Branch Meetings 2019 – 2020
Monthly on Tuesdays, 11:30 til 2 PM at GoodWill Career Center, 1616 Patton Ave., Ashe. 2880
Meeting dates:
October 22, 2019 AAUW Branch Meeting, 11:30am
New Venue: Career Center at Goodwill Industries at 1616 Patton Avenue, Room 207 on the second floor.
PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN: The Guardian-ad-Litem Perspective
First up for speakers is Sarah Young from the Guardian ad Litem Office of the Courts. Susan Ikerd vouches for Ms. Young as an exemplary advocate for the GAL program. We will learn a bit about the GAL program, with a strong focus on protecting our most vulnerable children. It ties beautifully into the national AAUW emphasis on promoting equity: our youngest need the voice of those who have the strength, wisdom and stamina to advocate for them. Come ready to ask questions and to chat with other members who are already involved in this program.
For lunch we’ll be providing box lunches from Panera Bread; you’ll have three sandwich choices and two salad choices. The options will be listed in the notice that will go out October 7 so you can immediately call in your reservation and food choice. The lunch cost will be $15 and includes, ice/hot tea, water and coffee.
One more thing: Due to regulations at the Goodwill Center, we are asked to provide your name and birthdate for recording in their system. We’ll only ask for this the first time you reserve, so be prepared. (Actually, I think most of us are proud of the years we have attained.)
Contact: Johanna Manasse, jvm795@gmail.com
November 19, 2019
December-Special Surprise
For next month’s event, we are gathering December 15 for two merry hours from 3-5PM to celebrate our two sister organizations, the AAUW Branch and the GEM Fund. Learn a bit more about each of us while mingling with other members and their guests (most welcome.) Consider inviting a potential new member or bring your spousal escort. Our GEM scholars will be in attendance, too, to share their stories of gratitude for our support.
Our venue, the clubhouse at Beaverdam Run, will hold about 99 people, which allows for plenty of mingling and jingling our festivities. Do get your reservations in early; RSVP to Susan Grabel at susangrabel2@gmail.com. While there is no charge for you and your guest to mingle, we ask you to bring either a snack or sweet –enough for 6—all in finger food fashion so we can avoid wasting plastic ware (and avoid juggling glasses and utensils and plates all at the same time. We are jingling, not juggling.) Sparkling wine and hot mulled cider are complimentary.
We’ll also continue our tradition of collecting new and gently used children’s books
which are especially suited for reading aloud. Incarcerated moms will record the stories
which are then gifted to their children along with the books. It’s a great connector for
families enduring separation and supports our vision of empowering women however
we can. Marilyn Kolton will have a box for your contributions.
DIRECTIONS to the Beaverdam Run Clubhouse: take Beaverdam Road off Merrimon
Ave. for 2 ½ miles. Look for the entrance sign to Beaverdam Run, go through the gate
and follow signs to Clubhouse at 54 Clubhouse Drive. Parking’s aplenty! See you there.
January 28, 2020
JANUARY BRANCH MEETING: WHAT IS SILSA AND WHY IS IMPORTANT FOR GIRLS?
We welcome Ms. Nicole Cush, principle, School for Inquiry and Life Sciences in Asheville.
She will speak to equity issues within the school setting and beyond, particularly as it relates to girls. Come prepared to ask the hard questions about our Asheville educational system and how we can positively impact our future AAUW members.
As usual we will meet in our new home at the Goodwill Career Center, Room 207 at 1616 Patton Avenue from 11:30AM to 2:00PM-ish.
February 25, 2020
March 27-28, 2020 AAUW NC State-wide meeting at the Doubletree Hotel in town
AAUW Asheville Members,
You and your friends, both AAUW members and non-members, are invited to attend our upcoming North Carolina American Association of University Women Annual Meeting and Conference. The conference is being held at the DoubleTree Hotel on March 27 & 28. The topics of these two days will mirror AAUW’s mission of advancing gender equity for women and girls and, therefore, should be of considerable interest to you.
Our Keynote Speaker at 1:00 Saturday, March 28, will be Kati Hornung, Campaign Coordinator of VAratifyERA, a state-wide organization whose perseverance resulted in Virginia’s being the 38th state to ratify the Constitutional Equal Rights Amendment. She will share with us what it took to get the amendment passed and methods to encourage women to continue the efforts for passage in NC and other states. Ms. Hornung will also update us on what needs to be done in the future to continue our work on adding the amendment to the Constitution.
Other speakers in the conference include UNC Asheville Chancellor Nancy Cable discussing Title IX changes that include sexual harassment investigations and the impact on students and schools (11:15 on Saturday); Angie Newsome, founder and CEO of online Carolina Public Press, speaking on her journey as an entrepreneur and how to sift through media output for real facts (4:00 on Friday); a discussion on the status of NC women’s health with Mary Stover, Executive Director NC Council on Women and Youth Involvement, and Dr. Shannon Dowler, Chief Medical Officer for NC Medicaid (10:00 on Saturday); Rick Glazier, Executive Director NC Justice Center, with updates on NC and national legislation (10:00 on Saturday); Amanda Edwards and Patsy Keever, Asheville area politicians, discussing methods of getting more women elected to public office (11:15 on Saturday); and Emily Breedlove, Asheville resident and national speaker, talking about pay equity for women (5:00 on Friday).
Additional sessions are presented by AAUW members: State STEM Chair Christie Whitworth, sharing a new statewide education initiative that includes local STEM K-12 educators; State VP Kathy Pearre discussing the AAUW online program “Work Smart, which provides tools for negotiating salaries; and Karen Wallace-Meigs, Executive Director WNC Girls on the Run, with a panel of middle school, high school and university students discussing their current issues, barriers, needs, and goals in becoming women who change the world. A highlight of the conference will be a performance montage regarding suffrage, “Sisters of Mine,” authored and presented with professional actors by Greensboro playwright Sherri Raeford on Friday night.
Registration for the meeting and conference will be open February 1 at www.aauwnc.org. As a member of the host branch for the conference, please plan to attend and tell your friends about this exciting opportunity to hear outstanding speakers and to network with women from across NC. A day where voices that need to be heard will be heard!
Pat Ashe, AAUW Asheville President Jane Terwillegar, AAUW North Carolina President
April 28, 2020, May Field Trip–date TBA .
Contact: Johanna Manasse (jvm795@gmail.com) or (C)708-224-7199