93rd AAUW MN Annual Meeting

Informative, creative, and fun describes the 93rd AAUW MN Annual Meeting hosted by the St. Cloud Area Branch. AAUW members present were invited to share in St. Cloud’s 100th Anniversary celebration. How great it was to come together in person to unite harmoniously, share ideas, and hear from excellent speakers including the CEO of AAUW, Gloria Blackwell, via zoom and the keynote speaker, Dr. Joy Plamann.

The creative efforts, under the leadership of Linda MacLeod, Branch President, and her committee members were evident in many activities such as a decade-by-decade retrospective of their past 100 years with current members in the roles of former members reviewing the major activities of the branch.

Instead of four breakout sessions, there were four topics presented by teams from various branches:

• Website Development and Policies,

• Membership Recruitment and Retention,

• Strategic Plan and Rules of Governance, and

• Fun with Fundraising.

Members could stay for all four or choose the ones they were interested in.

New this year was a replacement of the Silent Auction for AAUW Funds with the selling of AAUW shirts and totes.

This year we allocated grant funds to accomplish goals related to our adopted Long Range Strategic Plan which is correlated with the National plan. Our new Public Policy adopted at the Annual Meeting works together with the Strategic Plan. Jan Carey designed and published a Public Policy brochure for distribution that can be used at AAUW events. We published our “Helping our Branches” with all the grants and awards in a single document.

Board to Branch Calls

One disappointment was the Board to Branch calls that identified program help as a major need. Covid shut down many programs, speakers, and members willing to attend activities. Minneapolis was zooming their programs to their members, and we approached them to see if they were willing to share on a trial basis. We were disappointed in the participation and decided not to continue exploring similar activities. However, we are seeing more use of technology for workshops, committee meetings within the state and between states, and information sessions offered by National AAUW. The results of the Board to Branch calls during 2021 will be shared by the 2022-2023 Board.

Final Thoughts

I have worked with a very active and dedicated board this year. The last two years have had their challenges, but it has been a very rewarding experience. Thank you for allowing me to lead our mission of advancing gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy.

The 93rd AAUW MN Annual Meeting Convention Book is here.

Please note this is an uploaded copy and it is not showing the beautiful front cover in this version. Make sure to scroll down to page 2 to read the rest of the pages.

The 2022 AAUW MN annual meeting & convention included an array of public policy achievements.

1. The AAUW MN public policy priorities were approved and a new public policy brochure was distributed to branches.

2. Two resolutions, 2022 ERA Resolution Ely Branch and 2022 Diversity Resolution Ely Branch, were submitted from the floor at the business meeting and were passed. Please click on the links to read each resolution.

3. Finally, a review of the activities and advocacy of the public policy office was provided to the members.

In my final year as AAUW MN VP Public Policy, I worked to use social networking and technology to create channels for communicating AAUW Public Policy Priorities. Taking a cue from SPPC training sessions and the new national website, I envisioned an AAUW-MN Public Policy program that would invigorate members and promote advocacy through the following:

• ​publishing selected Public Policy webinars, video resources, and tools provided by AAUW National and other States;

• ​sharing State Net Legislative tracking postings with branch chairs;

• communicating with AAUW MN branch public policy chairs/contacts;

• ​distributing pertinent National Public Policy webinars to Branch PP chairs;

• conducting the first public policy ZOOM meeting of branch public policy chairs. It was well received and requested to continue on a regular basis.

As the gavel was struck to end the convention, the torch was passed to the next AAUW MN VP Public Policy, Kelsey Waits. Kelsey comes to the position with a strong knowledge of legislative processes, political advocacy & action having served on her local school board and a run for political office. I look forward to her leadership in this arena for AAUW MN.

AAUW MN Public Policy

2022-2024 Public Policy Priorities

Approved by membership April 30, 2022

Jan Carey, AAUW MN VP Public Policy

AAUW MN Public Policy Program establishes policy directives that will guide members, inform AAUW MN’s Legislative agenda, while serving AAUW’s mission to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy. Toward that end, AAUW MN advocates public policies & priorities that promote, enhance and ensure:

1. Economic Security for All Women

• Equity in the workplace

• Equal Pay

• Enforcement of anti-discrimination statutes

• Security in retirement

• Access to job training for career development

• Work-life balance, including access to quality affordable childcare and paid sick and caregiving leave

2. Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students

• Vigorous enforcement of Title IX

• Adequate and equitable funding at all educational levels, including pre-school and post-secondary

• Instruction in STEM fields

• Opposition to the use of public funds for schools that do not meet public school civil rights and accountability standards

3. Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society

• Self-determination in reproductive health

• Equal access to quality affordable health care

• Freedom from violence in all its forms and wherever it occurs, including racially-motivated violence

• Guarantee civil and constitutional rights for all

• Protection and expansion of voting rights

Also presented below are the two Resolutions passed by the membership.

Public Policy is the backbone of AAUW. I have enjoyed serving AAUW MN and its members alongside all of the responsibilities that came with the position. I thank each branch for its advocacy and activism. Without it, AAUW would not thrive.

I leave you one more time with my mantra …

Moving Forward – Collectively Advocating

Jan Carey

AAUW MN VP Public Policy

Again, our thanks go to each of you who attended and participated in our annual meeting. Special thanks go to members of the St. Cloud Branch for their expert planning and implementation, resulting in an informative and enjoyable annual meeting. We can now look forward to next year’s AAUW MN Annual Meeting where we can once again reconnect with old friends and make new acquaintances from across the state!

Click on any of the titles listed below to access the document.

93rd Annual State Meeting Minutes

AAUW MN Education Chair, Board Report

AAUW Funds Awards Presented at State Annual Meeting

Slate of Candidates for 2022 AAUW-MN Elections

AAUW MN Helping Our Branches

Gloria spoke of the importance of education via webinars, virtual workshops; advocacy for voting rights, and fair policies in organizations, and work and research trying issues as they arise. Gloria reminded us to listen, learn and connect to leverage success. Success can be in virtual programs and fundraising; writing letters to elected officials so they know how women are feeling about important matters; donating to the Greatest Need Fund; advocating membership in your social world and learning about the 5-Star Recognition Program.

Areas of strategic focus for us should include education, training, economic security, being a leader, and partaking in governance and sustainability in our communities. Gloria urged us to reflect on our core mission objectives, recognize Title iX’s 50th anniversary and what that has done for our society, and remember to speak out. You are important to AAUW!

As the adage goes "A picture is worth a thousand words" Gail Galshan captured wonderful pictures of the Annual Meeting. Click here to download and view them. Here are a couple of photos to grab your interest.

This year we lost our dear David Kirkwood, one of our most precious Minnesota AAUW members. Jan Bensen memorialized David to insure we all realize his significance to our State, with his dear wife, Karen, in the audience understanding how we will miss Dave’s brilliance. Dave is missed!

Selection is based on an application that describes an equity project and its impact. Miller has participated in National History Day competitions for six years and selected her national first-place research project to highlight- “Too Strong for a Woman: How Bernice Sandler Created Title IX to Break Barriers for Female Faculty in Higher Education”. - Wendy Williamson, AAUW Duluth Branch

Elected Officers

President – Jan Carey, Hibbing Branch

VP Program – Deanna Ensley, Grand Rapids Branch

VP Membership – Pat Powers, Hastings Branch

VP Public Policy – Kelsey Waits, Hastings Branch

VP AAUW Funds – Vacant (Contact Jan Carey if interested in this position.)

Treasurer – Beth Nienow, Rochester Branch

Secretary/Historian – Saundra Martell, Brainerd Branch

Appointed Officers

College/University Representative – Anna Voight, Dakota County Technical College

Finance Chair – Janice Quist, St. Paul Branch

Pine Editor – Vacant (Contact Jan Carey if interested in this position.)

Administrative Assistant – Teresa Sagen, Ely Branch

Education Chair (Including NCCWSL) – Vacant (Contact Jan Carey if interested in this position.)

AAUW MN Nominating Committee 2022-2023

Patricia Scott, Brainerd Branch

Marlys Mestemacher, Grand Rapids Branch

Mary Chorewycz, St. Paul Branch

(Two State Board members will be appointed in July 2022.)

We say farewell to the following Board and thank them for their work in 2021-2022:

• Mary Ann Lucas Houx, State President

• Linda Blaisdell, Secretary and Historian

• Anne Johnson, AAUW Funds

• Cyndy Harrison-Pine Editor and Website

• Gail Glashan, Education Chair and Coordinator of NCCWSL

• Barb Liukkonen-Co-Bylaw Chair, and acting AAUW Funds Replacement