Our annual "Immovable Feast" will be held on Wednesday, May 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Mecosta County Services Building, 14485 Northland Drive, Big Rapids. Please enter through Door #3 on the north side of the building.

The evening's agenda will include appetizers and socializing at 5:30, potluck dinner around 6:00 pm., and the annual meeting around 6:30 p.m. Please bring a food or beverage item to contribute either to the appetizers or dinner. No shame if all you can muster at the end of a work day in the middle of the week is a package of oreos. Just bring what you can, and please invite guests!

The main event for the annual meeting will be election of officers. We have the following slate of candidates:

President (2-year term): Leah Monger

Programs VP (2-year term): Nominations will be taken from the floor

Membership Co-VPs (2-year term): Sarah Lucas and Débora Borba

Secretary (1-year commitment to complete existing term): Jennifer Cochran

Thank you to everyone who has stepped forward to run for an office! Thanks also to Sarah Lucas, Julie Alexander, and Mary Loesch, who agreed to serve as our Nominating Committee!

*This annual dinner used to be a "Movable Feast" with appetizers at one member's home followed by a walk across the street to another member's home for dinner. Due to membership growth in our branch, it's hard to accommodate us all in one home; hence, the change to an "Immovable Feast" a few years ago.

Our April 24 Town Hall presentation didn't go off quite as planned, but all turned out well. Our presenter, Mariah Bryant, Director of Democracy Engagement for Voters Not Politicians, was running late after being stuck in traffic resulting from two separate collisions. Thanks to free wifi in a McDonald's parking lot and Julie Alexander's laptop that was compatible with the meeting room's projection equipment, Mariah was able to do her presentation via Zoom from her car. About 40 people were in attendance.

Mariah Bryant at left; Julie Alexander at right

Mariah presented the highlights of the SAVE Act, which among other provisions, would require documentary proof of citizenship with a person's current, legal name (a potential problem for anyone who has changed their name, including many married women). She also discussed efforts here in Michigan to pass a state constitutional amendment to require similar documentation of citizenship to register to vote. House Joint Resolution B failed to pass the House yesterday, but the matter could be voted on again in future. There is also a petition to require proof of citizenship to register to vote currently in circulation around the state. Please do not sign the petition if you encounter someone gathering signatures!

On a related note, Fox News is reporting that some married women are having problems getting documentation to prove that they have officially changed their surname from the name on their birth certificate. Some states are requiring this documentation in order to get a REAL ID card, which will soon be needed for domestic air travel. Consider this report a preview on what will happen if the SAVE Act or either of the state-level proof of citizenship initiatives are successful.

Co-Treasurer Marilyn Jablonski reports that we have exceeded $4000 in proceeds from our April used book sale! Woot-woot!

Marilyn Jablonski extends the following message in thanks for flowers that she received on behalf of the branch:

I want to thank you very much for the beautiful flowers and for the cards that you have sent. Pattersons does a great job on their bouquets-the bouquet is very colorful with many varieties of flowers. I hope to make it to our May dinner to see you in person. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness. Marilyn

All are invited to join Betty's family and friends in remembering and celebrating her life in a memorial service this Saturday, May 3 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Big Rapids. A reception will follow the service. Read her life tribute here.

• May 4 is Star Wars Day! May the Force/4th be with you, and remember that "There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise." Be that woman! (Quote attributed to W.E.B DuBois.)

• May 5-9 is National Teacher Appreciation Week, and Tuesday, May 6 is National Teacher Appreciation Day. According to the Pew Research Center, 77% of K-12 teachers in this country are women. AAUW has long been concerned that gendered professions traditionally associated with women tend to have lower wages, and education is one of those professions.

According to a September 2023 report from the Economic Policy Institute, "The pay penalty for teachers—the regression-adjusted gap between the weekly wages of teachers and college graduates working in other professions—grew to a record 26.6% in 2023, a significant increase from 6.1% in 1996."

Teachers have difficult, stressful, but extremely important jobs. They deserve equitable pay and our respect and gratitude for their role in developing and educating our young people, who represent the future of our country. Teachers have even harder jobs now as they and their unions stand up against threats to DEI, book challenges, and those who want to limit the teaching of history by leaving out the parts that are uncomfortable. Show some love to teachers this week and every week!

• May 6 is Moms' Equal Pay Day. Moms working full-time, year-round, were paid 74 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) were paid 62 cents for every dollar paid to dads in 2023.

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