AAUW has been empowering women as individuals and as a community since 1881. For more than 140 years, we have worked together as a national grassroots organization to improve the lives of millions of women and their families.
AAUW Ukiah Brochure – Click here
Donate– PayPal: PayPal.Me/AAUWUkiah or mail to AAUW Ukiah – PO Box 1626 Ukiah, CA 95482
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HAPPENING SOON:
SAVE THE DATE!
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Our next board meeting will be held Monday, April 8, 2024 at 1:00pm. Members are welcome to attend, though we currently only have room for 2 extra members per meeting. For more information please call Ky Mayers at (707) 331-0046
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AAAUW Bookmarkers
On the evening of April 9, our meeting will be a public program at the Mendocino Bookstore. The book we have chosen discusses the future of journalism and the interaction with social media: How to Stand Up To a Dictator by Maria Ressa, Nobel peace prize winner. For those who plan to join us at the Bookstore, we highly recommend you read the book. More details on the program next month
Please join us, even if you haven’t read the book. Call (707) 228-6143 if you’d like to join us.
New members welcome, meetings are at the home of Katie Gibbs,
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IMPORTANT SPRING VOTE FOR AAUW NATIONAL MEMBERS
Why AAUW California Supports Removing the Degree Requirement for Membership
This spring, AAUW members will be asked to consider a proposed national bylaws amendment to eliminate the degree requirement for AAUW membership. The amendment was brought forward to fully open membership to anyone who supports AAUW’s work. The intent is to align our practices with our mission for equity. The AAUW California Board of Directors voted unanimously to support a Yes vote on the amendment. The FAQs below address some of the questions our members have posed in the interests of educating themselves about the proposal.
Does this devalue our support for higher education?
- We can change and keep strongly rooted in our commitment to higher education as a path to success as well as our support for fellowships and grants. This change allows those who have taken parallel educational paths to join our work for gender equity.
Won’t we have to change our name?
- We’ll still be “AAUW,” a national organization that works for gender equity. We have brand recognition and, in fact, the initials have not represented our organization for a long time. It’s akin to our friends at the YMCA. The words “Christian” and “Men’s in the YMCA acronym no longer apply. The organization is now known by its simple acronym and does not require an explanation. The same is true of AAUW. We are known by the work we do, not the words in our name.
Why is the degree requirement a barrier?
The 143-year-old requirement is no longer serving us the way we need.
You do not need a degree to believe in or advocate for our mission. We firmly believe that removing the degree requirement is in the best interests of AAUW and its future relevance and sustainability as an inclusive and forward-thinking organization committed to advancing equity for women and girls. Many of the members we hope to attract, younger members in particular, are not interested in joining an organization that they see as exclusive.
According to the 2021 Census, only 34% of all Americans had earned an AA or BA. That means we are missing a lot of voices at the table and a lot of passion and talent.
Furthermore, this change will allow AAUW and branches to qualify for grants from corporations and foundations that value diversity, inclusion, and equity that we are not qualifying for today.
Isn’t this just an effort to get more members?
- Eliminating the degree requirement alone is not likely to substantially increase membership. Changing requirements in 1987/2005 did not have a major impact. However, the requirement is counterproductive to recruiting diverse and younger members.
What is required for the amendment to pass?
An amendment to the bylaws requires 5% of eligible members to vote and a two-thirds majority of voters to pass.
When is the vote?
AAUW is utilizing SimplyVoting.com, an independent, third-party voting system for this year’s vote.
April 3 | Voting opens. Look for your encrypted ballot email from Simply Voting, Check your spam folder.
May 15 | Online voting ends at 12 noon ET and results will be announced online.
All members without an email address on file or who have unsubscribed from AAUW National emails will receive a paper ballot by mail.
How can I get involved? See how you can get involved on the Open Up AAUW webs
Val Muchowski
Public Policy Chair
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MARCH 12 IS EQUAL PAY DAY 2024
Each year, this symbolic day is used to raise awareness around and combat the impact of pay inequities. Equal Pay Day 2024 is on March 12 and marks the current state of the gender pay gap for women: 84% for full-time, year-round workers and 78% for all workers (including part-time and seasonal). Overall, women working full time in the U.S. make 84% of what men do. And collectively, working women lose out on more than $500 billion a year.
The gender pay gap exists for every age group and widens over a woman’s lifetime. It increases over the course of a woman’s work life and is widest for women ages 45 – 64. The pay gap tends to be larger for women of color and in some cases the gap appears to be widening. Compared to white, non-Hispanic men: Latinas make 57 cents on the dollar. Native women make 59 cents on the dollar. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) women make 65 cents on the dollar.* Black women make 69 cents on the dollar. Asian women make 99 cents on the dollar.
For women working full-time, year-round. Data from 2022 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement and 2022 American Community Survey (ACS), released September 2023:
The pay gap exists in nearly every profession. Fields with the smallest pay gaps are food workers, writers, counselors, pharmacists and social workers, where women earn within 97–99% of what their male colleagues do. The largest gaps occur among financial services sales agents, financial managers and financial advisers. In those fields, the pay ratio between women and men is between 61–66%.
Mothers face an even wider pay gap than women without kids. Moms working full-time, year-round earn only 74 cents for every dollar paid to fathers, which translates to a loss of [$] annually. Women with bachelor’s degrees working full time are paid 26% less than their male counterparts.
Though women in the U.S. now earn more college and postgraduate degrees than men, they also hold nearly two-thirds of the nation’s outstanding student debt — $929 billion.
Women face an income gap in retirement. Because they have earned less and therefore paid less in the Social Security system, they receive less in Social Security benefits. They also lag behind men in pension benefits, as well as retirement savings.
A huge win for closing the gender and racial pay gaps was announced this week: the White House is banning the use of current or past pay when determining the salaries of new federal employees. This means: The country’s largest employer will halt a practice known to foster discriminatory pay and allow it to follow an individual throughout their career.
Federal contractors may soon follow a similar rule in the future and may be required to post salary ranges in job listings, as proposed by the White House. Women’s paychecks, and the respect for our value in the workplace, should be positively impacted. It was fitting that these announcements came on the 15th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Lilly has been tenacious in her advocacy for the fight to reduce pay inequity. Her journey inspires our continued advocacy with the White House, Congress, and around the country to advance policies that address gender and racial inequity.
Val Muchowski, Public Policy Chair
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March 3, 2024 was our annual Women’s History Gala at the SPACE Theater in conjunction with MWPC and Cloud Forrest Institute. It was another wonderful celebration. Mendocino County is lucky to have so many amazing women, and a great community overall. Our sincere gratitude to all the men and women who helped to make this a great success. We couldn’t have done it without the Village!
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Our next board meeting will be held Monday, March 4, 2024 at 1:00pm. Members are welcome to attend, though we currently only have room for 2 extra members per meeting. For more information please call Ky Mayers at (707) 331-0046
City of Ukiah Proclamation
Pictured at the 2/21/24 City Council meeting Gala honoree Xochilt Martinez,
MWPC Sage Circle member Jackie Orozco, AAUW President, Sulin Bell, City Councilmember Susan Sher and yours truly, Ky Mayers
On the evening of February 21, the Ukiah City Council presented MWPC and AAUW with a
proclamation recognizing March 2024 as Women’s History Month and the 40th annual Women’s History Gala on March 3. The proclamation was read by Councilmember Susan Sher, and was received by Ky Mayers, Treasurer for both AAUW and MWPC and member of the Gala Committee.
Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa in 1978 when the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women celebrated “Women’s History Week.” They March 8 to celebrate as International Women’s Day. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. In March of 1983, Mendocino had its first Women’s History
Gala at Anderson Valley High School and has held a celebration in Ukiah every year since (with the exception of 2021 due to the Pandemic).
This year’s 40th annual Women’s History Gala promises to be another wonderful event and will center around the 2024 theme Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Council member Susan Sher will MC this celebration featuring Betty Yee as the keynote speaker and honoring local women who embody this theme. There will be a silent auction, poetry readings, music, a dance performance and, of course, a delightful selection of nibbles …which hopefully many of you will help provide! Join us for all the fun at the SPACE Theater in Ukiah on March 3, 2024. Doors open at noon, and the program will begin at 1:00 – tickets are only $10 again this year!
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NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT 
Dear Members,
Of course, the two main things on my mind of late are the Women’s History Gala and our part to provide savory refreshments for that event, and AAUW Ukiah Scholarship Fundraising along with the Scholarship Dessert Event.
By now you have all received the letter asking for donations toward the three scholarships for
women returning to Mendocino College (our budget is short $1,500 for that) and enclosed was an invitation to a fundraising event on Sunday, March 17 – Dessert Buffet, between 1:00 – 3:00 at the Saturday Afternoon Clubhouse, to further support that fund as well as our need to raise money for the operations of our local chapter.
For the Dessert Buffet we are asking you to provide the sweets and the sweetness! I know it is
“double duty” to ask for two refreshment donations only two weeks apart, but I think we are able to rise to the occasion. For those who would rather give money than make something I will be happy to shop and provide a dish on your behalf – for either event or both.
Following the Women’s Gala Event on March 3, we will send an announcement to you via e-mail about the exciting opportunity you will have to bid on a three-night stay at a beautiful Oceanfront home, with a hot tub, located at Irish Beach in Mendocino County.
This wonderful and generous donation by one of our members will be featured at the Dessert Buffet. The house has two bedrooms and sleeps six and the bid will support the scholarship fund. The link to see photos of the house and its amenities in advance will be sent to you at the time of the announcement.
If you haven’t contacted me with information about a savory dish or money for the Gala, please
do so ASAP. With regard to a sweet you will bring to the Buffet, please let me know before March 13. If, instead you are offering money to cover the cost of a dish I will provide, let me know that as well as soon as possible – whether you plan to attend or not. sulinbell@gmail.com or 707-462-5747.
One more important note about the Dessert Buffet, we will be honoring Mary Ann Villwock and Katie Gibbs for their longstanding leadership as Co-Chairs of the Scholarship Committee. They retired from that job this year and fortunately Michelle Hutchins stepped up to fill that position with assistance from Board members and Carole Loudd.
Please invite guests to enjoy this fun, delicious, important yearly fundraiser. It would be helpful
to know if you plan to attend or not.
Cheers!
Sulin Bell
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IS THERE A HIDDEN AGENDA BEHIND THE “PARENTS RIGHTS” MOVEMENT
We members of the AAUW California Public Policy School Board Project sub-committee frequently come across materials from groups advocating for book-banning, curriculum censorship, and policies which negatively impact the lives of LGBTQ+ students, in the name of “Parent’s Rights.” For example, the House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 5, the “Parents Bill of Rights Act.” Eight governors have signed legislation with similar titles.
H.R. 5 establishes the rights of parents to, among other things: review curriculum; inspect the books and other reading materials in the school library; be advised of policies that permit transgender girls to compete on female athletic teams or use bathrooms or lockers designated for females; and provide consent before a school may use their child’s chosen name or pronouns on forms, or change the child’s sex-based accommodations. Many of the state laws noted above require the removal of “inappropriate” materials upon the objection of a single person.
AAUW California recognizes that not all our members will find these policies objectionable. And to be sure, most of our members would agree with this statement from PEN America, a human rights and free expression organization: “There is no question that parents deserve a say in shaping their children’s educations; that they have a moral and legal responsibility for their children, and the freedom to make fundamental decisions for their families.”
However, legitimate questions are raised when one parent’s “right” to control what their child reads and learns collides with another parent’s right to ensure their child has access to a broad and diverse range of educational materials. Or when a parent’s “right” to know if their child confides to a teacher regarding a sexual identity unknown to the parent collides with the student’s right to privacy. Or when one parent’s “right” to ensure her daughter doesn’t play on the same team as a transgender girl collides with that girl’s right to partake in all the same activities as other girls, or to feel safe in the campus environment.
AAUW California advocates for a diverse curriculum in our schools, as well as the protection of all forms of gender identity and expression. It is a cause of concern when the rallying cry of “parents’ rights” is, as stated by PEN America, “wielded to do far more than give parents their rightful voice; it is turning public schools into political battle grounds, fracturing communities, and diverting time and energy away from teaching and learning.”
Additionally, according to the National Education Association (NEA), H.R. 5 “ignores the breadth of parental engagement” that already exists, “disregards educator experience an expertise” and “inserts the government into local decisions.”
PEN America worries that the current emphasis on working with schools for the betterment of the child has been replaced with a parental focus on wanting to impose their personal beliefs – moral, religious, and/or political – on the entire education system. As an organization founded on the principal of expanding educational opportunities we might all heed Suzanne Nossel’s final words in her Time article: “The phrase ‘parents’ rights’ may have a nice ring to it, but the agenda now afoot in its name should sound alarms for all those who care about the future of public education.
By Kathi Harper, Chair
AAUW California Public Policy School Board Project Committee
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PUBLIC POLICY
Teaching has rich history of providing a career pathway for women.
Education is one of the most female-dominated professions. Around 75% of K–12 teachers and 90% of elementary school teachers are women. Teaching has a legacy as a profession that has
been viewed as a career pathway for women.
Teaching is also one of the lowest paid professions relative to the amount of education and training required for the position.
Currently, there is a major shortage of K-12 teachers in the United States (estimated shortage of 110,000 teachers). Low pay is one of the major reasons why individuals are avoiding or leaving teaching, along with insufficient funding for education overall and lack of continued professional development.
The teacher shortage has emerged in just the past five years. There was a marked shift in teaching during the 2008 recession, when many states cut the numbers of teachers, teacher salaries and/or education funding. Numerous analyses have shown that funding to support teaching and education has not been restored since the recession and also has been tied to generating support for tax cuts or other spending in states.
Having sufficient numbers of well-trained teachers is essential for educating students and for having a well-prepared workforce for the future. The average teacher starting salary was $39,249 in 2017–18. In 300 districts, the starting salary was below $30,000, and in 1,025 districts, even the highest paid teachers earned below $50,000.
The Economic Policy Institute calculated the teacher “wage penalty.” They found that public school teachers are paid 4% less in wages and compensation than other college-educated workers. Average weekly wages of public school teachers decreased $21 from 1996 to 2018 (adjusting for inflation).
Teachers in high-poverty schools make about 10% less than teachers in low-poverty schools.
More than half of teachers report taking on additional work to supplement their income—with average earnings between $4,000 and $4,300. That reduces family and personal time.
There has been a drop of more than 15% in education degrees awarded and a 27.4% drop in teacher preparation program completions between 2008–09 and 2015–19. Around 13% of teachers also leave the profession annually.
A number of teachers report lack of support or training, particularly those teaching in high- poverty schools as a reason for leaving the profession.
A quarter of female teachers have reported experiencing sexual harassment on the job.
Val Muchowski
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TECH TREK TEA PARTY DRIVE
We have had a wonderful response to the Tea Party Fundraiser for our Tech Trek program for Summer of 2024. Irma Turner did a great job organizing this drive. To date we have received $3,363.00 bringing our Tech Trek account to just under $5,800. It was just announced that the tuition per student is increasing to $1300, so we are grateful for everyone’s response. We still appear to be on track to send five girls who will be entering 8th grade to the fabulous STEM Camp next summer!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU to our many generous donors, and our gratitude as well to Kristana Arp, who chairs the Tech Trek Committee, and her group of volunteers who all help to make this possible. If you haven’t returned your envelopes yet, it is never too late! Checks can
be mailed to:
AAUW Ukiah Tech Trek
P.O. Box 1626
Ukiah, CA 95482
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OUR ANNUAL FALL DINNER was held Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at the beautiful Rivino Winery. Chef Big Earl did not disappoint – the salmon was particularly excellent this year. There are 6 new members to welcome – Dr. Christina Lasich, Dr. Nancy Levielle, Nancy Laybourn, Julie Finnegan, Helen Duffy and Carole Loudd. Mr. Dan Baxter was also in attendance as a special guest. He is a generous donor to the Tech Trek Program. There were also 3 of the Tech Trek girls from this past summer’s camp at Sonoma State University and their parents. We were also happy to have Sarah Adams who is one of this fall’s scholarship recipients.
Marie Pera was recognized for her decades of work on the AAUW Ukiah Tech Trek program and Irma Turner handed out the ‘Tea Bag’ Tech Trek donation letters. Thank you to those of you who have already sent money in to help keep that awesome program going, and if you haven’t responded yet we are hoping you will consider doing so.
A big thank you to Suzanne Jahnke and the Rivino staff, Big Earl and his staff, Madelyn McCauley for taking wonderful pictures, Sue Mason, Susan Sher and Sharon Marshall for serving and helping out in general, and to our Co-MCs Sulin Bell and Kristana Arp. Thank you also to Katarzyna Rolzinski for taking up the role of Publicist, and to all of those who have helped out with our programs.
Marie Pera Tech Trek campers 2023
Dan Baxter Sarah Adams – Scholarship recipient
Member dinner 9-19-23 Click here to see all the pictures.
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Public Policy
AAUW California Public Policy Committee to host webinar on How to Prevent Book Banning and Curricula Censorship in California By Kathi Harper, Chair “School Board Project” Sub-ommittee:
In a 2023 survey, our membership made it clear that they were alarmed by the nationwide movement to ban books and censor curricula in K-12 schools, particularly as this censorship denies students’ access to historically accurate information pertaining to marginalized groups. This is perhaps unsurprising as AAUW members’ concern with access to high-quality education has been long standing.
When AAUW was founded in 1881, its stated purpose was “for practical education work, for collection and publication of statistical and other information concerning education, and in general, for the maintenance of high standards of education.” Today, AAUW California continues to support this purpose in the second pillar of our Public Policy Priorities, “Equal Access to Quality Public Education for all Students.”
Earlier this year, at the urging of the state Public Policy Committee, the state board adopted and membership approved the addition of an important bullet point under this second pillar, “Access to diverse staff and curriculum that represents historically accurate information.” In furtherance of that goal, the Public Policy Committee has established “The School Board Project” (SBP) designed to ensure school boards up and down the state include members who are committed to “the maintenance of high standards of education” for all students–including access to diverse and historically accurate information.
Whether you are aware of problematic censorship happening in your district, you fear it may be coming, or you just want to learn more about what AAUW California is doing, we hope you will join us virtually on September 21 at 7:00 p.m. for the presentation of “Book Banning and Curricula Censorship in California? AAUW California to the Rescue!” Kathi Harper, SBP Committee Chair, will explain the project, what we are doing, and how all AAUW California members can help. A representative from our collaborative partner, Equality California, will be in attendance to help you understand why this project is so important, and members from the League of Women Voters will be on hand to provide guidance on how to speak out effectively and civilly at school board meetings. We hope to see you there.
Registration is now open, and the link can be found on our website https://www.aauw-ca.org/webinar-book-banning-and-curricula-censorship-in-california-aauw-california-to-the-rescue/ Additional information about our guests and collaborators can be found at League of Women Voters—Equality California.
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NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT 
Dear Members and Guests,
Once again it was lovely to see you all in person at our favorite venue Rivino Winery. The meal by our honored Chef Earl and family was again delicious and plentiful. Thank you to Madelyn McCauley, Sue Mason, and Ilse Winters for helping to serve the meal and to Kyle for preparing the Welcome Table, taking care of the finances and helping me with an assortment of necessary preparations.
Once again Norma Marks provided us with the beautiful roses from her garden and thank you to Kyle, Val and another dear person for taking photographs. Chante Edison and Kyle were again on task to help with the final packing up. And, the weather was perfect!
Eliza Grider from the College Foundation was a guest at our Spring Dinner. Eliza spoke with us about the process of finding the women for our Scholarship Grants.
Eliza GriderMary Ann Villwock and Katie Gibbs have done a great job for several years heading the scholarship committee. Both of them are not planning on doing that work next year.
Especially memorable was the recognition of the amazing longevity of belonging to AAUW by 19 of our members. We gifted small and colorful pins–each group of colors spanning from 69 years to 22 years of membership, to honor this wonderful level of commitment! Though eight of these members could not attend the dinner, we look forward to giving them their pins at future programs.
Our current officers on the AAUW Board have agreed to stay on. Much appreciation to Sharon, Kyle, Norma, Rocio, Val, and myself. Janet Chaniot , working with the relationship to Mendocino College and with program mentoring, intends to remain as supportive as possible considering her health factors.
The following members showed interest in helping the board with aspects of the work:
Scholarship: Katarzyna Rolzinski, Accolades: Gretel Palmerin: Tech Trek: Nancy Laybourn: and Website: Michelle Hutchins. Thank you for stepping up, your assistance is truly necessary to keep our Chapter alive.
To repeat the need for essential help, please let me know if you could volunteer a few hours with any of the following:
Membership, Hostess Committee, Revising the Yearbook, (probably in July/August) and coordinating the phone tree to secure Volunteer Helpers. Please RSVP to me with your interest in serving our AAUW in any capacity at sulinbell@gmail.com. This is very important if we are to continue to provide our interesting, stimulating, educational annual programs in November, January and April.
We also need people to offer to help Rocio, as Program Officer, with this creative job; Rocio unfortunately could not attend the dinner, but she wrote a very thorough letter describing the needed assistance. Please let me know if you would like more information in order to consider being part of this and I will forward her letter to you.
Wishing you a wonderful summer; you will continue to receive occasional e-mails to keep you in touch of developments.
Congratulations on another successful year for AAUW Ukiah.
Sulin Bell, AAUW Ukiah President
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HAPPY JUNE AND HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!
Every June since 1970, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ+) Pride Month is celebrated to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. At the time, The Stonewall Inn was the most popular gay bar in Manhattan. Until 1966 it was illegal to serve alcohol to a gay person, and until 1969, homosexuality was a criminal offense. On the morning of June 28, 1969, police raided the bar for the sale of illegal alcohol. As word got out about the raid, thousands of protestors came out, and the protests lasted for six days. These protests sparked the beginning of the Gay Liberation Movement.
The Stonewall Inn is now a National Monument. In 2016, President Obama established the first LGBTQ+ National Park in the 7.7 acres surrounding The Stonewall Inn, and in 2019, the city of New York honored LGBTQ+ activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera for their activism with a statue. They were prominent in the Stonewall Uprising, and according to the city of New York, this was the “first permanent, public artwork recognizing transgender women in the world.”
Since the Stonewall Uprising, there have been many significant advances for the LGBTQ+ community, like same-sex marriage and the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. There is still a long way to go for equitable treatment for all, but that’s why it’s exciting to work with an organization like AAUW on its mission of achieving a more equitable society.
For further information, the Library of Congress has compiled a wonderful resource guide. LGBTQ+ Studies: A Resource Guide serves as an introduction into the excellent collection of LGBTQ+ resources available at the Library of Congress.
Val Muchowski Public Policy
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MENDOCINO COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS 2023
We hope you enjoyed hearing at the Spring dinner from Eliza Grider, Administrative Assistant and Scholarship Coordinator at the Mendocino College Foundation. She handles our applications. Since 2015, we have awarded $1,000 to each of thirty women, and to one extraordinary student, Lisa Baker, twice. Recently at the College’s Foundation Gala, Lisa, who is President of the Student Body, gave an inspirational address about the importance of scholarships in her path to graduation and she hopes, on to a four-year college.
In April, Mary Ann Villwock, Kyle Mayers and I reviewed nine applications for our three scholarships, some years there are more. We chose Sarah Adams, from Laytonville, who is studying biological sciences for pre-nursing. She is hoping to go into the nursing school in 2026. She wrote an excellent essay and carries a 4.0 grade point average.
We also chose Brittany Evans, wife and mother of three who is working for an Allied Health degree, again with a goal of RN/midwife. She too wrote a competent essay and maintains 4.0. Marissa Daniel, of Ukiah, is currently working in human services at First Five as she studies toward a Master of Social Work and plans to transfer to UC.
Each student will receive her check upon matriculation this Fall semester. We hope that we will be able to hear from these ladies at our Fall dinner. And we always appreciate assistance if you’d like to read the applications or take over this job.
And now the appeal! Please look into your budget and give what you can to help these very serious students who are making a better future for themselves and their families. Checks may be sent to AAUW Ukiah, PO Box 1626, Ukiah, CA 95482. Please note “college scholarship” on the check.
And Thank You from all of them.
Happy Summer,
Katie Gibbs and Mary Ann Villwock
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2023 ACCOLADES AWARDS PRESENTATION
Our 2023 Accolades Recipients Yissell Carrillo, Jade Rodriguez, Arlena Franco, Sayra Adame Valdovinos and (not pictured) Payton SlotteOnce again, our 2023 Accolades Presentation on April 26 – the second one to be held in the Ukiah High School Library – was a source of pride and enjoyment.
Our UUSD teachers/partners Jessica Lee and Gretel Palmerin (in the photo to the right) worked for weeks to organize and solicit nominations. Beverley Spence introduced our program by highlighting the AAUW mission and our local commitment to education.
Gretel, our AAUW member who is a former Tech Trek student and recipient of our branch Evelyn Broaddus scholarship, praised the teachers who nominated these 11th and 12th grade girls to be honored for their efforts and achievements, often in the face of daunting hardship. Gretel then introduced each teacher who in turn spoke about her student. Each girl received an Accolades for Excellence certificate and a $100.00 check.
This year’s recipients were:
Yissell Carrillo who was nominated by leadership and community service teacher Beth Howson for her service to others and her academic excellence. Yissell is a Dance Commissioner; treasurer of the Fashion Club; and works with the Ukiah City ACES program. As the first in her family to attend college, she is currently the only Latina in AP calculus and AP environmental science.
Jade Rodriguez, nominated by career specialist teacher Yanira Muniz, is president of the Fashion Club and is a ‘determined and committed individual’. From a single-mom household, Jade successfully balances a part-time job while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
Arlena Franco “embodies resilience, commitment, and perseverance” says her English teacher Kathryn Fried. Despite suffering an extreme loss within her family this year, Arlena consistently seeks help and stays committed to her advanced classes. She is a “lifelong learner.” Arlena headed for a Ukiah High track meet immediately following the presentation.
Sayra Adame Valdovinos is an English learner in her first year at Ukiah High who has not let the situation of leaving her family in Mexico stop her from achieving her academic goals. Sayra appreciates her opportunities and takes advantage of all resources, according to her freshman advisor Scarlette Frausto. She gets straight As and always assists others around her who are facing similar obstacles. Payton
Payton Slotte, who unfortunately could not attend the ceremony because of a last-minute calculus test, was nominated by Spanish teacher Ollie Prax-Lodge because of her strength of character and persistence. Despite health and other challenges this year, she has not missed a beat in her academic pursuits. Payton “is quite amazing and I am lucky to have her as a Student” says her proud teacher.
These girls are all going places – and we are happy to applaud them on their way.
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April Notes from the President
Dear Members,
I am happy to report one of the most successful Women’s History Gala Events that our chapter has co-sponsored with MWPC in recent years. The attendance, program, auction and the funds raised were all outstanding and we are very grateful to the many people in both organizations who devoted their time, talents and resources to make it happen. How wonderful we are! And speaking of wonderful, the MWPC has chosen to donate $500 from the Women’s Gala Event to our Tech Trek Program. We will be sending five girls to the STEM Camp this year.
Also outstanding, to say the least, has been the unusual weather conditions and the many changes in plans required by both the weather and unexpected health related circumstances for many of our members and their families and friends. It is a time to recognize the importance of maintaining flexibility and of offering the loving support that is so needed in our intimate circles and our larger community.
Update: We are sorry to report the cancellation of our AAUW Ukiah April 8 program Women in Finance. Hopefully you have already received and read this news in an email we sent, and have updated your calendar.
Our annual Spring Dinner date, Tuesday, May 16, has been confirmed by both Rivino and our Chef Big Earl. The Menu Options will be determined as the time draws nearer and information will be e-mailed to you. We are looking forward to enjoying the presence of some of our scholarship recipients at the dinner, introducing a couple of new members, and having a lively membership discussion about important needs we currently have in the organization of our chapter and how to resolve them.
Also coming up is the Accolades Award Ceremony at the end of April, beginning of May. It will take place in the High School Library on a Wednesday afternoon and is very inspiring and heartwarming. Having attended last year’s, I encourage members to attend; you will walk away carrying big smiles and renewed confidence in high school students. More information about this will be forthcoming.
Looking forward optimistically as Spring unfolds.
Sulin Bell
President
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Public Policy Update
THE GENDER PAY GAP IS ALIVE AND NOT WELL!
Big news this month is that National is changing its methodology and terminology in terms of discussing the gender pay gap. They are asking that we no longer talk about it in terms of “the day that women ‘catch up’ to men,”, the feeling being that we will never catch up! They are asking that we focus on the size of the gap itself. They are providing statistics specifying that the gap for “all women vs all men for all full-time workers” = 84%; and for “all women vs all men for all workers, including part-time and seasonal” = 77%. These are the numbers that will be used for the “all women” Equal Pay Day date of March 14th. For all non-white women, the same measurement is being applied within that group and specific dates have been assigned. See National’s Equal Pay page for percentages and dates.
Other big news: National has finally hired a new Public Policy person.
Val Muchowski Public Policy Chair
AAUW California State Public Policy Committee Sets 2023-24 Legislative Agenda by Kathi Harper, State Public Policy Chair
The State Public Policy Committee, in conjunction with our Public Policy Advocate Kathy Von Osten (KVO), has completed their selection of the 30 bills that the committee and KVO will be working on this year. This year our bills fall into the following categories from the three pillars of our Public Policy Priorities:
- 8 “Economic Security” bills
- 11 “Public Education” bills
- 21 “Social Justice” bills:
- 8 “reproductive justice”
- 5 “healthcare”
- 5 “freedom from violence” including sex exploitation, DV, stalking
- 1 “gender-identity protection”
- 2 “voting rights”
The committee then selected our top 3 priority bills, including at least 1 bill which we will co-sponsor (“A” bills). KVO will spend most of her time working on these bills, including working with the authors’ offices, attending committing hearings, and writing letters of support. These are also the 3 bills members will advocate for in their Lobby Days visits. We then selected 3 next-level bills (“B” bills), which are important but not as resource intensive. The remaining 24 bills will be handled as “C” level bills. Here is a look at our top three bills:
AB1394 – This is our co-sponsored bill. It would allow victims of child sexual exploitation and trafficking to sue a social media platform for between $1 million and $5 million if the victim can prove the platform design knowingly, recklessly or negligently facilitated the use of code words for sexual predators to describe the type of child and the type of sexual activity that resulted in the act of exploitation.
SB287 – Would prohibit a social media platform from using a design, algorithm, or feature that the platform knows, or should know, causes child users to: purchase fentanyl; inflict harm on themselves or others; develop an eating disorder or engage in dangerous dieting; purposely take their own lives; and/or experience addiction to the social media platform. A victim of any of these consequences can sue the platform for up to $250,000 for each violation.
AB549 – Requires all state agencies to conduct an evaluation of all their departments to ensure the state does not discriminate against women, and report their findings every two years.
HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD IN TWO MINUTES
By clicking on the ’Two-Minute Activist” link below, you can become part of AAUW’s advocacy by promoting laws that improve gender equity in equal pay, economic security and the workplace, equal access to quality public education, reproductive freedom, voting, affordable health care and housing, freedom from violence, increased representation of women in leadership roles, etc. in only two minutes. You will receive e-mail notices when your advocacy is needed most. AAUW will provide all the tools you need to call or send messages to your members of Congress, write letters to the editor in your local newspapers, contact your state legislators about pressing issues, and more in 2 minutes. Last year, our supporters sent federal and state legislators over 200,000 messages! With your help, our Action Network can continue to boost AAUW’s influence on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the nation. What’s next?
Please click on our Two-Minute Activist page, where you can take action on AAUW’s priority issues today with the click of a button! Learn how to empower women and girls in your community with our advocacy how-to guides. Whether you’re interested in organizing rallies, reaching out to the media, or getting out the vote, AAUW has the answers.
Get social with AAUW! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay in-the-know about our newest public policy efforts.
For over 135 years, AAUW has been the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls – and we don’t intend to quit. Together, we can make a difference.
Thanks again for joining our community dedicating to advancing education and equity for women and girls. We look forward to working with you, and we hope you’ll invite friends and family to become part of this powerful network!
Val Muchowski
Public Policy Chair
Link to 2 minute Activist – https://secure.everyaction.com/t79k4XW2qE6zElzj0xlIKA2
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The 39TH ANNUAL WOMEN’S HISTORY GALA which was cosponsored by the Mendocino Women’s Political Coalition (MWPC) and AAUW Ukiah was held Sunday March 5, 2023 at the Saturday Afternoon Clubhouse. The theme this year was ‘Women Who Tell Our Stories’, and the honorees this year – Ellen Weed, Dot Brovarney and Sarah Reath – certainly exemplified that theme as did the 2 featured speakers – Corine Pearce and Buffie Schmidt. The Real Sarah’s performed during the ceremony, and State Controller, Malia Cohen was in attendance and gave a short speech. It was an inspiring and beautiful afternoon.
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AAUW Ukiah would like to thank all of you who helped to make our annual Fundraise – 2023 Mascot – such a wonderful success!!!!
Licorice is the winner of our contest and is our official mascot for 2023. Michelle Hutchins and Jini Reynolds entered Licorice and have won the grand prize of a pet portrait to be painted by Alyssa Jose. We want to express our gratitude to Alyssa for donating this wonderful prize. If you are interested in having a portrait done of your pet, we would highly recommend Alyssa.
We would like to congratulate Allie Bay who not only brought in the second greatest amount of donations, but also had the most individuals voting for her. She was given the honorary title of People’s Choice award.
The event brought in $2,127.84 in proceeds after expenses. Thank you again to all who participated, helped and donated. It was great fun.
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The next meeting of AAUW Bookmarkers (book club) will be Wednesday, January 11, at 2 p.m.
This month’s book is Lorna Mott Comes Home by Diane Johnson.
New members welcome, meetings are at the home of Katie Gibbs,
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LOBBY DAYS
Save the Dates …. March 21 and March 22, are the AAUW CA scheduled Lobby Days, so
mark your calendars and be sure to sign up to participate when our Lobby Day registration
arrives in your January mailbox.
Advocating for our top three priority bills is fundamental to achieving our legislative priorities
by addressing economic security for all women, providing equal access to public education and
insuring social and racial justice for all members of society.
We need all members on board and will be counting on you to reach out to our elected officials
in the CA legislature. Our Public Policy Committee will make it easy for you to do so. This year
instead of a full week, Lobby Day will consist of two days and will occur while the legislature is
in session, not on break. Hopefully, this will provide more opportunity to actually speak with a
member in lieu of a staffer. Our plans are to make it hybrid – virtual and in-person. Those
branches in and around Sacramento would have the option of in-person meetings at the Capitol with the remaining branches meeting virtually or in-person with staffers in the district. So, a bit more flexibility this year as the committee feels it’s beneficial to establish relationships with our elected leaders’ local staff.
Our AAUW legislative Advocate will be scheduling meetings with the member offices willing to
participate, and once you return your Lobby Day survey, the committee will begin to assemble
branch participants and match them with Assembly and Senate districts in order to assign teams.
We will provide you with material on the bills we are supporting and have scheduled a
mandatory training webinar for March 20, so you’ll have the information at your fingertips.
If you have participated in Lobby Day in the past, we would love to hear from you on what
worked and what didn’t; please send your comments to publicpolicy@aauw-ca.org.
Lobby Day is our chance to make a concerted impact on the priorities and values we, as AAUW
members, hold dear. It brings out the “advocates” in all us for improving the economic and
educational lives of women and girls. And goodness knows, we need that commitment now
more than ever. So, mark those calendars and join us on Lobby Days.
Val Muchowski
Public Policy Chair
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FALL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISING
While it started a little slow, our membership rose to the occasion and made our scholarship
drive a great success! A huge THANK YOU to all of you who contributed. We raised $1,865 to
go directly to our Returning Student Scholarship Fund ensuring that we will be able to give three
scholarships again early next year.
Our dynamic duo of Katie Gibbs and Mary Ann Villwock did a fantastic job with the fundraiser
and will now be focusing on the work of selecting our scholarship recipients in conjunction with
the College. Members are welcome to join Katie and Mary Ann in choosing the best candidates.
Several of you have done so in the past. In early Spring the college asks who will participate in
order to set them up with the computer system. We each study all the students and pick five or
six as we will choose three plus at least two alternates. We then meet around a computer
to compare our choices together and choose the winners. Please reach out to Katie
(katieg@pacific.net) if you would like to be a part of the selection process.
Stay warm and healthy and enjoy your holidays.
Ky Mayers
Treasurer
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LEGACY
Sandy Spencer in her will left half the money from the sale of her house to the AAUW Foundation. She left the other half to University of Southern California for scholarships. Sandy wanted to follow in the footsteps of award-winning authors, scientists, scholars, changemakers and community leaders.
AAUW is providing nearly $5 million in funding to more than 260 fellows and grantees in the 2021-22 award year. These exceptional recipients will pursue academic work and lead innovative community projects to empower women and girls
through a legacy left by one of
their members.
The Willits AAUW is able to fund scholarships and workshops for young women through a legacy left by one of their members. What about a local legacy to fund our work in equity for young women? Your legacy could provide funds for scholarships for needy girls and women. It could help fund Tech Trek which sends middle school students to Sonoma State for a science and technology program, Accolades which honors good citizenship of high school students, scholarships for students at Mendocino College and help fund post-graduate fellowships.
Would you consider a local legacy? Will you be next to help fund Mendocino girls and women in our quest for equity?
MEMBERSHIP
Welcome to the Ukiah Branch! Remember, dues for 2023-24 are due and payable. Dues for most members is $107 so please make your checks payable to Ukiah Branch, AAUW and send to AAUW-Ukiah, PO Box 1626, Ukiah, 95482-1626. Remember that $697 of your National dues is tax deductible. Dues for Life members are $15. Mendocino College Student memberships are free and paid for by the college. You can also pay here via PayPal: PayPal.Me/AAUWUkiah
In principle and practice, AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership.
There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.
Sponsorship listed in this newsletter does not imply endorsement by AAUW.