December 2012 January 2013

Vol. XXXIII No. 7



Schenectady, NY Branch

Founded in 1902
ecember’s Holiday Brunch
Saturday, December 1

11:30 a.m.
Location: The Stockade Inn

1 North Church Street

Schenectady, New York 12305

518.346.3400

tossed salad, roasted potatoes, and a vegetable

cheesecake, tea and coffee.
Be ready to shop for the holidays! You will have an opportunity to bid on a variety of items donated by our Interest Groups for the purse auction.

Fill a bucket; bring toiletry items the YWCA will distribute to women’s shelters.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Coming Soon	Looking Ahead
Saturday, December 1 Holiday brunch and purse auction, 11:30 am The Stockade Inn	Wednesday, February 20 General Meeting Janet Grigsby of Union College To Make a Difference
Monday, December 10 Deadline to have your gift to EOF doubled (details page 4)	Wednesday, March 20 Joint Program with SCCC Afternoon meeting
Tuesday, January 1	Wednesday, April 17 Project Have Hope A program to transform the lives of women of Uganda
Wednesday, January 2 Board Meeting, 6:45 pm Glenville Public Library	Wednesday, May 15 Annual Dinner Mohawk Golf Club

CO-PRESIDENTS’ MESSAGE

Fall seems to have left us behind and winter is coming fast. We are all devastated by the situation in New Jersey and New York. Our thoughts go out to all those affected by the storm and who have suffered the loss of power, shelter, and food. How thankful and fortunate we are that we were spared this destruction.

In the past few weeks, our members have been busy in community activities. The Candidates’ Forum, promoting voting for elementary students and collecting poll information for the Capital District Election Service, kept many people busy. Thank you to our volunteers Maxine Borom, Robin Eddy, Bobbi Richardson, and Linda Zuckerman for participating in Meet the Candidates’ Night. Linda Rizzo welcomed the audience for the three participating organizations. Thank you also to Maxine Borom, Sandra Daly, Robin Eddy, Arlene Maranville, Barbara McEvoy, Jackie Mendini, Gerri Pinkerton, Dottie Potochnik, Carol Reynolds, Bobbi Richardson, Toni Walsh, Pat and Dick Terry, and Linda Zuckerman for serving as poll collectors.

The holiday season is a busy one with opportunities for helping others and socializing with each other. AAUW will be assisting Girls, Inc., on December 4 in their Holiday Shop, with helping the girls shop for family members and then wrapping their gifts. Later in the month we will be wrapping toys for the girls donated by other organizations. See p. 3 for details about volunteering for this and a new venture at Bethesda House.

It’s not too late to sign up for the December luncheon. Send your check for $25 to Ellen Auerbach for your reservation. You don’t want to miss our purse auction which will raise funds for the Legal Advocacy and Educational Opportunities Funds. Come prepared to bid on some creative purses donated by our Interest Groups and meet up with old friends. Don’t forget toiletry items for the YWCA which will be distributed to women’s shelters.

Some things bear repeating. Thank you to Elise Russo and Robin Eddy for their District IV conference. It was informative and offered a wonderful opportunity to network with the other Branches who attended. We all had fun making earrings for ourselves and others.

In this holiday season consider donating to one of our AAUW funds. Information can be found on p. 9 of your directory. Thank you for all you do for AAUW. May this holiday season be an especially good one for all of you.

Bobbi Richardson roberta_richardson@hotmail.com and Arlene Maranville amara041@aol.com



MEMBERSHIP NEWS

In the latest briefing, AAUW has been described as a nationwide community of more than 150,000 members and supporters. There are thousands of supporters who care about the issues important to AAUW such as fair pay, sexual harassment, access to contraception, student debt, and the lack of women in STEM areas and in public office. They are now able to take immediate action through various on-line tools such as AAUW’s Two Minute Activist. The Action Network is yet another on-line site with valuable information.

These new on-line supporters of issues important to AAUW are consistent in their activism seeking positive change for women. By including these active supporters in AAUW’s numbers, AAUW has greatly increased its power to bring about change; and its voice has grown and become more powerful.

Encourage a friend, family member, or acquaintance to find out what AAUW is all about by attending a meeting or perhaps by signing up on the Action Network. This may result in someone becoming an active member.

We would like to welcome and acknowledge the following SCCC E-Student Affiliates who joined AAUW in the last month: Christina Garcia and Jessica Genovese. We hope to see you at some of our meetings.

Pam Haller and Gerri Pinkerton




AAUW POLICY FOCUS FOR 2012-2013

AAUW is committed to promoting women’s issues through its public policy program. “The public policy program underscores AAUW’s mission of advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research” (AAUW, 2012). The organization informs its members of important policy issues so that they can support these issues on the local, state, and national levels. “Issue advocacy isn’t just about AAUW lending its name to an issue or speaking on Capitol Hill. Issue advocacy is about AAUW members and all citizens concerned with equity being knowledgeable and aware of the current status of important issues” (AAUW’s FEDERAL POLICY AGENDA, 2012). It is important to note that women in the 2012 presidential election supported issues that have a direct impact on their lives. We have come a long way since 1920. “I am woman hear me roar. Numbers too big to ignore” played an important role in this election season.

During 2012, the public policy principles for action covered these important areas: 1) Education, the foundation of our society; 2) Individuals’ need for affordable housing, health care, and a clean environment; 3) Individuals’ right to privacy, freedom from violence, and reproductive rights; 4) Affirmative action, essential to the well-being of people throughout the world; 5) More international policies to promote human rights and justice; 6) Pay equity and fairness in compensation for all women; 7) Protection of social security from privatization; 8) Improvement of retirement benefits; 9) Vigorous protection of and full access to civil and constitutional rights; 10) Strong enforcement of employment antidiscrimination statutes.

The biennial action priorities included the support of a strong public school system, the economic self-sufficiency of all women, and the guarantee of equality, individual rights, and social justice for a diverse society.

Social security, Medicare, and Medicaid continues to need our support in 2013. These entitlement programs are essential for a large segment of our population. AAUW will be a major player in supporting these important programs since it advocates for economic self-sufficiency of women. In addition, there will be continued focus on fair pay for women. AAUW will continue to lobby state and national leaders to pass this legislation so that women receive the same pay as men for doing the same job.

Linda Rizzo


YOUR GIFT TO EOF WILL GROW
Contribute to AAUW Educational Opportunities Fund (EOF) before December 10, 2012, and your gift will be doubled. Support and help sustain this valuable resource for women pursuing advanced degrees and for programs fostering girls’ achievements and gender equity.

Make your check payable to AAUW Funds, write #4336 on the memo line, and send to Ann Hicks at 2280 Cayuga Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309.

Want more information on National and State AAUW issues

Need a suggestion for a good book to read

Want to contact your legislator but don't know the phone number or email address

http://schenectady-ny.aauw.net

Study and Interest Group Meetings for December 2012 and January 2013

If you’re interested in attending a meeting, contact the leader.

Book Exchange I

Leader: Dottie Potochnik (399-3854)

No regular meetings
Niskayuna Book Exchange

Leader: Ellie Rowland (370-1958)

No regular meetings
Couples Gourmet

Leader: Kay Stanczk (583-6904)

December 14, 2012, 7 pm

Theme: Hostess Favorites

Co-Hostesses: Jennie Pennington, Joanne Chambers

January 13, 2013

Theme: Brunch at the Stockade Inn

Organizer: Pat Terry
Diverse Topics

Leader: Suzanne Taylor (393-9035)

December 27, 2012, noon

Program: Holiday luncheon

Location: TBD

January 21, 2013, 1:30 pm

Program: Refugee Resettlement Program

Hostess: Susie Leon

Location: 12 Laury Lane, Scotia

Co-Hostess: Gail Karl
Modern Literature

Co-Leaders: Joan Amell (399-4709) and

Andrea Versaci (370-1455)

No December meeting

January 14, 2013, 7:30 pm

Book: Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

Reviewer: Susie Leon

Hostess: Ellie Rowland

Location: 1249 Sandra Lane, Niskayuna

Co-Hostess: Mary Delory

Serendipity

Leader: Jennie Pennington (372-7503)

Schenectacy AAUW Bloggers

The new group gives Branch members a chance to communicate in real time about topics that interest them. Contact Jennie Pennington (372-7503)

Quilting

Leader: Gerri Pinkerton (346-4560)

No December or January meeting
Science Topics

Leader: Winnie Balz (372-3663)

December 3, 2012, 7:30 pm

Program: Bees

Presenter: Sally Dewes

Hostess: Winnie Balz (372-3663)

Location: 1121 Baker Ave, Schenectady

January 7, 2013

Program: Dinner Out

Location: TBD
Scotia-Glenville, Burnt Hills Varied Interests

Co-Chairs: Arlene Gollmer (399-2479) and Toni Walsh (372-8764)

No December meeting

January 10, 2013, 12:30 pm

Program: Books We Like

Hostess: Reba Mehan

Location: The Glen Eddy, Consaul Road, Niskayuna

Meet in the lobby

Co-Hostess: Trudy Carpenter

Mah Jongg

Leader: Robin Eddy (346-1683)

New members welcomed.

December 10, 2012, 1:30 pm

Hostess: Lois Rowe

Location: 2263 Berkley Road, Niskayuna, NY

January 14, 2013, 1:30 pm

Hostess: Linda Zuckerman

Location: 2263 Berkley Ave, Niskayuna, NY

January 28, 2013, 1:30 pm

Hostess: Gail Puckette

Location: 28 Via Maria Dr., Scotia, NY

PROPOSED NEW STUDY & INTEREST GROUPS

You are welcome to make any/all suggestions. Some ideas are: Singles Gourmet for single members interested in cooking and gathering to share.

Art History for people who love studying painting, pottery, sculpture.

Interested? Contact Karen Huggins, Kihuggins@aol.com

DID YOU KNOW ...

• 
  In Australia, Canada, Israel, South Africa and the United States, between 40 and 70 percent of female murder victims were killed by their intimate partners.
  
• 
  Women and girls comprise more than 75 percent of the global estimate of 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year, with the majority (79 percent) trafficked for sexual exploitation. 20 percent of all trafficking victims are children.
  
• 
  Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year, according the U.S. State Department.
  
• 
  Approximately 100 to 140 million girls and women in the world have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting, with more than 3 million girls in Africa annually at risk of the practice.
  
• 
  The first sexual experience of some 30 percent of women was forced. The percentage is even higher among those who were under 15 at the time of their sexual initiation, with up to 45 percent reporting that the experience was forced.
  
• 
  In the United States, 83 percent of girls aged 12 to 16 experienced some form of sexual harassment in public schools.
  
• 
  One out of every five American women have been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.
  
• 
  Boys who witness their fathers' violence are 10 times more likely to engage in spouse abuse in later adulthood than boys from non-violent home
  
• 
  In India, 22 women were killed each day in dowry-related murders in 2007 which totaled 8,093 cases that year; an unknown number of murders of women and young girls were falsely labeled ‘suicides’ or ‘accidents.’
  
• 
  In South Africa, a woman is killed every 6 hours by an intimate partner.
  

Volunteer Opportunities

Bethesda House

We are about to embark on a new project. A group of women at Bethesda House have expressed an interest in doing some creative activities .They are particularly interested in learning to knit, constructing a quilt and other craft projects. To carry out this project we are looking for approximately 8 volunteers who would be willing to donate two hours once a month to work with this group. We will also need materials; if you're cleaning out your attic or craft things, save yarn, fabric, knitting needles, etc., for us.

Girls' Inc. Holiday Shop

Tuesday, December 4, 3-6 p.m.

962 Albany Street, Schenectady

Volunteers are need to act as personal shoppers to assist the girls in selecting gifts for their family members. If you like to wrap presents, we need volunteers to assist the girls in wrapping their gifts after their selections have been made.

Please contact Arlene or Bobbi if you can join us in either of these volunteer opportunities.

VISIONS
Schenectady Branch Newsletter AAUW

(published monthly except

Jan., July, August)
The deadline for newsletter items is the

1^st Wednesday of the month

prior to publication.
Editor Linda Zuckerman

Circulation: Karen Huggins
Co-Presidents
Arlene Maranville and Bobbi Richardson

AAUW

Schenectady Branch

C/O Linda Zuckerman

1137 Fernwood Drive

Niskayuna, NY 12309


AAUW's Mission

AAUW Advances Equity for women through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.

AAUW's Vision

AAUW will be a powerful advocate and visible leader in equity and education through research, philanthropy, and measurable change in critical areas impacting the lives of women and girls.

AAUW's Promise

By joining AAUW, you belong to a community that breaks through educational and educational barriers to so that all women have a fair chance.

In Principle and in Practice AAUW Values and seeks diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or class.