November 2025

Dear Valued Members of AAUW GNB

As the seasons change, we are delighted to welcome back our many out-of-town members to Naples. Together we form a vibrant community with a shared purpose and clear goals for

the year ahead.

This is also a time of thanksgiving — a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are to have so many dedicated volunteers who give generously of their time, talents, and resources. Each of you helps move our mission forward and keep our branch thriving.

Our heartfelt thanks to:

• Our Board, for their tireless efforts in keeping our branch running smoothly.

• Our incredible Charitable Foundation, for tirelessly seeking funding, writing grant proposals, and promoting our goals throughout the community. Your work allows us to impact the lives of so many young people.

• Our Public Policy Committee, for keeping us informed on the local and state legislation that supports our mission.

• Our Special Interest Group Leaders, for creating opportunities not only to socialize, but to exchange ideas and engage in meaningful conversations.

• All our volunteers, who plan, organize, and execute our projects with such enthusiasm and commitment.

This month, we especially thank Karen O’Brien and Ann Marinelli for their hard work in organizing our much-anticipated Holiday Luncheon and Silent Auction.

Together, we are truly a force to be reckoned with! We have much to be thankful for, and we look forward to the season ahead with renewed energy and a shared commitment to fulfilling our goals.

With gratitude,

Sylvia and Lucy

NEXT BRANCH MEETING SATURDAY JANUARY 10

Dr. Thomas Felke will be the speaker at our January 10, 2026 meeting.

Dr. Felke's topic will be poverty in Florida and, in particular, how poverty affects the women of Florida. Dr. Felke is Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Social Work in the Marieb College of Health & Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging at FGCU. He received the southwest Florida Social Work Educator of the Year award in 2016 and the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers in Florida in 2024.

The meeting will be held in the fellowship hall at Grace Lutheran Church, 860 Banyon Blvd, Naples.

The next meeting of the Non-Fiction Book Club is December 8 at the home of Karen Clegg, 625 Yucca Road. We will start with lunch at 1:00 followed by the discussion of the book Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Vargas, 256 pages.

All are welcome. If you need further information or directions, contact the Non-Fiction Book Club Coordinator Karen Clegg, 913-488-7707; clegg115@gmail.com

Update from Education Ambassadors!

“EA” is is going strong! We had brunch Oct. 29 at Skillets with steering committee partners from League of Women Voters and Interfaith Task Force, as well as many members-on-call from all 3 organizations! 

Amy Perwien facilitated the meeting with help from Nancy Chism and others. We are advocating for higher impact fees. (The Collier County Commissioners had to table this topic 2x, but Amy and Nancy Dick are planning to attend their budget hearing on Dec.9th.)

Developers pay these fees, and CCPS and other agencies receive money from them. They are SO important because they help CCPS build new schools in developing areas—and several new buildings are on the horizon. 

The CCPS legislative agenda was reviewed at our chapter meeting Nov. 1. A hand-out listing these issues was available. If anyone was not able to attend but wants to know more, contact Nancy C. or Nancy D.

Nancy D. attended the school board mtg.with 2 other steering members. Amy Perwien spoke about the importance of letting families know about legislative issues facing the district, the budget process, and the importance of raising those impact fees.

Thanks for GNB support on this initiative!

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

Collier Government Center’s community room, 2335 Orange Blossom Drive.

Our topic is AI (artificial intelligence) and American national security.

All are welcome to join our discussion!

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

NonSequiturs

NonSequiturs December Fun

Festive Dinner at Naples Sailing and Yacht Club

Newly remodeled venue

Same award-winning chef!

Thursday December 18, 2025

896 River Point Drive

Across US 41 E from the Hyatt House

5:30 in the evening

R.S.V.P. via email to Nancy Beights

by noon Tuesday December 16

Reading Is Fun

Book distributions will be held at Lavern Gaynor Elementary School in east Naples on January 30 and May 28. One distribution will be held at Golden Terrace Elementary. The media specialist is working with the principal to determine a date late in April or May. Volunteers are needed.

If you want to have a fun half day (or whole day) seeing the joy of children choosing their own books from dozens of titles, contact Reading Is Fun Coordinator Judy Blackburn,

732-801-7913.

Scholarship Committee

Contact Jeannine Stetson or Susan Goff to join the Scholarship

Committee. You can also make a difference by making a contribution of

any size. You can designate a specific scholarship fund or make a

general donation, allowing the Scholarship Committee to match the

funds to the qualified candidates.

To help deserving local women achieve their dreams of college and

careers, contributions may be made by going to https://greaternaples-

fl.aauw.net/scholarships/ and clicking the yellow or blue Donate button

on the right of your screen or by check made payable to “Greater

Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc.” and mailed to the Greater

Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc., PO Box 9742, Naples, FL

34101.

Save the Dates—and Invite your Friends!

A Public Policy Committee and Foundation initiative, on February

24, 2026, Dr. Betsy Brothers, CMO for NCH North Campus, and Dr.

Michael Martin, President Emeritus, FGCU, with speak about the

diminishing healthcare resources for women and its economic

consequences at 5:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation on

Napa Woods Way, off Pine Ridge. This is a Catherine E. Hackney,

Ph.D. lecture, supported in her memory, in memory of former member

Blanche Rebar, and by the Southwest Florida Women Giving Together

Giving Circle.

On March 28, 2026, we will celebrate our 2026 scholarship

recipients at our annual Scholarship Awards luncheon. This year,

the keynote speaker will be Noemi Perez, CEO of the Immokalee

Foundation and a former scholarship recipient. Sponsored by Schwartz

& Co., Investment Advisors, the luncheon will be held at Tiburon Gulf

Club.

Both events support the programs funded by our local charitable

foundation: scholarships for local women, STEAM Girls Count, Janet

Martin Welch Reading is Fun! and AAUW StartSmart. And both give us

opportunities to showcase our branch and reach out to potential

members. Please come and invite your friends!

StartSmart

Our branch facilitated its 13th StartSmart program at FGCU on October 14^th, which was mostly attended by underrepresented women. We are one of the few branches National AAUW has permitted to continue to put on this program, which National presents now online. National also waived the $750 license fee this time because of the excellent rating of our branch!  

Foundation

Scholarships, Scholarships, Scholarships

It is that time of year to prepare for scholarships.  You can help by circulating the flyer about applications which open December 1^st.  See attached which is also posted at the website.  We are hopeful to give to qualifying students a similar number of scholarships (15-17) as in the past two years.

Donations

Donations have been slower but are now picking up. We are in good shape because we had 2 new endowed scholarships early in the year.  Consider a donation or obtaining one from a local business or acquaintance.

Grants

We have 2 outstanding grant requests to support the branch STEAM program. Hopefully we will get a positive response.

Needs   We welcome interest in joining the Foundation Board. Please consider. We are trying to find bookkeeping support that we likely will need to contract for, so if you have any leads let us know.

Thanks to all members who make the many programs so successful. Questions about the Foundation to Judith MacGregor, 410 991 9115

 Judith MacGregor

 410 991 9115

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