AAUW of Michigan has announced the 2026 recipients of its Martha Griffiths Equity Award and Young Leader Award, and the awardees are both from the Big Rapids branch! Susan Grant will be honored with the Martha Griffiths Equity Award, which recognizes recipients for promoting equity for women and girls in a demonstrable manner. Sarah Lucas will be receiving AAUWMI's Young Leader Award.

Martha Griffiths was elected in 1948 to the first of two terms in the Michigan House of Representatives, was later a Recorders Court Judge, and then served as a member of the U.S. Congress until 1974. She was the first woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, as well as chair the House Subcommittee on Fiscal Policy. Her unique abilities enabled her to accomplish significant legislation, which included moving the Equal Rights Amendment out of Congressional Committee and securing passage of Title IX. In 1982 she was elected Lieutenant Governor of Michigan. Congratulations to Susan for being honored with this prestigious award for her lifetime of service and advocacy!

Martha Griffiths

The Young Leader Award recognizes members who are no more than 45 years old, have been an AAUW member for at least three years, and are seen as budding leaders within their branches. Recipients have recognized the importance of life-long educational goals and life-long learning in the community, participated actively in branch activities, and have indicated an interest in participating actively at the state or national level. Sarah more than meets all these qualifications, and she has proven herself to be a valuable leader within our branch. Congratulations to Sarah! We truly appreciate everything you do on behalf of AAUW!

Susan and Sarah will receive their awards immediately after the Saturday, April 25 luncheon at the 2026 AAUW of Michigan Convention. If you would like to be present to see Sarah and Susan receive their awards, there is still time to register to attend the convention. Early bird registration rates have been extended through Tuesday, March 31, and we can probably organize carpooling among attendees. If you are interested in the possibility of attending the luncheon and awards presentation only, please email or call/text Leah, and she will find out how much a ticket for just these events would cost since this option is not available on the registration form.

No Kings Protest on Saturday, March 28, 11am-2pm,

on the corner of State and Perry, Big Rapids

AAUW is a partner in a coalition of more than 200 organizations supporting No Kings protests across the country on Saturday, March 28. The first No Kings protests in June 2025 drew about 5 million people to 1800 events, and demonstrations last October brought out 7 million concerned citizens to 2500 events.

This Saturday's peaceful protests are expected to be the biggest yet. More than 3100 individual No Kings events are scheduled across the country, including 100+ protests in big cities and small towns here in the state of Michigan. Big Rapids will stage its own protest between 11am and 2pm on the corner of State and Perry.

A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. The nonpartisan No Kings protests provide participants an opportunity to express their opposition to policies and actions coming out of Washington. From voter rights; access to higher education; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and gender rights, many of the policies and legislative priorities of the current administration are at odds with AAUW's public policy priorities.

AAUW has issued guidance for participating in public demonstrations. It would be great to have AAUW representation at Saturday's protest. If you are unable to attend, try to drive by to give a thumbs up and honk your support for the members of your community who are taking a stand and making their voices heard. They will appreciate your encouragement and support!

Book Sale Update

As of Saturday, March 21, all books in Leah's garage were boxed and sorted into categories. Many thanks to everyone who came to help sort and organize! We made short work of a heap of donations. Leah has since collected a very full carload of books, and Kathi is arranging for a truckload of books to be delivered. It is likely that Leah will be inviting everyone to a second sorting party, so stay tuned.

To those wondering if the doors to the Methodist church will be locked during the sale now that the church has acquired a security system, the answer is no. The church secretary says they will turn off the system during our sale dates.

Below is a table of tasks that to be completed during the week of the sale. Email or call/text Leah to let her know when you can be available to help with any of these tasks.

Seeking Nominating Committee Members

and Board Nominees

We are currently seeking three members to serve as this year's Nominating Committee for upcoming board vacancies. According to our Bylaws, the Nominating Committee should include one current board member, one member of last year's Nominating Committee, and one at large member. The positions we need to fill include Secretary, Treasurer (Marilyn is stepping down after serving for so many years she's lost count. Kudos to Marilyn for her service!), and Programs Vice President. We didn't fill the Programs position last year, so it would be great if someone would be willing to coordinate programs this coming year. If you have questions about any upcoming vacancy, please contact Leah or the current holder of the position. Please let Leah know if you would be willing to serve on the Nominating Committee. This is a short-term commitment. Elections for new board members will be held at our annual meeting in May.

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