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AAUW General Membership Meeting/Author's Luncheon

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, 2026

WHERE: Scottsdale Community College, Indigenous Cultural Center (ICC), in room 222

WHO:  Monica Brown, author

WHAT: 

The Author’s Luncheon featuring Monica Brown .

The registration deadline is Tuesday, March 10^th. The meal choices are sun-dried tomato crusted chicken breast or Balsamic marinated portobello mushroom. The cost is $45.00 per person, all inclusive. Sodexo Catering will be providing the meals. As always, guests are welcome!

The event benefits the AAUW Scottsdale Scholarship Fund at SCC. Even if you cannot attend, perhaps you would like to forward $10.00, our per-plate profit, to support this scholarships fundraiser. Please make checks or Zelle payable to AAUW Scottsdale.  You may mail checks to Jacqui Sasser, 21320 N 56^th St, Phoenix, AZ 85054, or Zelle payment to scottsdaleaauwaz@gmail.com. Please ensure you note your meal preference in the comment section on your check or Zelle payment. 

Monica Brown is the award-winning author of over thirty magical multicultural picture books for children. Her books are inspired by her Peruvian and Jewish heritage and the desire to bring diverse stories to children. Monica’s books have been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post and on NPR’s All Things Considered. She is the recipient of two Américas Awards and a Christopher Award for books. Her books have been published in a dozen languages and she has been a featured author at The National Book Festival, The Texas Book festival, The Brooklyn Book Festival, and The Tucson Book Festival, and internationally. 

April Meeting Dr. Donald Opila will be our speaker on April 18^th. He is an Internal Medicine and Geriatrics physician. The meeting will be held in the Turquoise Room at SCC. Spouses and guests are welcome! More information will be provided in next month’s newsletter.

May Meeting  The installation of officers will be featured.

Jacqui Sasser, Programs

--Jacqui Sasser, Program Coordinator

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD:

As we move into March, we start thinking about spring—growth and renewal. Nature brings fresh grass and blooming flowers, and it’s also a time for us to reflect on our personal and professional goals. For our AAUW Branch, it’s a season to plant new ideas and prepare for the year ahead.

Your Board of Directors has been working to follow the bylaws and guidelines set by our National and State leaders. The Scottsdale Branch is reviewing our branch bylaws and volunteer job descriptions to better align our goals and priorities. We’ve also reviewed the composition of the Scottsdale Board of Directors to ensure it meets the current and future needs of our branch. As required every two years, our bylaws have been examined for compliance and necessary updates.

Please watch for upcoming newsletters and emails with more information about these updates. A general membership vote will be needed to approve any bylaw changes.

In other news, we are continuing to support Scottsdale Community College (SCC) Artie’s FIT Pantry by collecting food and essential items for students in need. Please consider bringing canned and packaged food, toilet paper, paper towels, and personal hygiene products such as diapers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. These donations help address food security and hygiene needs for SCC students.

Our first delivery to the FIT Pantry was made during the first week of February. Thanks to your generosity, we filled an entire vehicle with donations! We also received a heartfelt thank-you letter from the Pantry Director expressing appreciation for your support. Please continue bringing items to each Branch meeting or consider making a monetary donation to help purchase needed products as student needs continue to grow.

Adopt-A-Book is also thriving! We’ve now collected over 500 books—well on our way to our goal of 650 books for Tavan Elementary School. April will be our final month for collecting books, so please bring donations to the March and April meetings. In April, we’ll prepare the books for delivery, with distribution planned for early May. Let’s keep the books coming!

Thank you, Scottsdale Branch, for making a difference.

--Linda Nance, Corresponding Secretary

Membership Matters...



We know that our members are the best recruiters and always welcome any leads for prospective members! Remember, you may

always bring potential members to our meetings.

Is your contact information up to date with us? Please check your directories and make sure it's correct. If not, please contact us 

right away. We keep the data base for the branch with all of your information. If any of it changes, please let us know right away

via email.

From your Co-Membership VPs: Judy H. @ trinahub@aol.com   Gail S. @ stemgw@aol.com

*******************

AAUW Scottsdale Branch has a great opportunity to grow our membership!

The Shape the Future membership campaign is a tool that branches can use to recruit and retain members.

With this campaign, which expires March 31, 2026, branches can offer

50% off national dues when prospective members join AAUW at an event or meeting.

Bring a potential member to a meeting, recruit a prior member (if they have been a non-member for 2 or more years) or hold an event offsite.

--Use Coupon code STFFY26 at checkout through 3/31/2026.

--Use Coupon codes for College/University member students:

-CUStudentFY26 Student Associates (undergrads)

-CUGradStudentFY26 for Grads

FINANCES...

Membership Renewal Time Approaches

I feel like it comes way too fast every year but here it comes again….time to think about getting yourself renewed for the upcoming fiscal year of AAUW Scottsdale Branch. Our dues are $115 and the smartest, safest way to pay up is via the national website…AAUW.org. This way you can make sure that your information is absolutely correct for purposes of communication. AND the sooner you renew, the more likely you will avoid those pesky renewal notice reminders. 

ADDED BONUS: Everyone who renews online (and online only) on or before May 31, 2026, will be entered to win a $50 bill. I used to say a $50 gift card but cripes…cash is so darn easy to get and to spend. Our $50 winner for 2025 is eligible to win again, so let's ALL renew online. If you find yourself needing a membership number, most any officer can help you acquire that. RENEW SOON!

If you must pay by check feel free to hand that paper over to myself, Lennie Andrews (Co-Finance Director) or our Membership VPs, Judy Hubbard and Gail Stempil. We all love to take your money!

--Viva Ashcroft, Co-Finance VP

Advocacy/Community Action:

There will be no March Advocacy/Community Action meeting. This does

not mean that we stop advocating for our issues. Legislative Day will be

over and we’ll be fired up! If you have a few minutes, call the House

Education Chairman Matt Gress: 602-926-4105 and ask him to please put

any ESA (Empowerment Scholarship Account) Vouchers bills up for a vote

on his committee. Do the same with Hildy Angius, Senate Education Chair:

602-926-5051.

Don’t forget to do RTS (Request to Speak) on the bills that matter to you.

You can still learn how to do RTS by Zooming a class with CEBV (Civil

Engagement Beyond Voting) on Monday nights. Put CEBV in your search

bar to get to their website. Once you’re in the system, it will be set for next

year as well. To find your Legislative District and Legislators go to AZLEG.GOV. From the headings choose Senate Roster or House Roster and then FIND MY LEGISLATORS. Put your address in and your district boundaries and number will appear.

Celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, 2026, by viewing the

film Radified. Casiano NOW and the ERA Task Force AZ are honoring

the continuing fight for women’s freedom with an event at the Authentic

Ethioafrican Restaurant, 1740 E. McDowell Rd, Phoenix from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. There is no cost and everyone is welcome. They do need a count so tell

me if you’re interested and I will send in the number from our AAUW

branch.

I am still collecting signatures to send to Congress so the 28th

amendment can be put into our Constitution once and for all!

Another ERA event is Driving the Vote for Equality, an event celebrating

the 1916 drive of two suffragists driving around the country to bring

awareness to promote votes for women. They should be coming through

Phoenix at the end of March. More info later.

Thank you all for your generosity in providing food to Artie’s Pantry and

books to Adopt-A-Book.

Janet Larkin, Chair

jalarkin@cox.net

cell: 480-242-3089

Protect Education:

At our February meeting, Julie Cieniawski told us about a coalition, of which AAUW-AZ is now a member--ProtectED, which has filed a potential ballot measure to bring accountability and transparency to Arizona's $1 billion universal ESA voucher program. The initiative is now making its way through State review and will next be in our hands to gather signatures to qualify it for the November 2026 ballot. You will be hearing more about this in the coming months and we will all be called on to do our part to help gather the 256,000 valid signatures by July 2 necessary to bring it to a vote of AZ voters.

Special Interest Group News...

International Affairs/Great Decisions:

Books...

Books Etc.



Hello lovely bibliophiles!

Ready for another exciting time discussing The Alice Network, historical fiction by Kate Quinn? We will meet at the lovely home of Sharon Vincent, 7384 E Buena Terra Way, Scottsdale, at 1:00 p.m. on March 18, Wednesday. I will send directions to Sharon’s home when it gets closer to the date. Please let Sharon know, at sharvin39@cox.net, if you will be attending because “room additions” can become expensive!! A short summary follows:

“The Alice Network” is a gripping historical novel penned by Kate Quinn that interweaves two compelling storylines. One storyline is set during the turmoil of World War I, while the other unfolds in the aftermath of World War II. The narrative is meticulously researched and based on the true story of a network of female spies — a vivid portrayal of courage, redemption, and the power of female friendship against the backdrop of war and destruction.

The novel unfolds through the perspectives of two distinctive female protagonists: Eve Gardiner and Charlotte (Charlie) St. Clair. In 1915. Eve Gardiner is a young, intelligent woman eager to contribute to the war effort. When she’s recruited to work as a spy for the Alice Network in German-occupied France, she leaps at the chance, despite the inherent dangers. She’s trained by the enigmatic Lili, the “queen of spies,” who manages a network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose. Eve’s primary task is to infiltrate the restaurant of a collaborator, René Bordelon, whose establishment is frequented by occupying German forces.

Fast forward to 1947, Charlie St. Clair is a pregnant American college girl on her way to Switzerland with her mother to deal with her “Little Problem”. However, Charlie has other plans. She’s on a quest to find her cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war and whom Charlie believes is still alive. Desperate for answers, Charlie seeks the assistance of the disgraced and cantankerous Eve Gardiner, whom she believes can help find Rose.

--Cynthia Peplinski cynthiadysart@cox.net

Lunch Bunch...

Hello ladies who lunch: I have chosen for us to sup at the Cheesecake Factory , 15230 N Scottsdale Rd., on March 5, Thursday. However, there is a tiny little “glitch” attached if we want to all be together at this venue. Cheesecake Factory does not take reservations but “Rachel” said that if we all meet at the restaurant somewhere between 11:15 and 11:30, we should probably be able to sit together. So they will not seat us until we are all there! We will receive separate checks and, as we all know, the food is DELICIOUS so I thought it was worth the “glitch”. But this does mean that you have to be especially prompt about RSVPing to me so that I know how many we are expecting before we are seated! 

I often make a meal just on appetizers and small bites because they are plentiful and yummy! For instance, you could add to your avocado toast, baked brie with truffle butter. Have you ever heard of anything so dreamy?!!!!! However, not being a “sweet eater” myself, I would pair the fried zucchini with the stuffed mushrooms. Six gorgeous, gigantic mushrooms in wine. Ahhhhh! ITALY!

There are so many selections that I’m going to go right to the Lunch Fare beginning with a chicken almond salad sandwich and all the trimmings (one-Half of a Chicken-Almond Salad Sandwich, a Cup of Our Soup and a Small Green Salad). This way you get one of everything! Or you might want to go the “beach” direction and have a salmon teriyaki bowl which sounds like it came straight from the islands! But I cannot leave out those disciplined ladies who almost always prefer a salad for lunch but not just any old salad! How about the Santa Fe salad. Just like being in the art capital of the Southwest! Only, this art is cuisine!

Cheesecake Factory seems to have a variety of anything that comes to mind in the way of noontime munchies- - pizza, glamburgers, pastas and let us not forget the desserts! I am told you can buy a 6 inch fresh strawberry cheesecake for you and a friend to consume on some cold, rainy evening (if we ever have another)! Makes the weather look much brighter!

Again though, please let me know ASAP if you can come to our feast. If you plan on attending , be there between 11:15 and 11:30. I will wait for you!!!! Don’t let this one slip by!

--Cynthia Peplinski cynthiadysart@cox.net

Shopping at Fry's Can Help an SCC Student...

Scottsdale Branch has, over the years, been part of Frys Reward Program--whereby, if you are enrolled, a percentage of your purchase goes to our scholarship fund at Scottsdale Community College's Maricopa Community College Fund, which will then benefit a returning student. Here's how you can enroll:

1. Go to frysfood.com
2. click on Community
3. click on community rewards
4. click on Enroll Now
5. sign on with your email and password
6. enter with organization number XV773 (Maricopa Community College Fund)
7. click Enroll
8. enter your 12 digit Frys account number (which you will have had to obtain first)
9. MCCF will pop up

HOW TO ORDER AN AAUW NAME BADGE

Go to AAUW.org and in the upper right hand corner, log in with your email and password. 

You'll need to create an account if you don't have one.



Click on Membership in the top right hand corner.

Go to Discounts and Perks on the right side of the screen.

Scroll down to Shop AAUW, about halfway down, and click on it.

Click on Accessorize.

You'll see Custom Name Badge and click on it.

Decide between pin or magnet back. 

Customize to order.

$11.50 w/pin   $15.00 w/magnet

And place your order!

NEWS FROM NATIONAL....

Is your contact information up to date with AAUW? 



Access your AAUW Personal Snapshot and update your contact information and preferences. Frequent users, click LOG IN to our web portal, as usual. Non-frequent users, click LOG IN, then below the blue log in button, click FORGOT PASSWORD. Enter your email address and click RESET YOUR PASSWORD to receive and confirm a new password to access your Personal Snapshot. Need help? Email connect@aauw.org and enter LOG IN HELP in the subject line. 

Or if you're having problems getting into the website, click this link https://www.aauw.org/membership/new-systems-update/. It will take you to a video--How to Login or Create an Account on aauw.org.--to explain it all.

Time to sign up for the Two Minute Activist:

Send emails and texts to your legislators to fight for equal pay, family leave, stopping sexual harassment, equality in education and more. Sign up to get regular alerts to be able to take timely action.

To sign up, (click here).

Be an AAUW Activist. SIGN UP NOW