Grand Rapids Timberline
NEWS FOR
AND ABOUT
AAUW GRAND RAPIDS
BRANCH
MEMBERS
Volume 46, Issue 2 October 2021
EDITOR: Arlene Wheaton,
(218) 232-4989
MISSION: AAUW advances gender equity for women and girls through research education and advocacy.
October 18 Dinner Program
Location: United
Methodist Church
Registration & 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
TOPIC: Owls in Minnesota
PRESENTER:
Evan Spencer
Eben Spencer has a degree in Agronomy from the University of Minnesota. With a strong interest in the natural sciences, he volunteers for DNR research projects, including a multi-year amphibian study. Eben was a board member for the Pine to Prairie Audubon Sanctuary near Thief River Falls, which inspired his study of owls. It was during his 30-plus years as a DNR firearm safety instructor when he began giving owl presentations. He presents to adult and youth audiences affiliated with church groups, conservation organizations, assisted living facilities, senior centers, the YMCA, Boy Scouts, and 4-H. Eben has federal and state permits that allow him to possess and present mounted owls.
Menu: Beef Tips over
Noodles, California Medley, Dinner Roll & Carrot Cake
Cost: $15.00
Food Chair: Lynette Eck
RSVP to AAUWRSVPGrandRapids@gmail.com by Mon., Oct 11. This is a NEW reservations email and process, replacing contacting Deanna
Ensley as the RSVP contact. If you have any questions, feel free to contact
Cyndy Agle, 218-360-9743.
We will hold our
biannual book sale at the Oct. 18th meeting at United Methodist
Church. Bring books 5 years old or newer. This is a fundraiser for our scholarship
program. Prices set at $3 for hardcover, $2 for paperback.
**********OCTOBER BOOK SALE***********
Annual Fall Coat Drive donations
The United Methodist Church in Grand Rapids is inviting donations of coats in good condition for its annual Coat Drive the last week in October. If you have coats to donate, bring them on hangers if possible and no long coats. KIDS’ coats and snow pants are especially needed. Pick up of coats for those in need will be via drive-through as was done last year for the pandemic.
President’s Message
Happy Fall to our fabulous members!
We are so pleased to have so many members attend and participate in our meetings and special interest groups. This is what makes us such an active group! If you ever would like to take a more active part in AAUW, we welcome you either helping with projects or joining in one of our many groups...just let me know.
Did you see the article that Karen Karls wrote
in the Herald Review on AAUW on our September speaker and membership? We
have a new member who saw the article, called Marj Lavalier and joined. Thank
you, Karen!
We welcome Sue Mattson to the Hospitality Committee.
Our October meeting will be one that you do
not want to miss. We have our used book sale and bring a first-time, qualified guest for $7.00. We
have Evan Spencer presenting on "Owls”. He will be speaking on the 12 owls
that are our state residents. Join us for this fascinating and informative
presentation!
New Reservation system: We
have a new reservation system for our monthly dinner program meetings. Just RSVP to this email address:
AAUWRSVPGrandRapids@gmail.com We will be monitoring the system, and you will not receive a confirmation.
Hope to see you at our October meeting.
Cyndy Agle, Co-President
December Christmas Party
Our December Christmas Party will be held on Monday, Dec. 13 at Forest Lake Steakhouse. This is a fun and festive event!
This year, our theme for the "Silent Auction with a Twist" will be WARM
& COZY.
The way it works is that members bring a themed gift and tickets are sold. Put the ticket in the bag of the item you wish to win, and we draw a winning ticket for each item.
Our members are always so creative with the donated items. They can be anything from a fun mug and coffee, a cozy throw, warm socks, mittens, a puzzle to do on a cold day, bubble bath, scarf, a gift basket filled with a magazine, candle, chocolates, etc., to a gift card.
Travel Treasures
From Marlys Mestemacher
We will continue to hold Travel Treasures
drawings at every meeting through our program year. Bring treasures that you
wish to donate for the drawing. “Staycation” items from the immediate area welcome
too. The funds raised support our scholarships.
WELCOME NEW MEMBER!
Welcome to Judith Gorham, who joined our branch at our September meeting after seeing the article about it in the Grand Rapids Herald Review. She has a BA degree from Grinnell College and a MA degree from West Michigan University. Her contact information will be included in our new 2021-2022 member directory.
** INTEREST GROUPS **
*BRIDGE
Day/Time/Location TBD. Group meets year-round. If interested in playing
Bridge, contact Dianne Anderson, 218-327-2651 or 515-450-9252.
*Exploring
Our Community
The group goes on outings to area organizations, typically gathering for a meal. Contacts are Cyndy Agle, cyndy.agle@gmail.com and Juliet Jones, kcjones50@yahoo.com
*LITERATURE
– Monday group
The group will meet on Oct. 4, 9:30 am, at the Forest Lake Restaurant to discuss to discuss Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson. For a reservation or information, contact Nancy Salmi, 218-326-3147 or nsalmi@earthlink.net
*LITERATURE
– Wednesday group
The group will meet on Oct. 13, 10:30 am, at Zion Lutheran Church, Room 121, to discuss The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. The book for the next meeting on Nov. 10 will be The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Richardson. For more information contact Vicki Holmstrom at agiledog5@aol.com or 218-245-2294.
*Walking & Talking group
We are
now on our winter schedule of walking on Tuesdays at 1 pm. The locations
change from week to week but will be in the Grand Rapids area. The group is
open to new members interested in walking. If you would like to join us, send
your email and cell number to Karen Karls at k.karls@yahoo.com You will receive an email with the weekly walk location. Members walk
when they can or want to; no need to RSVP. We generally walk for about one
hour. If the weather is really dreadful, we may cancel, and we’ll let you know.
However, we are a hardy group of women who value the fresh air and exercise as
well as the companionship.
Meet a MEMBER
Vicki
Holmstrom
13-year member of AAUW
AAUW: I attended my first AAUW
meeting in February of 2008 as a guest of Shirley Jacobson. I joined AAUW shortly thereafter. Currently I am the contact person for the
Wednesday Literature group. I am also
part of the Historian committee which keeps up a book of photos, newspaper
articles and information handed out at our meetings.
I have been so impressed with the
opportunities AAUW offers. The program
committee never fails to come up with great ideas for speakers at our
meetings. The interest groups provide
members a chance to meet in smaller groups and get to know each other better.
Education: I grew up in Mason City, Iowa.
In high school I loved math but was told about the only thing I could do
with a college math degree was teach.
I’m not sure they would have told my male classmates that! Not wanting
to be a teacher, I decided on another field that greatly interested me. As a Candy Striper (anyone remember those!) I
got to do some chores in the laboratory. I was hooked and decided early on that
I wanted to be a medical technologist. I got my BA in Biology at Augustana
College in Sioux Falls, SD. While there
I worked in the research program that my advising professor supervised. The
September after I graduated my professor and his family headed to England,
where he was on sabbatical doing research at Queen Mary College in London. I
was asked to come along and help with both research and family. It was a great
experience. After returning, I did my one-year medical technology internship at
Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Career: I spent my entire career at HCMC. I started
out on the evening shift where I got to rotate through all the departments of
the laboratory. That was a great help in deciding where I wanted to specialize
when I was ready for a day job. After four
years, I decided I was ready to give up daytime sailing and skiing
opportunities and switch to days. I
spent the rest of my career in the Chemistry department. It was very rewarding
to be involved in constantly changing technology. During my career, methods
evolved from manual pipetting and measuring changes of the color of a solution
in the test tube, to complex instrumentation. I was surprised at how much I
enjoyed the instrumentation. Being sent
off for training on a new instrument and returning to do setup, instrument
evaluation, procedure writing and employee training were my most rewarding
duties. I also ended up in charge of the chemistry education program for our
annual interns. And found out I enjoyed teaching after all!
Interests: My
husband and I have always enjoyed traveling, camping and hiking. Add to that canoeing, kayaking and
sailing. We have also been very busy
with our dogs, competing in obedience, flyball, and agility. In addition, we have been foster and home
visit volunteers for RAGOM, the Twin Cities-based golden retriever rescue
organization. We moved to Grand Rapids in 2006, one year after retiring. In Grand Rapids, I have been a volunteer at
Zion Lutheran Church and the Second Harvest Food Shelf.
AAUW Grand
Rapids, MN Branch Meeting Minutes
September 20, 2021, United Methodist Church
The Grand Rapids branch met at the United Methodist Church. Forty-one members attended.
Co-president Cyndy Agle opened the session and led participants in the reading of the AAUW Mission Statement. Marj Lavalier, vice president and membership chair, welcomed two new members and one returning member.
In addition, thanks were given to Karen Karls for another excellent AAUW article submitted to the Herald Review, which helped with member recruitment. Members were reminded that the October meeting will include another book sale. Donated books should be published less than five years ago. Also, members were encouraged to invite a guest for the October meeting. Dinner cost for a first-time qualified guest will be $7.
Deanna Ensley, co-president, discussed RSVP
etiquette for meeting reservations, reminding members to respond in advance so
an accurate meal count can be provided. Updated member directories will be
provided at the October meeting. Six items were donated to travel treasures for
September, earning $66.
The evening’s program was on the MacRostie Art Center, presented by Katie Marshall, Executive Director.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Dianne Anderson, Secretary
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”
― Maya
Angelou, Poet
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
ADVANCING EQUITY FOR
WOMEN & GIRLS
– FOR MORE INFORMATION
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION www.aauw.org
AAUW MINNESOTA www.aauwmn.net
