AAUW NEWS OF NOTE

President: Kay Campbell (781) 740-0788

Membership VPs:Sheila Doherty (781) 848-8122 and Hollie Bagley (781) 749-6274

Program VPs:Allison Marshall (781) 749-8591  and  Jane Moore (781) 659-9443

 

Mission Statement: AAUW promotes equity for all women and girls, lifelong education, and positive societal change.

Vision Statement: AAUW is committed to making a significant impact on education and equity for all women and girls.

 We will remove barriers and develop opportunities to enable women and girls to reach their full potential. 

This shared vision drives the work of AAUW at all levels.

 

HINGHAM AREA BRANCH     MARCH  2006

 

CALENDAR

 

            March 4, Saturday                    My Turn to Learn – A College Fair for the Nontraditional Student                                 Westgate Mall, Brockton, 1-5 PM

 

            March 14, Tuesday                  Branch Meeting - Why Our Towns Need a Long Range Energy

                                                             Planning Committee,presentation by Russell Heissner

                                                            Jane Street and Pat Granahan Facilitators

                                                                                                                                                                                                Hingham Public Library, 7-9 PM                                                         

 

            March 28, Tuesday                  Branch-wide Values Discussion followed by Spring Branch Board

                                                            Meeting, home of Sheila Doherty, 7 PM

 

            March 29, Wednesday             Girls’ Game Night, Home of Sharon Lemoff, 7 PM

 

            April 8/9, Saturday/Sunday       Spring State Conference – See BayStater for details

 

            April 11, Tuesday                     Branch Meeting  “Your Life As Art – Memoir Writing”

                                                            Presented by Suzanne Strempek Shea

                                                                                                                                                                                                Hingham Public Library, 7-9 PM


BRANCH MEETING

The cost of energy - it’s on everyone’s mind these days as we pay more and more for gas, electricity, and heat.  Now is the time to learn about one thing we might be able to do to address the problem.

The Long-range Strategic Planning Committee of the Hingham Municipal Light Plant has recommended that the town develop a comprehensive energy policy.   At this meeting, sponsored jointly by AAUW and the League of Women Voters, Russell Heissner will discuss “Why our towns should establish a Long-range Energy Committee.”   Russ served on the committee that made the recommendation and currently is Project Development Manager at Dedham’s BC International Corporation, which is developing the world’s first commercial demonstration of biomass ethanol technology.

           

The meeting will be on Tuesday, March 11, at the Hingham Public Library from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

Jane Street and Pat Granahan will be the facilitators.  Come, listen, and learn.

 

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

 

Brava! to Heather Gregory for organizing such an educational and stimulating February branch meeting with the speakers from the Women’s Financial Network of Bedford. It attracted visitors as well as branch members  we don’t often see at branch meetings. That’s the sign of a great program!

 

March is probably our busiest month this program year. We have an engaging branch meeting planned, a highly visible service project, as well as the opportunity to influence AAUW at the association level with our views of the organization. With our special interest groups going full-steam, the month will just fly by!

           

We are gearing up for My Turn to Learn, the college fair for nontraditional students at the Westgate Mall on March 4th. If you would like to volunteer at the fair, please contact Hollie Bagley as soon as possible. She is in charge of the AAUW table, which will be at the centerpiece of the college fair. You are also welcome to just stop by and say hello. 

           

Thinking ahead to April, please consider attending the annual Spring Convention at the Marlboro Holiday Inn on April 8th and 9th. This year’s topic is “Sex, Money and Power: How Gender, Economics and Higher Education Affect Women in 2006.” Marjorie Claprood will be speaking at the conference She founded her own foundation, the One Family Scholar Program, to help disadvantaged women pursue higher education. Check your latest BayStater for the agenda, or visit the website at: www.aauw-ma.org.

           

I hope everyone will find something of interest in our activities this month!

 

Kay


                    

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

 

On February 10, 2006, three new three pages were launched in the Membership area of the AAUW website They may be viewed by signing in to the Member Center at www.aauw.org.  Choose Branches and States from the left table of contents.  Scroll down to Membership and look for the links labeled NEW.

·     The Membership Officer Resource page lists in one place all the resources (and links) a membership officer should need to do the job

·     The Success Stories page gives us ideas from real branches and states for membership growth.  It will be an ongoing page with updates as received and archives

·     The Notes from the Chair page is an open letter to all members from the association membership chair to be used as a communications tool to be updated and revised often.

 

Hingham Area Branch is featured on the Success Stories page.  Yes, that's right.  Those are Hingham Area Branch members gracing the page!  A wonderful article Kay wrote about our branch for the February-March 2006 South Shore Women's Journal leads off the examples of membership growth activities.  Great job, Kay!  Last year's Honoring Family Friendly Worplaces project is also posted.  Examples from the Hingham Area Branch are also mentioned in the Membership Teleseminar which can be found by clicking on the Workshops link under Membership.  The direct link to the Success Stories page is http://www.aauw.org/member_center/branches_states/membership/SharingSuccess.cfm.  Hope you get a chance to visit the website.  We look good!!!

           

Beginning March 16 dues return to full-year prices.  2007 rates are:  Association ($45), State ($12) and Branch ($11) for a total of $68.  The good news is that anyone joining after March 15 will receive the rest of this year free.  The March meeting is the last chance for an attendee to take advantage of the incredible Shape the Future discount of 50% off the half-price Association ’06 dues.  If a prospective member joins on the spot her membership will extend through June 30 for the low price of $22.25 or she may choose to extend her membership through June 30, 2007 by paying next year’s dues and get the rest of this year free.

           

A membership display will be part of the My Turn to Learn exhibit at the Westgate Mall on March 4th.  

 

Chit Chat:  It was good to see new faces at the February meeting.  Thanks, Heather, for your tremendous outreach efforts.  The packed room included our newest member, Betsy Jackson, and a familiar face, Lauren Doherty.  And thanks, Sheila, for adding a welcome touch with your Valentine lollypops. We send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Casey Cartwright who is recovering from foot surgery.  And it was good to learn that Fran Schlesinger’s daughter Ann, who won our Recognition Award, has been made Phi Beta Kappa!

Sheila and Hollie

 

SAVE THE DATE                 Tuesday, May 9th    Our Annual Dinner

                       

                                                                             

GIRLS’ GAME NIGHT

 

The Girls Game Night group will meet on Wednesday, March 29 at 7:00 pm at the home of Sharon Lemoff, Hingham.  As the song goes, “Girls just like to have fun,” and fun we have.  So far we have played a variety of games, the last of which was the card game, Oh heck!  All are welcome to attend.  Give Sharon a call at 781 749-3734 or email (slemoff@hrblock.com) and tell her you’ll be there.

 

 

WRITERS’ GROUP

 

 Check with Kay Campbell for topic and meeting location details.

 

 

LOUISIANA LIBRARY FUND

 

Thank you to all who contributed so generously to help Hurricane Katrina victims.  $200 was sent from the Hingham Area Branch to the Louisiana Library Foundation to help devastated libraries rebuild their collections.

 

                       

AAUW Values Discussion

 

 Early last June, our board had a very fruitful strategic planning discussion that helped us focus on our goals for the coming years. Now the Association is engaging in a similar exercise on a massive scale, asking all branches across the country to have a discussion about AAUW Values, and what the organization means to us. They will use our inputs to help focus AAUW on the national level.  If you would like to be part of this exercise, please join us for our ‘values session’ that we’ll conduct before our next board meeting at Sheila Doherty’s home on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at 7 PM.  The discussion should take no longer than 45 minutes. The board meeting will follow. Of course all members are welcome to stay for the board meeting afterward.

 

WINE AND DINNER WITH RUTH

On Thursday Evening, February 23, six of our AAUW members were very fortunate to have been selected by lottery to enjoy a special evening of dinner, wine, and conversation at the home of Ruth Powell. Ruth graciously opened her home and her wine cellar to us to help raise money for the Recognition Award coffers. The diners were Fran Schlesinger, Ginny Giordano, Priscilla Johnsen, Patricia McKay, Heather Gregory, and Elizabeth Rowe.  In addition to a delicious meal, wines from South Africa, America, and France were enjoyed along with wonderful stories.  Ruth's dinner table was beautifully set, the meal was delicious, and the wines were an adventure.  Some compliments from the participants were:
      "a splendid evening of fine dining and friendship"  "the evening felt like a worldly journey"
      "a lovely evening and a lovely gift from such a fine friend"  "a special treat "     

From all those attending and the Recognition Award Committee thank you, Ruth, for your generosity, hospitality, and friendship.