AAUW Grand Rapids MN

Grand Rapids Timberline

NEWS FOR AND ABOUT AAUW GRAND RAPIDS BRANCH MEMBERS EDITOR: Arlene Wheaton, Arlene@honeybearwoods.com (218) 232-4989

 

Volume 42, Issue 5           February 2018

 

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February 19 Lunch Meeting & Program

**NOTE: Time change to noon hour vs. evening for February meeting.

Location: United Methodist Church, Grand Rapids

REGISTER/SOCIAL: 11:30-12:00 AM  LUNCH: 12:00 PM BUSINESS MTG:  12:30 PM          PROGRAM: 12:40 PM
MENU:  Soup, salad, bar & coffee
COST: $10
Reservations due to Deanna Ensley by end of business day, Thurs., Feb. 8. Call 218-301-0315 or email deannaensley@yahoo.com

TOPIC: 30 Years of Investing in Rural Community Leadership:  Lessons Learned

Speaker: Dr. Valerie Shangreaux

Dr. Valerie Shangreaux is the director of the Leadership Programs for the Blandin Foundation. Previously, she worked as the program manager for the Louis Stokes Oklahoma Alliance for Minority Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (LS-OKAMP STEM) Program at Oklahoma State University. She was also on the faculty in the Department of Family Relations and Child Development at Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Shangreaux holds a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in Educational Psychology. Her research topic was on “Resiliency in a Native American Community”. She earned both her master’s degree in Educational Psychology and bachelor’s degree in Home Economics from the University of Nebraska.

Valerie’s volunteer activities include serving on boards for the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, Lincoln, NE; and the YMCA and the Northland Counseling Center in Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids AAUW to host two big events

Our AAUW branch has two large events coming up in fall 2018/AAUW Northland Regional Gathering and in the spring, April 26 & 27, 2019/AAUW state convention. The first organizational meeting will be held directly after our regular AAUW lunch meeting on Monday, Feb. 19. If you are interested in helping with either the Northland Regional AAUW meeting this Sept. or the Grand Rapids State Convention we are hosting in April 2019 at the Timberlake Lodge, please consider staying for an initial committee sign-up meeting for these events. If you are interested but cannot attend, please let Deanna know what particular event or specific kind of activity for either or both events you would be interested in, either when you RSVP, at the lunch meeting or as soon as you realize you want to be part of the fun! Thank you!

New Member Corner

Bring a “Qualified Guest" and her dinner will be just $5.00 at our April meeting. It must be a “first-time” guest, so think about neighbors, someone new to the area or a friend who is looking for an interesting new group to join.

Mid-term AAUW Membership Dues

From Jan. 1 until Feb. 28, the AAUW membership dues will be reduced by 50% ($75/2 = $37.50).  From March 1 until fiscal year end, the dues will return to $75, but that amount will cover the remaining months of this fiscal year and all of next year.

For any questions, feel free to contact Cheryl Vogel, treasurer, 763-229-8098 or cherylvogel@mediacombb.net

Member THANK YOU

Thanks to all for the warm wishes for my recovery. Glad to report that I am doing well and have permission to drive! - Charmayne Nelson

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“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”

― Michelle Obama, Former First Lady

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** INTEREST GROUPS **

Are you interested in starting an interest group?  Great!  Any member may start an interest group.  An interest group can meet monthly, weekly and for any length of time.  The members determine their own agendas and arrangements for meetings The meetings are open to all AAUW members and their guests.  The member directory has more information about the current active interest groups. Contact program co-chairs Joanne Bakken or Marilyn Rossman with questions.

EXPLORING OUR COMMUNITY
Field trips to various places of interest. Dates & times TBD. For more info, contact Co-Chairs: Cyndy Agle, 360-9743, cyndy.agle@gmail.com or Janis Johnson, 326-3595, janisjohnson@yahoo.com

LITERATURE – Wednesday group
This group meets at 10:30AM on 2^nd Wednesday, Grand Rapids Area Library River Room, September-May.  Contact is Barbara Zimmer, 327-0911 or kbzimmer@q.com

Feb. 14: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
March 14: Weaponized Lies by Daniel Levitin (Community Read)

LITERATURE – Monday group

Group meets on 1^st Monday at 10:00 AM at Grand Rapids State Bank Annex.  Contact is Jan Hill, 246-979 or jmhgkh@paulbunyan.net
Feb. 5: The Girl with 7 Names by Hyeonseo Lee. Discussion leader is Nancy Salmi.
March 5: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. Discussion leader is Janet Coy.

PUBLIC POLICY

The next meeting is Feb. 8, KAXE Meeting room, 4:00 to 5:30 PM.  We will be talking about the book All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister, which we picked in the fall for reading.  If not this book, bring any article or book about women’s issues from magazines or newspapers. We will be talking about what public policies would be helpful to our community women, us, or all women.  The MeToo movement has raised awareness for both men and women.  Perhaps we can consider really what we can participate in related to the policies and not just talk.

Also, we will talk about what we want to do for the school bond election. Do we want to help get out the vote? I understand that while public education is a priority for AAUW, all of us may not be “yes” voters for this referendum. The vote is in early April.

Bart Johnson, president of our ICC, called me is see what we know about the materials form the national AAUW workshops about training women to negotiate for equal pay.  He read about it in the Boston Globe newspaper.  He thinks that the women at ICC, as well as the community, would benefit from such a workshop.  Please go to the AAUW website and find out about this so we can talk about maybe have a part in offering this.  AAUW WorkSmart

Circles of Support is sponsoring a series about poverty on Tuesdays in February. The first one is at the Blandin Foundation on Feb 6, 9:00 AM to2 PM.  It is about local resources for people in Itasca County. RSVP to briannaa@kootawsca.org or call 999-5883. Lunch is free.  The other presentations are in other locations and about poverty issues and policies.

WALKING & TALKING

Group is flexible and open to all members. The social contact is important and the pace varies; if you are looking for speed-walking and a serious workout, this is not your group. Currently we meet on Tuesdays at 1 PM.

We walk for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and then have coffee. As the weather cools the day and time will switch to Tuesday afternoons at 1 PM.  Switch is decided by the group. We walk in the Grand Rapids area on trails and neighborhood streets. Location changes from week to week as chosen by the group. Group is notified by email of next location. To join the group, call or email Karen Karls, 326-2053, k.karls@yahoo.com

**AAUW Minnesota News**

AAUW Minnesota publishes a newsletter called The AAUW Pine, which comes out three times a year—winter, summer and fall. The newsletter used to be mailed to all members statewide but is now only posted on the website at www.aauw.net

Here’s a link to the fall issue: https://aauw-mn.aauw.net/files/2017/11/Fall-Pine-2017.pdf  The next issue will come out the first week in March and carry information about how to sign up to attend the annual state convention to be held in late April.

AAUW GRAND RAPIDS BOARD MEETING

January 22, 2018, United Methodist Church

In attendance: President Marva-Jean Hutchens, Nancy Raymond, Marilyn Rossman, Marj Lavalier.

Treasurer’s Report: Marilyn Rossman moved to accept the treasurer’s report and Nancy Raymond second, motion carried. It was noted that 2019 will be our branches 70th anniversary. Cheryl had also left a flyer for the Hibbing AAUW book sale, which will be February 2nd, 3rd and 4th. 

It was agreed to work with our two scholarship funds to ensure each scholarship it at least $1000.00. We will have another $5.00 per guest meeting in April. When we did this last fall it was a success.

The board officers to be elected this year (2018) are president, vice president membership and secretary.

Nancy Raymond reported that the May meeting had to be moved due to the closing of the Sawmill.  It will be held at Ruttger’s. The board agreed to keep the cost to members at $25, with any difference being made up by the branch.

The Northland Gathering will be hosted by our branch and will be September 15. Plans are being worked on to have it held at Keisler House.

Marj Lavalier reported on the State Board meeting she and Deanna Ensley attended January 19-20. The state convention this year will be hosted by the Faribault Branch April 27-28.  Our purpose in attending was to report to the board that the Grand Rapids Branch will host the convention on April 26-27, 2019. Deanna will hold an organizational meeting to form a committee for the state convention immediately following the February 19th noon meeting.

Respectfully submitted by Marj Lavalier,substitute secretary

ADVANCING EQUITY FOR WOMEN & GIRLS – FOR MORE INFORMATION

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION  www.aauw.org

AAUW MINNESOTA www.aauwmn.net