Recap of Leadership Meeting on February 8, 2003
Attending were:
Jennifer Kern, Judy Murphy, Gail Schonbeck, Jane Chamay and Gudrun Hutchins, Bennington Branch; Louise Luring and Jenifer Ambler Brattleboro Branch; Kathleen Balutansky Burlington Branch; Dot Rand and Maureen Williams, Middlebury Branch; Raylene Lissor MAL
Planning for State Convention in Middlebury on April 5, 2003
Dot Rand announced that the keynote speaker from Middlebury College would be Dr. Barbara Hofer. In a presentation entitled Culture, Cognition and Learning, Dr. Hofer will compare and contrast education in Japan and the United States.
Maureen Williams reported on the local arrangements at the Kirk Alumni Center of Middlebury College. Lunch will be a soup, a "make your own" chicken and vegetables salad, and a light dessert. The "make your own" salad eliminates the need for a separate vegetarian entrée. The group voted to have lunch on china rather than paper even though it is at additional cost.
Five branches will present half hour segments on educational issues, Barbara Hofer will continue her discussion of culture and learning in a sixth session. The topics will be presented in two sessions of three simultaneously discussions in small groups. Conference attendees will separate into three smaller groups in the alcoves of the Kirk center.
The conference will adjourn at 3 p.m. to make possible a visit the Middlebury Fine Arts Center to view the "Modern Mongolia" Exhibit. The museum closes at 5 p.m. and it will be the last day of the exhibit.
College/University Partnerships
Kathie Balutansky, the AAUW College University Coordinator within Vermont, explained her previous frustrations in getting timely information and materials from national staff. The program is being revamped, Kathie has been appointed to the national AAUW committee for College University Relations, and she has great hopes of helping to improve and develop the program. In answer to our questions, Kathie admitted that there is relatively little incentive for an institution to join, since AAUW does not offer much that colleges cannot do by themselves. She sees the national conference of women college student leaders that AAUW will be holding for the second year this June as a new program of potential interest to colleges. A close partnership between an institution and an AAUW branch is also an important factor in recruiting and retaining a C/U member.
Public Policy
Raylene Lissor, state public policy coordinator, reported that the Vermont Commission on Women may change significantly in the near future. It has been seen as being too partisan in the past with a strong pro-choice stand and support of Civil Unions and other "liberal" issues. Governor Douglas plans to make VCW more politically balanced through new appointments. This means that the agenda of the VCW may change considerably and may not be as useful to us.
In response, a number of organizations including AAUW have formed The Women's Policy Agenda. Raylene filled out the application and answered the issues questionaire on our behalf. How this new organization will function is not quite clear at this time and we are still trying to obtain more information. Raylene is trying to cover both the Commission and the Policy Agenda during this time of transition.
Judy Murphy raised the question of whether AAUW had a lobbyist in Montpelier. We do not at this time but may need to consider it to keep members informed about legislation of interest.
Fundraising
Dot Rand read a report from Andrea Weisberg, State Educational Foundation Coordinator. During the 2002 calendar year we collected $3025 in memory of Mariafranca Morselli. Individual donors and branches contributed $4427 to make a record total of $7,452.
Kathy Corrao sent a report stating that Legal Advocacy Fund contributions from all six branches totaled $648.
National Convention Update
Gudrun Hutchins reported on the plans for the National AAUW convention in Providence RI from June 20 23, 2003 and passed out a draft schedule of the events. Gudrun will mail the draft schedule to state officers and branch presidents who did not attend the leadership meeting.
The Convention will open at 2 p.m. on June 20, which will give most Vermont members enough time to travel there in the morning. Members should plan to arrive no later than 12:30 in order to have time to leave their luggage at the hotel, walk to the convention center, pick up their registration and voting materials and find their assigned seat in the Vermont Delegation before the 2 p.m. opening ceremony. The last event on June 23 is the Educational Foundation Banquet at which Gloria Steinem will speak. Since this event will end at approximately 10 p.m., members should plan to stay overnight on June 23. Most Vermonter are reserving rooms at the Biltmore Hotel ($130 + tax for a double room) located 2 blocks from the Convention Center rather than at the Westin Hotel ($167 + tax for a double room) which is connected to the Convention Center.
The four convention stipends of $300 each for first timers at a national AAUW convention will be awarded to Jennifer Kern, Judy Murphy, Maureen Williams, and Margie Randall.
