The BRANCH CONNECTOR
January 2007
An electronic newsletter for Branch Presidents in Iowa to share with their members
GREETINGS!
Greetings to each and every one of the members of AAUW in Iowa! Our Iowa Membership Vice President, Norma Coret, Woodbine reports that there are more than 800 AAUW members in Iowa and more than 400 Members-at-Large! Both of these numbers represent a slight increase from last year.
This issue of “The Branch Connector” brings news of recent appointments to state committees and offices in Iowa AAUW; it brings news of many springtime opportunities for your branch members. As branch President please feel free to share this news as widely as you feel necessary in your community. Some of it may have relevance to other community groups and organizations. Please feel free to share!
KEEPING THINGS STRAIGHT! Who’s doing what?
State Treasurer, Leora Thomas, has a new address. It is 583 S.E.Williams CT. Waukee, IA 50263. Her email address has changed also it is leorathmoas@mchsi.com. Her phone number also changed with this move. It is now 515-978-4353.
Two new members have been appointed to the Iowa College/University Relations Committee. They are Dr. Mary Mohr, faculty emeritus, Luther College, and Dr. Victoria DeFrancisco, faculty member at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls. With their acceptance of these appointments the College/University Relations committee now has representation from all types of Iowa institutions of higher education, community college, four year private liberal arts college, and regents’ universities. Dr. Laura Browne has accepted the chairmanship of this committee following the resignation of Dr. Kathy Kremer when she left Wartburg College to accept a position in Michigan. Dr. Browne serves as an administrator at Iowa Valley Community College in Marshalltown.
Renee Jedlicka, Palo Alto Branch member, has consented to serve on the state nominating committee representing the northwestern quadrant of the state. I am deeply grateful for the willingness of these able and talented women to say “yes”.
TWO ASSOCIATION CANDIDATES FROM IOWA
Two Iowa women will be nominees at the Phoenix Association convention. Florine Swanson, Clarion Branch, will be a candidate for Association Vice President for the Educational Foundation. Myrna Sandvik, Waterloo Branch, will be candidate for Regional Director from the Upper Midwest Region (our region).
MARCH 31 DEADLINE
One of the important projects which the College/University Relations committee undertakes is the identification of an outstanding faculty member from an Iowa College. Presidents of Iowa institutions of higher education are invited to nominate such a faculty member. Often the Academic Dean of the College is asked or consulted for such a nomination. The deadline this year is March 31st. Do you live in a town where a college exists? (It can be a four year undergraduate institution, a public community college, a graduate institution.) Consider inviting the president of the college to prepare such a nomination. Let that administrator know that YOUR AAUW cares about faculty well being and is interested in recognizing outstanding performance! (Probably wouldn’t hurt your branch “image” locally either!) Contact Laura Browne for further information, She can be contacted at Laura.Browne@iavalley.edu.
SPRINGTIME OPPORTUNITIES
The Iowa Public Policy Committee is ready and willing, under the direction of Sarah Hanuske, chairman, to come to you to provide a “Grass Roots Advocacy Workshop”. Using excellent materials provided by the Association Public Policy staff this workshop provides valuable information which could be used not, only by your branch but by other organizations in your community, sharing time with you and your branch members. If you have been looking for a way to connect with other organizations this might be a particularly effective way. Doing so could be a grand way to end this year. For details contact Sarah Hanuske in Waterloo. Her email address is Hanuske@yahoo.com. Funding for this workshop has been made possible through the Public Policy Impact grant which Iowa received last June. Hanuske is an experienced public school administrator as well as an exceptional facilitator. She has an exceptionally able committee working with her this year.
APRIL 20 AND 21
These are the dates for the Iowa Annual Spring Conference. AND what a conference it will be this year! We will be back in Marshalltown this year and wait until you hear about the plans the program team has put together!
Three outstanding speakers have consented to speak to the members at this conference. They include Martha Ternus, recently appointed to be Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, Lisa Maatz, Director, Association Public Policy, and Dr. Marta Maldonodo, the only Educational Foundation Research Recipient to be studying in Iowa this year/ and that’s not all!
Friday, April 20th between 12 and 3:30 p.m., there will be an opportunity for members to meet together to examine new models of leadership and learn about new tools which help leaders to become more effective. The session will be conducted by experienced leaders; the session will provide an often-hoped-for opportunity for leadership development. On the same afternoon there will be a very special “pre-conference” session, offered at the “Perfect Setting” a new art gallery in Marshalltown. Over tea, Dorothy Apgar and Sandy Vos, an artist and writer in Marshalltown will talk about historic architecture in Marshalltown. The event is followed by a self guided tour of four 19th Century houses and the historic court house in Marshalltown. A wine and cheese reception will precede a dinner hosted by members of the Iowa Board of Directors for you. Discussion of the Association’s strategic plan, with Lisa Maatz and Florine Swanson will occur at the evening session to be held at Fisher Community Center in Marshalltown.
You’re invited to my hotel room after the sessions end for a late evening get together to un-wind! Come “party with the Pres!”
Save the dates, gather up a car-full of branch members, and come to Marshalltown April 20 and 21. Registration forms will be in the Initiative as well as on the website.
EF/LAF FUND RAISER AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Again this year there will be a silent auction at the annual conference to raise funds for the Educational Foundation and the Legal Advocacy Fund. However you do not (necessarily) need to bring a basket for the fund raiser. The theme is “From Iowans for Iowans”. Contact Lida Sigg, EF Director, or Carol Cooper LAF Director for further details. Email contacts, lidasigg@yahoo.com and carolc@aol.com.
HERE’S YOUR HAT! WHAT’S THE HURRY!?
How old are you? Your branch, that is! As AAUW continues and concludes its’ celebration of the 125th anniversary we will do some celebrating at the spring conference. A roll call of branches will begin the business meeting at the annual conference. When the name of your branch is called, you, or your appointed representative, will be asked to stand, introduce yourself and tell when your branch was founded AND bring an article of clothing from the year your branch was founded! (Shoes, purses, hats, as well as dresses, skirts and coats are okay too!) You will have sixty seconds, i.e. one minute, to tell one thing that you hope will happen next year as the life of your branch continues! You and your branch won’t want to miss this fun beginning, not to mention the chance to see what everybody else does with this challenge! Start checking out those closets for what to bring!
SEE IT ON THE WEB!
Have you looked lately at Iowa’s website? Neysa Picklum, our Iowa webmaster, reminds us that you can access recent stories of Iowa branch news, link to branches that have a web page of their own, see the entire conference program, register for the conference, and review the anniversary story. Check it out. www.aauwiowa.com.
READY TO ROLL
I remain ready to visit Iowa branches in order to describe and talk about our organization, or help with emerging issues, suggest effective ways to work with your board, or with the community. You can contact me at janetheinicke@earthlink.net.