Where do most of our new members come from? YOU! Current members telling their neighbors, friends, coworkers about all that AAUW Marin has to offer is how most of our new members find out about us and join. So spread the word about our mission, interest groups, programs and all the wonderful women friends you’ve made and help us increase our membership. Contact our Membership Chair, Chris O’Neill, coneill514@comcast.net, if you have questions or would like her to contact a prospective member.  

AAUW 2022 Art Contest

TRI BRANCH PROGRAM

Girls Garage is a nonprofit design and building program and dedicated workspace for girls ages 9-18, including cis girls, trans girls, non-binary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth, and any girl-identified youth. Founded in 2013, Girls Garage is the first-ever design and building workshop for female youth in the United States. 

Barbara is one of our longtime members, having joined AAUW Marin in 1958. She was born in Illinois, graduated from the University of Illinois in Dietetics and then moved out to California for a job in a VA hospital, first in Los Angeles and then San Francisco, where she met her husband. Like so many women in the 1950s, she took a hiatus from working outside the home when her two children were born but taught piano for many years. When she moved to Marin in 1957 she wanted to meet like-minded women so joined AAUW and quickly found life-long friends. When her children were in high school, she returned to college and earned a teaching credential from Dominican University. Taking on a challenge, she taught for many years as the sole teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in West Marin, teaching between six to twenty-eight children each year and covering curriculum for kindergarten through eighth grade. She loved the children and the job and said the downside was the commute every day from San Rafael. Barbara’s passion is reading and she was an interest group leader for one of the book groups until just recently. She has two children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. While she doesn’t get around as much now ,she is sure not to miss her monthly Book Lovers Group meeting. Thank you, Barbara, for making AAUW Marin an important part of your life for so many years.

Looking for something to fill the winter months and beyond? Do you enjoy the company of children? Experience Corps Bay Area may be just the thing for you.

If you are interested in joining this interest group and learning more about ECBA you can contact Laura Phipps. Laura has been a long time volunteer with the organization and will be able to answer your questions and let you know the next steps if you want to become a volunteer.

New Yorker Readers Group. For the next meeting, February 14 at 1 (new time and date), we have an amazing array of articles written by Emily Hahn that span the several decades she was a New Yorker writer and reporter. Emily Hahn is member Alfia Wallace’s grandmother. Alfia has chosen some of her grandmother’s New Yorker articles for us to read that were published between 1929-1995. Also included is Emily Hahn’s memorial that was published in the New Yorker. Alfia will lead us through this fascinating look at the career of her grandmother through a few of the dozens and dozens of articles Emily Hahn wrote from all around the world, spanning more than six decades. If you would like to join in this remarkable look into the past, email co-leaders Phyllis Kuehn phyllisk@sonic.net or Olivia Ruel oliviacelello@icloud.com for links to the articles and for the Zoom link. 

Nonfiction Readers Group. Our February 28 1pm meeting will start a series of three books dealing with African American history and culture. The February 28th selection is The Black Church by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. If you would like to join us, please email co-leaders Phyllis Kuehn phyllisk@sonic.net or Olivia Ruel oliviacelello@icloud.com for the Zoom link.

Both the Movie Group and Handcrafts continue to meet on Zoom. Crafts may be able to get together in February. Craft members made a lot of items that were for sale for the silent auction and now will be back to individual projects each member is pursuing. The movie for February is The Lost Daughter on Netflix.

The Mah Jongg group is playing weekly, Wednesdays, 1:00-3:00, using the National Mah Jongg League card. We’ve been playing using Zoom and the Myjongg.net website but are hopeful we can soon return to at least some games in person in members’ homes. Contact Chris O’Neill at coneill514@comcast.net for more information or to get on the email list.

New National Website Logo Colors – Some of you may have noticed that the logo colors on the national website have been changed to align with ADA and accessibility needs. The change is not required for branches.

Status of Open Membership Bylaw – As announced at the January 12^th Town Hall Zoom, the bylaw will not be on the ballot in 2022. Instead, the Governance Committee will conduct a broader revision of the bylaws to address this issue. In addition, for a smoother and more efficient voting process, logistics will be improved.

End of Year Matching Campaign – So far, it looks like the response was outstanding. A great way to start our new year. Thank you to all of you who donated to support our mission! Final figures should be available in February.

Member Gathering with AAUW CEO and Board Leaders: January 12^th Town Hall – The video and the Q & A details are posted on the website. You will find additional information on the open membership bylaw vote postponement, a new Community Hub, the organization’s financial status, efforts to further DEI, and more.

here’s the link - https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/webinars/  

PLEASE NOTE IF YOU HIT THE UNSUBSCRIBE BUTTON BELOW YOU WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE AAUW MARIN NEWSLETTERS.