Thank you for your interest in learning more about AAUW. Our mission is: To empower women through education and career development. One important way we do this is through our scholarship program. To raise funds, we will be collecting and selling used books and accepting cash donations. To help provide educational opportunities to more women in our community, please make your tax-deductible donation now.
JANUARY LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
By Joyce Moyer
This is the time of year when we think about making New Year Resolutions. Another way to look at resolutions is to specify changes you would like to make in your life. It sounds as though you are more determined to do something if you “resolve” to do it! If you resolve to do something, it is up to you to make it happen, but change may come from anywhere. One way or another, we need to adapt to change in some way. The results from the membership survey our AAUW branch did last spring showed we should try some changes. The first of these was to try some daytime meetings and another was to try some new interest groups.
To organize some options for these activities, we will invite members to attend a planning meeting early next year in 2025. It will be very helpful to get some additional ideas for daytime meeting programs that appeal to those members who are not able to attend activities at night. Many of our night participants are working during the day or have volunteer commitments that require daytime hours. Those who do not have this type of responsibility or do not like to drive at night prefer to attend during the day. When we determine the main concerns and interests of these members we can plan daytime programs for them. A date for this planning session will be announced later in January, 2025. Scheduling a Saturday is an option when both day and night attendees could participate.
The second most popular survey response was adding another interest group for members who like to eat in restaurants. For example, arrangements can be made to attend local restaurants once a month, that can accommodate 10 to 20 people and provide separate checks for a meal. It would serve as an expansion of our Cocktails and Conversation (C&C) get-togethers. This could be done at lunch time, in the evening for dinner, on a week day, or a Saturday. There are many options for various types of food and service available in the greater Annapolis area.
Both possibilities will be discussed in terms of administrative needs and operational procedures by the local AAUW Branch Board at our next meeting in January. When a date is determined for a planning meeting, all members will be notified. Implementation plans will follow.
I hope many of you will take advantage of this opportunity to make changes to the Anne Arundel County Branch of AAUW that will better meet the needs of all members and perhaps bring new members to join us! If we are resolved to make some positive changes, we can make it happen!For information about the branch’s Special Interest Groups and activities, please browse our website and contact us using the link above.
In accordance with its bylaws: AAUW is not affiliated with and does not support any other non-profit organizations; AAUW does not support the campaigns of any candidates for public office; but AAUW does support public policy initiatives related to education and equity for women and families that have been approved by the bi-annual voting of the AAUW members.