INDEPENDENCE BRANCH Empowering women since 1940
Vol. 77 No. 6 February 2017 EMPOWERING WOMEN SINCE 1881
AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.
AAUW NATIONAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE
We Exceeded Our Goal! Anchors Aweigh!
The Charting the Course campaign had a goal: to raise $1 million in unrestricted funds in two years. But you weren’t satisfied with that. Together, all 1,045 of you gave over $1,020,000 to turn the tides of inequality. Now we’re not only ready to set sail — we have a tailwind! Thanks to you, our Charting the Course donors, women and girls are that much closer to a brighter horizon. We are proud that donors from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., six Branch Navigators, and a fantastic Charting the Course Committee and Advisory Committee made this campaign so successful.
Taken from AAUW Washington Update - February 2016
Happy Black History month!
Did you know that seven of the nine women who signed the charter to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) were AAUW members? The message sent when they signed that charter on February 12, 1909, still rings true today: Civil rights and women’s rights are human rights. Today, a central part of AAUW’s work includes elevating diverse voices on issues that affect women of all backgrounds.
Independence Branch has exciting plans for February, March and April!
Mark your calendar and plan to join in the activities and talk with our BRCC friends about AAUW. We’ll want to share the “who and what we are and why we are” Changing the Climate for Women and Girls. Polish up those Elevator Speeches!
We are very pleased to be scheduled to share with the Staff and Students at Blue River Community College on three events in the next three months. We are inviting the staff to attend the February 28 meeting. Our speaker is from UMKC and will be addressing “Social Justice and Multicultural Learning Issues in Urban Education”. Plan to attend and be a greeter or table hostess. March 28, we will meet at BRCC in the Lecture Hall (Campus Life Center) for a program from Veronica’s Voice – Human Trafficking. Students and Staff will be invited to this meeting. April BRCC students will be greeted, treated and provided with information about AAUW and opportunities to offer programming important to them at the Equity Day Rally on Campus.
As we all know, “It takes a village!” and our Independence Branch Village is strong, growing and reaching new levels of community involvement. Please consider how your contribution of time and energy can make us even stronger.
I encourage you to consider becoming a 2-minute activist for the AAUW Action Network. I’ll have sign-up sheets at the February meeting. Five new activists signed up at the January meeting. This really is a very simple way to be involved and to let your voice be heard by your legislators, both state and federal, on issues of concern to women and girls in areas of health, education and equality!
AAUW is Changing the Climate for Women and Girls! Our Branch is helping to make it happen!
Sue Shineman, President
ADELANTE BOOK CLUB February 14 at 9:30 AM at Barnes and
Noble on 39th Street. Book: Presence:
Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest
Challenges by Nicholas Cuddy. Discussion
led by Carolyn Morris.
March14 at 9:30 AM at Barnes and Noble
on 39th Street. Book: How Sandra Day
O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went
to the Supreme Court and Changed the
World by Linda Horseman. Discussion led
by Lois Domsch.
SPECIAL EVENT IN MARCH On March 10, members and guests are
invited to a special tour at the Nelson-Atkins
Museum of Art, 4525 Oak St., in Kansas
City. The tour is entitled “Art in Bloom”
and begins at 10:15 AM. The tour is free if
a minimum of six persons participate. For
lunch, we will go through the line at
Rozzelle Court, order from the menu, and be
seated together. At our February meeting
we will have a sign-up sheet and discuss
carpooling. Mark your calendars and plan to
join us at the Nelson-Atkins.
Karol Palmer, Program Vice-President
NEW MEMBERS We are so pleased to welcome our
new members: Courtney McGinnis
215-499-0801
and
Katherine Snow
202-360-3998
CHANGE OF INFORMATION Ann Ragan has moved to:
17227 E 44th Court S.
Independence, MO 64055
Home phone 816-503-6067
Cell phone 816-835-0487
SLATE OF OFFICERS FOR 2017-2019 The nominating committee is delighted to
offer the following slate of officers for
2017-2018: President Sue Shineman,
Program Vice-president Karol Palmer and
Recording Secretary Sue Raymond. We are
so pleased that our current leaders will
continue in their roles for an additional two
years encouraging exciting new
opportunities and directions for our
membership.
Kathy Vest, Carol Kelley & Judy Austin
Nominating Committee
MEETING: February 28, 2017 – 7 PM
AT: First United Methodist Church
PROGRAM: “Social Justice and Multicultural Learning Issues in Urban Education”
PRESENTED BY: Dr. Jennifer Waddell, Director of the Institute for Urban Education, UMKC
HOSTESSES: Judy Tucker and Carol Kelley
WHY I MARCHED We have all seen the amazing images from
the Women’s March on Washington. I was
proud to join the thousands in Kansas City
and the millions around the world in that
march on January 21, 2017. The gathering
in Kansas City (I have heard estimates
numbering from 5,000 to 10,000.) was
positive, peaceful, and diverse. The rally
was addressed by speakers representing
women’s issues, immigration, refugees, the
LGBT community, workers’ rights, civil
rights, religious freedom, and individuals
with disabilities.
I felt compelled to attend the march to stand
against the hateful rhetoric that
characterized our presidential campaign. I
did not march because I am a “sore loser.” I
have participated in every presidential
election since I’ve been old enough to vote.
Sometimes my candidate won. Sometimes
my candidate lost. That’s the way things
work. However, this election cycle was not
normal, and I will not “just get over it.” I
will resist efforts to normalize it. America is
better than that. On November 9, I hoped
the president-elect would somehow become
“more presidential.” I have not been
encouraged by what I have seen in the
ensuing 2-3 months. However, I do remain
hopeful by what I witnessed on January 21
with millions standing in solidarity for
human rights and social justice.
The success of the Women’s March did not
end on that Saturday afternoon but continues
as a movement for the future. Please go to
www.womensmarch.com. A new action
will be unveiled on this site every 10 days
for the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.
The first action was for individuals to
write/call their senators to make it clear
where they stand on issues that matter most
to them such as healthcare, civil rights,
women’s rights, education.
Put on your marching shoes!
Karol Palmer
NO WRONG ANSWERS From politics to pop culture, the big issues
of our day always filter down into the
classroom. How are things like President
Trump’s executive order to prioritize
deportations or the swirl over so-called
“fake news” and journalistic credibility
affecting students and schools? The new
podcast No Wrong Answers tries to answer
those questions each week. Hosted by
former teacher and public radio news anchor
Kyle Palmer (yes, Karol Palmer’s son), No
Wrong Answers is a weekly panel
discussion of real teachers, who hash out the
big issues of our time in a thoughtful
dialogue any educator or parent can
recognize and appreciate.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, it’s easy to
sign up:
1. Find the purple podcast app on
your device.
2. Within the app, search “No Wrong
Answers”
3. Once you search, click on our logo.
(It’s red.)
4. Hit the “Subscribe” button
5. New episodes will
automatically appear in your
podcast feed each week.
If you do NOT have an iPhone or iPad, you
can still listen:
You can listen at our website: http://fountaincityfrequency.com/no-
wrong-answers/
You can listen via Google Play:
https://play.google.com/music/listen
#/sww
You can also listen online via Stitcher:
http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/pari
s-of-the-plains-podcast/no-wrong-
answers
If all else fails, you can find us on
Facebook. Just search for the No Wrong
Answers podcast, Like and Follow our
page, and you’ll get our updates in your
newsfeed.
ONE BIG WAY TO HELP US OUT:
Once you listen and, if you like the podcast,
please go back and REVIEW No Wrong
Answers. This is done by once again
searching for the podcast in iTunes, clicking
on the logo, and then hitting the ‘Review’
tab. The more reviews we get, the more it
helps boost our rankings within iTunes.
Thanks!
Karol Palmer
LOOKING FOR A MOVIE? Randy and I saw Hidden Figures at AMC
this evening. We both
loved this movie. This movie is a "must see"
for all generations, especially those of us
who vividly remember the launch of our
space program. Who knew that there were
amazing women of color behind the scenes
who made a tremendous difference in the
success of this program. A true story of
courageous women facing discrimination in
southern society.
Our son who works at Langley highly
recommended this movie for us to see.
Location was at Langley for this movie.
Great movie for all AAUW members to see,
Kathy Vest
As you’re calculating our taxes, know that $46 of your AAUW dues is tax deductible as a contribution.
to nominate someone for
Woman of Achievement!
Nominations due March 1.
Refer to the attached forms.
MINUTES AAUW Independence Branch Monthly Meeting at First United Methodist Church, Independence, MO January 24, 2017 Hostesses: Jane Campbell, Jan Keeler and Patty Chadwick The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm. Following a welcome from President Sue Shineman, Sue Raymond introduced Major Dean Towne from the Salvation Army, who gave some history of the organization and the activities and services of the Independence church and facility.
LAST CHANCE…
Following refreshments, President Shineman welcomed new member Courtney McGinnis. Sue was thrilled to not only have a new member, but that Courtney works at BRCC! Guest Marilyn McMahon, invited by Judith Gutekunst was introduced later in the meeting. The business portion of the meeting began at 8:20pm. President’s Comments:
1) Still hoping to get something going at BRCC in February; may be able to work through Courtney McGinnis.
2) For the Feb 28 Branch meeting, “Hospitality/Greeters” are needed for each table; BRCC staff will be invited. Program Topic and speaker: Dr Jennifer Waddell, Directory of the Institute for Urban Education from UMKC speaking on “Social Justice and Multicultural Learning Issues in Urban Education”.
3) March 28 meeting on Human Trafficking will be held at BRCC.
4) April 4 – Equity Day Rally in Jefferson City and we will also host a Table Event on BRCC campus.
Reports: VPs Membership – Mary Anderson and Edwina Forke – 22 members present. Mary reminded us to nominate college graduates or those graduating with a 2 year associates degree, within the last two years for National AAUW membership. National will send them a membership packet along with other materials. Financial Officer – Judy Austin for Lois Domsch - Gave the current Financial Report which is filed for audit. See the newsletter for the full report.
Recording Secretary – Sue Raymond – Minutes from December meeting were approved as printed in the Newsletter. Corresponding Secretary – Barbara Leabo. Please notify her of needed correspondence. AAUW Funds – Patt Braley reported a very good response of Club members contributing at the Diamond and Century Club levels. They will receive recognition at the May meeting. Hospitality – Kathy Kelley –Thank you to tonight’s hostesses. At the next meeting, Carol Kelley and Judy Tucker are hostesses; and a special greeter, Ruth Hotle will be here to greet!! Book Fair – Kathy Kelley – Thank you to all who have helped so far. Kathy is “keeping a list”!!!! Sorting and pricing continues each Saturday at the 24 Hwy U-Haul; 9 – 11am. Public Policy – Sue Raymond for Jolene Cerveny – Members are encouraged to sign up for AAUW’s 2-minute Action Network. Re-entry Scholarships – Kathy Vest – We are ‘on track’. Student Awards – Carol Kelley - William Chrisman recent Rotary Club Award recipient, Lacy Harris mentioned in her acceptance comments, that she had received the AAUW award in middle school. Carol stressed again the need to locate the names of middle school recipients for the last four years, so that h.s. counselors can encourage these girls to apply for the h.s. scholarships. We want to continue to encourage these previously recognized achievers. Carol also brought up the idea
that we may want to add an additional scholarship to recognize an outstanding student that may not be chosen by the counselor from that h.s. An example of this is Rachael Gonzalez. Some discussion followed, and Carol agreed to continue to pursue this idea. Bylaws – President Shineman said all updated Bylaws are now filed with National. However, further required updates are anticipated following the June National Convention. Woman of Achievement – Kathy Keeton circulated nomination forms. Members divided into groups and worked on an “Elevator Speech” presentation. Several members shared and much discussion came from this activity.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Karol Palmer – reminded us about the Nelson Art Gallery tour March 10. Karol Palmer also mentioned her son, Kyle, has a Podcast on KCUR “No Wrong Answers”. He will be covering some topics interesting to AAUW members. Anyone can tune in. April 4, 2017 Equity Day. Bus will be going to Jefferson City. ReEntry Brunch is April 22, 2017 at Unity Village The meeting adjourned at 8:55pm
Respectfully submitted, Sue L. Raymond Recording Secretary
_____________________________________________
January AAUW Financial Report – CHECKING ACCOUNT
Balance on Hand 12/30/2016 $561.71
TOTAL RECEIPTS
1/20/2017 Deposit from national new member dues $10
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS
Major Dean Towne, Salvation Army, speaker $40.00
BALANCE 01/31/2017 $531.71
SAVINGS ACCOUNT
Balance on Hand 12/30/2016 $6007.95
TOTAL RECEIPTS - Dividend $0.26
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS $0.00
BALANCE 01/31/2017 $6008.21
TOTAL ASSETS
COMBINED ACCOUNTS
Checking Account $ 531.71
Savings Account $6008.21
BALANCE 01/31/2017 $6539.92
Independence School District Foundation Scholarship Fund Report
09/30/16 12/31/2016 Quarterly Change
AAUW Fund Balance
$10,601.92 $11, 275.14 $673.22
Nomination Form 2017WOMAN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
AAUW Independence Branch
(Nominations due March 1, 2017)
Nominee _________________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Phone ____________________________ e-mail _______________________________
AAUW Member making this nomination: ___________________________________________
Member Phone ______________________________ e-mail ____________________________
NOMINEE’S INFORMATION
Professional / Career Experience:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Volunteer / Community Activities:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
AAUW Activities (if a member)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Educational History and Achievements:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
On the reverse side, please write a brief statement telling the committee why you feel this
nominee should be considered for this award.
Member Signature ___________________________________ Date ______________
(Send nominations to Lois Domsch, 3349 S Scott Ave, Independence, MO 64052 or e-mail to
[email protected] by March 1, 2017.)