lead·er·ship

/ˈlēdərˌship/

1.   the action of leading a group of people or an organization.

2.   the state or position of being a leader.

3.   the leaders of an organization, country, etc.

Dear Members of the Greater Naples Branch of AAUW,

The autumn months are upon us, and we have successfully held our first official meeting of the season and our first ever “hybrid” branch meeting: 11 members attended in person and 19 members participated via zoom. We spent time discussing our programs and our plans for the coming year, which will focus on Leadership Development.

We will continue to hold hybrid (zoom/in-person) meetings during the 2021-2022 AAUW season to enable as many of our members as possible to participate. We remind you that in-person meetings require that attendees complete a “proof” of vaccination form, and that masking and social distancing are required where appropriate.

Our next Branch Meeting will be held on November 13^th and will follow the same hybrid format as our first meeting. Our speaker will be Lynda Waterhouse, President of Keiser University. She will talk about women running for public office and will also address collaboration between community organizations to further organizational missions.

The Board of Directors for the Branch attended Part II of a Retreat on October 20^th. We addressed planning for the coming year and created a leadership succession plan, as encouraged by AAUW National, and recognized through its Five Star Program. Our work at the retreat created a template to be used going forward so that Branch leadership transitions are seamless, and our work as defined by our Mission can continue without interruption. Our goal is to involve as many members as possible in our leadership work. If you are interested in working on the Board of Directors in any capacity, please reach out to any one of us.

We have developed a Leadership Model to serve as the foundation for our Leadership focus, aligned with our mission and vision. We expect that additional leadership initiatives will be added to the model as the year progresses:

We were delighted to have our First in Person Branch Meeting of the 2021 - 2022 year on October 2nd together with our Zoom Members. We are looking forward to future meetings to meet our new Branch Members.*

 * We welcome Adriana Mendiola as a new member who joined our Branch in September.

 Our goal continues to be Getting New Members for our Greater Naples Branch. Lets all work on bringing a "new member in" for our Branch.

 From Elaine Wade, Membership Director

AAUW Bylaws Amendment Narrowly Fails

In the spring of 2021, AAUW members were asked to amend the bylaws to remove the membership degree requirement. To pass the amendment a quorum of 5% of the members was required to vote and two-thirds (66.7%) of the voters had to approve the amendment. AAUW had a total of 51,544 eligible voters. The quorum was surpassed with 11,319 voters, with 7144 members voting yes and 4175 members voting no. The percent affirmative was 63.12%.

28.74% of the Greater Naples Branch members voted. Votes were 18 yes votes, 7 no votes, and 1 blank. 72% of our branch voting members approved the bylaws amendment to open AAUW's membership.

Although the open membership amendment did not pass, supporters continue to hope that this amendment will pass in the future. Many members hope to show that AAUW is an inclusive organization that will allow others to join us in our fight for equity for women and girls. 

From Susan Barley

Nearly $5M has been awarded by AAUW to 260 women and community projects for the 2021-2022 academic year. Every year, for over twenty years, AAUW Greater Naples Branch has helped sponsor two outstanding women.    

Greater Naples Branch recipient Amber Mannings has received a Selected Professions Fellowship to study at Florida International University in Miami. She will be working toward a J.D., specializing in government. She is planning to launch her own political advocacy firm in Washington, D.C., to promote civic participation and community engagement. She is especially interested in domestic and international youth homelessness.

Jennifer Bobka has received a Career Development Grant sponsored

by the Greater Naples Branch. Jennifer is working toward a M.S. degree, specializing in ecological restoration, at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Through science and education, she is committed to generating innovative solutions to poor health and social inequality by promoting regenerative agriculture practices, renewal energies and locally grown/sourced food.

The 2021-2022 AAUW Greater Naples Directory was sent via email to all members. If you did not receive it, please check spam or contact Susan Barley. Send Susan any edits to your information. If you would like a printed copy, please contact Elaine Wade. The cost is $5.00



Building Back Better: Paid Family and Medical Leave

The “Build Back Better” or reconciliation bill is in the process of being negotiated within the Democratic party. As moderates seek to reduce the price tag, cuts are being considered.

AAUW is urging Congress to include Universal Paid Family and Medical Leave in the final version of this legislation. The U.S. lags behind other developed nations in providing family and sick leave. Only 60% of workers are currently covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which offers job protection in certain qualifying situations but no paid leave. The language approved by the House Ways and Means Committee includes the following enhancements:

• Paying cash benefits to eligible individuals engaged in qualified caregiving, beginning after July 2023.

• Expanding the definitions of “caregiving” and “eligible family members.”

• Expanding FMLA to cover all workers, including those working for businesses with fewer than 50 employees and self-employed workers.

• Paying benefits, calculated by a schedule, up to 85% of salary, on a monthly basis for up to a maximum of 12 work weeks for employees whose employers do not provide paid leave.

• Creating grants for small businesses (no more than 50 employees) to cover costs in excess of the employee’s wages, such as hiring a temporary replacement.

Please urge members of Congress to include a permanent expansion of paid family and medical leave benefits in the final budget. As Melinda Gates recently tweeted, “Women's jobs. Families’ well-being. The country’s recovery and growth. That’s

what is at stake when we talk about paid leave."

For more information, please contact Carol Light at her email

address in the membership Directory.

The Two Koreas

With a new administration in place, the U.S. policy toward the two Koreas is changing but still faces serious challenges. Attempts by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump to repair the rift between North and South did not succeed in stopping Pyongyang from testing long-range missiles for its nuclear weapons program. As the rift between the U.S. and China grows further, South Korea may end up in the middle of the two superpowers, both important trading partners. What does the future hold for the U.S. relationship with the Republic of Korea? The GNB Great Decisions group will meet via Zoom on Monday, November 1, 2021, 7:00-8:45 p.m. to discuss U.S. foreign policy with the two Koreas. Maryann Pennella and Carol Siwinski will be the discussion leaders, and we will watch a brief video from the PBS Great Decisions series. Please join us via Zoom at Click here! If you are interested in learning more about the group,

contact Carol Light.



November 11, 2021 from 4:oo to 6:00 p.m. Discussion of our summer reading with Susan Becker:

   American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins

      Location: TBA. Those who have registered by November 9 will be contacted directly.

 Limit: 12 

Please read the book, as this will be a participatory discussion, not a lecture or book review.

Please bring a beverage or finger food to share. COVID vaccinated if possible.

Parking is limited so please share rides if it is convenient.

The Friday Book Club will meet from 1:00-2:30 on Friday, December 10, 2021. 

The book for discussion is FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hanna.

Interested members not already on the email list should contact Susan Becker for more information.



Lunch choices are below. 

Choose ONE Lunch Entrée: 

1. Classic Caesar Salad-Shaved Asiago (Add Grilled Chicken)

2. Trio Salad

Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad and Shrimp & Crab Salad

Mixed Greens & Fresh Fruit 

3. The Bayside Salad-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Grilled Chicken, Blue Cheese, Tomatoes, Walnuts & Red Onion

4. Coconut Shrimp Salad-Sweet & Spicy Vinaigrette Almonds & Oranges 

5. Crunchy Grouper Sandwich-House Made Tartar Choice of Fries or Kale Slaw 

6. Grilled or Blackened Mahi-Mahi-House Made Tartar 

Choice of Fries or Kale Slaw 

7. Prime Cheddar Burger Choice of Fries or Kale Slaw

8. Mini Crab Cakes-Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

Mixed Greens Desserts: 

Chocolate Mousse Cake, Coconut Cake, Key Lime Tart 

Served with Rolls, Butter & Soft Beverages 

And in addition...

Once again, we plan a silent auction to raise money for the Branch. Judith MacGregor will donate one of her magnificent necklaces of semi-precious stones, Glenda Struthers is donating tickets for Gulf Shore Playhouse, Nancy Beights procured a $100 gift certificate for Bleu Provence, and we have a $100 gift certificate for a facial by Laura’s facialist, but we need more auction items. Consider soliciting a gift certificate from your favorite restaurant, store or salon. Or donate tickets for an event you will be unable to attend. Did someone give you a lovely gift you are unable to use? Donate that! If you have a talent or skill, consider donating lessons! Please contact Laura Candris with questions about donations.