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AAUW Fall Special Interest Schedules

AAUW Interest Group Fall Updates
Thank you to all for sharing what the special interest groups have been doing for this past year. Here are a few updates for the Fall.
Night Readers Book Group
Night Readers meets on the third Tuesday of the month from September to June. We are hoping to transition from Zoom meetings to live meetings this fall, contingent upon any changes in CDC recommendations and our branch policies. In the past, live meetings were held at 6:15 at a member’s home or local restaurant. Last year, ZOOM meetings met at 7:00.
Our book list for 2021-2022 is:
9/21/2021: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
10/19/2021: People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry
11/16/2021: Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
12/21/2021: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
1/18/2022: Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
2/15/2022: Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
3/15/2022: Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff
4/19/2022: Three Flames by Alan Lightman
5/17/2022: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer
6/21/2022: AT OUR JUNE MEETING, WE CHOOSE THE BOOKS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR
For more information contact Cindy Hull (hullc@gvsu.edu) or Betty Lien (themanorhouselakedrive@gmail.com).
Verna Mae Book Group
Meet at Traverse District Library second floor Thirlby Room at 10 AM
Upcoming Books:
September 29 Women of Copper County Maria Doria Russell
October 27 Clementine: The Life of Mrs Winston Churchill Sonia Purnell
For more information contact Maryln Lawrence 946-5453.
AAUW Bridge
Meet at the Traverse City Country Club at 11:30 (prompt), play bridge, each lunch and finish with bridge at 3 pm.
August 26
September 9
September 23
Interested in joining us?  Shirley Murray at 943-4663.

AAUWTC 2021 Programs

We will be having our Fall Kickoff on the day after Labor Day, Tues September 7, 2021 at 5:30 pm by Zoom. This will be a time to re-gather (virtually), catch up after the summer break, and look ahead to another full AAUW year. Joining us for part of the meeting will be N’Kenge Gonzalez, Diversity Director of AAUW-MI to update us on state-level activities. You can register by clicking the following link or visit our website for the Zoom registration: Register Here!
Looking ahead, our October meeting will be the first Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 5:30 pm featuring Jillian Manning, the executive director of the National Writers Series. Learn what’s going on behind the scenes at this important cultural and educational force in our community.
This is currently planned as a hybrid activity with both Zoom and in-person options. For those vaccinated members who wish to gather in-person, the Janis Room of the Dennos Museum has been reserved. They will offer access to their gated parking area. NMC has an indoor mask mandate which includes the Dennos Museum so masks will be required to attend and there will consequently be no eating permitted. For those who prefer to watch remotely and any interested members of the public, Zoom will be available.
The November meeting to add to your calendar is the SECOND Tuesday of the month (due to election day on the first Tuesday). Our program is Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 5:30 pm. Sarah Eichberger is a public health nutritionist with MSU Extension based here in Traverse City.
Again, our current plan is for a hybrid presentation with both Zoom and masked, in-person options as above.
Looking forward to reconnecting. As always, feedback and programming suggestions are welcome.
Suzanne Sorkin

Special Interest Group Updates June 2021

Verna Mae Book Group:
This group meets monthly on the last Wednesday of the month at 10 AM  from September to June. We Have had difficulty  finding a place to meet this year but will have that resolved before our  first meeting this fall.
We choose our books in June and members volunteer at that time to volunteer for the book that they  will be responsible for leading the group in discussion. We select titles that are in paperback.
Contact Maryln Lawrence (MarylnjLawrence@Gmail.com) for more information.
Lunch & Bridge:
Meet second and fourth Thursdays year round at the Traverse City Country Club. We gather at 11:30 prompt, place lunch orders and play until 3 pm. Members are fully vaccinated and wear masks into the club.
May 27, June 10 & 24, July 8 & 22
Contact Shirley if you wish to join. 943-4663.
Poetry Group:
Will not be meeting this summer.
Contact Shirley 943-4663 if you are interested in resuming in the fall.
Night Readers Book Group:
Night Readers meets every third Tuesday evening. This year, our meetings were all held via ZOOM.  During this AAUW year (September 2020-May 2021), we have read: Human Sacrifice by Cindy Hull (Q&A/discussion), American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson; Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd, Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear; Here We Are by Aarti Shahani; A Single Thread by Tracie Chevalier, Sparrow Migrations, by Cari Noga (Cari joined us via Zoom); This Tender Land, by Wm. Kent Krueger, The Book of Lost Friends, by Lisa Wingate (May reading).  Night Readers will choose our 2021-22 books virtually, by email, starting in June.
Thursday Evening Book Study:
We held our first Zoom meeting a year ago to choose our books for this 2020-21 season.  Some of us, masked and distanced, came to a bonfire outdoors for our September 11 meeting.  Thereafter we met on Zoom and had a good year, checking in on one another, viewing faces on the Zoom screen, and hearing wonderful book reviews and discussions from members.  We welcomed Patricia Power and Kristy Cooper Stein as new members. We are just finishing choosing next year’s books and are hoping for in-person meetings.
Judy Weaver,  Chair

June Programming

 

 

 

 

 

Our next programming event will be a version of our traditional “June Outing”. Time for a cultural kick-off to the summer!
Please mark your calendars now for Tuesday, June 1, 2021 from 5pm to 6pm (the day after Memorial Day). We will be treated to a personalized tour of the Dennos museum. This has been arranged with a docent who will focus primarily on women artists including, but not limited to, those in the Inuit art collection. Our tour guide will be making this very interactive and engaging for our group and including biographical info about these artists as well. Please reach out to members who may not normally attend the more traditional lecture programs and help them sign up for this. There will be no charge since the board has decided to cover the fee. This event is limited to AAUW members but there is no cap on how many.
REGISTER FOR THE DENNOS MUSEUM VIRTUAL TOUR ON OUR WEBSITE:
where the Zoom link will be posted.

League of Women Voters – May Program

DOES THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE HAVE VALUE FOR THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC TODAY?

On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, from noon to 1:30 PM, the League of Women Voters/Grand Traverse Area will present Dr. John Zachman who will discuss the Electoral College and it’s relevancy today. He will give a historical perspective and answer questions such as: what is the Electoral College; why does it persist; and what efforts exist to abolish or modify it.

Dr. Zachman received his B.A. from MSU in Justice, Morality, and Constitutional Democracy and his M.A. from Duke University in Political Science, and his PH.D. from Duke University with a dissertation on John Stuart Mill’s Political Philosophy.  He is an instructor of political science and philosophy at NMC and lives in Leelanau County with his wife and 4 children.

This League of Women Voters/Grand Traverse Area broadcast can be viewed on the Traverse Area Community Media Facebook page, on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82830270222                                         or on Community TV Channel 189 (with Spectrum cable). Questions can be asked on Zoom or in the Facebook comments.  For those that are unable to tune into the live event, a recording will be available at the TACM website (www.TACM.tv).   More information can be found on the League of Women Voters/Grand Traverse Area website: LWVGTA.org.   Anne Magoun will moderate the program.

 

The League of Women Voters is a national, non-partisan organization. The League does not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties, but it does work to obtain and to distribute information to the public about candidates and their views. The League promotes the informal and active participation of all citizens in government; it works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and it influences public policy through education and advocacy. 

 

CONTACT:  Cheryl Naperala

231-223-7903 napperch@yahoo.com

Traverse City Public Affairs Forum

Perhaps you are like me? I had never given any thought to just how a County Board of Commissioners comes into being.  Every two years, I check off a person’s name on a ballot, but frequently I know little about these people.  I am embarrassed to say that if I feel totally in the dark, I might not vote in that race at all.  At least, I have reasoned that at the County level the political party is not as important as the person. These jobs require a great deal of work and dedication.  I wouldn’t want to vote for someone who might not have the stamina or public interest necessary for the job; and so I forego the vote.  

But this last year, at least for me, it has been impossible not to realize that local government, just like national, is a result of the attention that we citizens pay to it.  And I have begun to pay that attention.  

Recently I went to yet another Zoom get together.  At this one, a very interesting presentation was given by T.J. Andrews, a local environmental lawyer, with a passion for bipartisan civics education at the local level.  Her presentation covered the upcoming County redistricting that is required by the national census.  This is not the state legislative redistricting to be undertaken by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, but rather a reapportionment that takes place every ten years in each county for the purpose of electing County Commissioners.  This process is overseen by a predetermined group of 5 people and has very specific rules that allow for a great deal of variation in number of districts.  That number of districts and how they are designated will control how the county is to be administered for the next 10 years.  So the stakes can be high.  

Our AAUW Traverse City Public Affairs Interest Group has invited Ms. Andrews to speak at our next meeting (Zoom) on May 24th at 2:30 on the topic of County Redistricting.  This is not a political talk, but informative no matter your political persuasion.  We would like to invite the entire GT AAUW to join us for this very interesting and informative talk. — and to invite a friend if you would like.  Hope to see you there!

TJ Andrews is a practicing public interest environmental attorney in Traverse City. In her free time she frequently volunteers with local bipartisan campaigns relevant to good governance, particularly at the very local level. Her current interests include Fair Lines Grand Traverse, which is an informal group that is raising awareness about the 2021 county-level redistricting (reapportionment) of county commission districts. More particularly, Fair Lines seeks to raise understanding about the rules and procedures for county redistricting and is seeking to infuse transparency and accountability to the community into the county redistricting process. More information about Fair Lines GT is here: http://www.fairlinesgt.com

Sandy’s Message

Greetings!

Finally, the answer to my very painful leg. The PET Scan reported pretty much what I expected. The breast cancer I had three years ago is back. Unfortunately, it’s been back for several months and has metastasized to many areas of my bones foraging on hormones. It can’t be cured but the spread can be slowed and the pain reduced. It will be a palliative treatment. I’ll have some radiation to reduce the leg pain. I’ll take chemo pills to stop the cancer and shots to strengthen the bones. And I’ll take an anti-hormone pill to reduce food for the cancer.

I won’t make it to age 94 as planned, but I do have some life ahead to live. Other than a painful leg and not having as much energy as I’d like, I feel like nothing else has changed. I’ll continue to knit, read, chat will local friends, Zoom with family and friends, attend a variety of Zoom events, watch PBS every Saturday and Sunday evening, finish the Seppala book, and enjoy this wonderful area we live in. Kim and I intend to spend our days together with adventure, kindness, and love. Let’s hope that time will be in years and not weeks!

Note: the sling is off my broken arm and I can cook again. Thanks to all of you who provided us with dinners for those 5 weeks. And thanks to those of you who have driven me to appointments… unfortunately I may have to call you again… Kim and I are so grateful to you all!

It’s not until you’re sick that you realize how many wonderful people surround you. Thank you all for your support and love.

Emails, FaceTime & phone calls, dropping by for a chat are always welcome.

Peace and love,

Sandy

April Presidents Message

Open Membership 

Eleanor Roosevelt. Lily Leadbetter. Two strong women who are legendary in the fight for women’s equality. Also, two women who were not allowed into AAUW while they were fighting. If not for the honorary degrees given to them AFTER they fought publicly for the rights for ALL women, AAUW would not be able to claim them as our own.

AAUW is an organization with a mission based on programming, research, policy and advocacy, fellowships and grants. It was formed by women who were ostracized by men in their quest for respect and equality. In the almost 150 years since it was founded, AAUW evolved and opened up to international members, community college graduates, and men to form a stronger association to continue our mission of advocacy for equity (even if the name was not changed to reflect those major admissions). This is why both the National Board and many state boards are endorsing the membership change. 

For many of us, AAUW still is a local group of women who share the common trait of having degrees, but the membership question is important to the organization and its sustainability. Younger generations want to be a part of something bigger, fighting as equals with others to achieve goals of equity and justice. Why would a young woman who fights for all women want to be part of a group claiming to advocate for equal pay, but then discriminates against the very women who are most disproportionately affected by the issue? If we do not adapt to become inclusive, AAUW may very well not exist by the time your granddaughters or great-granddaughters can join. Or they simply might not want to be a part of it. 

Leanne’s Message: I want to share a short personal story about one reason I support removing the college degree requirement for AAUW membership. A few years ago when I was your public policy chair, I was part of an Equal Pay Day event at the State Theater and Bijou By the Bay. We needed volunteers to work in the ticket booth at each location where we would ask men to pay a symbolic increase in their ticket price to recognize the gender pay gap. 

A few days before the event I had not filled very many of the volunteer slots and had not yet mastered the skill of being in two places at the same time! So, I reached out to a couple of my non AAUWTC friends who jumped on the opportunity to help shed light on this important issue. Each of them spent hours in the ticket booth enthusiastically promoting our cause and putting up with the occasional poor sport who put up a fuss about his ticket costing a few cents more than his female counterpart. When debriefing with them about their experience and hearing how enthused they were about our AAUW Mission I invited them to join our dynamic group and pointed them to the website to apply. A few days later one of my friends contacted me to say that it looked like she would not qualify for membership because she never finished her college degree. I had no idea that this amazing women who fights for everything AAUW fights for did not complete a college degree. I had never given it much thought, really.  We ended up losing two potential members that day because my second friend who helped with the Equal Pay Day event refused to join an organization that had such narrow membership requirements. 

Amy’s Message: I, too, am sharing my personal experiences. I have been an AAUW member for over 10 years- since I was in my late 20s. It was a blessing to meet such an extraordinary group of women at that important stage of my life. I started bringing my mother to AAUW events. She is a strong woman who spent her career in the male dominated electrical field and her success in her career allowed my father to go back to school and advance in his career to help the whole family. Despite my mom’s accomplishments,  I realized there was no place for her in our organization because she herself did not have a degree. Still, I stayed a member hoping this organization would change its rules to allow for all women to join. 

This year, as we have been looking for people interested in leadership positions, I approached several people in our community- people who are active, probably even recognizable to many of you from their work. People we would benefit from having as branch members. Three of the four did not meet our degree requirement. It is a common story here of economics driving people to stop their studies to get jobs and pay the bills, then having jobs that have not allowed for a return to school. They all have a goal to return and finish one day and would benefit from the support of an organization like AAUW that emphasizes the importance of education. Yet, we as an organization tell them they do not get a seat at the table until they have already found their own way. Those who have expressed interest in joining to be told they do not qualify are also unlikely to come to us if they do decide to go back because of the experience. 

Over the years I have benefitted from the camaraderie and mentorship of women in AAUW and I am so grateful for it. Now, I am in a position to do the same for others. Just this year, serving as co-President, I approached a dynamic, young woman in our community about joining- as was done to me all those years ago. She was honored and excited, until she admitted she had not completed her degree. Here was a woman who was eager to get involved and wants to advocate for our mission, but our organization does not accept her as an equal, despite her career and public involvement. Personally, it is becoming harder to devote my free time to an organization where I am limited in offering the mentorship to women that I had because they might not have had the same advantages I did. 

At the end of the day, AAUW has a one member, one vote policy. Us supporting AAUWMI and National’s stance on the issue is not speaking for you because our votes are our own as well. We wrote this article this month to share why we support the change and thought it was important enough to warrant our monthly space as voting opens. 

Membership Renewal Notice

The AAUW membership renewal period for the upcoming year (July 1, 2021- June 30, 2022) is now open. To keep your membership current, dues should be paid by June 30th.  As in previous years, the renewal form and associated instructions are available for download on the AAUW-TC website (https://traversecityarea-mi.aauw.net/join/).  If you would prefer to renew online please contact our treasurer, Betsy Moore at emoore9706@gmail.com and she will have an invoice sent to you.

National, state and local dues will be $85 for the 2021-2022 membership year. This reflects a $3 increase in national dues (state and local dues remain unchanged). National board members voted to take this action believing that it is necessary in order to preserve the viability of the AAUW organization and to continue our mission to achieve gender equity. This is the first increase in dues since July 2018.

New Current Events Interest Group

New Interest Group Forming.

 

The Current Events interest group is planning a new format to which we invite anyone interested.

 

The new plan is to discuss (via Zoom) the prior week’s IAF (International Affairs Forum) presentation for our first hour followed by a review of a non-profit/NGO for our second hour. The list of non-profits is still being created and open to suggestions. The idea is to cover areas of concern to many of us: the environment, good government, immigration, gun safety, human and women’s rights, etc. Each session a different group will be featured with the ultimate goal of concluding our research with an action item for the group such as writing in support of a bill. 

 

AAUW members are welcome to attend the first hour (IAF discussion) from 1:30-2:30 and/or the second hour (non-profit/NGO with action item). This will occur the Monday following each IAF presentation. If you are not already on the email list that Sandy Seppala Gyr sends out and would like to be added, please notify Sandy at sansep19@earthlink.net