chair
Link to the scholarship page on our website: https://greaternaples-fl.aauw.net/scholarships/
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Congratulations are in order!!
Too often we express congratulations to women for the birth of a baby or an engagement and don’t take the time to pay attention to the recognition deserved for a significant achievement. I am happy to report that we have both, a huge accomplishment, and a wonderful life event for one of our scholarship recipients!!
Taylor Sorrell is a past scholarship recipient that was awarded a Friends of Bayview Scholarship in 2021 and an Albert Mangini Memorial Scholarship in 2020. At the time she was pursuing a Bachelor’s in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue. Raised in Golden Gate Estates, she witnessed family members that were affected by life-threatening illnesses that led her to study the correlation between how nutrients affect disease evolution and progression through biological means. Taylor has a heart for service, during her time at university she was a teaching assistant and was heavily engaged in research in her field. That apparently was not her only engagement! Taylor is happy to share the following message, “I just graduated, found an amazing job, just got married to my high school sweetheart of 6 years. Please know how important your program is to students like me. When Gage returned from Afghanistan, and I graduated we were able to jump right into real life without a huge debt hanging over our heads to start our life together. Thank you again, Taylor”
The scholarship awards we make are life changing. Keep up the good work Greater Naples AAUW!! This is the work that supports the mission that binds our branch together. If you feel called to support this mission with your time or treasure, please contact Jeannine Stetson, Scholarship Chair, at her email address in the Member Directory.
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Gold Rush Party
Saturday, February 4, 2023
12:15 - 2:30 p.m., following the Branch meeting
Collier County. Education Assn, 6710 Lone Oak Blvd.
Light refreshments will be served.
Bring your friends and neighbors! And let us know if you will be coming:
RSVP by 1/31 to Laura Candris, laura_candris@msn.com
Get Ca$h for your old, broken &
unwanted gold, silver & platinum
jewelry, sterling silver flatware &
serving pieces
(No silver-plated or gold plated)
This is a great opportunity to trade precious metal items you don’t want or can’t use for ca$h in your pocket AND help your Branch too!
Its fast and easy:
• The Gold Lady appraises your items and makes you an offer to purchase your precious metals for cash on the spot.
• The purchase price is based upon the purity, weight and the daily gold market and is split between you and the Branch, with 75% going to you and 25% going to the Branch. If the offered purchase price for your precious metals is $200, you’ll get $150, and the Branch will get $50.
• The Gold Lady will also donate an additional 10% at the end of the fundraiser to the Branch.
• If you don’t like the offer, you keep your items. Most stones can be removed while you wait, and items not purchased will be returned to you. Not sure that it’s real? No problem, bring it and they’ll test it.
If you can’t attend the fundraiser, send your items with a friend. Include your name & number and they’ll call you with the offer or you can donate it all to the Branch.
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Click on Branch to Branch our Website. | | | | |
