AAUW Grand Rapids MN

Grand Rapids Timberline

     Volume 47, Issue 9             May, 2023

NEWS FOR AND ABOUT

AAUW GRAND RAPIDS

 BRANCH MEMBERS

 

EDITOR; Myrna Peterson

myrnakay67@gmail.com

218-301-6028

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May 15, 2023

Location: Forest Lake Steakhouse Lower Level

Social/Registration: 5:00-6:00 PM Dinner: 6:00 PM

Menu Choices: Sherry and Mushroom Chicken Breast over Rice

                        Battered Walleye, Baked Potato

                        Shrimp Linguini

All dinners include Tossed Salad, Fresh Baked Bread Loaf and Chocolate Mousse. $30.00 includes tax, tip and service charge.

May Hostess: Jan Mary Hill

***RSVP to AAUWRSVPGrandRapids@gmail.com by Monday,   May 8, 2023

Sorry, we will not be able to accommodate anyone after that date. If you paid for your May Dinner at the April meeting, no RSVP is needed.

Business Meeting: 6:30 PM

Program: 7:00 PM

PROGRAM: Grand Rapids High School Jazz Choir

President's Message

Hello Grand Rapids AAUW Branch Members,

Spring may finally be here - I hope!

Our program year is now complete, we had so many wonderful speakers. Kathleen and Jan did such a wonderful job planning our programs. I would like to welcome Teri Friesen who will share the Programs VP position with Kathleen Spencer, who has agreed to another year. Julie Skaliman has agreed to another term as our Treasurer. Thank you, ladies for volunteering your time and energy.

May 15 is our year end dinner and will be held at Forest Lake Restaurant. The Grand Rapids High School Jazz Choir will be performing. 

Thank you,

Laurie Clausen, President

***Travel Treasures

Thank you, generous members! Our semi-annual book sale at our April meeting brought in $197 for our Scholarship Fund. Travel Treasures added another $24. We will continue to have Travel Treasures each month and Book Sales every April and October.

Norma Eppinga and Marlys Mestemacher

**INTEREST GROUPS**

*EXPLORING OUR COMMUNITY
We will be doing several activities this summer for our 'Exploring Our Community' group. It's a group where we 'explore' local attractions or businesses and sometimes end up somewhere for coffee or lunch. Cyndy Agle and Linda Johnson are co-chairs. Please let us know if you'd like to be added to our list. We will send out notices before the events to those who are interested. Please email cyndy.agle@gmail.com if you would like to be included.

*LITERATURE

The AAUW Monday Morning Lit Group will meet on May 1st at 9:30 AM in the private dining room at Majestic Pines. Jan Bilden will lead a discussion on THE FARMER'S LAWYWE by Sarah Vogel. Coffee will be provided. For more information, contact Nancy Salmi at 218-326-3147 or at nsalmi@earthlink.net.

*PUBLIC POLICY

Deanna Ensley is trying to organize a new Public Policy Group. If you have any interest in a more action-based group, including discussion of what and how we will move forward, please think about letting Deanna know of your interest and wait for more specifics. You can reach Deanna at (360) 333-0228 or at deannaensley@yahoo.com.

*WALKING & TALKING
We walk each Tuesday afternoon at 1 PM. We walk for about one hour, always outside. The location in the Grand Rapids area changes from week to week and members receive an email with the walk location. If the weather looks really awful, you will get a cancellation notice. Members walk when they want or are able, no RSVP is needed. We welcome walkers! If you are interested in joining, send your phone number and email address to k.karls@yahoo.com.

*SUNSHINE & CARING

If any Member of AAUW needs a bit of sunshine because of illness or a sympathy card, please let me know and I'll send a card from AAUW. You can email me at cyndy.agle@gmail.com

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AAUW Yearbook

Our AAUW Yearbook and Directory for 2023-2024 will head to the printer the first week in September. Please send me any information that will need to be updated. That will be information for either you personally or for a group/committee that you are in charge of. Please send the information to Vicki Holmstrom (agiledog5@aol.com) by August 31. Thank you!

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ANNIVERSARY SCHOLARSHIP and AWARDEES

The Grand Rapids Branch of AAUW provides a $1000 Anniversary Scholarship each year for a woman who has completed a minimum of an Associate Degree or equivalent, who is 25 years old or older, with a 3.25 GPA and working toward a certification program, a Bachelor's degree or a Master's degree. In 2009, the Branch began a drive to raise support for a non-traditional female student in her efforts to complete a college education. This scholarship is designed to both commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the founding of this branch in 1949, and to provide funding for women working to complete a degree. The first scholarship was awarded in 2010. This year we awarded two $1000 scholarships.

This year's AAUW Anniversary Scholarship Awardees are:

Rebecca Colby, Grand Rapids, MN. She is attending Northern New Mexico College - an online program. Her major/goals: Healthcare; Nursing Certification. She currently works at Grand Itasca Clinic and plans to stay in this community.

Justine Pangrac, Pengilly, MN. She is attending Walden University in Minneapolis - an online program. Her major/goals: Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Doctorate or other graduate degree - wound care and dermatology. She currently works at Grand Itasca Clinic an plans to stay in this community.

The Grand Rapids Branch of AAUW provides a $1000 scholarship for a sophomore female student who is attending MN North College-Itasca Campus. The scholarship was awarded to uphold AAUW's mission to advance women and girls through research, education and advocacy. She must be 25 years of age or older and carry a minimum GPA of 3.25. This year's MN North College-Itasca Campus Recipient of the AAUW Scholarship is Carly Gutzmann. She is a sophomore and lives in Grand Rapids. Her program of study is 'Geography/Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

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SUPPORT FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

The Christmas fundraiser with the gift baskets has been the primary support for our local AAUW scholarships. Although fun, interest in this fundraiser seems to be waning and there is interest in trying something new. Some members said that the were spending more on the gift than it generated in tickets. Some chose not to purchase tickets because there was nothing they wanted. The snowbird members were unable to participate in the activity.

So the Board did a bit of brainstorming and borrowing from The Reif Center, The Orchestra and other organizations and decided to ask for direct donations. No need to come up with gift ideas, no shopping, no wrapping, just one donation designated to scholarships. If 70 members just gave $10 we would raise $700, which is what the Christmas fundraiser would have been without the added benefit of the mink coat auction. Hopefully we can raise more than this.

As with other groups we borrowed from, members will receive recognition for their donations. Knowing that folks have differing financial resources and differing interests in AAUW scholarships, the donation levels are suggestions; no member is required to give and any amount is welcome. There is no upper limit.

        $10.............Donor

        $25.............Supporter

        $50.............Sponsor

        $100...........Patron

We hope this can be a summer fundraiser, with most donations in by September. Avoid the pressure of Christmas shopping, give early. Donations can be made at the May meeting or my sending a check to Julie Skallman at PO Box 5163, Grand Rapids. If you make your donation at the May meeting, please write a separate check with a designation to the Scholarship Fund.

Thank you for your generosity!

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Dues notice from your Treasurer

Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Dues are due as of July 1, 2023. They remain at $90. Our Branch dropped our local dues portion to offset the $5 increase in the National portion. The board will be taking a look at increasing our local dues for the next fiscal year but want to seriously take a look at our budget to see how much is warranted before we take any action. $69 of the $90 is tax deductible.

You can mail a check written out to AAUW to Julie Skallman at PO Box 5163, Grand Rapids, MN 55744. 

You can pay for it at the May meeting along with your $30 for the dinner. If your dues are paid on or before May 15, your name goes into a drawing for a free membership. I will reimburse the winner at the meeting or send them a check if they are unable to attend.

22 members have already paid for the upcoming fiscal year.

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Grand Rapids AAUW Board Meeting Minutes

April 10, 2023

Laurie Clausen, president, opened the meeting. Attendees included Laurie Clausen, Karen Karls, Norma Eppinga, Dianne Anderson, Jan Bilden, Vicki Holmstrom, Julie Skallman, Kathleen Spencer, Janis Johnson, Elaine Thorstenson and Marlys Mestemacher.

Secretary's report: Minutes read and approved. Motion to approve was made by Karen Karls and seconded by Elaine Thorstenson.

Treasurer's report: The Treasurer's report included an April 9, 2023, balance of $7214.76. There are currently 4 new members. The Treasurer's report was filed for audit.

Programs: Kathleen Spencer will Co-Chair Programs with Teri Freisen. Margaret Barrick will act as a committee member.

Directory: Vicki Holstrom suggested Email Communications as the formal title to be included in the directory for the individual responsible for sending group communications.

Communications: Karen Karls will be submitting meeting and program information to the Herald Review prior to upcoming meetings. A time change for the program start, fro 7 PM to 6:45 PM, will be published given programs are open to the general public.

Dinner/Food: Elaine Thorstenson reported that our caterers have been very gracious given our difficulty in providing accurate dinner counts. She recommended we give them a gratuity in thanks for dealing with this difficult situation. Karen Karls made a motion to give them $100, and Kathleen Spencer seconded it.

Educational Opportunity Scholarship: Kathleen Spencer will send a Thank You to Dean Skallman for his generous contribution to our fundraising work. 

Scholarship winners have been selected. They are Justine Pangrac, who is studying to be a nurse practitioner, and Rebecca Colby who is studying to be a nursing coordinator.

Fund Raising: A discussion was made to evaluate our current fundraising methods. Changes included introducing an annual financial commitment by members, eliminating the silent auction at holiday time, and fundraising inthe spring gathering to include snowbirds. The new plan would begin in the 2023-2024 year.

Minutes respectfully submitted by

Diane Anderson, Secretary

AAUW Grand Rapids MN Branch General Meeting Notes

April 17, 2023

The Grand Rapids Branch met at the United Methodist Church on Monday, April 17, 2023, for a social hour, dinner and program. Thirty-nine meals were served to guests and members prior to the meeting and program. The annual Book Sale raised $197 while Travel Treasures raised $24.

President Laurie Clausen presided over the meeting. Elections for the upcoming year held. Julie Skallman was elected Treasurer and Kathleen Spencer and Teri Friesen were elected Program Co-Chairs.

There were several announcements. Deanna Ensley will be unavailable to send monthly online reminders after the end of May. A call for volunteers was made fill the position. Elaine Thorstenson reported on the May Dinner. It will be held at the Forest Lake Steakhouse. The social hour will be held at 5 PM and the dinner will begin at 6 PM. The cost will be $30 which includes the meal, dessert and gratuity. Entertainment will be provided by the Grand Rapids High School Jazz Choir.

Karen Karls reported the Board is recommending a change in format for scholarship fundraising for next year. This would include an annual donation commitment from members to take place in the spring. This would replace the December auction. The Book Sales and Travel Treasures will continue to raise scholarship funds, as well.

Kathleen Spencer announced the scholarship candidates were selected. Rebecca Colby and Justine Pangrac, both professionals in the medical fields, will each receive $1000. Dean Skallman, brother to Julie Skallman, contributed $1000 to our group for the purpose of supporting an additional candidate. Kathleen Spencer, Helen Ahlbrecht, Karen Karls, Deanna Ensley, Marva Jean Hutchens and Diane Anderson evaluated the candidates.

The program for the evening was "Working for the Wild." The presenter was Dr. Courtney Kerns, a Wildlife Scientist and owner of KernsEco, a consulting firm in Northern Minnesota. She shared her fascination with wildlife and her lifelong journey of discovery.

Minutes respectfully submitted by

Diane Anderson, Secretary

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HIBBING AAUW BOOK SALE

The book sale will be held on May 5, (9:30 AM to 9:00 PM).                May 6 (9:30 AM to 5:30 PM) and Ma7 (9:30 AM to 2:00 PM). It's held at the Hibbing Armory at 2310 Brooklyn Drive, which is across 169 from the MN North College Hibbing Campus. There will be over 70,000 books for sale. Come and join us!

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MAY BIRTHDAYS - Best Wishes!!

May 1 - Lannie Young

May 5 - Alice Stark

May 17 - Donita Soucek

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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.ne