Welcome to October.

As a member and now President of AAUWSA, I recognize I’m a member of an organization with extraordinary members. Patient, resilient and understanding women who know how to pivot. The October meeting was interesting to say the least. It was not really a meeting. It was more of an outing in the heat. I scheduled everything for the 7th not the 5th. That was my fault and I own it. What I also own is to continue to lead in the manner that has always worked for me. Only give my input when needed or asked. I am thankful for so many women in this organization who are great examples of true leaders and they too know how to pivot. 

I am saddened because my friend Lola Hill became too hot to be outside for so long. I’m thankful she is at home resting (as reported by Martha Steele 10/5/24). She was the first to come up to me and assure me it was ok about my mistake. Then…as we were wrapping up she became overwhelmed by the heat. I’m thankful EMS came and gave her the option to go in an ambulance or go home with her caring husband. She went home with her husband. As I drove home to my husband I thought about the significance of having great people in my life. Great people who know how to pivot. Thank you women of AAUWSA for being great examples for me to follow. 

FYI - Representative Josey Garcia will be one of our guest speakers at the November 2 meeting. All is not lost after all. ☺️ Thank you for allowing me to be in service to you. 

Claudia L. Walker, Ed.D.

President

AAUW San Antonio

2024-2025 Branch Leaders

Executive Committee

President

Claudia L. Walker, Ed.D.      

President Elect

Vacant  

Vice President Membership

Debbi Sochia                        

Vice President Programs

Martha Steele             

Secretary

Debbi Sochia    

Treasurer

Kathy Dicke

Parliamentarian

Vacant

Standing Committees

Public Policy

Pat Sanford

Finance/Budget

Kathy Dicke

Scholarships/NCCWSL/CU

Jeanette Pierce

AAUW Funds

Vacant

DEI

Dre Andrepoint

STEM

Vacant

Governance

Jeanette Pierce

Appointed Positions

Membership Outreach

Claudia L. Walker, Ed.D.

Community Coordinator

Claudia L. Walker, Ed.D.

Reservations

Martha Steele

Publicity

Michelle Burk

Historian

Rachel Skelley

Communications

Malinda Gaul

November Meeting

Celebrating Veterans

Especially Women Veterans

November 2, 2024

On November 2, our program focuses on military veterans, especially women and other marginalized people.

BRING A WOMAN VETERAN AS YOUR GUEST.

Retired Major Danielle M. Siler will recount her experience as a woman and an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Major Siler culminated her career as the Executive Officer of Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Care Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. This is the Department of Defense’s largest ambulatory surgical care facility, with a Level IV Emergency Room. The surgery center is a multi-campus organization with over 1,300 medical professionals in 43 specialties.

It should be noted that Captain Siler joined the military as an enlisted person, and worked as a Human Resources Manager. While working, she earned three academic degrees. By 2008, she had earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management. She then earned her nursing credentials, including a BS in nursing from Wayland Baptist University here in San Antonio. She has earned numerous awards and decorations, including the Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters.

Finally, we will have a visit from the Honorable Josey Garcia, Representative in the Texas House of Representatives for District 124. She offered to speak to us this month, since a scheduling error on our part resulted in her being unable to speak at our October meeting. In addition to her work as a representative, she is CFO of a local non-profit. She is also retired from the U.S. Air Force, and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. If she is re-elected, she will be the only woman veteran in the Texas House of Representative.

Location:

Kinected Co-Working, Dolphin Training Room

10401 I-10, San Antonio, 78230.

The parking lot is the ground floor of the building.

Take the elevator in the center of the area to the 1st floor.

Lunch:

Delivery from Sea Island, located next door to Kinected at 10303 I-10.

We will pre-order if you wish one of the limited selections below.

Email Martha Steele, steelemar@gmail.com

BY OCTOBER 30

You may pay at the meeting, check or exact change.

Or pay in advance using Zelle.

The payee in Zelle is aauwsatx@gmail.com.

Selections:

Lunch-sized Tuscan Shrimp Pasta (12 shrimp; served with toast, but no sides.)

 $17.00

Lunch-sized Tuscan Chicken Pasta

$17.00

Gluten-free: Teriyaki Glazed Salmon and Shrimp

$19.25

Vegetarian: Greek Side Salad

$10.25

Alternative: Since Sea Island offers pick-up after you order online and pay online, you can select from their extensive menu, pick it up and bring it to the meeting.

This is a direct purchase; no delivery to the meeting and no payment to AAUW.

AAUW San Antonio Textbook Scholarship Drawing 

 $300 VISA Gift Card and $100 VISA Gift Card

You do not need to be present to win or a member of AAUW, so anyone can buy tickets!

Drawing at the Dec 7 General Meeting

1 Ticket - $10    10 Tickets - $75    3 Tickets - $25    15 Tickets - $100

Paying by check: 

Payable to:   AAUW San Antonio

Mail check to: Ruth Lyle

14907 Hidden Glen Woods, San Antonio, TX 78249

To Pay with Zelle:

Click the bill pay tab in your bank account and select Zelle.

Use the email aauwsatx@gmail.com to send money.

In the memo field identify the payment: AAUW Textbook drawing.

Tickets will be available at AAUW monthly meetings and some interest group meetings.

Thank you for making this year’s Textbook Scholarship Fundraiser another great success.

Questions: Ruth Lyle, 210.722.1732, ruthannlyle@gmail.com

Welcome new members!

Melissa Bosnic

Jessie Cline

Gloria Jones

Dennise Vazquez

In our New Member Spotlight this month:

Melissa Bosnic

I have a BA in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in Early Childhood from the University of Texas at San Antonio. I've been an educator for 18 years and have a passion for working with young children. Currently I am teaching first grade at Cole Elementary School for Northside Independent School District.  I have been married for 21 years and I have two sons, Christian-15 and Jacob-11. I love attending my son’s soccer games and enjoy spending time with family.

New member Jessie Clyne is the daughter of fellow member Laura Van Prooyen. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at Trinity University in 2023 with a Major in Political Science and a Minor in Women & Gender Studies. Her interests include reading, yoga, coffee shops, reproductive justice and U.S. Politics.

Did you know? We have a website! The url is: https://sanantonio-tx.aauw.net

It has lots of information and helpful links to our State and National web pages, as well as a Members Only area that includes a map showing where all of our members are located. Great resource if you want to form a neighborhood group with some members that live near you, or get a carpool group together.

The password for the members only section is advocacy24

Debbi Sochia

AAUW San Antonio

Membership VP

How Texas Governs

As I sit down to write the November public policy article for our newsletter, the election is 26 days away. When the newsletter comes out it will be even closer. None of us knows what the outcome will be, but one thing is certain. Whichever way the election goes, there is work to be done.

To be involved in the work, knowing how the legislative session works is helpful. Texas is governed by the Legislature made up of 150 members in the House of Representatives and 31 members in the Senate. The legislature meets every other year in the odd-numbered years during a regular session for 140 days. This is a short amount of time to set the state budget, present and vote on new laws, and make changes to existing laws. The governor can call additional sessions of up to 30 days each. There are many resources available to learn about the legislative process. I urge you to click on the link provided. It provides information clearly and succinctly. I hope it adds to your knowledge base and inspires you to engage when the 89th session begins on January 10, 2025.

To better understand the entire process, please click here https://www.thin.org

Pat Sanford

Public Policy Chair, AAUW SA

Public Policy Committee, AAUW TX

INTENTIONAL LIVING (PREVIOUSLY SIMPLE FIX)

by Dee Kite

Coco is still here! 

And every day she teaches me how to be with things as they are. It seems to boil down to:

Every day is your best day. Enjoy it.

Never ever worry about what you look like or what others think of what you do. Instead remain focused on what is important to you.

Seek out your favorite things.

Do them as often as you can, until you get tired.

Then rest.

Rest often.

Snuggle with those you love.

Never think of how it was once easier, think only of how much you love what you’re doing right now. If you don’t love it find something else or go to sleep.

Stop and smell everything.

Once you get over the shock of the stupid thing someone is imposing, like a coat or shoes, just roll with it and enjoy what you’re doing.

Show your joy with your whole body.

Enjoy what you’re eating. Spit it out if you don’t.

Don’t stop believing you can do it. Until you can’t. Then just stop doing it and never look back.

Accept, peacefully and without guilt, all help.

Plunge into your toy box for treasures.

Be curious about everything. Absolutely everything.

Stay focused on what you’re doing now.

Rest more.

Forget your pain. Forget your limitations. Throw yourself into what you love.

Avoid people who bother you. Bark at them if necessary.

Rest more.

After you’ve told EVERYONE you don’t want to do something but they insist:

Lilly Ledbetter, for whom the Fair Pay Act of 2009 was named, died on October 14 at the age of 86.

Ledbetter's gender discrimination suit against Goodyear resulted in 10 years of litigation, which culminated in a Supreme Court decision that reduced her $3 million award for years of unequal pay to back pay for only 180 days.

In the next Congressional session, Congress passed the law which allowed discrimination suits to seek damages for unequal pay of up to two years of back pay.

Together, Ms. Ledbetter, AAUW, and countless other organizations advocating for equal pay participated in marches, wrote letters, and sent emails which motivated Congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009.

Today, we continue her legacy by championing equal pay legislation such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would give workers new tools for ensuring that employers pay women and men equally for equal work. 

Read more about Lilly Ledbetter from AAUW.

American Association of University Women

San Antonio Branch

2024-2025 Programs

December - May

Theme for 2024-2025:

Celebrating our Differences As We Advocate for All Women

December 7, 2024 - Christmas Service Projects

1)    Bring school supplies to distribute to teachers to allow them to replenish supplies that are usually depleted by January.

2)    Prepare bags of toiletries for homeless individuals served by Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM). Many thanks to Jeanette Pierce for arranging this project for the second time in December.



Location: BaHa’i Center, 735 W. Magnolia Avenue

Boxed lunches

February 1, 2025 - Valentine’s Day Celebration

Activity: Painting With A Twist, The Forum, 8206 Agora Pkwy, Live Oak.

One week in advance, select a painting project from the offerings of the studio, and make a reservation directly with them and pay them online. Approximately $40 per person. Refreshments will be served, but not lunch. Gather a group to have brunch on your own at nearby La Madeleine.

March 1, 2025 - Women’s History Month

Speaker: Betsy Gerhardt Palsey, author of From the Sidelines to the Headlines: The Legacy of Women’s Sports at Trinity University, Trinity University Press, 2023.

Topic: Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972. Ms. Palsey’s participation in sports preceded Title IX, but in researching her book, she learned about how this law has affected women’s educational opportunities, including extracurricular programs such as sports. At this year’s Olympics, U.S. women’s participation exceeded men’s participation for the first time.

Location: TBA

*Brunch, not Lunch - Note the article in last newsletter about “Can We Talk?” This year we hope to recruit more members to attend this March dinner and program about issues and events affecting women in San Antonio. Date and program details will be announced at our February meeting and in the newsletter.

April 5, 2025 - Scholarship Luncheon

Master of Ceremonies: Jeanette Pierce, Scholarship Committee Chair.

Topic: Announcement of our scholarship winners, and introduction of those winners who can attend.

Location: Restaurant tba

Remember: The more money that is donated to the Raffle and to the Champagne and Chocolate Fundraiser, the more textbook scholarships we can fund.

May 3, 2025

Speaker: Brian Thompson, Edward Jones Financial Management

Topic: Management of AAUW Endowments, which fund our graduate student scholarships.

Location and lunch tba

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