A Special Message from AAUW Fund Chair Dale Satake |
|
I am pleased to announce that the Marin Board voted in December to donate $10,000 to AAUW’s Greatest Needs Fund as part of AAUW National’s calendar year-end fundraising campaign, which includes a matching grant from the AAUW National board and leadership. This donation reflects our branch’s commitment to AAUW’s mission to advance equity for women and girls.
As you know, AAUW National has been economically challenged for the past 3 years and has had to downsize staff from 140 to 50. The effect of the pandemic has greatly reduced donations from individuals, corporations and foundations. In spite of these challenges, we can be proud that AAUW National has actively continued to advocate for the rights of women and girls. For example, AAUW National conducted economic security programs with over 40 Black sororities as well as created webinars addressing the effects of the pandemic, attracting over 30,000 attendees. Their groundbreaking report “Deeper in Debt – Women & Student Loans,” showing that women hold two-thirds of student debt, is used by numerous organizations. AAUW National has earned the respect of our state and incoming national leaders.
AAUW’s mission is what gives us purpose, and as AAUW Fund Chair, I am so grateful for the support that we as individual members, and now as a branch, contribute to the vital work we are doing for women and girls.
|
|
AAUW National Art Contest |
|
|
|
Let your creativity show! Enter the AAUW National Art Contest. The contest begins on January 6 with entries accepted through February 3. Click the link to find the rules and to take a look at last year's entries and winners.
|
|
CHECK OUT SOMETHING NEW AND INTERESTING!
On March 24, 2021, AAUW California in conjunction with our new advocacy firm, MVM Strategy Group, will be conducting a virtual Lobby Day with our legislators in Sacramento. This is a terrific opportunity for branch members to get involved in the public policy process by helping the state Public Policy (PP) Committee advance our legislative goals for 2021-22. It’s also a great way to meet your local legislators and let them know how you, through AAUW, are helping their constituents in your communities.
Important Dates:
- January 8, 2021 – Last day to register to participate in Lobby Day
- March 22, 2021 – Lobby Day training webinar
- March 24, 2021 – Lobby Day
|
|
Virtual Tech Trek 2021 State-wide
Amy Anderson, branch Tech Trek coordinator, is excited to announce that during the summer of 2021, California State AAUW will be offering three different weeks, Monday-Friday, of virtual Tech Trek Camp on Zoom. Each week 288 campers can attend. Marin AAUW will be sending 8 girls as usual. Each camp will need 146 staffers which will be a combination of paid coaches and volunteers. The plan is to have 48 break-out rooms with one adult and one near-peer and 6 campers. The dates for the camp are June 21-25, July 12-16, July 26-30, and August 2-6 if needed. The daily schedule will be Robotics from Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab in the morning and two 90 min. workshops in the afternoon.
Each girl will receive about $200.00 in robotics equipment to keep and, if needed, a computer or hot spot. They will receive a Certificate of Participation, if they complete the week.
The cost to the branch is $400.00 per girl, a decrease in the amount since there is not housing or food costs.
There will be a call for volunteers sometime in January. Stay tuned for the requirements.
|
|
Libby Wernick Ginsberg, a member of the Marin branch since 2002, died on November 22, 2020, after a few-days stay in the hospital. Libby was a pioneer in her field receiving a law degree (JD) from Hastings College of Law in 1953 and retaining her license to practice for many years! She was an active member of the branch and a regular attendee of the Movie Group up until October. She is fondly remembered by the leaders of the group as “a lively lady and so bright”, “… a vibrant member of AAUW and an inspiration to us all.”
She will be missed.
|
|
|
Virtual Holiday Lunch was a Success! |
|
Our first ever Virtual Silent Auction was successful, raising almost $3,000 for the AAUW Marin Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund supports college scholarships at Dominican University and the College of Marin as well as sponsorships for Marin girls to attend Tech Trek. Thanks also to the many members who made individual donations to the Fund in 2020.
At the conclusion of the auction members enjoyed a chance to get together virtually at our annual Holiday Lunch on December 5th. We viewed a narrated “fashion show” of members and their pets in holiday attire and had fun in breakout groups sharing holiday memories and answering the question: “What does Mrs. Claus want for Christmas?” True to AAUW’s mission, members' answers included: equal pay for women, including in sports; equal billing with Santa; mentoring for girls to get good jobs; STEM education and STEM careers for women; and diversity training for the elves!
Sincere appreciation to the team behind the Silent Auction and Holiday Lunch: Amy Anderson, Dottie Burk, Nancy Lubamersky, Elaine Marevich, Cherie Sorokin, Dianne Sheridan, and Ann Thomas.
|
|
AAUW Marin New Year’s Day Brunch
Come mingle virtually with your AAUW Friends!
Friday, January 1, 2021
Noon—via Zoom (zoom in by 11:45 if you can)
Please RSVP to this email so we know how many to expect.
Yes, you can bring something!
· A glass of your favorite bubbly for a New Year’s toast.
· Two New Year’s Wishes or Resolutions: One personal and one related to AAUW’s mission to advance equity for women and girls.
· A (guilty?) secret to share of what’s kept you sane in this pandemic.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 842 8306 2817
Passcode: 403340
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,84283062817#,,,,*403340# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 842 8306 2817
Passcode: 403340
|
|
Branch Meeting, January 9 at 11:00 am.
Reimagining Policing: The Nashville Approach
Our January 9th branch meeting will focus on the issue of reinventing policing and how to actually go about tackling all the issues involved in making significant change in police departments and police staffing. Our speaker will be Dia Cirillo, who just completed an assignment to provide strategic and policy direction to the Nashville Tennessee Policing Policy Commission. The Commission was recently established by the Mayor of Nashville in response to a call from the Obama Foundation to local mayors and officials to actually take on the challenge of reimaging policing. Dia is a member of the AAUW national board. In her day job she is a domestic policy expert who has worked on issues related to structural impediments to racial and gender equity. She joined the Metro Nashville Public Health Department in March 2020 to support work on decriminalizing mental health and to staff the Mayor’s Behavioral Health and Wellness Advisory Council (BHWAC). Prior to that she ran her own consulting practice to help a variety of entities mobilize strategies for social impact.
|
|
Interest Group Activities |
|
There are twelve interest groups available through AAUW Zoom for the foreseeable future. The newly revised list of current offerings is available on our AAUW Marin web site. If you are not currently a member of any particular interest group and would like to join one or more, please email the leader and/or Board Member Olivia Ruel.
All members are invited to try out any group for a session or two before joining as a regular member. This social opportunity seems to be appreciated by those of us confined to home during this ongoing pandemic. Visit us!
|
|
Don't Miss Happy Hour January 14!
A Zoom Happy Hour will be held on Thursday, January 14th, 4:30 -6:00 PM (Feel free to join in any time between 4:30 and 6:00 PM)
If you are interested in joining contact Dottie Burk and she will send you an invitation.
|
|
Behind the Headlines
This month's meeting will be on Wednesday, January 13, 5:30 pm.
Gail Siegel at ForWords Literacy Lab will be our speaker. ForWords is an English literacy program that works with emerging English language learners mainly in the Canal area of San Rafael.
Contact Cherie Sorokin if you are interested in attending this program and are not already on the Headlines mailing list so she can forward you the Zoom link.
|
|
Reading Arts
Reading Arts meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 7 PM. They will be meeting on January 27 to discuss Ann Patchett's The Dutch House.
If you are interested in joining contact Ann Jessup.
|
|
Tuesday Morning Book Lovers
The Tuesday Morning Book Lovers welcomes new members to join them.
They will meet via Zoom on January 12th to discuss The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore.
|
|
LitWits
The LitWits meet the third Wednesday of each month at 10 AM, which this month is January 20th.
They are reading The Cave
by Jose Saramago
|
|
The Nonfiction Book Group
The Nonfiction Group will meet on
January 25th. The book they will discuss is
Polio: An American Story by David Oshinsky.
For more information or to join this group:
|
|
Mah Jongg
The Mah Jongg interest group has been playing and staying connected for several months via Zoom and Myjongg.net. They meet Wednesdays 1:00-3:00 PM. If you already know how to play Mah Jongg and would like to join them, contact Chris O’Neill. If you don’t know how to play and would like to learn, Nancy Chiu has offered to teach you using the Myjongg.net website. Contact Nancy. You will need a 2020 National Mah Jongg League card to play.
|
|
Movie Group
The movie group is resuming in January on the fourth Tuesday, the 26th.
|
|
Golf Group
The golf group is back in gear and playing.
|
|
Crafts Group
The Crafts Group meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM. This month the meeting will be on January 19th. Contact
|
|
Become a member of the AAUW Legacy Circle by making a planned gift to AAUW. The gift will affirm your commitment to expanding AAUW programs and public policy agenda the future of women and girls. These gifts can be given to AAUW's general fund or directed to your preferred program.
AAUW seeks to increase our long-term financial resources to help continue our important work. Members of the Legacy Circle help that expansion through their planned gifts.
Questions? Read more about the Legacy Circle, review the brochure or contact the Director, Major and Planned Giving at 202.785.7766.
|
|
Donate to AAUW's Greatest Need Fund |
|
Join Us to Make an Impact for Women and Girls
|
|
JOIN MARIN AAUW ON SOCIAL MEDIA! |
|
© 2019 AAUW
AAUW is a top-rated 501(c)(3) charity. Donations are tax deductible.
|
|
PLEASE NOTE IF YOU HIT THE UNSUBSCRIBE BUTTON BELOW YOU WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE AAUW MARIN NEWSLETTERS. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
