INDEPENDENCE BRANCH Empowering women since 1940
Vol. 78 No. 9 May 2018 EMPOWERING WOMEN SINCE 1881
AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2017-2018 AAUW Year is in the Books
Patty Chadwick, our Historian, took us on a ‘train ride’ through the events and accomplishments of the year at our May 12 Annual Meeting. What a ride it was! Thank you to each and every one who has been involved with our meetings, activities, outreach, fundraising and social times. Much progress has been made. We received the Missouri 10 Star Award for our efforts.
June 26 New Member Outreach – Cookies & Convos
And so, we now turn our efforts to 2018-2019. I hope each of you have June 26 on your calendar! This is a huge prospective new member outreach. It will be a “Cookies & Conversation” event. We will gather in Fellowship Hall at Independence First United Methodist Church at 7:00 p.m. This will be a casual and informative get-together. No business, just goodies and fellowship – sharing about AAUW. We will also show a video by Kim Churches, AAUW CEO.
Please RSVP to me so we can plan accordingly. 816-365-1180 [email protected]
ALSO, if you have not yet sent me your list of 5 prospects, please do so in the next few days. Handwritten invitations will be sent out by June 4. It is my hope to have no fewer than 20 guests and 20 members present.
June 19 AAUW Combined Board Meeting 9:30 - Noon
We will meet at IFUMC – our regular meeting place. There is much to discuss and some training/orientation for all. If you have a notebook specific to your position, please bring that along with any wrap up notes, ideas, suggestions to share with your successor.
Calling All Members
I have started calling members to ask where you would like to serve and what committee you can share your leadership talents as a chairperson. Please give thoughtful consideration to your involvement in our Branch. If each one helps in some way, we can make an even greater impact in the lives of women and girls.
Congratulations!
Mary Anderson, Edwina Forke and Karol Palmer are this year’s honorees of our Named Gifts recognition. We greatly appreciate their creativity and all they have done for our branch the past two years.
Sue Shineman, President
Evelyn Trigg – new email address:
JUNE INFORMATIONAL EVENT
Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at 7 PM
First United Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall, 400 W. Maple, Independence, MO
Please invite your friends and RSVP to Sue Shineman
It’s not too late….
…to renew your membership for 2018-2019. Dues are due by June 1. Dues this year are $85
($59 national, $10 state, $16 branch). You may renew by check, at the May meeting, or online with the invoice that was sent to you. Thanks to the 37 who have already renewed!
Lois Domsch, Finance Officer
AWARD WINNERS Awards Chair, Patt Braley was pleased to
announce the following members of the
2017 Diamond Club:
Mary Anderson
Barbara Bickham
Patt Braley**
Jane Campbell**
Lois Domsch**
Jan Horner
Jan Keeler
Kathy Keeton
Kathy Kelley
Barbara Leabo**
Doris Negaard
Karol Palmer**
Jeanne Schneider
Sue Shineman**
Judy Tucker
Judy Tyson**
Carolyn Weeks
Jane White**
**also AAUW-MO Century Club Members
The 2017 Named Gift Honorees for
Independence Branch are:
Mary Anderson
Edwina Forke
Karol Palmer
Our branch truly appreciates the work and
leadership of these members.
Patt Braley, Awards Chair
WOMAN OF ACHIEVEMENT
Jill Esry, Woman of Achievement
Our recipient of the 2017 Woman of
Achievement Award is Jill Esry. Jill
graduated from Truman High and holds a
BA in Secondary Education with emphasis
on Business Education from UMKC. She
worked in the Hallmark Corporate Offices
after graduation until the birth of her first
daughter. Since that time, she has devoted
her time to our community and volunteer
organizations. She served on the Child
Abuse Prevention Association Board,
Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity
Board, Independence Junior Service League
Board and PEO Chapter IK. For 22 years
she has served Independence Meals on
Wheels as a driver and former board
member. In 2010 she was elected to the
Independence School District Board and has
served as the President in addition to other
positions.
Jill received several awards and honors. She
was presented the Independence Council of
PTA’s Citizen of the Year in 2013, Truman
Heartland Community Foundation and
Independence Outstanding Citizen Award in
2014 (with her husband, Bill) and Missouri
School Board Association, Paul Morris
Community Service Award in 2015.
Jill and her husband, Bill, are the proud
parents of two daughters. Daughter Ellie
graduated from William Jewell College and
is a NICU nurse at St. Luke’s East hospital
Daughter Jordan will graduate in May from
Westminster College with Business
Communication degree.
It is our privilege to award our 2017 Woman
of Achievement Award to Jill Esry.
Laura Vernon, Award Committee Chair
STUDENT AWARDS
Each year AAUW Independence has the
honor of recognizing outstanding female
students in the Independence School
District. This year we recognized the
following 7th and 8th graders:
Bingham: Harley Lankard & Olivia Parrish
Nowlin Katelina Harris & Sindy Angulo
Pioneer Ridge: Mailee Ransom & Ava Autry
The high school students receiving this
year’s scholarships are Lucinda Ruz,
Hannah Kimbrough and Mecoya Newson..
Lucinda Ruz attends Truman High
School and participates in Debate, Mock
Trials, DECA, FBLA, Spanish Club,
Community Action Council, Youth Court,
Girl Talk, and Activism Club. She hopes to
attend Stanford or Georgetown and major in
International Relations.
Hannah Kimbrough is a student at
William Chrisman High School. She is in
Scholar Bowl, President of National Honor
Society, French National Honor Society,
History Club, and plays violin in the
orchestra. Hannah completed an internship
at the Truman Library and attended Girls’
State. Her future plans include attending
Truman State and majoring in Biology and
Engineering.
Mecoya Newson is our scholarship
recipient at Van Horn High School. She
participates in National Honor Society,
Volleyball, Student Council and Girl Talk.
Mecoya also volunteers at the Boys and
Girls Club and works at HiBoys. She as a
passion for helping others and plans to
attend Missouri Western, majoring in
nursing.
Carol Kelley, Student Awards Chair
IBC SCHOLARSHIPS
On April 21st at Unity Village Dining Hall
the Greater Kansas City Interbranch Council
Reentry Scholarships were awarded for
2018. Eight scholarships of $600 each were
given to outstanding students in the Kansas
City community seeking to further their
education. The Reentry Women Awardees
were Charity Bishop, Maple Woods
Community College, AA Social Work;
Shana Shanteau, University of Missouri-
Kansas City, Urban Planning & Design;
Crystal Swope, Park University, Social
Work; Cherie Servello, Park University,
Sociology & Psychology. The Parkville
Branch Reentry Scholarship was awarded to
ShaVaughnn Holloway, Park University,
English. The recipients of the Toni
Thornton Awards were Sarah Palmer, Penn
Valley Community College, Nursing;
Samantha Kaiser, University of Kansas City,
Urban Planning and Design; and Jenn Bess,
Penn Valley Community College,
Sociology.
John Thornton was there to present the Toni
Thornton Scholarships.
STATE MEETING
On the first weekend in May members from
the branches around the state gathered in
Columbia, MO to hear AAUW CEO Kim
Churches meet Susan Landino, LAF
plantiff, install new officers and attend
workshops.
Sue and Patt, leaders in Missouri AAUW
Two of our members were elected to officer
positions on the state board. Sue Shineman
was re-elected as Vice -President of
Membership and Patt Braley was elected
Finance Officer of the state. We are
honored to have two members of our banch
willing to serve at the state level and
represent our branch.
Six of our members were in attendance for
the weekend, Lois, Domsch, Jolene
Cerveny, Karol Palmer, Sue Raymond,
Nancy Comtois, Patt Braly and Sue
Shineman. They were present to receive our
Star Award and a Certificate of Recognition
for total and per capita giving.
PUBLIC POLICY REPORT April 2018
The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay
Gap, 2018 edition
The following is taken from the 2018 edition
of The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay
Gap. It discusses the causes of pay gaps.
The full 36-page report can be found on the
AAUW website. Updated regularly with the
most current statistics from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, The
Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap is a
commonsense guide that provides key facts
about the gender pay gap in the United
States. Topics covered in the report include:
the definition of the pay gap and its history;
the pay gap in each state; the pay gap by
age, race/ethnicity, and education; guidance
for women facing workplace discrimination;
and resources for fair pay advocates.
What Causes the Pay Gap?
The gap of 20 cents on the dollar between
men and women working full time, year-
round is a statistical fact. The pay gap itself
is more complicated than a single number
since it summarizes a huge diversity of
women and life circumstances. The origins
of the pay gap are also more complicated
than a single cause. Women and men have
always participated in the workforce in
different ways—and have been treated
differently by employers—and though those
differences have shrunk over time, they still
contribute to women being paid less than
men.
OCCUPATION AND “CHOICE”
In part, the pay gap reflects women’s and
men’s choices. Women and men often
choose different college majors and types of
jobs after graduation. But women experience
pay gaps at every education level and in
nearly every line of work. Among the many
occupations for which the Bureau of Labor
Statistics collects data that allow for valid
comparison, men’s earnings are higher than
women’s in the vast majority (U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics, 2017b).
In 2016, the U.S. civilian workforce
included 151 million full- and part-time
employed workers; 53 percent were men,
and 47 percent were women (U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 2017a). But women and
men tend to work in different kinds of jobs.
Women are disproportionately represented
in education, office and administrative
support, and health care occupations, and
men are disproportionately represented in
construction, maintenance and repair, and
production and transportation occupations
(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017b).
Segregation by occupation is a major factor
behind the pay gap. Even though a pay gap
exists in nearly every occupational field,
jobs traditionally associated with men tend
to pay better than traditionally female-
dominated jobs that require the same level
of skill (Hegewisch & Hartmann, 2014).
Occupational gender segregation has
decreased over the last 40 years, largely due
to women moving into formerly male-
dominated jobs, especially during the 1970s
and 1980s, and to faster growth of more
evenly mixed-gender occupations in the
1990s. But integration has stalled since the
early 2000s. Occupational segregation also
continues to affect some women more than
others: Of all racial/ethnic groups, Hispanic
women and men are the least likely to work
in the same jobs (Hegewisch & Hartmann,
2014).
Increasing the number of women in
traditionally male fields will likely improve
wages for women, but it is unlikely to fully
eliminate the pay gap. Women in such male-
dominated jobs as computer programming
still face a pay gap compared with men in
the field (figure 9), even though women in
such jobs may be paid higher salaries than
women in traditionally female fields are
paid. It will take more than individual
women pursuing careers in historically male
fields to ensure fair pay for all. (See
AAUW’s reports Why So Few? Women in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics and Solving the Equation: The
Variables for Women’s Success in
Engineering and Computing for more
discussion of career choice and occupational
gender gaps.)
PARENTING AND TIME AWAY FROM
WORK
Becoming a parent is widely acknowledged
as a personal choice that affects careers, but
it produces different professional outcomes
for women and men.
Taking time away from the workforce or
cutting back hours, both more common
scenarios for mothers than fathers, hurts
earnings (Bertrand et al., 2010). Many
employers and industries still prioritize long,
continuous, traditional work hours rather
than flexible schedules, a preference that
tends to put women with children at a
disadvantage (Goldin, 2014). AAUW’s
Behind the Pay Gap report found that 10
years after college graduation, 23 percent of
mothers were out of the workforce, and 17
percent worked part time. Among fathers,
only 1 percent were out of the workforce,
and only 2 percent worked part time
(AAUW Educational Foundation, 2007).
Many stay-at-home and part-time working
mothers will eventually decide to return to
the full-time workforce, and when they do
they may encounter a “motherhood penalty”
that extends beyond the actual time out of
the workforce. Experimental studies have
documented that employers are less likely to
hire mothers (including mothers who never
left the workforce) compared with child-free
women, and when employers do make an
offer to a mother, they offer her a lower
salary than they do other women (Correll &
Benard, 2007; Kricheli-Katz, 2012). Fathers,
in contrast, do not suffer a penalty compared
with other working men. Many fathers
actually receive higher wages after having a
child, known as the “fatherhood bonus”
(Killewald, 2013; Budig, 2014).
2018 AAUW National Bylaws Amendment
Vote
The AAUW National Board of Directors has
voted to put three proposals for bylaws
amendments before the membership for a
vote this spring.
The first two proposals would bring
AAUW’s board governance structure more
in line with nationally accepted nonprofit
best practices and the needs of the
organization. The third proposal — to
eliminate the degree requirement for
membership — has come before the
membership for vote a number of times. The
board feels strongly that while the degree
requirement made perfect sense at AAUW’s
inception, this requirement is now perceived
by many as counter to our mission and limits
our ability to build the capacity needed to
increase our impact as an organization.
Voting on-line ends June 9, 2018 so if you
haven’t already cast your ballot do so right
away.
Jolene Cerveny, Public Policy Chair
MINUTES AAUW Independence Branch
Monthly Meeting April 24, 2018
First United Methodist Church
Following the gathering at 6:30; arrival of
award recipients and their families;
President Sue Shineman welcomed all to the
program at 7pm.
Thank you to: Hostesses Nancy Comtois,
Barbara Leabo, Joyce Gillespie, Judy Tyson
and Jane White. Hospitality Chairs were
Jolene Cerveny & Sue Raymond; décor
theme was Spring.
Woman of Achievement
President Sue Shineman recognized
members previously Woman of
Achievement recipients: 1989 – Patt Braley,
1992 – Kathy Vest, 1994 – Carolyn Weeks,
1996 – Sue Russell, 2010 – Laura Vernon,
2012 – Myla Gentry, 2014 – Jan Keeler,
2015 – Judy Austin. Patt Braley was also
honored as the Missouri AAUW Women of
Distinction in 1998. Carolyn Weeks was
honored again for being one of 20 Women
of Distinction in Eastern Jackson County for
2018.
Laura Vernon introduced Jill Esry, 2018
recipient of Woman of Achievement Award
for Independence Branch. Jill graciously
acknowledged receiving the award and
introduced her mother and her daughter.
AAUW Scholarships
Sue Shineman gave a brief history of
AAUW as an organization, and its
Scholarships.
The program was turned over to Carol
Kelley who recognized members of the
Student Awards Committee: Kathy Vest,
Kathy Keeton, Nancy Comtois and Sue
Russell; who all participated in presenting
gifts and the awards. Carol Kelley
introduced the Award Recipients who were
present.
Following an Intermission for Pictures and
Refreshments, the Business portion of the
meeting began at 8:05pm.
Membership: Edwina Forke & Mary
Anderson reported members and multiple
guests in attendance.
Recording Secretary: Sue Raymond – the
approved minutes for the March 27 meeting
are in the newsletter.
Corresponding Secretary: Barbara Leabo
sent a card to Jim Austin (Judy’s husband),
and reported Judith Gutekunst is doing very
well, and is out playing bridge!
Financial Officer. The Financial Report is
printed in the newsletter.
Public Policy. Jolene Cerveny.
All members with email will receive an
email from National on the voting dates and
online voting instructions and the individual
pin number needed for online voting. Your
pin will also be included in your issue of the
Outlook.
Voting is on three bylaws proposals: 1)
three-year, staggered board terms; 2)
membership requirement for board
members; 3) the degree requirement for
AAUW membership Supporting information
is available in the March Newsletter. ALL
ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE YOUR
VOICE HEARD. PLEASE VOTE.
Book Sale AAUW will have a booth at the
Vaile Mansion Strawberry Festival June 2
from 9 am – 4 pm. Book categories to be
sold are Gardening, Collectibles, and Local
History. Kathy Kelley passed around a
signup list for members to man the booth.
Booth rental is $50.00.
Announcements and Events
• State Annual Meeting in
Columbia, May 5. Kim Churches,
AAUW National CEO is the keynote
speaker Saturday morning. Six
Independence Club members are
attending.
• May brunch meeting will be at V’s;
May 12, 2018 9:30-11:30. 2018-
2019 Officers will be installed. The
program will be presented by Patt
Braley, Lois Domsch, Karol Palmer,
Sue Raymond, Jolene Cerveny and
Sue Shineman sharing information
on speakers, meetings and
workshops from the State AAUW
Meeting in Columbia May 4 – 5,
2018.
• New Member Outreach - June 26 –
IFUMC – 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Each Member is asked to submit at
least 5 names and contact
information.
The Board will issue the invitations
and ask members to follow up.
The format of this meeting has not
yet been established.
• Tee shirts are for sale - $20 each
Meeting Adjourned 8:25pm
Respectfully Submitted,
Sue L. Raymond, Recording Secretary
AAUW Independence Branch Monthly Meeting May 12, 2018 Annual Brunch at V’s Restaurant, Independence, MO
9:30 am. Gathering and Welcome. Brunch served. The meeting was called to order at 10:16 am.
The program consisted of summary reports from the six branch members that attended
the AAUW State Annual Meeting in Columbia May 4-5, 2018.
Sue Shineman. Reported on the College and University discussion group. Some suggestions that came from the discussion a) Promote as a Women’s Empowerment Organization, instead of an AAUW affiliate. Need several advisors in order to carry over interest and experience in the two-year program. The previous program known as Start Smart on how to negotiate a first salary is now owned by AAUW. The content is being updated and expanded and will be ready in June – FREE to all.
Karol Palmer gave a summary from the 8 college student panel, who brought forward campus issues: sexual assault, assertiveness training (even in the classroom); few women in leadership roles; pairing with other student groups; and suggestion of mentoring from AAUW members.
Lois Domsch talked about Kim Churches message to the membership. Kim is the new CEO of AAUW; and is excited to re-organize and streamline AAUW National. There will be a dues Increase. Only 15% of the budget comes from membership dues. Kim’s effort to work with outside businesses to bring expertise from diverse areas. Impact – What we can actually carry out. Focus on the primary issues of AAUW; do not be distracted by seemingly relevant issues that are not AAUW primary issues; stay focused on those specific to our mission Advance Equity - for women and girls. Be sustainable. Flexible. National has listed 12 organizations we can partner with, having similar goals.
Lois encouraged us to find out more about this; go to AAUW.org website → About →search tagline “What we do”. Also
mentioned: Additional training to be offered for women over 50, and STEM. Tech Trek.
Sue Raymond’s talk was on the afternoon’s speaker presentation by Susan Daria Landino. She was hired by Yale University in 1999 as Security Education Coordinator to help provide a safe campus environment. Coming to realize victims of assault, including rape, were not receiving adequate support from the university, and crime statistics were under-reported; she attempted to set in motion procedures and programs to build supportive programs for victims. Over more than a 10-year period, her efforts were thwarted and sabotaged by the university; creating substantial stress and harassment for Susan. Various attempts at litigation brought attention to her case from AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund who began supporting her case in 2015, and she received representation from one of the best victim rights lawyers in the U.S. Her case was finally settled favorably in 2017. AAUW LAF provided the financial support needed to get her through. Following counseling and recovery, both emotionally and professionally, Susan, now a member of AAUW, and continues her fight against abuse.
Because relevant issues are frequently covered in the AAUW Outlook, Sue encouraged us to actually READ the magazine. Since we no longer receive by mail, you can get it from the AAUW.org website; we will ask Jan to put a link on our Branch Website. You can also make a request to National to receive a printed copy. Also – if anyone wishes to make a donation to AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund; you can give a check to Lois; put LAF in memo line.
Jolene Cerveny reported on the upcoming vote on National Bylaws changes. Online voting is available April 25 to June 9. You will need your member number and your pin to go to the Ballot. All should have received an email from National with this information.
Proposed Issues:
• Staggered terms for the 15-member AAUW Board: 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 would be elected each term and could retain more experience on the Board.
• Up to 5 board members could be non-AAUW members. This would allow us to benefit from the broader scope experience and knowledge of other corporations and organizations.
• Eliminate the degree requirement for membership.
Patt Braley AAUW Fund
Independence Branch received various awards: Branch named honorees were Mary Anderson, Edwina Forke and Karol Palmer. (see other notes in later report)
This concluded the program.
Announcements and Comments:
• Sue Shineman introduced new members Shirley Graff and Marilyn Lowry.
• Financial Officer: Lois Domsch. There are only 5 members present who have not yet paid for 2018-2019. Dues are payable to AAUW. Please see the financial report printed in the Newsletter.
• Recording Secretary: Sue Raymond. Minutes approved as printed in the newsletter
• AAUW Fund. Patt Braley. Recognition for Century Club, Diamond Club and Named Gift Honorees.
• AAUW Fund: Patt Braley. Independence Branch received Awards from State for 10 Star Branch; 6th in Total Giving (of 17 branches) and 9th in per-capita giving.
• Book Sale. Kathy Kelley. We will sponsor a booth at the Vaile Mansion Strawberry Festival June 2, 2018. Set up 8-9am. Kathy has the list of volunteers to man the booth (#6); shifts are 8 – 12 and 12 – 4. We will be selling collectible, gardening and local interest books.
• Installation of Officers. Myla Gentry installed the following officers: VP/Membership – Sue Raymond and Jolene Cerveny, Financial Officer – Lois Domsch, Corresponding Secretary – Nancy Comtois, Recording Secretary – Barbara Leabo.
• Historian’s Report read by Branch Historian Patty Chadwick.
• Please take time to fill out the Evaluation Form on the meetings and events of the 2017-2018 year.
This will be helpful to the Program Committee planning for next year.
• The Final Board Meeting of the year is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19, 9:30 am at First United Methodist Church (regular meeting location).
Meeting Adjourned 11:31 am
Respectfully submitted,
Sue L. Raymond
Recording Secretary
https://www.aauw.org/resource/national-election/
2018 AAUW BALLOT
Remember, you must submit your completed ballot online by June 9 at 9 p.m. ET!
BYLAWS AMENDMENTS(see Voter Guide)
Proposal 1.
Shall AAUW implement a staggered-term model for the AAUW Board of Directors that includes directors serving for three years per term, with four elected and one appointed each year?
Approve proposed amendment? Yes No Abstain
Proposal 2.
Shall the AAUW Bylaws be amended to allow up to five nonmembers of AAUW to be members of the Board of Directors?
Approve proposed amendment? Yes No Abstain
Proposal 3.
Shall the AAUW Bylaws be amended to eliminate the degree requirement for membership in AAUW?
Approve proposed amendment? Yes No Abstain
Ballots equal in number to at least 5 percent of the votes entitled to be cast must be cast for a vote to be counted. A choice of “abstain,” a vote of neither for nor against, will be counted toward quorum. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for the adoption of noticed business, except that a two-thirds vote shall be required to adopt bylaws amendments.
Questions? Contact Connect at [email protected] or 800.326.2289.
AAUW Home | AAUW National Vote Information
April 2018 AAUW Financial Report
CHECKING ACCOUNT
BALANCE ON HAND 3/31/2018 $379.52
RECEIPTS
4/25/2018 Transfer from Savings to Checking 1500
4/26/2018 Deposit 17 mbrshps(85) + 1 @ 26 1471
4/26/2018 Deposit 19 brunch reservations @19 361 TOTAL RECEIPTS $3332.00
DISBURSEMENTS
4/1/2018 Mary Anderson - membership copies/printing 13.63 4/10/2018 Patty Chadwick - yearbook postage 7.26 4/24/2018 Nancy Comtois - student awards 120 4/25/2018 ISDF 3 HS scholarships 1500
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS $1640.89
BALANCE ON HAND 4/30/2018 $2070.63
SAVINGS ACCOUNT
BALANCE ON HAND 3/31/2018 $8854.65
RECEIPTS
4/4/2018 Pizza Ranch fund raiser 329.41
4/30/2018 Dividend April 0.36 TOTAL RECEIPTS $329.77
DISBURSEMENTS
4/25/2018 Transfer funds to Checking 1500 TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS $1500
BALANCE ON HAND 4/30/2018 $7684.42
TOTAL ASSETS 4/30/2018: Checking $2070.63 + Savings $7684.42 = $9755.05
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