Grand
Rapids Timberline
NEWS FOR AND ABOUT
AAUW GRAND RAPIDS
BRANCH
MEMBERS
EDITOR:
Arlene Wheaton, Volume
44, Issue 6 March 2020
Arlene@honeybearwoods.com
(218) 232-4989
Monday, March 16 Program Meeting
Location: United Methodist Church
Location: United Methodist Church
Social: 5:00-5:45 PM Dinner: 5:45-6:30 PM Business
Meeting: 6:30-7:00 PM Program:
7:00-8:00 PM
Menu: Lasagna, Tossed Salad, Garlic Bread &
Peaches w Ice Cream
Food Chair: Jan Miland
Cost: $15.00
Cost: $15.00
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Myths & Facts about Immunizations & Vaccinations
Dr. Stacy Holl, Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital
Join Dr. Stacy Holl, Internal Medicine Physician, for a talk about vaccinations and immunizations. She'll discuss the current recommendations for both and dispel myths and share facts about the same.
Dr. Holl grew up in Grand Rapids, graduated from Grand Rapids High School in 2001, attended Iowa State University and went on to medical school at Des Moines University. She completed her medical residency in Internal Medicine at University of Iowa-Des Moines. Following this, she stayed at University of Iowa-Des Moines for a chief year of residency, where she served as junior faculty member and was able to mentor younger residents in her program.
Dr. Holl lives in Grand Rapids with her
husband Garrett, and their two children, Kate and Theodore.
President’s Message
As an Irish woman, I send you “Happy St.
Patrick’s Day” greeetings! I will not be attending the March 16th Branch Dinner
Meeting. Cyndy is gone until month’s end, so Karen Karls has graciously agreed to host this meeting. Thank you
very much, Karen!
I am attending my second official MN AAUW
State Board Meeting. This one was overnight Feb. 28-29. I have learned a lot as
VP of Programs about reviewing the criteria and organizing the grant
applications. (A report of the grants to MN AAUW branches approved so far this
year is included in this issue.) All applicants were granted their requests.
Only four branches applied, leaving lots of money not awarded.
I will also report the little bit I have
helped with the Regional Convention to be held in the Quad Cities in Iowa June
18-20.
April is the month we welcome qualified, first-time guests for dinner at
just $7.00; this is our spring “membership drive” event. We have a very
unique and special presenter lined up in April. Invitations will be extended to
several groups to ensure people who want to hear this presenter are given an
opportunity.
Taysha Martineau of Fond Du Lac Reservation, with a grassroots group
known as Gitchigumi Scouts, an indigenous-led
group that searches and patrols for missing murdered indigenous women and
relatives. They have rescued women and children from sex trafficking, assisted
homeless relatives and those struggling with addiction, as they are at great
risk for going missing, and advocated for families and justice when a loved one
is found murdered. The organization has been involved in more than 20 cases,
some of which they have searched for and recovered the bodies of loved ones
lost. They don’t claim to be experts in this field but definitely have the
knowledge, and as indigenous people, the understanding that our demographics
alone put them at a higher risk than others.
April is also our semi-annual book sale/scholarship fundraiser, please bring current
books, read in past five years (approximately), in good condition that you
believe may be of interest to others.
Everything folks need to register for the
Regional Convention in the Quad Cities June 18-20, is at this website: https://aauw-il.aauw.net/state-convention/ There is the online registration form, a paper form to download and
snail mail, PayPal buttons, a flyer to download, and pictures of the plenary
speakers with links to their bios. The registrar (Sue Stauffer) will take
mailed registrations and the online form sends me a spreadsheet with those
submissions. The IL treasurer (Carolyn
Schjelderup) is monitoring the PayPal payments.
Sincerely,
Deanna Ensley, Co-President
Deanna Ensley, Co-President
“The struggle for women’s equality belongs to no
single feminist
nor to any one organization but to the collective
efforts of all
who care about human rights.”
― Gloria Steinem
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
April 20: Taysha Martineau, Founder of Gitchigumi
Scouts, on "Gitchigumi Scouts-Searching for Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women."
Membership Drive: In April we will have "Bring a Guest” evening. A qualified, first-time guest will get dinner
for just $7.00. We have an exceptional
speaker and program so this is a great time to introduce a neighbor, coworker
or someone from exercise class to see what AAUW is all about.
May 18:
“Walking into Spring” with Phenologist John Latimer at Ruttger’s Sugar
Lake Lodge.
Farewell to long-time AAUW member
Margaret (Marge) Koch died February 27 at age 98. She was a member
of our AAUW branch for many years and still had many friends from our walking
group, according to Juliet Jones who had visited her a few weeks ago and shared
this sad news with us. No obituary has been posted online or in the Herald
Review yet.
Celebrating Women’s Right to VOTE!
A Women's Suffrage Conference will be held in Ely on June 26 & 27,
sponsored by the Brunfelt-Sainio Memorial Foundation and the AAUW Ely
branch. "Women's Lives Transformed: The 19th Amendment" will be
held at Vermilion Community College.
** INTEREST
GROUPS **
BRIDGE
Group meets at Majestic Pines Senior Living on 1st Thursday, year round now. Starts with lunch in the Bistro at 11:30 a.m. followed by Bridge, one to two tables. Contact is Nancy Raymond, 952-715-2365.
Group meets at Majestic Pines Senior Living on 1st Thursday, year round now. Starts with lunch in the Bistro at 11:30 a.m. followed by Bridge, one to two tables. Contact is Nancy Raymond, 952-715-2365.
EXPLORING OUR COMMUNITY
The group is celebrating the first day of spring on Thurs., March 19 at noon at UnWined in downtown Grand Rapids (2 blocks from the library). Bring all your ideas and suggestions. So many ideas come up when we get together. RSVP to kcjones50@yahoo.com by Thurs., March 12, so we can reserve a large enough table.
The group is celebrating the first day of spring on Thurs., March 19 at noon at UnWined in downtown Grand Rapids (2 blocks from the library). Bring all your ideas and suggestions. So many ideas come up when we get together. RSVP to kcjones50@yahoo.com by Thurs., March 12, so we can reserve a large enough table.
LITERATURE – Monday
group
Group meets on
1st Monday (except for holidays) at 10:00 AM at
Grand Rapids State Bank Annex. Contacts are Nancy Salmi, 326-3147, and Jan
Hill, 246-9791.
March 2: The Bridal Wreath: Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, Leader: Janet Coy
March 2: The Bridal Wreath: Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, Leader: Janet Coy
LITERATURE – Wednesday group
Group meets at 10:30 am on 2nd Wednesday, Grand Rapids Area Library, River Room, September-May. Contact is Barbara Zimmer, 327-0911 or kbzimmer@q.com
Group meets at 10:30 am on 2nd Wednesday, Grand Rapids Area Library, River Room, September-May. Contact is Barbara Zimmer, 327-0911 or kbzimmer@q.com
March 11: Chinese-ness by Wing Young Huie
*NEW NONFICTION BOOK GROUP
We’re starting a
book group that reads nonfiction books and magazines. The group is nonpolitical
but will have discussions that are current or about world issues or personal
issues. Questions? Call Marilyn Rossman
at 218-326-6775.
PUBLIC
POLICY
The group will meet Thurs., March 12, 3:45-5:00 pm, at the KAXE meeting room. We will continue discussing the book, How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt. For information, contact Jean Halverson, 327-9159, jehhmh@mchsi.com or Jan Miland, 218-208-8659, jan.miland@yahoo.com
The group will meet Thurs., March 12, 3:45-5:00 pm, at the KAXE meeting room. We will continue discussing the book, How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt. For information, contact Jean Halverson, 327-9159, jehhmh@mchsi.com or Jan Miland, 218-208-8659, jan.miland@yahoo.com
WALKING & TALKING
The Walking and Talking Group is on its winter
schedule of walking at 1 PM on Tuesdays.
The location of the walks changes from week to week and is chosen by the
group. Locations are emailed to the group.
We generally walk for about an hour and then have coffee. We walk outdoors rather than in a mall or
gym. Members walk when they want to and
at their own pace; no need to RSVP. It
is a social group rather than a hard-core exercise one. We welcome new
members. If you want to be added to the
group, send your email address to Karen Karls at k.karls@yahoo.com.
Meet a MEMBER
Arlene Wheaton
13-year member of AAUW
Meet a MEMBER
Arlene Wheaton
13-year member of AAUW
Family/Education
Arlene grew up in SE Minnesota, graduating from Houston High School, then attending Winona State University for two years and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She met her husband of 30 years in Spanish class at the U of M. They lived in Minneapolis for 25 years before moving up north in 2003. In 2005, they moved to the Grand Rapids area and enjoy the closeness to nature, recreational opportunities and all the cultural and social activities this area has to offer.
Arlene grew up in SE Minnesota, graduating from Houston High School, then attending Winona State University for two years and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She met her husband of 30 years in Spanish class at the U of M. They lived in Minneapolis for 25 years before moving up north in 2003. In 2005, they moved to the Grand Rapids area and enjoy the closeness to nature, recreational opportunities and all the cultural and social activities this area has to offer.
Career/Professional Accomplishments
Arlene began her career in social services with elderly people and
continued that career path until the mid-1980s when she returned to the U of M
to study journalism, embracing her passion for writing. She then began her
second career in public relations and marketing, which now spans 30 years. She worked for a national insurance company
in employee benefits and corporate communications departments, where she
handled internal and external communications. While at the insurance company,
she served as president of its women’s council, and at the same time was
president of a Business & Professional Women’s chapter that met in downtown
Minneapolis.
For the past 15 years, Arlene has worked as public relations and marketing
coordinator for Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin. In this role, she
manages numerous projects and does a lot of writing—news releases, newsletters,
newspaper columns, patient testimonials, Facebook posts and more. She enjoys
the diversity of her project work and communicating about health care issues.
She is looking forward to retiring in two years.
Personal Interests
Arlene enjoys daily walks with husband Greg and watching Masterpiece
Theater shows with interesting historical settings (Outlander, Downton Abbey),
cooking/baking and reading novels. This year she started a journal to keep
track of how many books she has read—13 so far in 2020.
AAUW passion/involvement
Arlene joined the Grand Rapids Branch in 2007 when Nancy Raymond invited her
to attend a meeting. She enjoys the opportunity to connect with women who share
her passion for promoting educational and career opportunities for women and
girls. She took on the newsletter editor role in that first year of membership;
a few years ago she began managing the production of our annual membership
directory.
AAUW Midwest Regional Convention
June 18-20, 2020
June 18-20, 2020
Hyatt Place, East Moline, Illinois
CONVENTION SCHEDULE
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Thursday, June 18
11:00 to 1:00 pm Conference Registration Opens at Convention Site
11:00 to 1:00 pm Exhibit set up
1:00-1:45 pm Opening Lunch, Welcome from State Presidents
1:45-2:45 pm Lisa Maatz
2:45-3:00pm Break
3:00-4:00 pm Michelle Duster
4:00-4:45 pm Breakout Session #1
5:00-6:00 pm Cash Open Bar
6:00-8:30 pm Banquet at The Bend
7:00-8:00 pm President’s Reception with Kim Churches
Friday, June 19
8:00-8:30am Registration, Exhibits Open
8:30-8:45am Welcome, Announcements
8:45-10:00am Kendra Davis, AAUW in Action and Economic Security Panel
10:00-10:15am Break
10:15-11:15 am Panel – Economic Security in Action?
11:15-11:30 am Break
11:30-12:15 pm Breakout Session #2
12:30-1:00 pm Lunch
1:00-2:00 pm Denise Lieberman
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2:15-3:00 pm Breakout Session #3
Branch Program Sharing
State Board Meetings (Illinois and Iowa)
Legacy Circle Gathering
5:45-6:15 pm Travel to and Board River Cruise
6:30-9:00 pm River Boat Cruise
Saturday, June 20
8:00-8:30 am Registration, Exhibits Open
8:30-8:45 am Welcome, Announcements
8:45-9:45 am LAF Speaker
9:45-10:30 am Plenary
10:30-11:45 am Kendra Davis, Town Hall
11:45 am-12 pm Farewell and Evaluations
Early Registration planned at about $175; late registration after mid-May planned at $225. Double rooms about $150. Official registration will start soon. Questions? Contact Deanna Ensley, 360-333-0228 or deannaensley@yahoo.com
MN AAUW Awards Branch Grants - February 2020
Brainerd Lakes Area #1 - Central Lakes
College and the League of Women Voters are coordinating and cooperating on
several events during 2020 with the intention of raising awareness in our
communities about the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and women’s voting rights. $500
#2 Central Lakes
College (CLC), Brainerd Area Women’s Fund and AAUW Brainerd Lakes Area Branch
will host a 2n d Annual Empowering Girls Institute on the CLC campus in August,
2020 for 100 girls. It will be an expansion of the successful 2019 first year trial.
$500
Ely - #1 We are planning to hold yet another
set of STEM Workshops in March or April 2020. Each year we have different
workshop presenters who cover different areas of STEM so that repeat workshop
participants may get a broader exposure to the various fields. Our girl
participation count has ranged from 17 to 39 over these past 8 years. $1,000
#2 The issue of
equal pay is front and center in AAUW’s mission as an organization and an issue
this branch cares about and focuses a significant amount of energy on. The
local branch of AAUW has been involved in equal pay activities for many
years. In April of 2018, the Branch
stepped up its activities with a greater focus on local business. We sent a letter asking businesses to sign an
affirmation that they would provide equal pay for equal work. Our goal is to secure signatures from 100% of
Ely businesses so that we can celebrate Ely as the first 100% equal pay
community in the state. The goal of 100%
is aggressive, but we believe we cannot do less for the women who share this
community with us. $500
Fargo-Moorhead #1 STEM occupations face a general lack of
available workers to fill open positions, but also lack diversity. Many STEM
outreach events aiming to increase diversity pair students with role models who
look like them, like Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, where girls from
local middle schools meet women engineers and do hands-on projects for the day.
Events like this are important for girls to learn more about STEM, and some
studies show that they are more comfortable and less afraid of being wrong when
they are separated from the boys. $2,500
#2 The spring 2019
pay equity programming for the Fargo-Moorhead AAUW affiliate included an
introduction to the Work Smart workshop. The introductory course generated
significant interest and based on feedback from participants, it was evident
that a longer, more in-depth workshop is needed for our community. We plan to extend the AAUW Work Smart workshop to include
more role-playing and one on one interaction with experienced hiring personnel.
$1,500
St. Croix for an educational display promoting books
that address the issues of sexuality and youth. $500
Websites for local, state and national AAUW
information:
Our Grand Rapids AAUW blog: http://grandrapidsaauw.blogspotcom/
MN AAUW website: http://aauw-mn.aauw.net
National AAUW website: www.aauw.org
Our Grand Rapids AAUW blog: http://grandrapidsaauw.blogspotcom/
MN AAUW website: http://aauw-mn.aauw.net
National AAUW website: www.aauw.org
ADVANCING EQUITY FOR
WOMEN & GIRLS
– FOR MORE INFORMATION
AAUW MINNESOTA www.aauwmn.net
