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NORTHERN VISIONS
March 2025 EDITION
| TC Average High in March: 35.8°F | |
President’s Message
As I turn the page of the Calendar to March, I realize that Spring is on its way. We have much to look forward to. We will return to in-person meetings beginning this month on March 17th. In just a little more than two months, we will be celebrating Women Matter with the Athena Awards on May 8, 2025. The board has voted unanimously to hired Amy Shamroe as Event Planner for the Athena event which will take place at Kirkbride Hall this year. With Amy’s many talents and great connections, I am sure the Athena Event will be a wonderful celebration.
Happy Spring! Jean Zerges
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March 2025: Women Matter
Voices of Women Clergy
Monday, March 17th at 6:00 p.m.
Dennos Museum, Janis Room
Voices of Women Clergy – Monday, March 17, 6 p.m. In-Person Women Matter in all walks of life and increasingly are making headway in professions that were once (or still are) dominated by men. Meet Rev. Linda Stephen, Central United Methodist Church, and Rev. Julie Delezenne, Presbyterian Church as they share their stories of women in pastoring roles. How has gender affected their career paths? What do they feel they bring to the table? What kind of acceptance have they found in their roles? Meet them ahead of time in the short bios that follow this article.
The monthly gathering will be in the Janis Room at the Dennos Museum Center, 6 p.m. Refreshments will be provided by the Verna Mae book group. Calling all group leaders – please encourage all members of your group to attend. You can share a word about your group’s activities if you wish. Calling all members - bring a friend to enjoy the camaraderie and discover AAUW.
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Rev. Julie Delezenne began as Senior Pastor/Head of Staff at the Presbyterian Church of Traverse City in February 2024. In past calls, she has served an interfaith nonprofit in Chicago, outdoor ministry sites in Texas and Northern Michigan, and a church in Warren, MI. Julie has her Masters of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary and Masters of Nonprofit Administration from North Park University. She studied International Relations and French at the College of Wooster where she received her BA.
She has an interest in exploring the spirituality of “play” and enjoys finding new ways to infuse play and fun into worship and meetings. Julie also loves hiking with her family, playing violin, and strength training.
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Rev. Linda Stephan is the first woman to serve as Lead Pastor at Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City. She has a passion for creating high-functioning systems and for imagining ministries that foster justice and inclusion. A second-career pastor, she was ordained at age 44. Before that she spent a decade at Interlochen Public Radio, running the stations for a nine -month interim in 2014-2015. She has also worked in nonprofit communications and played a pivotal role in the launch of an overnight drop-in center for women experiencing prostitution and human trafficking in Grand Rapids. Linda has a MA in journalism and a Master of Divinity (MDiv). She is a proud alumnus of Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City Central and Cherry Knoll Elementary schools. She spends her free time skiing in the woods or with a book on the beach. She has also been a foster parent and claims two amazing (now adult) “teenagers.
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Webinars of Interest
on the AAUW YouTube
Why not take advantage of those delightful longer days in March and dive into the empowering content on the AAUW YouTube channel? With most videos ranging from half an hour to an hour, you can soak up knowledge like the sun soaks up the spring! Every view is a step towards greater understanding of women’s issues, and together, we can be a powerful voice in advocacy and education. Let’s get watching and growing!
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STEM Committee
Contact: Laura Higgins, 515-229-7062, ohiowami@gmail.com
The AAUW-TC STEM Committee will meet Wednesday March 12, 2025 at the Traverse Area District Library at 6:00-8:00 pm in Study Room D.
We will begin to synthesize information gathered from our STEM Community Listening Sessions and lay the groundwork for a STEM Action Plan.
All interested members are welcome to participate.
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Flower Power: Order before May 15th
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and dig deep into a unique opportunity with the AAUW of Michigan's Flower Power Fundraiser! From January 3 to May 15, 2025, you can beautify your garden while making a meaningful impact on our scholarship fund.
Flower Power stands out in the fundraising world by providing an eco-friendly alternative, featuring only the finest, high-quality bulbs and plants sourced from top-notch growers in Holland and the U.S. Plus, they back their products with a fabulous, unconditional 100% replacement guarantee—how's that for peace of mind?
Tell your friends! http://AAUWTraverseCity.fpfundraising.comJoin us in our mission to advance gender equity for women and girls, knowing that your contributions will directly enhance scholarship opportunities. Let’s come together as a community, celebrate the beauty of nature, and make a difference—order your bulbs today and help us bloom brighter together!
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Monday Evening Book Group — Bonnie Willings, 231-645-0578, bkwillings@yahoo.com
March 10, 2025 @ 6:00 p.m. Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. Andi Kramer is the discussion leader and Irene Brown is the hostess.
Night Readers — Cindy Hull, 231-349-1757, hullc@gvsu.edu
March 18, 2025 @ 6:30 p.m. Our book is the Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Cindy is the discussion leader and we'll be at the Elks.
Verna Mae Book Group — Joyce Jasinski, 760-212-2431, jjasinski46@gmail.com
March 26, 2025 @ 11:00 a.m. in the Thirlby Room of the Woodmere Branch of the Traverse City Library. The group will be reading Small Things by Claire Keegan.
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Book Sales & Farmers’ Market — Amy Gibson aemark1@gmail.com and Shirley Murray, 231-943-4663 sgibsonmurray@gmail.com
AAUW mini-book sales are the first Saturdays from November to April, 10:00-2:00 p.m. at the Mercato Winter Farmers’ Market.
The February 2025 sale netted $205.36.
The Annual Book Sale will be the first weekend of May and we are now accepting donations. You can bring your books and puzzles to the last two Saturday sales, March and April, at the Mercato. Sale dates include: setup on Thursday, May 1st set up; Sale Friday and Saturday May 2nd-3rd from 9 am - 6 p.m.; Sale Sunday, May 4th from noon - 3 p.m.
Upcoming Mini Sales
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Lunch & Bridge — Shirley Murray, 231-943-4663, sgibsonmurray@gmail.com
This group meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at the Traverse City Country Club. We play for about an hour and then have lunch, followed by more bridge!
March 13, 2025, 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
March 27, 2025 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
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Living Well with Cancer Group —
Meets last Monday of the month
Meet us on Monday, March 24th, 10 a.m.
RSVP Pat (231) 946-3746)
It’s not all about cancer! It’s also about making friends. Join us to talk together.
Coffee, Tea & Pastries
Home of Pat Lewallen
4725 Sunrise Lane
Directions: call Pat: (231) 946-3746
Questions: Sandy Seppala-Gyr 703-597-7925, sansep19@gmail.com
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Lunchin' Around — Pat Lewallen: 231-946-3746, bandplew@chartermi.net
Thursday, March 20th, noon a.m.
Our next Lunchin' Around gathering is Thursday, March 20th, noon at Frida's, located at the Grand Traverse Mall with delicious food, easy parking. Check out Frida's Menu of Mexican food.
Pat will be out of town so please RSVP by February 18th to Andi Kramer who will take reservations. Guests always welcome. Hope you can join us!
Our discussion question will be: What have you crossed off your bucket list about which you're happiest or proudest?
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Poetry Interest Group — Shirley Murray, 231-943-4663, sgibsonmurray@gmail.com
Meets third Friday of the month
Friday, March 21, 2025, 11-1 p.m.
Bring your poetry and/or enjoy work by selected poets. Snacks provided.
Location: Shirley Murray’s 610 Cottageview Drive apartment. Call for directions.
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February Zoom Meeting Summary An Evening with Dr. Magruder
The February Zoom meeting featured educator and research epidemiologist, Dr. Kathryn Magruder. The gift of Zoom is that we could interact with her from living room to living room even though she was in South Carolina. About 14 people attended the event to learn more about the prevalence of PTSD in women who were nurses or personnel in the Vietnam War. Special thanks go to the Night Readers group who contacted her after reading Hannah’s book, The Women. Slides from her presentation are linked here.
Additional PTSD Resources
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U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Women Veterans Health Care PTSD resource page.
| | Have you experienced or lived with someone diagnosed with PTSD? | | | | |
Pictured left top Eleanor Roosevelt at the United Nations. Below Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune pictured together, an unusual friendship.
Federal Govement Resources
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National Archives and Records Administration, NARA page on Women's History offers links to images videos, online exhibits, educational resources, and specific topic guides.
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The National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating the role of women in American history. Women's History Month.GOV
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The Smithsonian in celebrating Women's History Month by exploring events, resources, podcast episodes, and exhibitions that tell a diversity of women's stories. So many including a resource on an incredible women, Mary McLeod Bethune.
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AAUW Issues:
Women's History Month
There are so many resources about women's history on the web--this is a broad sweep of reliable resources. Enjoy!
Traverse City
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Record Eagle article inviting your to submit your Women's History Month 2025 nomination(s) now for their chance to be featured in our upcoming Women's History Month publication on March 23, 2025!
AAUW
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Time to remember AAUW's founding by pioneering women who wanted to ensure women and girls had equal opportunity to pursue education and careers, Our History.
Michigan
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Dates to Remember
- Mini Book Sale: March 1st and April 5th @ 10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m.
- Board Meeting: March 3rd @ 9:00 a.m.; all members welcome with notice
- Monday Evening Book Group: March 10th @ 6:00 p.m.
- STEM Group: March 12th @ 6-8:00 p.m.
- Bridge: March 13th @ 11:30-1:00 p.m.
- Night Readers: March 18th @ 6:30 p.m.
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- Lunchin' Around: March 20th @ noon
- AAUW-TC Branch Meeting: March 17th, 6:00 p.m.
- Poetry Interest Group: Friday, March 21st @ 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Living Well with Cancer: March 24th @10:00 a.m.
- Verna Mae Book Club March 26th @ 11 a.m.
- Bridge: March 27th @ 11:30-1:00 p.m.
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