...empowering women since 1922 | |
AAUW of Michigan 2024 Summer/Fall Newsletter | |
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President's Message:
Fresh Start for Fall
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Amy Shamroe, AAUWMI President
aauwamy@gmail.com
517-930-9999 (Cell)
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Like students heading back to school, fall is usually the beginning of a new year in AAUW as well. For some of us we are stepping fully into new roles. Branches are coming back full swing with activities and programming. It is time for a new start with familiar framework and faces. | |
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In July, the new AAUWMI board met in Lansing to plan for the coming year. Thanks to the hard work of recent boards, a great foundation has been laid for our organization. From membership outreach to Playbooks for board leadership, a lot of tools have been created for AAUWMI and Michigan branches to be successful and grow. Because of this work, our agenda was focused on the theme of COMMUNICATION.
Our new board understands the State’s vital role in bridging the communication gap between National and branches. We are looking at hosting more statewide Zoom discussions on AAUW issues in the coming year. There are also plans to bring back regional leadership gatherings to keep the conversations to continue the information sharing and community building we started at State Convention and keep it going until our next in-person statewide event in 2026.
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Other board members and I also want to remind branches that we are available to speak at branch programs. You can find our contact information at the end of this newsletter. With the variety of both location and work situations among all of us, we can usually ensure AAUWMI can be represented in your area. | |
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From our newsletters like this edition to program e-blasts letting you know about statewide discussions like the upcoming Zoom presentation on October 2 by Lisa Maatz, AAUW's former Vice President of Governmental Relations and Advocacy (watch for an e-blast with more information later this week), we on the board are dedicated to keeping communication strong with you all. I would also love to hear from any of you about initiatives and outreach that has worked at your branch that we might be able to use at the State level. Communication is key.
We are all AAUW together and we help make each other stronger and I look forward to the events and conversations we will all have in the next year!
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Share our Goal, Raise our Voices in Unity, and Pass the ERA!
News from Co-VPs/Programs Linda Kevorkian and Sharon McKenna
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Report on the Michigan Women's Equality Day Luncheon | |
The annual Women's Equality Day Luncheon, sponsored by AAUWMI and many partners in women's rights and advocacy, was held at St. Mary’s Cultural Center in Livonia on August 24th. | |
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Mickey Edell's welcome speech gave the audience the information to get excited for the rest of the afternoon. Mickey thanked Sheila Blair for all her hard work on the many aspects of organizing the program. Mickey was responsible for the delicious food and the luncheon set-up. Our first speaker was Jackson member Patricia Rayl, who provided a status update on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). 38 states have approved the amendment, but the fight is not yet over. The Archivist of the United States must sign and publish the document, an action that President Biden could direct in the remaining months of his term.
Mickey Edell delivered a tribute for long time AAUW member Laura Carter Callow, a Michigan Women's Hall of Fame inductee known as the "Susan B. Anthony of Michigan" for her advocacy of women's rights and the ERA. Callow stressed the need for the ERA in her own remarks.
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Luncheon attendees gave Laura Carter Callow a standing ovation when Mickey Edell presented her with a token of appreciation for her years of advocating for the ERA. | |
The trio of Wayne State women leaders who formed the keynote panel included (left to right): Bethany Wicksall Gielczyk, Dr. Laurie Lauzan Clabo, and Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy. | |
The keynote panel of the top women leaders from Wayne State University included President Kimberly Andrews Espy, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie Lauzan Clabo, and Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Bethany Wicksall Gielczyk. Sheila Blair served as moderator. | |
Many of the questions posed to the panel concerned needs of young women and ways to involve and encourage them, meeting them where they are so they can take the next steps forward. The panel affirmed that young women want to make a difference; charge them with a goal and watch them change the world. | |
Attendees were asked to wear suffrage colors of purple, gold, and white. The women in this group certainly rose to the occasion! | |
AAUWMI Membership Update
Eva Habib
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September brings a crispness in the air, the start of the leaves changing, and another year of activities with the AAUWMI Membership. Again, I am confident this will be a successful year of membership activities and development.
The 2024-2025 Membership committee is a unique and focused group of ladies. Their dedication and passion for our mission are inspiring. I am proud to introduce N’Kenge Gonzalez—National member, Sarah Lucas—Big Rapids, Mary Nameth—Dearborn, Judy Pollock—South Haven, and myself, Eva Habib—Grosse Pointe, who have all volunteered their time to help our members and mission.
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Although AAUW National approved the AAUW Capitol Area and Adrian/ Irish Hills Branches, we still await National's directions on proceeding with the next step.
AAUW-Dearborn Branch organizes a monthly “Meet and Greet” where the members get together, invite prospective and new members, introduce themselves, socialize, talk, laugh, and eat! And they DON’T talk business! They invited me to join them, and I am glad I did. It was a delightful afternoon, and I encourage branches to adopt this tradition, where members mingle, socialize, and make friends.
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I am here to support you. I maintain close contact with the branch Membership VPs and address their requests and concerns. Please continue the open communication; it is helpful to face challenges, and I am confident we will continue to do that.
You can reach me anytime via email at evahabib@comcast.net or text at 313-418-9085 with any questions or concerns.
Cheers to a great year of membership!
Eva Habib
AAUWMI Membership VP
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Action and Advocacy
Ruth Brown, AAUWMI Public Policy Director
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Welcome to the 2024-2025 program year!
Thank you for your dedication and commitment to AAUW and for focusing on Public Policy matters, especially advocacy as it relates to AAUW's mission and AAUWMI's Public Policy Priorities.
If you are serving your branch as the Public Policy chair this year, thank you! The good news is there are many resources readily available. Begin with AAUW of Michigan's Public Policy Advocacy Playbook. This is your "toolkit" of best practices and resources to conduct your role effectively in your branch. You can find the Playbook on the AAUWMI website's homepage. While on this website, look over the Public Policy section for more useful information.
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This year, AAUW of Michigan is going to track bills that focus on education, civil rights, and economic security, especially as they relate to AAUW's mission. Think about advocating for issues that improve the lives of women and girls in Michigan. On a regular basis, please utilize AAUW's national website for all things AAUW.
This is an important election year. We will have a new President and a new Congress in 2025 on the Federal level, plus state and local elections, including a race for the powerful Michigan Supreme Court. These newly elected leaders will shape the future for years to come. Please vote! Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has determined that it is permissible to drive people to the polls. Offer someone a ride!
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The next Public Policy branch counterpart meeting on Zoom has been planned for Wednesday October 23, 2024 at 7:00pm EST. Please "Save the Date" for this opportunity to interact with your counterparts in other branches and for timely and relevant information that you can share with your branches. More information, including the Zoom link, will be provided in October. If you have questions or need assistance before then, please feel free to contact me at any time.
Ruth Brown
travelgirl4@comcast.net
(517) 398-0116 cell and text
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AAUWMI's Public Policy Priorities in Lansing
Mary Pollock, Government Relations Coordinator
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With the balanced state budget done and signed into law, the Michigan Legislature recessed for the summer. National eyes are now on Michigan’s fall election period September 26 – November 5 because we are considered one of seven swing states crucial for a presidential win in the Electoral College. There will be eight candidates for U.S. President on the Michigan ballot. Michigan has an open U.S. Senate seat with Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s retirement and six candidates vying for the spot, two open U.S. Congressional seats currently held by U.S. Reps. Elissa Slotkin (CD 7) and Dan Kildee (CD 8), and two districts considered competitive by the two major parties (CD 3 and CD 10). | |
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All 110 Michigan House seats all on the ballot; the Michigan Senate is not up this year. Be sure to go to the non-partisan section of the ballot to vote for the two Michigan Supreme Court positions and any local ballot proposals. There are no statewide ballot proposals this cycle. | | |
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AAUWMI will be distributing a questionnaire to all federal office candidates about issues important to AAUW members. Watch for the results of that survey in the next month. And to help you understand all the new election laws (including two new ways to cast your absentee ballot!), see Some Important Election Information in Michigan for 2024 on the AAUWMI website.
Every AAUW member is deputized to help others understand how to register and vote this year, especially the 18 – 35-year-olds in your acquaintance, who are woefully under registered and underrepresented among those who vote.
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July 31 brought our big win – the landmark 4-3 decision by the Michigan Supreme Court holding that the Legislature cannot adopt and then amend voter-initiated laws in the same legislative session. AAUWMI with the help of the ACLU of Michigan had submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the voter-initiated laws. The court thus reinstated the two voter-initiated laws – Public Act 337 of 2018 and PA 338 of 2018 - concerning minimum wage increases and 40 hours of earned paid sick leave, respectively. The high court ordered the laws to go into effect on February 21, 2025, and invalidated the Legislature's amended versions of the laws, PA 368 of 2018 and PA 369 of 2018. The hospitality industry and business interests want the legislature to scale back both laws this fall. These laws are important to the economic security of minimum wage workers, about two-thirds of whom are women, and all workers who need some paid time off to care for themselves or others. | |
AAUWMI Virtual Lobby Corps | | |
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If you are interested in legislative happenings in Lansing, join AAUWMI Virtual Lobby Corps Zoom calls on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. EST. Mary Pollock, AAUWMI Government Relations Coordinator hosts the meetings and often has guest speakers. Email Mary at pollockm@comcast.net to be added to the distribution list for meeting reminders and late-breaking news. | |
News from the Finance Corner
Sheila Blair, AAUWMI Finance Vice President
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Branches Should Know the Facts Before Switching Banks | |
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Due to new requirements, changing banks will be more difficult going forward.
Branch leaders should not take lightly the decision to change banks for the branch or foundation (if you have one) accounts. The decision to change banks may be considered due to diminishing bank locations or high fees, etc.
Just prior to COVID, however, banks changed the acceptable documentation to open new business accounts and now require even our branches to file for a business license with the State of Michigan.
To obtain a business license requires a $50 initial fee and an annual renewal fee of at least $20. While this is not extraordinarily expensive, it is an extra task for the Treasurer and unnecessary costs for the branch.
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Instead of changing banks, attempt to work with your current bank to make your relationship with them function. For example, typically, you want a local bank in order to make deposits, at the very least. However, now, deposits can be made through an app on your smartphone. Most banking can now be done through a smartphone app or online through your computer.
For this or any other AAUW finance questions, please contact me and I will attempt to help: sheilablairpmp@gmail.com.
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From the Secretary's Desk
Katie Wiese, AAUWMI Secretary
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I’m Katie Wiese, and I just assumed the role of Secretary for AAUWMI. Jan Van Gasse and Kay Calley-Martin are a tough act to follow, and I appreciate all their help and support.
If you are new to your position as Secretary, you might be thinking “What did I get myself into?” AAUW is a group of women supporting women, and we’re all here to support each other. We’ll have a Zoom session to get to know each other better, answer questions, and share tips and tricks with other recording secretaries.
Meeting minutes are important to an organization, as they document who attended, and any motions or action items from a meeting. Don’t procrastinate, as they are easier to write while your memory is still fresh. Others can review the minutes and suggest any corrections.
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If you are a branch secretary, please email Katie no later than September 20th with your name and branch. I look forward to hearing from you.
Don’t feel that you are alone, reach out with your questions and needs at any time.
Katie Wiese
248-842-8684
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Empowering the Faces of Tomorrow through the AAUW College and University (C/U) Partner Membership!
Barb Duran, AAUWMI College/University Director
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Did You Know….
…THAT there are currently 93 C/Us located within the state of Michigan?
Did You Know…
…THAT only 14 C/Us are taking part in the C/U Partners program that AAUW offers?
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This leaves quite a few C/Us that are not taking advantage of the benefits that the AAUW C/U Partner Membership provides (79 to be exact!!). Those benefits include:
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FREE access to virtual training sessions on salary negotiations, financial literacy and voter education.
- An activist community with tools, resources and training needed to advocate for gender equity issues and making students’ voices heard in Congress, and at the state and local levels.
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Individual Memberships – Each C/U partner membership includes 2 National Individual memberships for staff or faculty. Also, undergrads and degree seeking graduates can become student members for FREE!
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Access to fellowships and grants – each year AAUW awards fellowships and grants to women pursuing graduate-level studies and community projects.
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Opportunity for scholarships/free registration to attend NCCWSL (National Conference for College Women Student Leaders) annually.
As the new C/U Relations Liaison at the state level, my goal is to increase C/U partner membership by 25% during my first year.
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Students attending NCCWSL | |
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AAUW's new C/U Member Toolkit will help your branch promote AAUW and engage with prospective and current C/U members in your community. Contents include: FAQs, a C/U Membership flyer, and flyers to encourage students, staff, and faculty on campus to access the Salary Negotiation and Financial Literacy trainings available to all C/U Members.
Please share the above link with your C/U Relations Director at your branch and share my contact information with them as well, so that we can work together to share our vision and mission with C/Us who wish to become partners with AAUW.
I recently met via Zoom with branch C/U leaders and/or presidents to provide the information they need to share with their current C/U partners or to help recruit a C/U partner in their community or region. I’m also available to assist in person or virtually with outreach to the college or university students and faculty to introduce this valuable program.
Let’s Set up our Students for Success!
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Bylaws Briefings
Jan Van Gasse, AAUWMI Bylaws Director
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At the beginning of each program year, it is important to think about branch bylaws and policies. Most experts would say that bylaws and policies should be reviewed annually so that all board members familiarize themselves with the provisions.
Bylaws are required by law in Michigan. Some branch officer or committee needs to be responsible for branch bylaws. Only six branches have named a specific bylaws chair in the Community Hub (Big Rapids, Birmingham, Farmington, Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Rochester, and Northville-Novi).
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If you have not updated your bylaws since May of 2023, it is time to do so. AAUW-mandated amendments that are required to be in your bylaws can be found here. These were voted on in 2023 and should replace your first seven articles if different. The name of your affiliate (branch) should be inserted in Article I, Sections 1 and 2. Branches can approve the required changes with a vote of the board. A full vote of the membership is not required to implement national-mandated changes to affiliate bylaws.
At the same time, it would be a good idea to look at your branch-specific articles and plan for any proposed amendments that you will present to your membership at your annual meeting. Any proposed amendments to branch bylaws that are in addition to those mandated by AAUW must be sent to the AAUW of Michigan Bylaws Director Jan Van Gasse for approval before the call for the branch to vote at its annual meeting.
Branch-specific articles that might need to be changed based on the bylaws changes to AAUWMI’s bylaws that were approved at our 2023 annual meeting are as follows:
- Any mention of delegates to the annual meeting will need to be changed. We no longer have delegates, but rather each member in good standing as of the official notice of the annual meeting is entitled to vote.
- Any mention of the Convention should note that it is held biennially. The annual meeting, however, is held every year and each member in good standing as of the official notice of the annual meeting is entitled to vote if in attendance at the annual meeting. The annual meeting is held during the Convention in even-numbered years and electronically in odd-numbered years.
- Any mention of a specific date when dues are due will need to be changed. AAUW National dues are no longer due by June 30th for all members, but rather are due according to a schedule of when a member joins AAUW. Their due date for dues could be any month. A statement that says “Follow AAUW’s schedule” would be appropriate in a branch-specific article if you have an article about dues.
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Any types of amendments to branch bylaws are to be sent to the AAUWMI Bylaws Director within 90 days of amendment. The deadline for submitting revised bylaws to AAUW via connect@aauw.org is June 30, 2026. At this point in time, amended bylaws have been approved for the following branches:
- Big Rapids
- Birmingham
- Grosse Pointe
- Jackson
- Midland
- Rochester
- South Haven
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Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns. I am always willing to look at your bylaws, so please don’t hesitate to contact me. Also, check out the Bylaws Playbook found on the home page of AAUW of Michigan’s website at https://aauwmi.org/. I will be contacting branches this fall that have not submitted their amended bylaws to see how I can help with the amendment process. | |
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AAUW Fellowships and Grants
Mary Jane Kearns, AAUW Funds Director
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Help spread the word! AAUW awards money for graduate study, post-doctorate basic research, or community action projects. Applicants can now apply now for funding through AAUW's Fellowships and Grants Programs.
Applications will open on September 16 and can be submitted through November 15. AAUW has awarded over $135 million in fellowships and grants to more than 13,000 scholars and organizations in 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam and 150 countries, one of the largest scholarship programs for women in the world. Detailed application instructions for the 2024-2025 award cycle are on the AAUW website. Links to individual awards are included in this article.
Please share this information. It would be wonderful to have a recipient with ties to Michigan.
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Share Your Branch's Activities with Other Branches
Leah Monger, State Services Manager
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Does your branch publish a newsletter? Did you know that you can send your newsletters (PDFs or online links) to me to be shared on the AAUWMI website with other branches? We provide links to the three most recent issues of branch newsletters. Perusing other branch's newsletters is a great way to get ideas for your own branch.
If your branch has a major celebration such as a milestone branch anniversary, I can also publish photos and brief highlights from your event in AAUWMI's quarterly newsletters and social media.
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Additionally, if your branch has a major fundraiser (e.g. annual used book sale), I'd love to know about it. If you send me a publicity image for your fundraising event with sufficient notice, I can try to schedule a post about your event in AAUWMI's social media.
This is a good opportunity to remind everyone that AAUWMI is currently posting to Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If your branch has an active page on these platforms, I'm probably following your page and reacting to your posts as AAUWMI when I see them. User engagement on these platforms increases the probability that your posts will show up in user feeds. If you follow AAUWMI and react to our posts, the increased engagement will increase the reach of our posts. If we all react to each other's social media posts, we'll increase the reach of all of our affiliate social media communications. If you aren't following AAUWMI social media already, please pick a platform and follow us now.
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As always, I’m your front line of support with any AAUW or AAUWMI questions you might have. I might not have the answer, but I’ll forward your question to someone who does. Please contact me for assistance. | |
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AAUW of Michigan
Important Dates
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Tuesday, October 2, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET – Vote Your Values: Arm Yourself with Knowledge Before You Go To the Polls, Zoom Presentation by former AAUW VP of Governmental Relations and Advocacy, Lisa Maatz, Register here
Thursday, October 3 – Latinas’ Equal Pay Day
Saturday, October 12, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET – AAUW of Michigan Board Meeting* (via Zoom)
Friday, November 1 – Announce Nominating Committee to Branch Presidents
Thursday, November 21 – Native Women’s Equal Pay Day
Tuesday, December 10 – Fall/Winter Newsletter distributed
Saturday, January 18, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ET – AAUW of Michigan Board Meeting* (via Zoom)
Saturday, February 3 – Deadline for submitting proposed Bylaws Amendments
Tuesday, March 11 – Winter/Spring Newsletter distributed
Wednesday, June 10 – Spring/Summer Newsletter distributed
*Any member of AAUW of Michigan is welcome to attend Board meetings. Please send an email to Amy Shamroe, President, if you would like to attend any meeting, and she will send you the details.
Note: Lobby Corps meetings occur monthly. If you would like to know what's going on in our state legislature, please email pollockm@comcast.net to attend those meetings.
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AAUW of Michigan Leadership Team 2023-2024 | | |
Elected Officers/Executive Committee | |
AAUWMI Administrative Staff | | | | |
