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Nominating Committee Report
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The AAUW of Colorado Nominating Committee presents the following nominees for the AAUW of Colorado 2020 Ballot. Voting will be conducted at the Annual Business Meeting to be held via Zoom conference on June 19, 2020 at 9:30 am.
It should be noted that no candidate(s) for the position of Membership Co-Vice President has been named. At the recommendation of Stormy McDonald, this potential vacancy will be addressed at the Fall Leadership Conference. Further below, we have provided information on the job requirements for Membership VP.
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Public Policy Co-Director: Su Ryden, Aurora Branch
The Honorable Su Ryden served as State Representative to the Colorado General Assembly from 2009 - 2017 where she chaired the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, vice-chaired the Legislative Audit Committee, served as the Majority Whip along with other key positions. She joined AAUW in 2010. At the branch level she has served as Interest Groups Chair, and at the state level she has served on the Public Policy Committee.
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AAUW Funds Director: Barbara McDaniel, Littleton-South Metro
Barb McDaniel joined the Littleton-South Metro branch in 1995 when she moved to Colorado. Since then she has served terms as Branch Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair, AAUW Funds Co-Chair, and President. At the State level, she has served on the Public Policy Committee and was Co-Director of this committee for four years. For the past two years she has been the AAUW Funds Director.
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Secretary: Sally Mathewson, Colorado Springs
Sally Mathewson has been an AAUW member since 1975. She has held numerous Branch and State positions including Program VP, State President, and State Public Policy Co-Director. She is a candidate for Secretary for the second year of a two-year position, due to the resignation of the current Secretary.
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Membership Vice President Job Requirements
The Job Description for the Membership VP can be found on the state website. Additionally, there is information in our Bylaws and Policies that is related to the Membership VP:
The membership vice president shall:
(1) Serve as chair of the membership committee and endeavor to increase membership; serve on the Executive Committee which generally meets 3 times a year and the Board of Directors which meet two times a year
Our Policy Guidelines state: Membership committee members shall be the vice president for membership, vice president for program development, College/University Relations Representative, and such others as the president or vice president for membership shall appoint.
(2) Act as the presiding officer in the absence of the president when the president-elect and/or the president are not available;
(3) Pursue organizing activities with a petitioning group, including preparation of bylaws, at the direction of the president.
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Branches Make Use of Zoom and Other Virtual Conferencing
Carolyn Cooley
With the occurrence of the COVID-19 virus and national "stay at home" requirements, AAUW and Colorado branches have been creative in using virtual conferencing tools to keep in touch. AAUW National closed its offices in accordance with national guidelines and its staff began working from home. In March, Kim Churches held a video conference on Zoom, and it was exciting to see her and her staff members as they interacted in their home environments. Kim and AAUW have continued to hold informative webinars on AAUW's mission as they work from home, and she issues emails documenting more webinars. Look for her emails and attend some!
Branches too are looking for innovative ways to keep in touch with their members, and Zoom has been key to their success. Colorado Springs branch has recently purchased a Zoom license to help in communications. Loveland branch has a weekly Zoom social for members to talk. Littleton-South Metro members who attend the Littleton YMCA participate in a twice-weekly Zoom conference. And, the state is planning a small Regional Conference on Zoom and will conduct its Annual Business Meeting via Zoom. Zoom and other similar communications tools may be a way of life for many months to come.
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Kim Churches, AAUW National CEO gave presentation on the impact of the coronavirus on AAUW operations.
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Donna Zimmerman, Littleton-South Metro Branch President, organized a phone tree to contact all branch members during the coronavirus stay-at-home time period.
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Adapting to the New Normal
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Loveland Branch Conducts Flower Sale With Curbside Pick-up or Delivery
Claudia Ward
This year marked the 40th anniversary of the Loveland AAUW flower sale which was held on May 9, 2020. Our flower sale, a major fund raiser for scholarships, has always been well received by the community. This year because so many people are home enjoying their yards and gardens it was even more lucrative. To honor the health and safety of our members and our generous customers we offered curbside pick-up or delivery only. The flower sale was advertised on a flyer which included the order form. For pick-up, each person who ordered flowers was given explicit directions on how to enter the street so they would be on the correct side. We conducted business through the passenger side of the car. The driver could open the trunk but everyone was to remain in their car/truck. Those AAUW members working all wore masks, and we had hand sanitizer as well. We cleared approximately $3,000.00, which is more money than in previous years.
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Flower sold during Loveland Flower Sale
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Can Your Cellphone Do More for You?
Stormy McDonald
Several friends have fallen recently and were alone at home for a long time before getting assistance. If a cellphone was with them, might they have called for assistance? For an iPhone, Siri voice command could call a contact, or Emergency. For Android phones “Hey Google” could do the same.
On the back of your phone, place an In Case of Emergency notice with a name and phone number.
Who would you want to access your phone data in case of your own inability to do so? Now, you could give that person near you an envelope containing your phone access information so they could check your calendar and contacts to alert others if need be.
You can call 911 from a locked iPhone or Android (and dial emergency contacts if they have been set up) by pressing the power button five times quickly.
Backups of our phone data need to be done on a regular basis so that information on our contacts is up to date in the cloud in the event of phone loss, breakdown or theft.
Check this link out. It is a great way to always have your cell phone with you.
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Do you feel like you are sitting too much in Zoom conferences? Stormy McDonald demonstrates a way to stand with laptop at counter height. This is a great way to help your back.
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Colorado Springs Mask Making Effort
Marilyn Frydrych
Starting the second week in April, our Ad Hoc Mask Making Committee has made about 150 pouch-type masks at no cost. We followed instructions from the YouTube video. We send the finished masks to the El Paso County Office of Emergency Management.
Initially, about a dozen people signed up to help, but only five had any experience in sewing. This fact turned out to be a plus. It meant that the members interested in helping, but unable to sew, could play meaningful support roles. Our program has evolved into four types of volunteers: cutters, sewers, drivers, and line drawers. We found that the bottleneck in the process was the cutters. They actually spent more time drawing the pattern onto the fabric than cutting, so we added people who drew the lines for them.
Our drivers connect our worker bees, who are scattered all over Colorado Springs and nearby communities. Often they drive over 50 miles a day. We stress safety with our deliveries. We leave bags to be picked up or delivered on door knobs and discourage face-to-face conversation. Besides servicing our mask makers, our drivers also fill member requests for masks and pick up member donations.
Our team has expressed gratitude about this opportunity to help their community. |
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Marilyn Frydrych of Colorado Springs Branch drawing lines.
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Gayle Krzemien of Colorado Springs Branch cutting out materials.
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Littleton-South Metro Branch Members Making Masks
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Judy Kraft has been busy making masks during this quarantine time. The masks are to be used at local hospitals and for others needing protection. A group called Masks for Medics - Colorado Health Care Community out of Parker Hospital has provided some of the fabrics, pattern and support.
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AAUW Longmont Gives Back to Our Community
Kathy Hall
AAUW Longmont has continued our tradition of awarding local scholarships and community action grants, as well as donating to a local Covid-19 Relief Fund, this spring.
Local Scholarships encourage women to pursue higher education to increase their ability have a positive impact in their field and community. Three $1,000 Scholarships were awarded this year to Elizabeth McNichols, Susan DeTar, and Nichole Kain.
Community Action Grants support programs that focus on AAUW mission of promoting education and equity for women and girls. This year’s $1,000 Community Action Grant recipients are Open Door ESL, Longmont High School Education Foundation, and El Comité de Longmont.
We were proud to give $1,500 to the Neighbor-to Neighbor Covid-19 Relief Fund in April. This fund was set up by the Longmont Community Foundation to provide financial resources to charitable organizations in the Longmont and St. Vrain Valley area that are involved in supporting vulnerable populations that have been affected by the outbreak.
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Two Local Scholarship recipients: Elizabeth McNichols (top) and Susan DeTar (bottom)
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President Elect Message
Paula Munger
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With trying to both “shelter in place” while trying to live in the “new normal,” I have had both AAUW meetings and community activities canceled, postponed, and/or held by a virtual venue. Good work has been done and plans for the future (whatever that really is) have been made.
The first death in Colorado attributed to the coronavirus was here in El Paso county, in Colorado Springs. Although I did not know this woman personally, I knew of her…a retired nurse who was active in the community. Even though she did not feel great that morning, as a woman she felt an obligation to her partner and the tournament to go play at the Bridge Center. Haven’t we all as women during our careers, made similar choices while not feeling well? The new normal…!
Our grandson turned 6 on March 22, and our daughter planned a drive by birthday party. She invited friends and family to drive by at 3 pm to celebrate his birthday. Some 40 cars drove by, beeping horns, donned with balloons and banners, little gift bags, and Happy Birthday being played and sung with each passing car! It brought tears to my eyes to witness the love and support these friends brought to our little grandson! The new normal…!
In addition to community activities, I have remained active with AAUW at the national, state, and local levels. Kim Churches, our National CEO, held a webinar to reassure us that even though her staff was working from home, work was being done. She encouraged all of us to stay calm, to adjust to the changing times, and to keep working for advancing equity for women and girls….the new normal!
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At the state level, I have been in frequent contact with our President, Stormy McDonald, regarding individual member concerns, as well as Regional Convention plans. We had an executive meeting (virtual) to discuss the possible postponement of the convention, and the financial ramifications associated with any change that we make. My plans to visit several branch meetings throughout the state have been canceled. I have worked on the Fall Leadership Conference, securing one speaker for the event and thinking about what those two days should look like. I have also talked to several young ladies to encourage them to apply to attend NCCWSL and for the state scholarship.
At the branch level, many Interest Groups continue to meet either by social distancing (separated hiking, for instance), or via zoom or phone conferencing. We were able to hold a virtual board meeting to vote on some changes to our Bylaws and Working Rules in addition to other business. One of the committees that I serve on is the Scholarship Committee. Even though our May luncheon to honor our recipients has been canceled, the committee is currently busy reading applications and making choices so that the money raised by the branch can be distributed to the chosen ones for their next school year.
Stay safe and healthy my dear fellow AAUW members. I look forward to seeing your smiling faces and giving you all hugs in the near future!
Paula Munger
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Addie Mae Scholarship Fund
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The local scholarship committee of the Colorado Springs branch is proud to announce the two recipients of the Addie Mae Scholarships. After reviewing 21 applicants for the scholarships, the committee interviewed and selected two young women: Juliette Hayes and Anna Duerst. Juliette Hayes is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and works in a YMCA program with young children. Anna is pursuing her degree in psychology to, as she stated, “support others on their journeys of self-understanding.” Each of the recipient’s will receive an $1850.00 scholarship plus a student membership in AAUW.
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Eileen Young Named as Archivist/Historian
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Eileen Young has been named as Archivist/Historian for AAUW of Colorado. She will be your state and branch consultant on archival materials and research data as requested. She will collect your archival materials at state meetings and from state and branch officers for inclusion in the archival holdings at the Denver Public Library. She will also collect branch newsletters and member rosters.
The Denver Public Library, which houses AAUW of Colorado archives, has been closed due to COVID-19. As Eileen learns more about the Archivist/Historian position and as the Library is available, she will share with you how you will interact with her in the future.
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"Poppies for Hope" Published on AAUW Notecard
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Susan Worth Jenkins' photo, entitled "Poppies for Hope" was selected in the AAUW art contest to be included on one or its yearly notecards sent to all AAUW members. Susan, a member of Littleton-South Metro Branch, is an avid photographer and naturalist, and we are proud to see "Poppies for Hope" included as one of the notecards.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
August 1, 2020, Eugenia McClure Grant Deadline
September 11-12, 2020 Fall Leadership Conference, Antlers Hotel, Colorado Springs
March 15, 2021, Sanderson Young Leader Award Nominations Deadline
April 1, 2021, Student Applications for NCCWSL Support from AAUW of Colorado Deadline
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Branches: To make sure that we have your latest information for the Bulletin, State Facebook and State Website, please send current information to your Communications Co-chairs, Carolyn Cooley and Kathy Hall (click here to leave a message)
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Public Policy Day - Photos and Status
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Click here for a summary of Public Policy Day 2020 held on February 1. And enjoy the photo video below generated by Kathy Hall of Longmont branch.
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