Monthly Branch Programs

Monthly branch meetings are September through May.

More details available in our Newsletter.

Calendar Summer 2025

Aug 21 - Board Meeting

Aug 28 - Euchre 1:30

Sept 4 - Opening Branch Meeting and Program

Sept 11 - PM Book Group

Sept 23 - Dignity Index Event - 6:30. p 9 of newsletter

Sept 25 Euchre 1:30

Mahjong meets every month. Get on their mailing list for TBD dates.

Every Tuesday "coffee group" meets

Link for more information

Be sure to check out our Book Group and Other Interests tabs.AAUW meets the first Thursday of the month September to May location noted in our Newsletter.

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Our Monthly Branch Programs and official meetings end during June, July and August. They will resume the first Thursday in Sept.

The calendar will note any summer events.

2025-26 Programs -

September 4, 2025

Program: Regional and State Government functioning.

Speaker: Anna Moeller, State Representative 43rd district Corrine Pierog, Kane County Board Chair

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Huntley Community Room. St. Charles Library, One South Sixth St, St Charles, IL

Our presenters will share valuable insights about how they represent us and how government functions on the regional and state government levels

Our first meeting for the 2025 - 2026 year will feature our guest speakers, Corinne Pierog and Anna Moeller.

Corinne is a member of our Branch and is very active in Kane County government. She serves as Kane County Board Chairperson and is the founding chair of the Kane County Democratic Women. Corinne has been a resident of Kane County for over twenty years and is very involved with issues that impact residents of Kane County.

Anna Moeller is the state representative for the 43rd district of the Illinois Legislature. Her district includes Elgin and she is a member of the Elgin AAUW Branch. Representative Moeller serves on many committees and chairs a number of them. In addition to her work in Springfield, Representative Moeller actively communicates with her constituents and hosts community events and discussion sessions which are open to everyone.

2024-25 Programs

September 5, 2024

Program: The Dignity Index Workshop

Facilitators: Rosie McVay, Maureen Brandon, Chris Bruun and Pat Hendrix

When: 6:00 pm Networking, 6:30 Program (Note earlier start)

Where: Batavia Public Library, Founders Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia, IL

People in the U.S. are exhausted from years of political and social high conflict and crave a way out of the polarized climate. The Connections group has considered several possible solutions and, in 2023, began focusing on the Dignity Index. The Dignity Index is a process of coding civil discourse with a goal of changing how we communicate with each other. Developed and promoted by the national organization UNITE, the Dignity Index is an eight-point scale that rates speech from most contemptuous to most dignified. Research sponsored by UNITE has shown that by pointing a spotlight on contempt, we get more dignity and less contempt. Dignified speech then leads to better communication between individuals and groups and increases the opportunities for compromise. Connections members Rosie McVay, Maureen Brandon, Chris Bruun and Pat Hendrix will lead the group in understanding and applying the Dignity Index. We will practice rating quotes and changing speech to make it more dignified. We encourage members to invite family, friends or colleagues who may be interested in learning the Dignity Index to attend this program.

LINK to more information on Dignity Index

October 3, 2024

Program: Answering your Women’s healthcare questions

Speakers: Dr Sarah Lancaster

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Batavia Public Library, Van Nortwick Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia

We are honored to have Dr. Sarah Lancaster join us for this month’s program on women’s health care. We hope that she will help educate all of us on health concerns that we all have or may have in the future.

The Women’s Health Movement (WHM) has come a long way since the publication of “Our Bodies, Ourselves” in 1970. Over the last 60 years, women have been organizing over discrimination against women in healthcare, biomedicine, and research. The Women’s Health Movement led to significant policy and cultural changes, including the inclusion of women in clinical trials, the creation of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, and the establishment of the Office of Research on Women’s Health. Title IX of the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1972 and the Public Health Service Act of 1975 were critical laws lifting restrictions from women in the medical field, and resulted in over 20,000 women graduating from medical school between 1970 and 1980. This compares to the 14,000 women that graduated between 1930 and 1970.

The 1980s and 1990s further propelled the WHM with federal policy changes, particularly regarding including women in clinical research. These changes came after the Food and Drug Administration in 1977, issued a guideline banning a majority of women from clinical research for childbearing reasons. Efforts to include women in research and clinical trials began in 1983, when the Public Health Service Task Force on Women’s Health Issues was established. In 1985, this taskforce released a report calling for the inclusion of women in clinical trials and more research that focused on diseases impacting women’s health. In response, Congress passed the Women’s Health Equity Act of 1990, which resulted in the establishment of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). In 1993, Congress updated the 1986 NIH inclusion policy to ensure that women and minorities be included in all clinical research, and ensure that there were recruitment outreach programs and support for these groups.

So that brings us to our program: Answering your Women’s healthcare questions. Educated women are more likely to make informed decisions about their healthcare and to advocate for their own health needs. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 29% of women reported that their doctor had dismissed their concerns, and 38% of women reported having had at least one negative experience with a healthcare provider, compared to 32% of men.

Dr. Lancaster grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. She graduated from Carthage College with her B.A. in Biology, Pre-Physical Therapy in 2013. She completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in Long Island in 2017. Following graduation, Sarah moved back home to the Chicago suburbs and began completing The Pelvic Floor Series with Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, while working at an outpatient clinic specializing in manual physical therapy. It was during this time that Sarah realized her passion was helping women understand and overcome pelvic floor dysfunction. These issues may include bladder/bowel incontinence, prolapse, pregnancy/postpartum care, dyspareunia and post-operative state. Sarah strives to create a sense of respect, safety and empowerment throughout her evaluation and treatments. She believes an evidence-based, holistic approach will lead to the most successful patient outcomes. Sarah has worked at Northwestern Medicine- Central DuPage Hospital in the Urogynecology department and is currently working at the Delnor Health and Fitness Center in Geneva specializing in Pelvic Health. Sarah lives in Geneva with her husband, two young children and her golden retriever. She enjoys riding her Peleton, trying new restaurants and spending time outdoors.

November 7, 2024

Program: Indigenous History of the Fox Valley Area

Speaker: Eric Krupa, Collection Manager, St. Charles History Museum

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: St Charles History Museum, 215 E. Main St, St Charles, IL

Native Americans are one minority group whose perspective is often overlooked, especially in the Midwest where Native Americans compose only about 1% of the population. Eric Krupa, Collection Manager at the St Charles History Museum says, " We at the St. Charles History Museum would like to pay respect to the original custodians of this land, including the: Neshnabek (Potawatomi,Odawaa,and Ojibwe), Oθaakiiwaki‧hina‧ki (Sauk), Meškwahki·aša·hina (Fox), Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk), Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux), Myaamia (Miami), Peewaalia (Peoria), and Kaskaskia Tribes, as well as to all Indigenous peoples who reside or have resided on this land." Mr. Krupa will present the history of Indigenous peoples of our area including topics such as human settlement, treaties, reservations, and repatriation and repair.

December 7, 2024 - Saturday

Program: Holiday Breakfast

When: 10:00 am Networking, 10:30 Breakfast

Speaker: Claudia Frost, St Charles Fine Art Photographer

Where: The Office, 201 E Main St, St Charles, IL 60174

Our very own Claudia Frost honed her skills as a fine art photographer over many years of taking numerous photography and technical software classes as well as many, many photographs! In this presentation, she will explore photography as a vehicle for storytelling and talk about what makes a well-crafted holiday image. She will explain essentials of the iPhone/Smartphone camera and identify hidden features of these cameras. She will also provide compositional suggestions and explain how to use editing apps to put together a unique and creative visual family holiday history.

In memory of Peggy Liska, our snow ladies will again be on parade.If you have a snow lady that you would like to contribute, please bring her along and take her home after the parade. The parade table will be in the dining room.

The Brunch Buffet will include:

Assorted bakery, eggs, breakfast potatoes, French toast, fruit, coffee/tea/juice (As well as a cash bar) Cost is $30.00 per person Please RSVP with payment by Nov. 25 to: Lynn Ogden 645 N. Lincoln Ave. Geneva, IL 60134 630-853-3297 Lynno645@gmail.com

January 9, 2025

Program: Game Night

When: 6:30 - 8:30

Where: Sturdy Shelter Brewing, 10 Shumway Avenue, Batavia, IL

Celebrate the new year with your AAUW colleagues at our traditional GAME NIGHT! This year we will meet at Sturdy Shelter Brewing, 10 Shumway Avenue in Batavia. Sturdy Shelter offers craft beer, cider, wine, non-alcoholic beer, craft sodas, soft drinks, and cold brew coffee for purchase. You may bring your own food or snacks. Game choices include bingo (provided by Sturdy Shelter Brewing) and several other old favorites. Sturdy Shelter Brewing collects donations for local food pantries, so please bring non-perishable food items to donate. A brief business meeting will be conducted prior to starting the games. Please come prepared for fun and laughter!

February 6, 2025

Program: STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE

Speaker: Strategic Plan Subgroup

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Batavia Public Library, Van Nortwick Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia

In spring 2024, the BGSTC Branch launched our first ever strategic plan with goals in the broad areas of fundraising, STEM community outreach, mentorship community outreach, membership and social engagement, and community awareness. Small groups of members have been working for the last several months to design and implement the initiatives within these broad categories. Please come to hear how the strategic plan is shaping our branch’s identity and to offer your comments and suggestions for future activities.

March 6, 2025

Program: "Stepping Beyond: Empowering Women to Turn Fear Into Confidence and Achieve Dreams.”

Speaker: Dr Paaige Turner

Where: Batavia Library Van Nortwick Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia

Dr. Paaige Turner, Aurora University Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will present "Stepping Beyond: Empowering Women to Turn Fear Into Confidence and Achieve Dreams.”

“Dr. Turner is an exceptional individual who embodies the enterprising, service-oriented, and creative academic leadership that defines our university,” said Arora University President Susana Rivera-Mills. “Throughout her career, she has exhibited commitment and care for the intellectual growth and personal well-being of students. I am confident she will be a dynamic addition to our university community.”

As a scholar and consultant, Turner has more than two decades of experience examining, documenting, and theorizing how cultural beliefs and practices create, sustain, and challenge ideological frameworks.

Widely published in the area of organizational communication, Turner has earned international and national awards for her meritorious work in the field of communication, including a Presidential Citation for Service from the National Communication Association, a Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators Award for India, and Learning Happens Everywhere Award for exemplary collaboration to name a few.

Dr. Turner earned her master’s and doctorate in organizational communication from Purdue University and her bachelor’s in rhetoric and marketing from the University of Oregon. She joined the administration of Aurora University on July 1, 2024.

April 10, 2025 Second Thursday evening

Program: Creative Writing Awards Ceremony - 46 years

Speaker: Jennifer Wagh

When: 6:30 pm Program starts promptly, meeting follows

Where: Batavia Library

The AAUW Batavia-Geneva-St. Charles branch proudly continues its tradition of encouraging and honoring aspiring young writers through its Creative Writing Contest. In 2025, we will celebrate the 46th anniversary of the contest. This long history is a testament to the dedication of local teachers as well as of our branch volunteers.

We are honored to welcome Jennifer Wagh, a debut author from Sleepy Hollow, Illinois. She lives with her husband, three kids, and a leopard gecko named Bibi. As a former preschool teacher, she loves to enthusiastically read picture books aloud. She enjoys kayaking on the Fox River and is trying to learn to play the ukulele. She found a love for writing in middle school when she took part in the St. Catherine of Siena Young Authors Fair. As a finalist she met local author Charlotte Towner Graber for a special luncheon. It sparked a passion that carried on into her career as a teacher, mom, and more. Visit her at JenniferWagh.com.

May 1, 2025 Thursday

End of Year Dinner and Branch Recognition Program

When: 5:30 p.m. Networking. 6:00 p.m. Dinner and Program

Where: The Office, St Charles, IL

2023-24 Programs

September 7, 2023

Program: AAUW National/State Updates and Action Network

Speaker: Donna Jean Simon

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Batavia Public Library, Founders Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia, IL

We are excited to welcome the President of AAUW-IL, Donna Jean Simon, for our first program speaker of the 2023/2024 year.

Donna Jean will talk about our state goals and objectives, and how those align with national and the branch goals. She also plans to share some Public Policy updates. Her desire is to have a free flowing, interactive conversation. So, think about questions you would like to ask or issues you would like to discuss. She wants to hear from us.

In her president's report, Donna Jean shared her belief that equity is critical as our focus and to our future "given the importance of our mission and the current social environment in which women's rights seem to be moving backward whether in leadership, pay equity, gender equity, or health needs. We cannot assume that our fight is over, despite whatever progress we make." She added, "So our efforts continue. Isn't it wonderful that we have our AAUW sisters and supporters working together?"

October 5, 2023

Program: What is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and why is it important to AAUW?

Speakers: Cindy Pederson and Linda Robertson panel discussion and guest speaker Rep Bill Foster

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: St Charles Library, Carnegie Room, One South Sixth St, St Charles

Reducing barriers in STEM is a step toward advancing gender equity and increasing America’s global competitiveness. Accordingly, AAUW advocates increased support for and protection of educational programs that meet the needs of girls and women in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education. Although women make up nearly half of all employees in the U.S. economy, they hold only 28% of STEM jobs.

This exciting program will feature two of our own AAUW branch members, Cindy Pederson and Linda Robertson, who will share their educational and career experiences in STEM fields. Our very own Maureen Brandon, who also had a STEM-field career, will help facilitate the panel discussion. And we hope that they too will share their thoughts on how we might increase girls’ interest in STEM and encourage more women to pursue STEM careers. Additionally, Rep. Bill Foster will join us to address current legislative efforts to promote STEM public policy, including the STEM Opportunities Act and the Gender Equity in Education Act (GEEA).

Bio: Congressman Bill Foster is a scientist and businessperson representing the 11th Congressional District of Illinois, a position he’s held since 2013. He also represented the 14th Congressional District of Illinois from 2008 to 2011. He is the only PhD physicist in Congress.

Bill serves on the House Financial Services Committee where he advocates for consumer protections and an economy that works for everyone. In response to the Great Recession, he helped create several important reforms in the financial services and housing markets, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Bill serves as chair of the Financial Services Committee’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.

In the wake of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, Bill was named to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus. The Select Subcommittee is charged with examining the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, including the use of taxpayer funds to mitigate the public health and economic consequences of the pandemic.

Bill previously served on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee where he fought for evidence-based policies and forward-thinking approaches to some of our country’s most pressing issues, including climate change and energy innovation. Bill continues to be a champion for sustained federal funding for scientific research.

He also served as the chair of the Science Committee's Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee, which is empowered to investigate and oversee federal scientific research.

Bill's business career began at age 19 when he and his younger brother co-founded Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc., a company that now manufactures over half of the theater lighting equipment in the United States.

Before he became a Member of Congress, Bill worked as a high-energy physicist and particle accelerator designer at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). He was a member of the team that discovered the top quark, the heaviest known form of matter. He also led the teams that designed and built several scientific facilities and detectors still in use today, including the Antiproton Recycler Ring, the latest of Fermilab's giant particle accelerators.

Bill lives in Naperville with his wife Aesook, who is also a physicist. Bill has two grown children, Billy, and Christine. Bill's father was a civil rights lawyer who wrote much of the enforcement language behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

November 2, 2023

Program: Have you ever wondered what your state representative does in Springfield?

Speaker: Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-49)

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Batavia Public Library, Van Nortwick Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia, IL

Election season is right around the corner with primary elections scheduled for Tuesday, March 19th and the general election on Tuesday, November 5th, less than a year away. Have you ever wondered what your state representative does in Springfield? This month we are thrilled to hear from Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-49). She is a former educator, community leader, and activist. She was first elected to the IL legislature in 2020. She is an enthusiastic commonsense gun safety advocate and frequent sponsor and fierce advocate of bills related to gun safety, education, workforce development, and reproductive rights. Her key legislative wins include:

Assault Weapons Ban and bills in support of Safe Storage and Responsible Firearm Ownership

Undocumented Student Higher Education Resources and Support (Public Act 102-0475),

School Nurse Workforce and Pipeline Development (HB1615),

Trauma-informed protocols for K-12 active shooter drills (Public Act 102-0395)

Rep. Hirschauer is excited to update the branch about legislative wins, legislative short falls, challenges, and opportunities on issues that impact our AAUW Strategic Plan, public policy priorities and vision. She will also address how just one vote makes a difference in our elections.

December 2, 2023 - Saturday

Program: Holiday Breakfast

When: 10:00 am Networking, 10:30 Breakfast

Program: Holiday Breakfast

Where: The Office, 201 E Main St, St Charles, IL 60174

Ho, Ho, Ho! It’s holiday time. And who is not looking for decorating ideas? We are excited to announce that we will be joined at our holiday breakfast by Linda Miller from Heinz Brothers Greenhouse. Linda has worked at Heinz Brothers for more than 20 years. A mother of 4 kids and 2 puppies, Linda has been a cashier, a greeter, a customer service leader, a class instructor, a team leader, and finally a cheerleader for the company. She added: “They are wonderful to work for.” Linda will be demonstrating how to put together a beautiful winter planter…. which we will be raffling off at breakfast!

Heinz Brothers in St. Charles has been in the plant business since the 1940s. The 60-year-old company started as a specialty wholesale seedling company serving the national market. In 1979, Joel Schrock from Geneva, Illinois, bought the business from Heinz Brothers. In 1985, Joel moved the business to its current location on Main Street. In 1990, the decision was made to shift the wholesale business into a premiere greenhouse and garden center for the Fox Valley area. After Joel retired, his son, Jay, picked up the reins. Heinz Brothers proudly continues to be family owned and operated.In memory of Peggy Liska, our snow ladies will again be on parade.If you have a snow lady that you would like to contribute, please bring her along and take her home after the parade. The parade table will be in the dining room.

Linda Miller, Heinz Brothers Greenhouse

January 4, 2024

Program: Evening of sharing and games

When: 6:30 Networking, 7:00 Meeting and Program

Where: Batavia Public Library, Newton Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia, IL

Evening of some favorite games and getting to know each other better in an informal setting. Bring $1 for left, right, center!!

Your game master of ceremonies will be Chris Ludiwiszewski, co-VP Programs.

February 1, 2024

Program: Understanding Unconscious Bias

Speaker/Facilitator: Andrea Danis

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Carnegie Room, St Charles Library, One South Sixth St

Maya Angelou said, “In diversity, there is beauty and there is strength.”

Research demonstrates that unconscious bias is automatically activated and affects our daily thoughts and how we interact with others. Having unconscious biases does not make us racist, homophobic, or discriminatory in other ways. However, we need to be able to recognize them in ourselves so we can work to overcome them. Doing so creates a more inclusive environment. In other words, if we can see past the usual ways we “group” people to help us process the world, we will realize that we have more things that connect us than we think.

In preparation for our February meeting, we ask that you spend some time exploring the attitudes and stereotypes that we all bring to our daily interactions. While we may think we are relatively free from Unconscious Bias, you may be surprised by what you uncover, because after all they are unconscious biases.Harvard University has developed a series of tests meant to help us explore associations we may unconsciously associate with people who are different from us.Follow this link and take a few of the tests and we’ll be sending more information soon on how the results will help inform our February meeting.”https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatouchtest.html

Our facilitator will be Andi Danis. Andi is currently serving on the AAUW-IL State Board as the Bylaws and Policy Director. She also serves on the Gender Equity Fund Board of AAUW and as a member of the GEF Speaker's Bureau. In her "spare" time, Andi also serves as President of the AAUW branch in Aurora. She resides in Montgomery, IL with her husband, Ed, of 49 years. She is a mother of two adult daughters and grandmother to one perfect grandson.

March 9, 2024 SATURDAY

Program: Harriet Beecher Stowe Performance

Speaker: Program Guest Performer, Paddy Lynn

When: 12:30 Networking, 1 p.m. Program

Where: Elgin History Museum, 360 Park St, Elgin, Il 60120

We celebrate Women’s History Month by hearing from a major historical figure, Harriet Beecher Stowe. Harriet wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” the best-selling novel of the 19th century and a banned book. She is credited with helping America reconsider slavery by striking at our emotions and showing slavery for what it was. Some say it was a factor leading to the Civil War. We cannot achieve gender equity without addressing this country’s deeply rooted racism.

We will hear Harriet Beecher Stowe’s story as told by our Program Guest Performer, Paddy Lynn. Paddy has worked with a professional theater company as a writer, director, and actor. These productions brought Shakespeare and Chaucer to Chapter One schools in Chicago and to a variety of children’s programs. She served as the Artistic Director for The Kirk Players Community Theatre for 16 years.

Paddy created her own storytelling company in the late 1990’s called Paddy Lynn Storyacting. She is also the author of seventeen books with author and educator, Lana Pritzker, called “Whimsical Tales from The Wild Hearts,” which can be found on Amazon.

We are partnering with the Elgin AAUW Branch to bring this exciting program to you. This program is on Saturday, March 9th at 1pm, and will be held at the beautiful and historic Elgin History Museum. We have limited seating for this event, so look for an RSVP in January.

April 4, 2024

Program: Creative Writing Awards Ceremony - 45 years

Speaker: Anitra Rowe Schulte

When: 6:30 pm Program starts promptly, meeting follows

Where: St Charles Library

The AAUW Batavia-Geneva-St. Charles branch proudly continues its tradition of encouraging and honoring aspiring young writers through its Creative Writing Contest. This year we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the contest.

Program Speaker:

We are excited to share that our Creative Writing program speaker will be Anitra Rowe Schulte. She is the author of the picture book Dancing with Daddy (illustrated by Ziyue Chen), which won the Christopher Award and the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, and the picture book Willow and Bunny (illustrated by Caldecott honor and New York Times best-selling artist Christopher Denise), which publishes Oct. 10, 2023. (Her book launch party will be at Harvey’s Tales in Geneva on October 14th.) Anitra has worked as a journalist for The Kansas City Star and the Sun-Times News Group, as a staff writer for Chicago Public Schools, and as a publicist. She lives in Geneva with her husband and their three daughters.

Anitra is a graduate of the University of Missouri- Columbia School of Journalism. She had a varied career before turning to book writing. Anitra is a high energy author and mother of three who will not only entertain but share her wisdom with our winners.

Learn more about her at www.anitraroweschulte.com and follow her at @anitraschulte on Twitter.

May 2, 2024 Thursday

End of Year Dinner and Branch Recognition Program

When: 6:30 p.m. Networking, 7:00 p.m. Program

Where: The Office, St Charles, IL

Monthly branch meetings are suspended June, July and August.

Coffee Social Gathering and some interest groups meet in the summer.

2022-23 Programs

Ruth Holst

Marion Talbot, an early founder of AAUW, was Dean of Women at the University of Chicago from 1895 to 1925

September 1, 2022

Program: AAUW - Our Early Illinois Story

Speaker: Ruth Holst

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Batavia Public Library, Founders Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia, IL

Join us on Thursday September 1st, 2022 at 06:30 PM for a presentation about the extraordinary women who founded the Western Association of Collegiate Alumnae, the forerunner of AAUW in Illinois. This will be the kick off of our 2022-2023 program year. Hear about their links to Jane Addams and the settlement movement in Chicago. Learn about trailblazers like Florence Kelley and Grace Abbott and their pursuit of social justice for immigrants and others from the 1880s to the 1920s.

Our presenter will be Ruth Holst of the Chicago Branch. Ruth serves on the state AAUW Board as the College & University Relations Director. She also serves on the national Governance Committee of AAUW.

October 6, 2022

Program: The Power of an Apology

Speaker: Kathleen L. McFadden, Ph.D.

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Baker Community Center, lower level, 101 S Second St, St Charles, IL 60174

THE POWER OF AN APOLOGY

One of the hallmarks of personal power is the ability to apologize. According to Dr. Harriet Lerner, author of Why Won’t You Apologize, "I’m sorry" are the two most important words in our language. Dr. Kathleen McFadden, professor of Operations at Northern Illinois University, will provide insights from Dr. Lerner’s book including how to give and receive an apology; how to listen non-defensively, and how to give constructive feedback in a way that makes it easier for the other person to offer a heartfelt apology. McFadden will also share her own apology checklist, which is drawn from not only Dr. Lerner’s research but also from synthesizing a variety of sources.

Dr. Kathleen McFaddenBoard of Trustees Professor and Dean’s Distinguished Professor of OperationsManagement and Information SystemsNorthern Illinois University

November 3, 2022

Program: Food Insecurity and the Northern Illinois Food Bank

Speaker: Jenny Ackerman, Northern Illinois Food Bank

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: St Charles Library, Carnegie Room, One South Sixth St, St Charles

Food Insecurity In Northern Illinois

Jenny Ackerman is a Development Officer for Corporate and Foundation giving at Northern Illinois Food Bank. She joined the Food Bank team in October 2020 and has spent her career in non-profit fundraising. She attended Elmhurst College (now Elmhurst University) and has lived in the Chicagoland area for most of her life.

Ms. Ackerman will focus her presentation on the common causes of food insecurity, what factors commonly contribute to it, what demographic groups are most severely impacted and how the NIFB addresses food insecurity. She will also share how the Food Bank operates and explain the various programs and features they use to distribute food in their geographic area, including how they work with smaller area food banks, suppliers, farmers, volunteers, and others.

Our chapter will have a food drive in conjunction with this month’s speaker.

December 10, 2022 NOTE SECOND SATURDAY

Program: Holiday Breakfast

When: 9:00 am Networking, 9:30 Breakfast

Program: Holiday Breakfast with a seasonal vocal

music accompaniment

Where: Prairie Landing Golf Course, 2325 Longest Dr, West Chicago, IL 60185

Our holiday breakfast, always brightly festive, is a favorite event for our branch. In memory of Peggy Liska, our snow ladies will again be on parade.If you have a snow lady that you would like to contribute, please bring her along and take her home after the parade. The parade table will be in the dining room.LINK to RSVP form. There will be a buffet breakfast. Please send your check for $21 to Katie Richardson.

January 5, 2023

Program: Evening of sharing and games

When: 6:30 Networking, 7:00 Meeting and Program

Where: Batavia Public Library, Founders Room, 10 S. Batavia Ave, Batavia, IL

Evening of some favorite games and getting to know each other better in an informal setting. Bring $1 for left, right, center!!

February 2, 2023

Program: Update on Girl Forward and Refugee Status in the United States

Speaker: Ashley Marine, Executive Director of Girl Forward

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: St Charles Library, One South Sixth St, St Charles

Ashley received her undergraduate degree from Xavier University, where she concentrated on social work and peace studies, before receiving her master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate studies, Ashley studied abroad in Ghana, where she collaboratively provided street education to girls engaged in migrant labor work. Ashley’s work and studies have primarily been focused on inequalities based on gender and sexuality, empowering women and girls and advocating for their rights. She was hired by GirlForward's founder in 2013 as the very first staff member and has continued to serve this community for nearly a decade before becoming the Executive Director in 2021. In her free time, Ashley enjoys singing show tunes, dancing, and exploring all that Chicago has to offer.

Ashley will be sharing more about GirlForward's mission of supporting girls who are immigrants and refugees. This will include an in-depth overview of our three core programs including mentoring, education, and safe spaces. I will also discuss our community of girls, and their home countries, and share more about the journeys they take to make it to their new homes in the US. We will cover the refugee resettlement, asylum process and an overview of the current status of Afghan and Ukrainian Refugees.

March 2 , 2023

Program: The Equal Rights Amendment and its Current Status in Illinois and the Federal Government

Speaker: Laura Welch,

President of Illinois National Organization for Women, NOW

When: 6:30 p.m. Networking, 7:00 p.m. Program

Where: St Charles Library, One South Sixth St, St Charles

Laura Welch currently serves as the President of Illinois National Organization for Women and was recently elected to the National NOW Board of Directors. In her role, she works in various coalitions promoting the values of NOW including racial justice, constitutional equality and reproductive rights. Recently, Laura and Illinois NOW worked in the Reproductive Health Coalition to help pass comprehensive health and sex education in Illinois schools and repeal the dangerous Parental Notice of Abortion Act.

In 2016, Laura led a group of feminists in creating the Will County NOW chapter which successfully established the Joliet PrideFest and educational college safety programming. She serves on the Promote the Vote coalition, Racial Equity coalition and has helped create the Naperville Allies coalition working for voting rights, reproductive rights and racial justice in our communities.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Laura holds a degree in non-profit management and lives with her husband in Naperville. Guests welcome.

April 6, 2023

Program: Creative Writing Awards Ceremony - 44 years

Speaker: Diane Lincoln

When: 6:30 pm Program starts promptly, meeting follows

Where: St Charles Library, One South Sixth St, St Charles, Huntley Room

Program Speaker: Building a Perch for Imaginary Birds: Diane Lincoln, poet, artist, and author talks about the creative process. How to generate ideas and how to stay focused.

Diane Lincoln is a former science teacher who often taught through pictures and storytelling. She has written for online media outlets such as LiveScience and Science News for Students and has won awards for her fictional stories and poetry. A book of her poetry is entitled, Mechanical Bell Sunrises. Diane is also an abstract artist whose works have been included in shows at Water Street Studios, St. Charles pop-up galleries, and the Fox Valley Arts Ramble. Diane wrote and illustrated Science Discovery Files a non-fiction science book published in 2022 by World Scientific Education. She is looking forward to sharing some of her many ideas about the creative process.

Her most recent book has received wonderful reviews.

"Diane Lincoln is a brilliant teacher and a masterful storyteller. In Science Discovery Files, she takes the true accounts of several world-changing scientific discoveries and crafts them into riveting detective stories. You get so wrapped up in each mystery that it's easy to forget how much you're learning! The writing is extremely accessible, but the book also goes deep, exploring historical and scientific ideas that are often glossed over in popular accounts of these subjects."

Matt O'Dowd, Writer and Host of PBS Space Time

May 4, 2023 Thursday

End of Year Dinner and Branch Recognition Program

When: 6:30 p.m. Networking, 7:00 p.m. Program

Where: Nuova Italia Restaurant, 18 N 4th St, St Charles

2021-22 Previous Year Programs

September 2, 2021

Program: Poet Laureate of Illinois

Speaker: Angela Jackson, Poet Laureate of Illinois

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Zoom Meeting Link

As a young poet, Angela Jackson traveled Illinois teaching the power of poetry to students.

Poetry, she says, “psychically empowers people” and puts “them in touch with their selves so that they know their own worth and power, and gain some measure of their lives, and know who they can be and what they can do in the world.”

Angela Jackson is an award-winning poet, novelist, and playwright who has published three chapbooks and four volumes of poetry. Born in Greenville, Mississippi and raised on Chicago's Southside, she was educated at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. Jackson’s collections of poetry include Voo Doo/Love Magic (1974); Dark Legs and Silk Kisses: The Beatitudes of the Spinners (TriQuarterly, 1993); And All These Roads Be Luminous: Poems Selected and New (TriQuarterly, 1998), which was nominated for the National Book Award; and It Seems Like a Mighty Long Time (TriQuarterly, 2015), nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Open Book Award and a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the Milt Kessler Poetry Prize. Jackson received a Pushcart Prize and an American Book Award for her chapbook Solo in the Boxcar Third Floor E (1985). Jackson’s forthcoming collection, More Than Meat and Raiment: Poems, will be published by Northwestern University Press in 2022.

October 7, 2021

Program: The Healing Gardens of Stonehill Farm

Speaker: Deb Marqui

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: St Charles Library, Carnigie room

Learn more about Healing Gardens. Each garden has a different theme. Every garden has a story - a lesson learned in my healing journey. It is my honor to provide a sanctuary for others to continue on their own path of learning, growing and discovery.

“Our deepest roots are in nature. No matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of life you lead, you remain irrevocably linked with the rest of creation”

— CHARLES COOK

Deborah has been studying spirituality and psychology since the early 70's. She earned a BS degree in education and then received a master’s degree from the University of Illinois, Jane Addams School of Social Work. Her field of concentration was child and family therapy. Deborah currently works as a psychotherapist in a private practice. Cancer free from non-Hodgkins lymphoma since 1996 and in remission from breast cancer since 2002, Deborah felt called to offer a peaceful retreat setting helping people to connect with God through nature. Her creative spirit manifests itself in her beautiful perennial gardens and wooded paths. Soon after her diagnosis Deborah immersed herself in the study of integrating body, mind and spirit into wholeness including introductory training in the Science of Intuition and Energy Medicine taught by Carolyn Myss, Ph.D. and Norman Shealy, MD,Ph.D. This training and her studies has provided her with a deepened spiritual perspective on the emotional, physical and spiritual energy of illness and how to stay healthy and healed. Deborah and husband, Buzz enjoy the tranquility of their property, Stone Hill Farm and have decided to open their beautiful healing gardens monthly as a meditative sanctuary for those with life-challenging illnesses or anyone interested in the path to wellness.

https://www.healinggardensatstonehillfarm.com/ourstory

November 4, 2021

Program: The Politics of Place: Confronting Race and Creating Equitable Communities in a COVID-19 World

Speaker: Kelwin Harris

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: St Charles Library, Huntley Room, One South Sixth St, St Charles

The Chicago region faces serious threats; growth is uneven; neighborhoods are struggling; and streets are erupting in protest as COVID-19 has made existing inequalities worse. Now more than ever, Chicago must address racial equity and provide strategies for prosperity for the good of everyone. Drawing from his experience as a community leader on the South Side of Chicago and as an urban planner, Kelwin Harris uses an equity lens to discuss multiple facets of systemic racism that persists and offers strategies and interventions for the road ahead.

Kelwin Harris is a city planner and public engagement professional with more than 15 years of experience working to dismantle inequality in Chicago communities and empower people that have historically been excluded from connectivity. He has worked as a senior planner and consultant providing technical assistance to cities and organizations and led grassroots neighborhood organizations on the South Side of Chicago.

Kelwin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in City & Regional Planning from Cornell University, a Master in Urban Planning Degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Professional Certificate in Municipal Finance from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

https://kelwinsbigideas.com/

December 4, 2021

Holiday BreakfastProgram: The Magic of Words

Speaker: Virginia Kammerer, Poet

When: 9 A.M. Breakfast and Program at 9:30Where: Prairie Landing Golf Course2325 Longest Dr, West Chicago, IL 60185Our holiday breakfast, always brightly festive, is a favorite event for our branch. In memory of Peggy Liska, our snow ladies will again be on parade.If you have a snow lady that you would like to contribute, please bring her along and take her home after the parade. The parade table will be in the dining room.About our Speaker: “To write and publish, Virginia believes, is to expose one to others in a public manner. The genre chosen encompasses childhood and the years following, all writers put something of themselves in their writing.” Her works include plays, songs, poetry, and short stories.

Born on a farm in downstate Illinois, her early acquaintance with reading and love of words were sealed when the Coles County Bookmobile visited her one room school. “Alone, the writer relies on their intuitive use of words, imaginative scenarios and perhaps, muse inspired inspiration. Why write? Is writing simply because the writer must-with no other avenue or choice presented? she said.

January 6, 2022

Program: Evening of sharing

When: 6:30 Networking, 7:00 Meeting and Program

Where: Zoom

Instead of games, we will have some "ice-breaker/get-acquainted" discussions. We'll divide into breakout Zoom rooms and share responses to some light-hearted questions. Each person will have a minute or so to speak. We will repeat this a few times while reshuffling group members so there is an opportunity to spend time with more people.

February 3, 2022

Program: Tropical Birding in Hawaii

Speaker: Jackie Bowman

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Zoom

Jackie Bowman is a local professional nature photographer who has a particular interest in birds. She will share with us how she became interested in photography and birding. In this program, she will explain how she and her husband decided to photograph the birds, including the very rare ones, of Hawaii; and, the planning and research that took place before they left home. The presentation then continues with stunning photographs of the birds as well as the tropical native flora. For each shot she explains the effort, determination and sometimes just plain old doggedness it took to “get the shot”.

You can see more of her photography at her website, www.naturesjoyphotography.com/Nature/Hawaii-2020/

So, put on your tropical shirt, fix yourself an umbrella drink of your choice and get ready for a relaxing and informative “tour of Hawaii”. This is a wonderful program for a cold February night.

March 3rd, 2022

Program: A Perfect Journey

Speaker: Julia Hsia

When: 6:30 p.m. Networking 7:00 p.m. Program

Where: St. Charles Public Library, located at 1 South Sixth Avenue in St. Charles. In the Huntley Room

Julia Hsia’s professional goal is to engage speaking opportunities in the field of entrepreneurialism to empower and inspire other women with insights and experiences of a female Asian-American. She has an academic background of a Bachelor of Science from Illinois State University in Industrial Technology-Graphic Communications. She has worked as Digital Marketing Specialist for several years. She specializes in Digital Advertising and Marketing, Social Media Management, Public Speaking and Communications. In addition she is very active in the Fox Valley Toastmasters holding positions of President and VP of Education.

April 7th, 2022

Program: Creative Writing Awards Ceremony

Speaker: Sarah Aronson

When: 6:30 pm Program starts promptly, meeting after

Where: Geneva Public Library, The Meeting Room, 227 S 7th St, Geneva IL

The AAUW Batavia-Geneva-St Charles branch proudly continues its tradition of encouraging and honoring aspiring young writers through its Creative Writing Contest. This year we celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the contest. This long history is a testament to the dedication of local teachers as well as of our branch volunteers. Above all, congratulations to each years’s awardees!

SPEAKER

Sarah Aronson began writing for kids and teens when someone in an exercise class dared her to try. Since then, she has earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and published the following books for kids and teens: Head Case, Beyond Lucky, and Believe, a young MG series, The Wish List as well as Just Like Rube Goldberg (Beach Lane Books), illustrated by Robert Neubecker. Forthcoming books include Brand New Bubbe (Charlesbridge) and a picture book biography of Bella Abzug, called Abzuglutely! (Calkins Creek, Boyds Mills & Kane).

When Sarah is not writing or reading (or practicing yoga or riding her bike), she is talking to readers about creativity, writing, social action, and of course, sparkle power! She loves working with other writers in one of her classes at the amazing Highlights Foundation or Writers on the Net. Warning: When she gets really excited, she makes funny faces and talks with her hands. Don’t be shocked if she talks about the power of play. She lives in Evanston, Illinois.

Do you like tips? Sign up for her weekly newsletter on the writing process: http://www.saraharonson.com

May 7, 2022 Saturday

Breakfast and End of Year Branch Recognition Gathering

When: 9 A.M. Networking, Breakfast and Meeting at 9:30Where: Prairie Landing Golf Course2325 Longest Dr, West Chicago, IL 60185LINK TO RSVP

Programs from previous years

Marla Fronczak Corine Pierog

September 3, 2020

Program: Addressing Social Isolation for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Crisis

Speaker: Marla Fronczak and Corinne Pierog

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Virtual webinar - details to follow

Even before COVID-19, loneliness and social isolation in older adults was a serious public health concern. Recent studies indicate that more than one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are socially isolated. Today’s “Stay at Home COVID-19 Restrictions” have isolated all older adults from critical everyday social interactions outside the home.This presentation will discuss the negative impact social isolation has on the health and mental wellbeing of older adults and what we can do to improve their social wellness.Marla Fronczak is the CEO of the AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Spertus Institute in Chicago. She joined AgeGuide in 2010, and prior to her tenure as CEO she managed the Community Planning Division. As Planning Manager, she was responsible for developing and implementing AgeGuide’s Area Plan, coordinating, and overseeing its network of funded partner agencies that provide home and community-based services through its eight-county planning and service area. She was previously a Long-Term Care Ombudsman for the DuPage County Department of Community Services and was also certified as an Adult Protective Services Caseworker by the Illinois Department on Aging. Marla is the President of the Illinois Association of Area Agencies on Aging (I4A). The Area Agencies on Aging’s statewide initiative is to enhance Illinois’ existing community-based service delivery system to address social isolation among older adults. She sits on the Community Care Program Medicaid Enrollment Oversight Subcommittee. The purpose of the subcommittee is to maximize federal funding for the IL Dept. on Aging’s Community Care Program. Ms. Fronczak works closely with Community Based Organizations and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to assist older adults and caregivers in accessing Older Americans Act funded services and to advocate to ensure they receive the services they need to remain safe and independent in their community. Corinne Pierog, a resident of Batavia, IL, has resided in Kane County for 20 years. After living on the East Coast, Pierog decided to return home to Illinois, settling in St. Charles. There as a single mom, she bought a “fixer-upper,” raised her young family, opened a management consulting firm, and earned an MBA from Roosevelt University, and remarried. Knowing the importance of service, she currently serves as the vice-chair of Age Guide of Northeastern Illinois, and more recently on the St. Charles Housing Commission. Pierog previously served two terms on the St. Charles D303 Board of Education, and on the board of the United Way of Central Kane County. She was appointed under Governor Pat Quinn to the IL Business Enterprise Program Council serving on the capital access committee. Pierog is also a former candidate for the IL State Senate. Active in issues facing her community, Corinne is the 1st vice-chair of the Kane County Democrats, and the founding chair of the Kane County Democratic Women. Pierog is a graduate from the University of California, Irvine, and holds a master’s degree from San Francisco State University. A former university professor and college administrator, Pierog changed careers to focus her work on community economic development and nonprofit management. Pierog and her husband, Robert Krawczyk, have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Past - 2020-21 Programs

October 1, 2020Program: Casting a Historic Vote: Suffrage in Illinois

Speaker: Jeanne Schultz Angel

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Virtual webinar - details to follow or email membershipaauw@yahoo.com

JEANNE SCHULTZ ANGEL: “CASTING A HISTORIC VOTE: SUFFRAGE IN ILLINOIS”

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION:

Prior to 1920, women were denied the vote in the majority of elections in the United States. The struggle for enfranchisement began with the birth of our nation and was strategized differently in our local, state, and federal elections. Despite what people today believe to be a straightforward goal, the path to women’s suffrage was infused with sexism and racism and triggered a fear of feminism whose roots are still seen today. While wealthy women advocates played a vital role in the suffrage movement, they were not the only ones seeking enfranchisement. From attorney Ellen Martin, the first woman to vote in Illinois, to Ida B. Wells, a woman who did not let racism stop her voice, women’s suffrage has been a battle hard-fought by a diverse group of activists in Illinois.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Jeanne Schultz Angel received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in history at Illinois State University. In 1994 and 1996, she worked at a historical archaeology excavation in County Roscommon, Ireland under Dr. Charles E. Orser Jr. She worked at the St. Charles Heritage Center before completing her master’s in history on the anti-slavery movement in northeastern Illinois while being an at-home mother. Her thesis was awarded the “Cavanaugh Award” by ISU in 2005. In late 2006, she became the Executive Director of the Lombard Historical Society, where she managed two historic house museums in Lombard, Illinois, including the Sheldon Peck Homestead, listed on the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Angel is a 2010 graduate of the prestigious Seminar for Historical Administration and was the Illinois State representative for the American Association of State and Local History “Leadership in History” awards program from 2012-2015. She served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Association of Museums, a statewide museum professional organization with offices in Springfield and Chicago from late 2013 to 2015. In May 2015, she became the Executive Director of the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association in Oak Park, Illinois.

Due to the restrictions in place for COVID-19, this year's programs are being reviewed.

Please refer to our newsletter or here for updates. Or email membershipaauw@yahoo.com.

Nov 5, 2021

Program: Deep Sea and Polar Ecosystems

Speaker: Rhian Waller

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Virtual webinar

Rhian Waller joined the University of Maine as a faculty member in 2011, when she moved from Hawaii to Maine to join the DMC community. This past year, she worked with researchers at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, studying how environmental changes effect fertilization and larval formation in deep sea corals. The Swedish marine laboratory is adjacent to the Kosterhavet Marine National Park and part of her work focused on identifying rare cold-water coral ecosystems within the park. Waller’s time in Sweden was supported by a prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship.Matt Norwood writes in the Boothbay Register, “

Waller’s research focuses on deep sea and polar ecosystems. When asked about how these mysterious and distant ocean places relate to the DMC’s core mission of connecting people to the ocean, Waller reflected that her research is part of a “longtime connection between DMC researchers and deep sea and polar ecosystems.” Since the DMC’s founding in 1965, University of Maine researchers based in Walpole have studied the deep and polar oceans. They include ichthyologist Hugh DeWitt, benthic ecologist Les Watling, and developmental biologist Kevin Eckelbarger, who also served as the DMC director from 1990 to 2013.

“I’m very proud that myself and my students can continue the DMC tradition of studying deep and polar oceans,” Waller reflected. “These are amazing ecosystems, inhabited by organisms about which we still have a lot to learn.”

Waller’s work has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, NOAA’s Ocean Exploration Program and Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region, National Geographic, Waitt Foundation, and the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, among others.

Waller has brought UMaine undergraduates on her ocean explorations to Antarctica, Alaska and the Gulf of Maine on multiple occasions. She noted that the opportunity to teach and conduct research in the field with these students is one of her career highlights.

“I hope to continue to be able to explore the deep ocean with students in the future. Field experiences benefit the student, but also the research – they see the ecosystem in new ways, and we gain invaluable perspectives from that. Students also have the opportunity to explore the diversity of careers available to them as marine scientists and engineers when you bring them on cutting edge research expeditions.”

We would love to see you at our Holiday Meeting Online!

Dec 5 SATURDAY

Program: 9:30 AM

When: Fellowship gathering and holiday games

Where: via ZOOM - email membershipaauw@yahoo.com for link

Although we would prefer to see you in person, this will allow us all to continue the holiday tradition.

AAUW Batavia, Geneva & St. Charles Zoom Holiday meeting

Please join us to have a little fun on Saturday, December 5 at 9:30 a.m.

Instead of your holiday banquet attire, join us with your favorite pajamas or holiday Christmas sweater.

· We will have some time to check in with each other, followed by some fun interactive activities.

Two truths and a lie will be one of the games.

You come up with two true statements about yourself and one lie. We try to guess which is which!

· That will be followed up with some Holiday Trivia.

January 7, 2020, Thursday

Program: FINDING YOUR VOICE and SPEAKING UP Speaker: Sue O'Halloran

When: 6:30 pm ZOOM Networking, 7:00 ZOOM Program

Where: via ZOOM -

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87011734214?pwd=RFB5WGphdVFZNHIvWUVoNU9CQnhJUT09

FINDING YOUR VOICE and SPEAKING UP

We all have moments when we wish we had said something, but most of us don’t know what to do or say when we witness injustice. In this interactive session, Sue will share the story of when people stood up for those in their community who were being targeted and show how we, too, can learn to take respectful, effective stands.

Sue O’Halloran has appeared on such media programs as PBS and ABC Nightline and has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Chicago Tribune. Sue teaches Diversity-Equity-Inclusion seminars and webinars around the country for corporations and nonprofits.

She is the author of seven books including Avoiding Cross-Cultural Mistakes at Home and Abroad, Diversity Is All Around Us in Our Schools Isn't It Time We Get It Right? and Compelling Stories, Compelling Causes: Nonprofit Marketing Success. Sue has designed scores of diversity curricula for corporate America as well as for schools, museums, and other nonprofits including Kaleidoscope: Valuing Differences and Creating Inclusion.

O'Halloran is producer/director of multicultural performances and internationally recognized films including Black, White, and Brown: Tribes & Bridges at the Steppenwolf Theatre and More Alike Than Not: Stories of Three Americans - Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. She is also producer/director of the website www.RacebridgesStudio.com which houses over 250 video stories by professional storytellers dealing with race and belonging and receives over half a million visitors each year.

Sue can be found at www.SusanOHalloran.com and www.RacebridgesStudio.com

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87011734214?pwd=RFB5WGphdVFZNHIvWUVoNU9CQnhJUT09

February 4, 2021

Program: Ikebana demonstration with Carolyn Alter

Speaker: Carolyn Alter

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Virtual webinar

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84453598215?pwd=cEZGS2dPNVp4ZWNPTFBXeEUwVGs1dz09

Carolyn will introduce and demonstrate Ikebana, the exquisite Japanese art of flower arrangement. Carolyn’s goal is to offer a creative outlet and respite from the fast speed of life and to nurture the spirit. To bring the beauty of Kado (the way of flowers) to a wider audience and educate them in Japanese culture.

The Ohara School of Ikebana emphasizes connecting with nature season by season, utilizing the materials individual character and arranging it in a naturalistic way. The Ohara School became famous with its introduction of landscape arrangements and in its use of the colorful western flowers arriving in Japan at the turn of the 20th century. Thus, a new form of Ikebana was born called moribana. It is now known as the beginning of modern ikebana.

Carolyn Alter began studying in the Ohara School of Ikebana under Sensei Kitty (Natsue) Akre in 1993. She began teaching weekly classes and founded Wednesday’s Flowers in 2012. She is a long time member of the Portland Japanese Garden, Ikebana International and the North American Ohara Teachers Association.

Carolyn Alter was awarded a BS in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis in 1986. Currently, she is self-employed as an orthopedic manual physical therapist since 1991 at Hollywood PT in Portland Oregon. She is a 2nd Term Master in the Ohara School of Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging. She began her studies in 1993, opened Wednesdays Flowers in 2012, and began teaching ikebana. She is the current Head Teacher and President of the Oregon Chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana. She is a member of Ikebana International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the study of ikebana and its related arts and culture. She has been a member of the North American Ohara Teachers Association since 2014. Carolyn has taught classes and chaired numerous exhibitions held at the Portland Japanese Garden and performed demonstrations throughout Portland. Carolyn loves working with her hands and feels a relatedness between the healing abilities of both PT and ikebana. She holds an appreciation for all elements of nature, whether it is working in her Japanese garden, walking in the woods, or gazing at the stars. Carolyn enjoys connecting others with the benefits of nature, season by season through ikebana.

More about Carolyn

LINK

March 4, 2021

Program: Latinos in Illinois and the USA: Music as a Cultural History

Speaker: Catalina Maria Johnson

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Virtual webinar - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86723881164? pwd=cFBnK1VLaWdMWnRXeDNjeGJGemxLUT09

Music can be viewed and “read” as a tool that shares the cultural values, roots, and history of peoples. Over the years, numerous Latino musical genres share the concerns of Latinos throughout the years, from immigrant woes over the centuries to current events.

This program focuses on a broad overview of music in the Latino U.S. as a way of understanding the history, roots, and concerns of Latinos in this land. This program will have a special emphasis on

women's issues in the context of Illinois' Latino population and artists who have left an indelible mark on the state’s culture.

The presentation, paired with slides and musical samples, is lively and focused on participation, discussion, and exploration of complex topics through musical enjoyment! Most of the songs are in Spanish, but our discussion will be primarily in English and I use Zoom’s interactive functions to encourage audience interaction.

Catalina Maria Johnson is a Chicago-based music journalist who has bylines in NPR’s Arts & Culture Desk, NPR Music, Billboard, Downbeat, Bandcamp, and The Chicago Reader. She credits her Mexican mom and a German/Swedish dad for the extraordinary gift of a bilingual and bicultural heritage. “Thanks to them, I grew up between two cities named St. Louis, one in Missouri, and the other, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Having traveled extensively and lived in Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Honduras, Colombia, and other Latin countries, as well as having circled the globe at least once, visiting most of Europe, India, Japan, Kenya, and Senegal, my work in radio and writing highlights the extraordinary diversity of the global music scene with an emphasis on Latin/Latinx music – from traditional roots music to cutting- edge electronic grooves. She is most interested in sharing artful music that “connects the dots” between generations, genres, nations, and peoples and illuminates forgotten or neglected histories.

She hosts and produces a one-hour radio program, Beat Latino , that airs on Vocalo (Chicago Public Media) and is archived weekly. https://beatlatino.com/

Photo credit: Carolina Sánchez

The event will be co-produced by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, which invites Illinois authors, artists, and educators to share their expertise and enthusiasm with people throughout the state, enabling local nonprofit organizations to present free-admission cultural programs to their communities. The current edition of the Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, presented in cooperation with the Illinois Bicentennial Commission and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum consists of presentations exploring Illinois history and culture in recognition of the state’s 200th anniversary.

April 8, 2021

Topic - The Power of the Women On Whose Shoulders We Stand?

Speaker: Jill Tietjen

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Virtual webinar

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89045476187?pwd=U21yd1pqL2ROdUtQUkdrdUs4V0JIQT09

"The Power of the Women On Whose Shoulders We Stand?"

How women leaders through history demonstrate five leadership principles necessary for leaders in the 21st century. How our foremothers changed the culture and the economy of the U.S. through their actions. Just so you know - the five principles are vision, ethics and values, community, stewardship, and passion.

Ms. Tietjen is the President and CEO of Technically Speaking, Inc. An electrical engineer, she spent 40 years in the electric utility industry where she provided planning consulting services to electric utilities and organizations serving the electric utility industry and served as an expert witness before public utility commissions and other government agencies. In 2015, she served as the CEO of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, based in Seneca Falls, New York (the birthplace of women’s rights). Today, she is a worldwide advocate for telling women’s stories.An author and national speaker, Tietjen is the co-author of the award-winning and bestselling book Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America. Her introduction to the engineering textbook, Keys to Engineering Success, was published by Prentice Hall in 2001. Previously (as Jill S. Baylor), she was a contributing author to the 1995 book She Does Math! Tietjen is the co-author of the Setting the Record Straight series of which three volumes have been published. Her book, Inspiring Women of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, was published in 2015. Her ebook for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Women in Engineering series titled Recognizing and Taking Advantage of Opportunities was published in 2016. She is serving as the series editor for Springer’s Women in Engineering and Science series and wrote the inaugural volume (published in 2016), Engineering Women: Re-visioning Women’s Scientific Achievements and Impacts. She has blogged for The Huffington Post since 2014.

May 1, 2021

End of Year Branch Recognition gathering

Where - at Peck Farm, 3 sided barn.

When: 10 am

Monthly branch meetings are suspended June, July and August.

Coffee Social Gathering and some interest groups meet in the summer.

September 5, 2019

Program: GirlForward

Speaker: EMILY RAMSTETTER, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Batavia Public Library - Newton room

10 S Batavia Ave (Rt 31), Batavia, IL 60510

GIRLFORWARD

ASHLEY MARINE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Emily is originally from Kentucky and graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a degree in Advocacy and Social Change. She started volunteering at GirlForward in 2015 and fell in love with the community. In Emily's free time she is always practicing her latte art, baking, and listening to podcasts!

GirlForward is a community of support dedicated to creating and enhancing opportunities for girls who have been displaced by conflict and persecution. We are in the midst of the biggest refugee crisis the world has ever seen. Over 65 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes. In conflict, girls are especially vulnerable to violence, isolation, and being kept out of school. Girls who receive resettlement in the United States face huge challenges: poverty, language barrier, limited or disrupted education, isolation, and trauma. But when girls succeed, everyone benefits. That's where we come in. GirlForward supports girls in grades 9-12 who are refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers through three core programs. https://www.girlforward.org/

LAST YEAR - 2019-20 Programs

October 3, 2019

Program: Men and Women: What are the real differences?

Speaker: Dr. Michael Maniacci and Dr. Laurie Sackett Maniacci

When: 6:30 Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center, 201/202 - upstairs/elevator

3507 Kaneville Rd, Geneva, IL 60134

Dr Michael Maniacci Psy.D is a popular returning speaker, a licensed clinical psychologist and published author. He maintains a practice in Chicago and Naperville. He served as core faculty and is a published author, frequent lecturer and consultant.

Dr. Laurie Sackett-Maniacci Psy.D is a psychologist and adjunct faculty at Roosevelt University and practices in Naperville.

November 7, 2019

Program: Redlined

Speaker: Linda Gartz

When: 6:30 pm Networking, 7:00 pm Program

Where: Batavia Public Library - Newton room

10 S Batavia Ave (Rt 31), Batavia, IL 60510

Six-time Emmy-honored Linda Gartz is a documentary producer, author, blogger, educator, and archivist. Her discovery of a trove of family diaries, letters, photos, documents, and more, after her parents’ deaths, inspired her search for the forces that had undermined her parents’ marriage and fractured her family’s lifelong community. The result is Redlined.

Her documentaries and TV productions have been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and Investigation Discovery, syndicated nation-wide. Her educational videos include Begin with Love, hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Grandparenting, hosted by Maya Angelou. Gartz's articles and essays have been published in literary journals, online, and in local and national magazines and newspapers, including The Chicago Tribune. Born in Chicago, she studied at both Northwestern and the University of Munich, and has lived most of her adult life in Evanston, IL. She earned her B.A. and M.A.T. degrees from Northwestern.

Learn more at www.LindaGartz.com

December 7, 2019

Program: Holiday Breakfast

When: 9 A.M. Breakfast at 9:30

Where: Prairie Landing Golf Course

2325 Longest Dr

West Chicago, IL 60185

Our holiday breakfast, always brightly festive, is a favorite event for our branch.

In memory of Peggy Liska, our snow ladies will again be on parade.

If you have a snow lady that you would like to contribute,

please bring her along and take her

home after the parade.

The parade table will be in the dining room.

January 2, 2020

Program: Game Night and Potluck hosted by Claudia and MaryAnn

When: 6:00 Potluck/Networking, 7:00 Games

Where: Batavia Public Library - Newton room

10 S Batavia Ave (Rt 31), Batavia, IL 60510

Relax into the New Year with fun and games with this casual low-key event. This event features word games, board games and more... with one thing in common - FUN! Let the games begin!! Bring $1 to participate in Left, Right, Center - always a favorite.

February 6, 2020Program: Unleash the Wise Leader in You

Speaker: Dr. Donna Marino

When: 6:30 p.m. Networking 7:00 pm Program

Where: Batavia Public Library - Newton room

10 S Batavia Ave (Rt 31), Batavia, IL 60510

Dr. Donna Marino is a licensed clinical psychologist, TEDx speaker, author and business coach. She is dedicated to helping women trailblazers overcome the fear, self-doubt and sabotage that can deter their big vision and undermine their success. Dr. Marino believes that when women and under-represented populations are equally heard and empowered, the whole world benefits. It is her mission to help these trailblazers get closer to their dreams through a clear vision, a powerful mindset, and inspired action.

Dr. Marino’s upcoming book, Unleashing the Wise Leader in You: How to Succeed at Home, at Work, and in the World will be available in 2020.

Dr Marino has her doctorate in clinical psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology in Washington, DC. She became licensed in IL in 2005.

www.drdonnamarino.com

March 5, 2020

Program: Women of WWII: Serving soldiers at the Whistle Stop Canteen

Speaker: Barb Warner Deane

When: 6:30 Networking, 7:00 Program

Where: Batavia Public Library - Newton room

10 S Batavia Ave (Rt 31), Batavia, IL 60510

After Pearl Harbor was attacked, American troops started traveling across the U.S. for recruitment, induction, training, and deployment. Most servicemen had never been far away from home and certainly not on an over-crowded troop train, destination unknown. You may have heard of the Stage Door Canteen or Hollywood Canteen, where celebrities offered food, dancing, and entertainment to our servicemen. But the real surprise came at train stations all across the country, such as North Platte, NE, Dennison, OH, Reno, NV, and Connellsville, PA, where local women, children, and senior citizens sacrificed their own food and ration stamps to provide a morale boost to hungry, homesick, and frightened soldiers. Come learn about how the Greatest Generation pulled together to help our troops.

Barb Warner Deane grew up in the beautiful Finger Lakes area of New York. She graduated from Cornell University and the University Of Connecticut, School of Law. Barb and her family have lived in the Chicago area for the past twenty-five years, other than two years in Frankfurt, Germany and two years in Shanghai, China.

Barb@barbwarnerdeane.com

Date April 16, 2020 NOTE DATE - 3rd Thursday

Program: 41st Annual Creative Writing Awards Ceremony

Speaker: Mary Kay Quinn

When: 6:30 pm Program starts promptly, meeting after

Where: Batavia Library - Newton room

10 S Batavia Ave (Rt 31), Batavia, IL 60510

We welcome Susan Kaye Quinn as our speaker/author at our 41st Creative Writing Awards Ceremony. She is a rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. She writes young adult science fiction, with side trips into adult future-noir and sweet royal romance. Her bestselling novels and short stories have been optioned for Virtual Reality, translated into German, and featured in several anthologies.

Susan grew up in California, got a bunch of engineering degrees (Aerospace, Mechanical, and Environmental), and worked everywhere from NASA to NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research). She has designed aircraft engines, studied global warming, and held elected office (as a school board member). Now that she writes novels, her business card says “Author and Rocket Scientist,” but she spends most of her time inventing her stories. Link to more about Susan

The AAUW Batavia-Geneva-St Charles branch proudly continues its tradition of encouraging and honoring aspiring young writers through its Creative Writing Contest. This year we celebrate the 41st anniversary of the contest. This long history is a testament to the dedication of local teachers as well as of our branch volunteers. Above all, congratulations to each years’s awardees!

2019 winners

Link to more about our Creative Writing Contest

May 7, 2020

Program: End of the Year Banquet

When: 6 p.m. Networking, Dinner 6:30

Where: Prairie Landing Golf Course

2325 Longest Dr

West Chicago, IL 60185

Monthly branch meetings are suspended June, July and August.

Coffee Social Gathering and some interest groups meet in the summer.

Link to Election 2022 Judicial Evaluations

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