eleanor roosevelt's birthday cake !

to see pictures from the 2009 holiday luncheon  click here

revised aauw bylaws

The full text of the 2009 AAUW Bylaws is posted on the AAUW website and will also be printed for distribution to state and branch presidents in early September. Model state and branch bylaws are also posted on the AAUW website.

Here is what hasn't changed:

1. The requirement for membership in AAUW remains an associate or equivalent degree or higher. There is no change in the categories of membership or in the student affiliates category.
2. Branches continue to be the basic unit of AAUW, although there is more flexibility given for a branch’s governance structure.
3. States remain but they are optional structures, and there is flexibility given for the state’s governance structure. States also have the flexibility to decide if they want to join in a multi-state structure or other configuration.
4. No branch or state is required to change its current leadership structure if it works well and meets the needs of the branch or state.

Following an AAUW Convention, it is the responsibility of state and branch presidents to insure that any mandatory changes are made to state and branch bylaws. How to bring branch and state bylaws into conformance with the revised AAUW bylaws is described in this document.

aauw national convention 2009

Linda Motelson and I (Selena Barron) represented the AAUW Westchester branch at the AAUW National Convention in St. Louis. Speakers, including Lilly Ledbetter, two members of the House of Representatives, an assistant to President Obama, entrepreneurs, and our own Linda Hallman and Lisa Maatz were exciting, informative and inspiring! We urge you to plan ahead, be part of the action and attend the
next convention which will take place in 2011 in Washington DC.

U. S. House of Representatives member, Jackie Spier, a Democrat from California and an AAUW member, addressed the convention at our banquet. She used humor, statistics and examples of progress to make her points. She began with a “second list of the ten
commandments” lost because the first person to receive the commandments was a man and he lost interest half way through the conversation. Her first commandment was: "Thou shalt listen to your wife." The second commandment she suggests is: "Thou shalt not assume that the system is fair." Representative Spier stated that only 20% of college presidents are women. Only 36% of professors are women. These figures exist despite the fact that more than 50% of PhDs are women.

She went on to use women faculty members at MIT as an example. When three professors felt that they suffered from gender discrimination, they pulled together a survey, which they brought to the administration. They showed that they had been assigned 50% of the lab space given to men. Women faculty members also received lower salaries and research funds than men, there were no women serving as department heads, and there were no women on important policy committees such as the faculty hiring committee. MIT conceded that discrimination had occurred and they committed to change. In the next four years MIT raised the salary for
women an average of 20% and increased lab space and research money. As Representative Spiers said “three savvy, impolite women professors put their heads together and pulled out their tape measures” and broke through barriers.

Lilly Ledbetter told Representative Spiers that she believed that Good Year was playing by the rules because they were a federal contractor!

To listen to the rest of Representative Spiers' commandments and to hear Lilly Ledbetter,
Representative Rosa De Lauro (D-CT), Valerie
Jarrett, senior advisor and assistant to
President Obama for intergovernmental affairs
and public liaison and others please go to the
AAUW website.

by Selena Barron

awards and honors 2009

Our branch was one of eight branches to receive the 21st Century 2009 award for overall programming at the platinum level. The 21st Century Recognition Award is given to branches for outstanding work encompassing all priority areas: planning, program, membership development, leadership development, technology and communication and visibility. Our awards program for high school senior girls received third place in the Education category. We received an incentive award of $100 from AAUW NY State for this program. In the Keys to the Future - Every Member Get a Member category, Westchester had 13 recruiters who brought in 21 new members in the period July 2006 to April 13, 2009. Poughkeepsie came in first with 41 recruiters bringing in 123 new members! Our branch also received a 2009 Newsletter Award for our outstanding newsletter, CHIPS, which is beautifully edited and designed by Sue Lambert.

Roli Wendorf received an Emerging Leader 2009 award. The award is given to members who have joined within the past three years, and who have shown outstanding leadership. As chair for the Education Foundation and the Legal Advocacy Fund, Roli is a member of our Board of Directors. As chair she oversees our award winning fund raising campaign and keeps our members informed about EF and LAF accomplishments. Roli organized a mailing campaign, requested contributions at each branch membership meeting, wrote a monthly article for our newsletter and helped run a 50/50 raffle at our holiday luncheon. As a member of our Expanding Your Opportunities Conference Committee, Roli recruits Mystery Women, writes bios for each woman, manages the EYO website and volunteers the day of the conference. The conference, held at Barnard College, introduces 7th grade girls to careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Roli has also agreed to be the backup for Doris Lowenfels for our AAUW branch website. Roli has demonstrated commitment, dedication and leadership. Congratulations to Roli on her well-earned award!