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Volume 36, No. 2 Five Cities – Pismo Beach (CA) Newsletter
October 2014
Newsletter Editor: Linda Lidberg, [email protected]
http://fivecitiespismobeach-ca.aauw.net
Co-Presidents’ Newsletter
In planning for the 2014-2015 year our Branch developed goals to
enhance our
mission of advancing equity for women and girls through
advocacy, education,
philanthropy, research, and leadership. These goals were adopted
by the
Branch Board on August 25, 2014:
Celebrate Branch 35th Anniversary throughout the year,
capitalizing on the
theme of 35 years.
Construct a social and general media message to increase public
awareness
of AAUW goals and mission, brand visibility, donation, and
membership.
Encourage every member to contribute or participate in one AAUW
mission
based service activity related to advancing equity for women and
girls through
advocacy, education, philanthropy, research.
Encourage every member to contribute or participate in one fund
raising activ-
ity through time or donations.
Raise revenue by 10% over the 2013-2014 year.
Increase the diversity of membership.
Develop leaders for the Branch leadership positions.
We encourage each of you to select a goal or two and dedicate
time and energy
to actualize your goal choices. Volunteer organizations depend
on the active in-
volvement of volunteers. Our Five Cities—Pismo Beach AAUW Branch
could
flourish with your participation. Please contact any Branch
leader to help accom-
plish our goals.
Marilyn Corey and Jean Burns Slater
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CALENDAR — October 2014
2 Lunch Bunch 11:30 a.m.
2 Quilters’/Craft Group 1:00 p.m.
9 Quilters’/Craft Group 12:30 p.m.
14 Night Readers 7:00 p.m.
16 Finessing Femmes Bridge 12:30 p.m.
20 General Meeting 7:00 p.m.
24 Hand and Foot Canasta 9:30 a.m.
25 Cooking Together 5:30 p.m.
27 Great Decisions 7:00 p.m.
The program at our first fall evening meeting on October 20 is
meant to inform and inspire us as we learn of professional pathways
of local
women.
Please invite interested teenagers and community members to join
us as we hear from a panel of women professionals in STEM fields
(science,
technology, engineering and math) on Monday, October 20 at 7:00
pm. Addressing the topic of Advancing Women Success in STEM
Professions, the panel will include:
Rhonda Cardinal, Environmental Engineer for United Launch
Alliance (Vandenberg missile program)
Phoebe Chen, Physician with Hinds Medical Group and Arroyo
Grande Hospital
Brinda Barcelon, completing a degree in Biology at Cal Poly and
recent intern with the Marine Mammal Center in Morro Bay
These path finding women will share their journeys, challenges,
and advice. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm at St. John’s
Lutheran Church (959 Valley Road, Arroyo Grande).
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Membership Update
While Alice was sojourning in Washington, D.C. it was my
pleasure at our Welcome Back Tea to introduce new members Ann Marie
Kurrasch and Stacy Meko and re-turning member Shayla Lever. Alice
Addison, VP Membership, will present new members Carol Nielson and
Connie Rodgers in October. Be sure to attend the gen-eral meeting
on October 20 in order to welcome and to get acquainted with each
of these lovely ladies. Judy Zaretzka, VP Membership 2013-2014
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From: Alice Adams Addison, 2014-15 Membership Vice President
Now that many of you have attended our Welcome Back Tea on
September 14, it’s time to look forward to all the fun national,
state, and local programs we have in AAUW. I missed September with
you, but I visited the Washington, D.C. AAUW Office, and bring
their greetings, too.
At the National AAUW level you can travel with AAUW to many
places, like Po-land in November to see Marie Curie’s childhood
highlights, meet more women in sci-ence and hear a Chopin concert.
Call Professionals Abroad (877) 298-9679. You can get low prices on
magazines via the AAUW Support Group Magazine Line. All this and
more information is available in our National AAUW magazine
Outlook.
At the State AAUW-Ca level, you can find links to the State
Convention work-shops at www.aauw-ca.org. The state AAUW magazine
is California Perspective.
At our local branch level, see this very newsletter, and
specifically the calendar section for activities planned. Put
yourself forward: Participate, take a leadership role, attend the
fun meetings, join a lively activity, support women and girls, and
celebrate
Please pick up your 2014-2015 Membership Directory at the
October 20th meeting. If you can’t attend, please designate a
neighbor or friend to pick up your directory. Thank you!
http://www.aauw-ca.org
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Happy Anniversary Five Cities Pismo Beach AAUW
Celebrating 35 Years of Awesomeness!
Welcome Back Tea and Anniversary Party
September 14, 2014
Tea, scones, sandwiches, sweets, fruit, and friends gathered in
Karen Thomas’s lovely home!
Teapots, teapots, and more teapots. Our new Treasurer , Patti
Melsheimer, seems to have made her choice of tea.
Judy Zaretzka presents Presidents Marilyn Corey and Jean Burns
Slater with copies of “Everything I needed to know I learned in a
Golden Book” as thanks for their service.
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October Birthday Ladies
2 Beth Hutton 21 Susie Wedell
10 Kathy Cohon 22 Rose Ann Steiner
14 Sandra Pitt 31 Joyce Rowe
15 Jan Kaiserman
Tech Trek was special for our branch this summer. In addition to
our six first-time campers whom you met last April, four of the 16
junior counselors at UCSB this summer were former campers from our
branch. Krista Knudsen, Riley Koziel, and Annie Zwarg were JCs for
the first time, while Ashlynn Walker, Lisa Walker’s daughter,
returned for a second time as a JC.
Riley writes, “I hope that this camp empowered (the new
campers), as much as it did me, to pursue math and science possibly
even as a career in the all too soon future! I think that
revisiting this camp really helped me to push forward in these two
areas of my life—affecting me on both an academic and personal
level.”
New camper Madelyn Witcher notes, “…I have had so much fun
meeting new people and learning with them…… This camp has had an
impact on how I think.”
As you know we have been looking for members who were willing to
step up and make Tech Trek one of their mission based goals that
our 2014-2015 year. Thanks to on-going mentoring by Liz Wineman and
Sue Singer, Linda Lidberg and Stacy Meko will be overseeing Teck
Trek efforts this year. Nancy Kington, Maureen Kelly, Judy Leonard,
Marilyn Corey, and Abby Adams have also agreed to pitch in.
Con-gratulations to our branch for our continued support of this
important contribution to young women.
AAUW Funds-on the National Front
Susan Gray, AAUW Funds Vice-President.
AAUW is a powerful national lobbying organization. AAUW has been
empowering women since 1881 and through efforts in Wash-ington,
D.C. continues to work all American women in education and in the
workplace. The top issues of the day are top priorities for
AAUW—Equal Pay, Violence Against Women, Campus Leader-ship, College
Loans, and Job Opportunities.
Take a look at the website www.AAUW.org for five minutes to see
what your dues are supporting. You may be amazed at the force this
organization has.
AAUW is a top rated charity by four groups that analyze
non-profits. Your dues and
contributions are being well spent.
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Great Decisions
The Great Decisions Group will meet at 7:00 pm on October 27,
2014 at the home of Mary Jo Aspinall, 330 Leeward, Shell Beach. The
topic will be US Trade Policy (page 85 in the Study Guide). This
will be the last meeting of the section this year. We will get new
study Guides in January 2015. The topics to be studied next year
look timely and interesting.
Let Mary Jo know if you want the order for new Study Guides to
include one for you.
Mary Jo Aspinall, Chairperson
556-0193
Theater/Concert Notes
This is a WORLD PREMIER! Yes, it's true!
"CHRISTMAS IS HERE AGAIN"
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, evening performance at 7 PM
by PCPA Theater at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria
Usual AAUW discounted price: $20/ticket
Payable to AAUW Five Cities By October 20th Meeting or mail or
hand your check to
Judy Zaretzka.
Watch for future breaking news on theater or concert events with
AAUW.
FINNESSING FEMMES BRIDGE
Our October 16, 2014 game will be at Marilyn Corey’s home in
Arroyo Grande. November 20th will find us at Elvera Hornung’s home
in Avila Beach The Hostess will telephone each month to verify
attendance.
Are you interested in being a sub for Finessing Femmes? Then
call Elvera Hornung, 595-9314
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AAUW Scholarships Benefit from Branch Fundraising
Our AAUW Branch can be most proud of their accomplishments over
the years to provide scholarships to young women graduating from
Arroyo Grande High School and Nipomo High School who are going on
to four year colleges. Did you look in our new directory at page
31, where the names of 84 past re-cipients of our scholarships are
listed? That is a most impressive list and one which all members
can be most proud.
Funds for this purpose come from a portion of the fundraising
efforts of our Branch as well as generous donations from members
and the community. Eventually, our growing Endowment Fund will
provide funds for this purpose generated from its annual interest
revenue. Now is the time to concentrate on our major fundraisers
planned for the year, Bingo on November 17 and the Book Sale next
May 16. Together, with each member working toward this common goal,
we can achieve great success! Think about how you can con-tribute
to this noble effort this year with your time and talents.
If you would like to contribute financially to the Scholarship
Fund, checks
can be made out to the Five Cities-Pismo Beach AAUW Scholarship
Commit-
tee. You can designate donations for current local scholarships,
our endow-
ment fund, or “as needed.”. All contributions are tax-deductible
as we are a
501c-3 corporation registered with the CA Secretary of State.
You can mail
your check to: P.O. Box 1604, Pismo Beach, CA 93448 in care of
the AAUW
Bingo Bonanza Fundraiser
This year’s Fall Fundraiser is BINGO and More on November 17.
St. John’s Lutheran Church will be the site offering more space
than we has ever had before. More space means more attendees, more
Boutique items, more room for Silent Auction, more new Raffles, and
a Bake Sale.
That means more funds for AAUW projects—like Scholarship and
Tech Trek.
For pre-sale tickets, contact Susan Gray [email protected]
710-5077.
Pam Zirion is heading the Silent Auction and needs donations
from local businesses. More information coming soon.
mailto:[email protected]
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Night Readers
The October 14 meeting of the evening Book Club will be held at
the home of Joan Knowlton, for a discussion of the novel The Light
Between Oceans, by M.L. Stedman. The book concerns a light-house
keeper who is living on an isolated island with his wife, when a
baby washes up in a rowboat. The childless couple decide to
raise the baby as their own, thinking it is a gift from God. The
morality of their deci-sion plays out in an unpredictable way.
Looking ahead, the selected book for Novem-ber is Robert
Galbraith’s The Cuckoo’s Calling.
The Book Club is currently filled to capacity. -- Sandra Ku,
chairperson
AAUW QUILTERS/CRAFTERS
Our quilting/craft group continues to work on items for the
Bingo night boutique on Thursday afternoons after 12:30. You don’t
need to be a quilter — we need people who can sew on buttons,
stitch up an opening, stuff something, or cut something. We also
appreciate ideas for Boutique items, fabric donations, zippers,
stuffing, etc. If you knit or crochet we would love to have you
join us in making great items or the boutique. Our October schedule
is as follows:
October 2 (after lunch bunch) — Priscilla Alquist’s home
October 9 — Dee Carlson’s home
October 16 — Gaye Peltzman’s home
October 23 — Mary Week’s home
October 30 — Linda Lidberg’s home
Please consider joining us as often as you like. For more
information call Gaye Peltzman.
Hand and Foot Canasta Our group meets the 4th Friday of each
month at 9:30 a.m.
We brown bag our lunch and are usually finished by 1:00.
Our next game will be October 24th at Gaye Peltzman’s home.
Please arrange for your own substitute if you are unable to
come. Contact Debbie Audet at 550-8910 if you would like to join
the group or if you
would like to be on our list of substitute players.
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Cooking Together – Next Events
Please join us for our next dinner in October at 5:30 p.m.
October 25, 2014 Elin McCall [email protected]
Please contact the host to RSVP at least one week before
each dinner so that she can plan accordingly.
Please bring a bottle of your favorite beverage (alcoholic or
not) to share with the group. Cost per person is $10 paid to the
hosts.
Hosts will print copies of all recipes for the dishes we prepare
for everyone to take home. Your Committee Chair, Lisa Walker.
Questions? Phone 473-0075 or e-mail [email protected]
AAUW Lunch Bunch
AAUW Lunch Bunch is an informal gathering of members who enjoy
sampling local restaurants while engaging in stimulating
conversation. Please consider joining the lunch group this year.
All branch members are welcome to join us! Attend when it is
convenient for you!
Thursday, October 2, 2014 at 11:30 a.m.
Comfort Market Bistro
116 Branch St., Arroyo Grande
Please call Susan Brazil – 474-5682 or email her at
[email protected] with
your reservation.
From their website: Comfort Market's chefs are dedicated to
cooking and serving you only the freshest and tastiest comfort
dishes you can find. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve
probably heard the phrases “Shop Local” or “Support local business”
At Com-fort Market we take those directives very seriously. Not
only are we a local business our-selves but we like to find and
sell quality products made right here in California. Check out
their menu at www.comfortmarkets.com
mailto:[email protected]
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AAUW Five Cities Pismo Beach supports local elementary schools
with new books,
Tech Trek Science Camp scholarships for middle school girls and
College Scholarships
for senior high girls within the Lucia Mar Unified
School District, plus national scholarships for graduate
students
For more information [email protected] or 474-8977
fivecitiespismobeach-ca.aauw.net 501(c)(4)
Play to win
BINGO NIGHT FUNDRAISER Supporting
Five Cities Pismo Beach Branch of AAUW
Nov. 17, 6:00-9:00 ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH
959 Valley Rd, Arroyo Grande * TICKETS $10
Light Buffet, Door Prizes, Handcrafts Boutique, Silent Auction,
Raffles, Bake Sale
Everyone wins when
women and girls receive
higher education
AAUW EMPOWERING
WOMEN SINCE 1881
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