Transition's are almost always signs of growth, but they can bring feelings of loss. To

get somewhere new, we may have to leave somewhere else behind. - Fred Rogers

At our March Branch meeting we elected the following officers for the 2024-2026

term of Office:

Co-Presidents: Sylvia Natale and Lucy Williams

Co-Vice Presidents: Kathy Miller and Carol Siwinski

Co-Secretaries: Laura Candris and Linda Raclin

And Finance Director: Nancy Beights to fulfill the remaining year of office vacated by

Ann Marinelli.

We welcome these women to their leadership roles and are grateful for their

willingness to serve. The future is indeed bright for the Greater Naples Branch!!

As a testament to the hard work and recognition we have earned, I am sharing a

letter that I received from our AAUW National organization:

Dear AAUW Greater Naples (FL) Branch,

On behalf of the staff and senior leadership at AAUW, I want to extend our sincere appreciation for your

participation in the FY23 Branch Impact Survey. Your responses have contributed significantly to our

ongoing efforts to measure and celebrate the impactful work carried out by our branches across the

country.

We are thrilled to inform you that, based on your responses, the AAUW Greater Naples (FL) Branch has

achieved three stars in the FY23 AAUW Five Star Recognition Program. This achievement is a testament

to your dedication and commitment to advancing our mission, and we applaud your leadership and

members for your outstanding contributions in the following categories: Communications and External

Relations, Programs, and Governance and Sustainability.

Your branch's accomplishments in these areas reflect your efforts in fostering positive change for

women and girls within your community and beyond. We recognize that achieving a Five Star

Recognition is no small feat and underscores your unwavering commitment to advancing gender equity.

While we celebrate the achievement of stars in the various categories, it's important to emphasize that

every branch's work in FY23 has been instrumental in furthering the mission of AAUW. Whether you

achieved one star or five, your dedication has not gone unnoticed. Each accomplishment, no matter the

scale, contributes to the collective impact of AAUW and helps us progress toward a more equitable

future.

As you reflect on your branch's achievements, take pride in the positive impact you've made and the

lives you've touched throughout the past year. Your ongoing support is inspiring, and we are grateful to

have branches like yours as integral parts of our organization.

Once again, congratulations on your well-deserved recognition. We look forward to celebrating the

continued success and growth of the AAUW Greater Naples (FL) Branch in the coming years.

Thank you for your commitment to the AAUW mission. Best regards, Tremayne A Parquet, Deputy Director of Advancement AAUW, 1310 L St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005

2024-2025 Membership Renewals

Most members in the Greater Naples Branch dues will expire on June 30, 2024. You may renew your

dues starting immediately. If you are unsure of your expiration date, log into your Community Hub

account and check your “Personal Snapshot” information. A dues invoice/reminder will be sent via email

shortly before your dues expire.

The dues amount will be the same as last year. It is $122 ($72 AAUW national, $12 AAUW Florida, $38

AAUW GNB). Follow the Community Hub directions to easily self-renew using a credit card or debit card.

Revised 2023-2024 Directory

The Branch directory was revised in March. It can be found on the GNB website under “Members.”

National AAUW Election

Voting opens on April 3, and ends on May 15. You will be asked to approve the Board of Directors’ slate

and amend the bylaws. Watch for your email ballot from Simply Voting with your unique Elector ID and

Password. For more information: https://www.aauw.org/resources/member/governance-

tools/national-election/https://www.aauw.org/resources/member/governance-tools/national-election/

Proposed Bylaws Amendment

The important proposed bylaws amendment is to approve opening AAUW membership to any individual

who supports our important mission. This will eliminate the degree requirement. The AAUW Board of

Directors, the Governance Committee, and many AAUW leaders are asking for your support. They

believe that this amendment will strengthen AAUW. Our strength is based on member support of our

mission not on membership criteria. The amendment will increase our credibility as an organization that

works for equity. It will dispel elitism and facilitate recruiting new members.

Honoring AAUW’s past does not mean we should be unwilling to evolve and improve as an organization.

Our past accomplishments stem from our commitment to change.

AAUW Greater Naples Branch Bylaws/Policies Officer Needed

Besides the elected officers of our branch, two officers appointed by the president, are required in our

bylaws. One of the officers needed is the Bylaws/Policies Officer, which is a two-year board position. The

responsibility of the office is to ensure that branch activities are in conformity with the branch bylaws

and polices. In addition, the bylaws and policies need to be kept current and up-to-date. Experienced

committee members are ready to assist. If you can help the branch by accepting the appointment of

Bylaws/Policies Officer, please contact president Jacky Territo or incoming co-presidents Sylvia Natale or

Lucy Williams.



Membership



We are happy to announce that ten new members joined our branch this

year! Looking toward the coming year, we are hoping to expand the

Membership Committee as we begin to address new goals: membership

retention, better communication with new members and delegation of the

tasks necessary for the set-up at branch meetings. Let Chris Basler or

Bonnie Butcheri know if you’d like to join the committee. We’d love to hear

from you!

We are signed up for a tour of the Shelter for Abused Women and

Children on Thursday, March 28th

at 10:00 a.m. So far, 12 women have

signed up. Chris Basler will contact them and provide further information. We will be bringing Easter baskets for the children at the shelter. If you

haven’t signed up and would like to go or if you would like to donate an

Easter basket, please get in touch with Chris at [email protected].

Movie and a Meal



Our next opportunity to see a movie is Tuesday, April 9th.

Those who are

on the email list for this SIG will get an email on the Friday before with

choices, synopsis and reviews. If you are not currently on the list, let Chris Basler know.

Please check for your copy of the April edition of Life

in Naples for an article about our programs!

The article, entitled “The Future is Here, The Future is Now!” appears

on page 46 of the April edition of Life in Naples and concerns our

Scholarship and STEAM Girls Count programs! Nancy Beights, Laura

Candris, Charmaine Klein and Jeannine Stetson contributed to the article.

News from Your Foundation

Catherine Hackney retired as President after four years of service,

and Cynthia Lingley retired as Treasurer and from the Foundation

Board, as did Pallas Diaz. Judith MacGregor was elected President

and Laura Candris resumed the position of Treasurer. Additionally,

Carole Barret joined and Linda Acheson Poole rejoined the Board. All

changes were effective April 1. Susan Goff, Cathy Hackney, Barbara

Richardson, and Jeannine Stetson continue their service on the Foun-

dation Board. Big thanks to all retiring and continuing members of the

Foundation Board.



Reading Is Fun

is distributing approximately 350 books to students

at the Lavern Gaynor Elementary School. The next distribution at Lavern Gaynor will be held on

May 17. Volunteers are needed for the morning and the afternoon. If you are available to help

on May 17 or with the second distribution at the Golden Terrace Elementary School (the exact

date has yet to be determined), please contact Reading Is Fun Coordinator Judy Blackburn.

The Non-Fiction Book Club has one more meeting this season. Meetings are held at 2:30 p.m.

at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation back patio, 6340 Napa Woods Way, Naples 34116.

All are welcome to participate.

April 22. Career and Family: Women’s Century Long Journey Toward Equity by Claudia Golden, 344 pages. Discussion Leaders: Linda Gloner and Shelley Gebar.

If you have any questions, please contact Non-Fiction Book Club Coordinator Karen Clegg.





The Paycheck Fairness Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 10,

2023, by Representative Lauren DeLauro of Connecticut. The bill, which seeks to amend the

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, was passed by the House in 2021 with bipartisan support but

defeated in the Senate. This legislation provides more effective remedies for victims of wage

discrimination on the basis of sex and incentives for employers to close the wage gap between

men and women.

Education and training are important changes proposed in this bill. The Secretary of Labor will

be mandated to establish a program to award contracts and grants to train employers about how

salary negotiation and inconsistent wage-setting practices have promoted bias and contributed to

unequal compensation. Grants will be available for negotiation skills training programs for

women and girls. The bill will also give the Secretary of Labor authority to commission studies

on the gender wage gap among younger (teenage) workers. The Secretary of Labor will be

required to track data on salaries of historically underrepresented and minority groups of women

and periodically publish this information.

Please promote passage of this important legislation by contacting your federal representative

and senators, writing a letter to the editor, or spreading the word on social media. AAUW’s

toolkit offers suggestions for social media posts at https://www.aauw.org/resources/policy/pfa-

toolkit/social-media/. You can also use the Two-Minute Activist portal to send prewritten email

at https://www.aauw.org/act/two-minute-activist/.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Light, Public Policy Chair.

Student loan debt impacts women’s economic security in many ways, including reducing their

disposable income and retirement savings. According to the Education Data Initiative, up to 61.4

percent of women with bachelor’s degrees have federal student loan debt, compared to 52.2

percent of men with the same degree. The average monthly debt repayment is $307 per month

for women.

Section 110 of the SECURE Act 2.0, signed into law in December 2022 and effective January 1,

2024, is designed to help working Americans with student loan debt save more for retirement,

although its benefits are limited. SECURE stands for Setting Every Community Up for

Retirement Enhancement. Section 110 permits an employer to make matching contributions to

401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, or SIMPLE IRAs when the employee makes “qualified student loan

payments.”

This policy affects only employers who offer retirement plans, and participation is voluntary.

AAUW CEO Gloria Blackwell, who supports this initiative, commented, “If it’s adopted by

more employers, it could certainly be a game changer for so many women who’ve really been

locked out of saving for retirement but, in essence, it doesn’t do a whole lot to address what is

already the gender pay gap.”

Beginning in 2025, Section 101 of the SECURE Act 2.0 requires employers to automatically

enroll eligible employees in new 401(k) or 403(b) plans with at least a contribution amount of 3

percent of their pretax income. While that provision will increase retirement savings, it will also

mean less disposable income per paycheck, especially for women.

Sign up to receive emails from AAUW and become a Two-Minute Activist at

https://www.aauw.org/act/two-minute-activist/. If you have any questions, please contact Carol Light, Public Policy Director.



The Great Decisions group will meet on Monday, April 1, 2:00-3:30 p.m. at the North Collier

Government Center community room at 2335 Orange Blossom Drive (behind the headquarters

library). This month’s topic, “Risky Science Across Borders,” is about climate change. Mary Uhl

will be the discussion leader.

If you are interested in learning more about the group, please contact Carol Light.