AAUW Kingston, NY Branch

10/29/11: Ulster County Candidate Forum

2011-10-28T09:36:00.002-04:00

Saturday, October 29

10 AM - 11:15 AM

Mayor

Kingston

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

District Attorney

Ulster County

City Hall

420 Broadway

Kingston

۩ ۩ ۩

10/18/11: Two films tonight on Women & War

2011-10-18T11:13:00.009-04:00

1. 7:15 PM, Service: When Women Come Marching Home, Rosendale Theater, 408 Main Street, Rosendale, $6 (more info below).

2. 10 PM, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, Episode 2 of 5 of the Women, War, and Peace series on PBS, featuring Nobel Peace laureate Leymah Gbowee. Plans are afoot to watch this series together on DVD, on some evenings in the near future - watch this space.
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More on Service:

Please join us tonight at 7:15 in honoring our women veterans when the Rosendale Theatre premieres the powerful documentary Service: When Women Come Marching Home by filmmakers Marcia Rock and Patricia Lee Stotter. There will be a Q&A with the filmmakers and women veterans after the film.

Service portrays the courage of the women in service and after leaving the military. The film shows the traumas they face and the inadequate care they often receive on return. Women compose 14% of today's military forces. That number is expected to double in the next 10 years. [ed. Let's reverse this trend!] This important film poignantly portrays the first wave of mothers, daughters and sisters returning home.

These women wrestle with prosthetics, homelessness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and what is termed military sexual trauma. The documentary establishes intimacy with the veterans by speaking with them in their kitchens and bathrooms, back yards, classrooms, therapy sessions and supermarkets.

Some of the women portrayed include:

Sue Downes enlisted in the army as an MP. In 2005, her humvee hit 3 landmines. She was the only one of three soldiers to survive, but barely. She is the first female double amputee from Afghanistan. It took her two years to learn how to walk with prostheses and has taken much longer to manage the psychological problems incurred by the loss of two fellow soldiers. When she received her service dog Lyla, her life changed. She regained her independence. The dog provides not only help with her physical disability but provides emotional calm for her PTSD.

Lashonna Perry, a vet who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lashonna expected a warm welcome from her family, but found a family unable to deal with her erratic behavior and she ended up homeless. It was only when she went to the VA because of a panic attack, that she learned she had PTSD. They also gave her a referral to a non-profit, The Jericho Project, that finds housing for homeless women veterans. The film follows Lashonna as she moves into her new apartment.

Mariette Kalinowski was a marine gunner in Iraq. When she returned home she was plagued with symptoms such as hyper-vigilance, fear of crowds, depression and flashbacks. Mariette saw college as a way to transition back to civilian life. She also received counseling through a special program offered by Hunter College in NYC. She is an aspiring writer and the film captures her working on a story about PTSD.

About The Filmmakers

Marcia Rock is an independent filmmaker who has produced many documentaries on women's issues. Rock is director of News and Documentary at the NYU Arthur Carter Journalism Institute and co-author with Marlene Sanders of, Waiting for Prime Time: The Women of Television News.

Patricia Lee Stotter is an Emmy Awarding winning composer and writer for television, film, theater and interactive media. She has worked on everything from Sesame Street to HBO/PBS documentaries, independent features to plays and musicals, Patricia was honored to work with the P.R.O.V.E (Project for Return and Opportunity in Veteran Education) program, CUNY, Hunter Campus. Patricia is a member of The Dramatist's Guild and ASCAP.

Anita Hill 20 Years Later | C-SPAN

2011-10-16T16:22:00.002-04:00


Anita Hill testifying 20 years ago - Clarence Thomas Senate hearing

Anita Hill put her personal and professional life on the line when she testified about Clarence Thomas's sexual harassment. It was a turning point for women. No longer do we consider sexual harassment of anyone business as usual.

This weekend hundreds of people gathered at Hunter College to reflect on what has happened, what we've learned, and the work that remains. The conversation was fast moving and the questions from the audience provoked differences in opinion as well as insight into the intersections of race, gender, power, and politics.

You can watch the video of the panels at Sex, Power and Speaking Truth: Anita Hill 20 Years Later conference here: Anita Hill Speaks 20 Years Later | C-SPAN

Speakers included Anita Hill, people involved in the hearing, like Catharine MacKinnon and Judith Resnik, scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw, and current day activists like AAUW fellow Ai-Jen Poo, Jamia Wilson, and Emily May from Hollaback to name just a few. This was a terrific conference, well worth carving out some time to watch.

Some of our members were fortunate to be there. Whether you were there in person, watched the live stream, of watch the video, please add your impressions of the day or thoughts on sexual harassment in the comments.

Hear the Candidates for Kingston Mayor and Ulster Cty DA, 10/29

2011-10-12T16:27:00.000-04:00

Kingston City and Ulster County Candidate Forum
Sponsored by the AAUW Kingston Branch and the League of Women Voters
Saturday, October 29

Kingston City Hall
420 Broadway

10 AM to 11:15 AM Candidates for mayor of Kingston
11:15 AM to 11:30 AM Break
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Candidates for Ulster County District Attorney

Each candidate is allowed two-minute opening and closing statements.
Index cards will be distributed to the audience to write questions on.
The cards will be collected and read to the candidates by the moderator
for one-minute responses.

Read with the AAUW Kingston Book Club, 2011/12

2011-10-12T16:10:00.000-04:00

Kingston AAUW BOOK CLUB: Reading List for Sept 2011 to June 2012

Photo by OxMatheus, CC, some rights reserved

Sept. 20 Homer and Langley by E. L. Doctorow

...a small but sweeping masterpiece about the infamous New York hermits,the Collyer brother’s. Doctorow's achievement is in not undermining the dignityof two brothers who share a lush landscape built on imagination andincapacities.

Oct. 18 Muriel's War: An American Heiress in the NaziResistance by Sheila Isenberg

An American heiress turned resistance hero, Muriel Gardinersaved countless Jews and anti-fascists, providing shelter and documentsensuring their escape.

Nov. 15 The Covenant by Naomi Ragen

When Elise and Jon moved into their home in Maaleh Sara, Judea,they didn't realize that they would soon be considered 'illegaloccupiers". One day the unthinkable happens: Jon and the couple's youngdaughter, Ilana, are taken hostage.

Dec. (same day as holiday party) Major Pettigrew's Last Standby Helen Simonson

Simonson tells the tale of Maj. Ernest Pettigrew, an honor-boundEnglishman and widower, and the very embodiment of duty and pride. This is avastly enjoyable traipse through the English countryside and the long-heldtraditions of the British aristocracy.

Jan. 17 Crossing to Safetv by Wallace Stegner

Two couples meet during the Depression years in Madison, Wis.,and become devoted friends despite vast differences in upbringing and socialstatus...Charity is one of the most vivid characters in fiction...arrogant,kindhearted, enthusiastic, stalwart and brave.

Feb.21 Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

This novel spans the life of Aminata Diallo, born in Bayo, WestAfrica, in 1745. Kidnapped at the age of 11 by British slavers, Aminata doeswhat she can to free herself and others from slavery, including learning toread and teaching others to.

March 20 The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy edited by CathyPorter

Sofia was 19 and innocent when her new husband, Leo Tolstoy, 34,handed her his sexually candid diary. Smart and determined, she took refuge inher own diary, chronicling her daunting life as the wife of the self-absorbedgenius.

April 17 When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

...tells one Japanese American family's story of internment in aUtah enemy alien camp during World War II. This novel is written in deceptivelytranquil prose, a distillation of injustice, anger, and poetry.

May 15 Olive Kittredge by Elizabeth Strout

Thirteen li{ked tales present a heart-wrenching, penetratingportrait of ordinary coastal Mainers living lives of quiet grief intermingledwith flashes of human connection.

June 19 Shannon by Frank Delaney

Delaney's novel follows an American priest as he travels along Ireland’sShannon River in search of his family roofs, and while it's peace he seeks,trouble finds him.

To print or download this list, go here

AAUW Kingston Branch 2011 -12 Calendar

2011-10-03T19:37:00.000-04:00

2011 -2012 AAUW Kingston Branch Board

2011-10-03T19:21:00.000-04:00

Membership & National Contact–Ruth Bean

Meeting Facilitator – Vivi Hlavsa

Program Coordinator– Diana Chesmel

Treasurer – Jane Riley

Recording Secretary and PR –Adele Calcavecchio

Corresponding Secretary - Joan Reis

Trips - Vivi Hlavsa and Linda Gold

Communications - Ruth Wahtera

Directory - Sheila Beall

Diversity - Arlene Bruck

Educational Foundation - DorisGoldberg & Gloria Sender

Historian – Virginia Kohli

Hospitality Coordinator – Vacant

International - Vacant

Legal Advocacy Fund - DoloresLaChance

Public Policy – Susan Holland

Telephone Tree – Dot Henry

Board meetings happen on the second Tuesday of the month. All members are welcome to attend and participate.

Fracking in Saugerties, Hot Coffee in Kingston

2011-10-01T10:20:00.007-04:00

October Public Policy Events

Please note these schedule and meeting changes for this month:

1. Hydrofracking Educational Event

This event will take place in Saugerties on 10/4, rather than at the 10/22 branch meeting:

Tuesday, October 4, 7 PM
Atonement Lutheran Church
100 Market Street
Saugerties

Agenda:
- Showing of GASLAND, the 2010 Academy-Award-nominated documentary about Pennsylvania resident Josh Fox's cross-country quest to find out the truth about living with gas wells
- Question and answer session with Kate Hudson, Attorney, Riverkeeper Watershed Program
- "Who Can We Trust?" with Joan Walker of Frack Free Catskills

All are welcome!
Why attend? Can you drink gas? Next question!...
For more information, call 845-246-8322

2. October Branch Meeting

Saturday, October 22, 10:30 AM
Kingston Library
Community Room, 2nd Floor
55 Franklin Street
Kingston

This month, while we (safely!) sip our hot coffee and munch on the delicious breakfast goodies provided by our (always!) "absolutely fabulous" hospitality team, we will watch the 2011 documentary called Hot Coffee. As ViVi, who showed it at her 8/14 film discussion, noted: "It's about that incident we all heard of: a woman sues McDonald's because her coffee was too hot. Well, it turns out that there is more to the story than we thought. Behind the publicity were corporations in favor of 'tort reform,' trying to make it difficult for citizens to have their grievances aired in court and to disempower juries." We'll have a discussion about the film afterward.

Join us for both of these informative October meetings!

-- Susan Holland, Public Policy Chairperson

10/11/11: Annual AAUW-NYS Day at the UN

2011-09-21T12:40:00.004-04:00

Reminder:

Join your fellow AAUW-NYS members on Tuesday, October 11 at the United Nations in NYC. This yera's program is Gender Equality and Sustainable Development. The achievement of sustainable development requires the integration of its economic, environmental and social components at all levels. Women will play a key role in achieving sustainability.

Let Rokki Carr know if you register to attend and would like to travel together.

Morning Program at the United Nations

9:15 to 9:45 Check In

9:45 to 10 Welcome by Carolyn Donovan, AAUW's Representative at the UN

10 to 11 Briefing 1: Women's Leadership in building a Sustainable Economy: Preparing for Rio +20 in May, 2012

11 to 11:30 Briefing 2: Jane Roberts, founder, 34 Million Friends of UNFPA

11:30 to 12:15 Group Tour of the UN

12:15 to 1:15 Lunch in the UN Cafeteria (pay on your own)

Afternoon Program at the ICO Center, 323 East 47th Street

1:15 to 3:15 Panel Discussion: Developing a Sustainable Future for Women

Rebecca Tinsley, author of When the Stars Fell To Earth, founder of Network 4 Africa

Kimberly Campbell, Director, Metropolitan New York Chapter of the US National Committee for UN Women

Other panel participants to be announced

Space Is Limited!

Registration fee of $30 includes a tour of the UN. (Lunch in the UN Cafeteria is pay as you go.) Send check payable to AAUW-NYS with form to:
AAUW-NYS International Chair, P.O. Box 384, Valley Cottage, NY 10989

For more information, contact Melissa Guardaro, AAUW-NYS International Chair (914-906-0242, mmg4@netzero.net). Postmark your reservation by October 3.

AAUW-NYS Sponsors a Day at the UN, Oct. 11

2011-09-02T12:36:00.000-04:00

From Rokki Carr, InternationalChair

Join AAUW-NYS October 11 at the UnitedNations. The program: Gender Equalityand Sustainable Development. The achievement of sustainable developmentrequires the integration of its economic, environmental and social componentsat all levels. Women will play a key role in achieving sustainability.

Let me know if you register to attend and would like to travel together.

Morning Program at the UnitedNations

9:15-9:45 Check In

9:45-10:00 Welcome by Carolyn Donovan, AAUW'sRepresentative at the UN

10:00-11:00 Briefing I: Women's Leadership in buildinga Sustainable Economy: Preparing for Rio +20 in May, 2012

11:00-11:30 Briefing II: Jane Roberts, founder, 34Million Friends of UNFPA

11:30-12:15 Group Tour of the United Nations

12:15-1:15 Lunch (on your own) A list ofrestaurants will be forwarded to registered participants.

Afternoon Program Co-Sponsored withMarymount College, ICO Center, 323 East 47th Street

1:15– 3:15 Panel Discussion: Developing aSustainable Future for Women

RebeccaTinsley, author of When the Stars Fell To Earth, founder of Network 4 Africa

KimberlyCampbell, Director, Metropolitan New York Chapter of the US National Committeefor UN Women

OtherPanel Participants to be announced

Space Is Limited!

Registration fee of $30 includestour of the United Nations. (Lunch is on your own.) Please send check payableto AAUW NYS with this form to AAUW NYS International Chair, PO Box 384, ValleyCottage, NY 10989

For further information pleasecontact Melissa Guardaro, NYS AAUW's International Chair, at (914) 906-0242 or mmg4@netzero.net. Please postmark your reservationby September 27, 2011

Ulster County Office of the Aging Public Hearing, Fri., Sept. 9

2011-09-01T19:22:00.000-04:00

The Ulster County Executive,Michael Hein and the Office for the Aging invite you to attend their annualPublic Hearing. It will be held on Friday, September 9, 2011, beginningat 9:00 am (registration will begin at 8:30 am), at Roudigan’s Restaurant,Rt. 28, Kingston. A “Healthy Continental Breakfast” will be providedthrough donations to the Ulster County Office for the Aging.

Guest speaker willbe Michael Burgess, former NYSOFA Director, to speak about the New YorkState Senior Wide Senior Council. We will also have various Directorsof Ulster County departments to speak about services provided to the seniorcommunity.

Make your voice heard
The Annual Public Hearingprovides seniors the opportunity to comment on current programs, offersuggestions for improving services and share ideas for additional programsthat would be valuable to Ulster County seniors. For those seniorswho cannot attend the Hearing but would like to share their ideas and comments,please call the OFA and speak directly to the Director, Anne Cardinale.

For additional informationand reservations, please call the Office for the Aging at (845) 340-3456or toll free 1-877-914-3456. Reservations are required to attendby Wednesday, September 7, 2011

GASLAND at 6:30 PM tonight at Rhinebeck Town Hall

2011-07-27T15:00:00.001-04:00

7/12/11: Branch Strategy, Part 2 - please come!

2011-07-08T10:38:00.009-04:00

I hope everyone's having a great summer! A little branch business:

Unless otherwise noted, AAUW Kingston Branch Board Meetings, which are open to all, are held in the Community Room on the 2nd Floor of the Kingston Library (55 Franklin Street, Kingston) from 3 PM to 5 PM on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Here are the dates for the rest of the year; please add them to your calendars:
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7/12 (Story Hour Room, 2nd Floor, next to the Children's Library, on the right)
8/9 (Story Hour Room)
9/13
10/11
11/8
12/6 (1st Tues.)

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The 7/12 meeting (and beyond?) will be a continuation of the
6/26 strategy meeting facilitated by Ruth Wahtera and hosted
by ViVi Hlavsa. Please join us as continue to strategize!....

(photo: from 5/21 Chalk Walk, see Kingston Library Facebook page for more!)

No Surprise: Capitol Hill Staff Mostly Male, White

2011-07-02T12:30:00.000-04:00

No Surprise: Capitol Hill Staff Mostly Male, White
A 2011 demographic survey

of 319 congressional staff members revealed that 68 percent are male and an overwhelming 93 percent are white. One former congressional staffer noted

that because staff members often serve as gatekeepers for hearings, meetings, and other critical steps in the policy-making process, a lack of diversity among staff can have serious implications for women and people of color.

AAUW advocates the importance of closing the long-standing political leadership gender gap. Click here

to learn more about Elect Her, an AAUW initiative that empowers and trains women to run for office at all levels—an effort that could change the face of politics in America.

Pamper Yourself at SPAC July 16, 2011

2011-06-19T19:09:00.000-04:00

Linda Gold and AAUW present a Bus Trip

NY City Ballet at Saratoga Performing Arts Center

MagicFlute/ Circus Polka/ Apollo/ Serenade

Saturday, July 16, 2011 Cost $122

Pamper yourself for a day! The cost of$122 includes luxury coach, gratuities, mimosas with breakfast en route, anhour to explore the charming town of Saratoga, elegant lunch at the Hall of Springs restaurant and superb seatsfor this wonderful combination of four ballets. Hors d’oeuvres with wine andchilled beverages will be served on the return trip.

The bus departs from the front of the Monticello Government Centeron North Street at 8am and from the back of the former Ames, Kingston Plaza at9:15am. We return to Kingston at approximately 7pm and Monticello atapproximately 8:15pm.

A highlight of the performance is PeterMartins’s Magic Flute, which isrevived for the first time since City Ballet performed it in 1983. This Magic Flute has nothing to do with thefamous opera by Mozart, although the story does contain the wondrous instrumentof the title. This one has a score by Riccardo Driga and was originally dancedby Peter Martins. It’s a tale of a pretty heroine who loves a poor but proudvillage lad, but her parents have their sights on a wealthy, but elderlybuffoon.

CircusPolka, was originally choreographed by Balanchine forcircus elephants – a commission by Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus.The story is told that after receiving the commission, Balanchine asked hisfriend Stravinsky to compose the music. “What kind of music?” asked Stravinsky.“A polka.” was Balanchine’s reply. “For whom?” “Elephants.” After its premier in 1944 the ballet was re-choreographed by Balanchine and later byJerome Robbins (1972) for young students with a Ringmaster (who was often anotable guest such as the Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov).

Apollo isa charming ballet choreographed by Balanchine with a score by Stravinsky. It iswith this ballet that Balanchine, at age twenty-four, achieved internationalrecognition and began his lifelong partnership with the composer. Apollo, the younggod of music is visited by three muses: Terpsichore, muse of dance and song,Polyhymnia, muse of mime, and Calliope, muse of poetry.

Serenadewith a score by Tchaikovsky, is the first original ballet Balanchine created inAmerica and is one of the signature works of New York City Ballet’s repertory.It’s an exquisite ballet – ethereal and hypnotic - in four movements.

We always have a full bus forour Saratoga trip, so sign up early to insure a spot. Make your check payableto AAUW (American Association of University Women) and mail it to: Linda Gold,1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561. For further information call Lindaat 845-255-5256 or email artladyLG@aol.com. Specify “art tours” in the spacefor “subject” so that your message is not deleted.

Reserve now: Clark Institute Trip August 6, 2011

2011-06-19T18:54:00.000-04:00

Linda Gold and AAUW present aBus Trip to Williamstown, MA

Sterlingand Francine Clark Art Institute

for the exhibit, “Pissarro’s People”

Includescomplimentary optional visit to Williams College Museum of Art

Saturday,August 6, 2011 Cost $100

The cost includes luxurycoach, all gratuities, breakfast with champagne en route, tickets to thespecial exhibit, “Pissarro’s People” at the Clark Art Institute and optionaltransportation to Williams College Museum of Art. Lovely platters of cheesesand fresh fruit with a selection of wines will be served on the return trip.Lunch is on your own at the Clark’s CourtyardCafé, Clark Café, or Stone Hill Terrace Café.

Don’tmiss this glorious trip to the Berkshires. We’ll visit the Clark Art Institute- one of the most beloved and respected museums in the world. The Clark’ssummer exhibit, “Pissarro’s People” is a highly personal and poignantexploration of this great Impressionist’s portraits, harvest scenes, and marketviews. The paintings in this stunningexhibition reveal his personal relationships, profound social and economicconcerns, and anarchist beliefs. While at the Clark, we’ll view its renowned collectionof French Impressionist paintings by Monet, Degas, Renoir and Pissarro. Thecolor and light-filled “Renoir Room” is extraordinary. The museum is also knownfor its 19^th century American paintings (Homer, Sargent & Cassatt),as well as a gorgeous collection of English and American silver.

Duringthe afternoon, we’ll provide bus transportation for those interested in anoptional visit to Williams College Museum of Art. Among the many exhibitions onview are: “Art Re: Art,” “The Gallery of Crossed Destinies,” and “Labeltalk2011: Art of the Ancient World.” In addition to the special exhibitions, thismuseum houses the world’s largest collection of works by the artist brothersMaurice and Charles Prendergast. Bequeathed to the museum by Charles’s widowfrom 1983- 1995, the collection incorporates over 450 magnificent watercolors,oils and sketchbooks.

Thebus departs 8am from the front of the Monticello Government Center on NorthStreet, and 9:15am from the back of the former Ames in the Kingston Plaza. Wereturn to Kingston at approximately 6:30 pm and to Monticello at approximately7:45pm.

To sign up, make your checkpayable to AAUW (American Association of University Women) and mail it to:Linda Gold, Gourmet Art Tours, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561. For furtherinfo, call Linda at 845-255-5256 or email artladyLG@aol.com. Specify “art tours” in the space for “subject” so that your messageis not deleted. Your early sign-up will insure a spot.

Protect the Reproductive Health of NYS Women

2011-06-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

Tell Rep. Cahill what you think

The NYS Assembly is evaluating two pieces of proposed legislation right now. It's critical we let them know our position.

Vote NO! Assemblyman Katz has introduced a piece of legislation (A-7841) which would defund vital health care centers that provide services to thousands of women in New York including Planned Parenthood.

Vote Yes! The Reproductive Health Act introduced by Assemblywoman Glick (A-6112) needs to be passed to ensure New York State's laws are strong as it relates to protecting a women's reproductive health options.

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill is a member of the Health Committee and can play an important role protecting the women and girls of NYS.

Use the YWCA advocacy site to tell your elected representative how you feel.

Pay Equity Legislation in NYS

2011-06-02T12:48:00.000-04:00

How can there be such a disparity between what women and men are paid for the same job? One reason -- employers give the same jobs different titles and slightly different job descriptions. Another? Workers who identify wage discrimination or even share salary information remain vulnerable to retaliation.

Tell Sen. Bonacic to get this bill passed!

For several years running, the New York State Assembly and the NYS Senate Labor Committee has passed the NYS Fair Pay Bill (A.6130/S.2200), which addresses these two issues. But, each year, the bill dies before passage. Sometimes it’s the Senate Finance Committee, sometimes an end run by the Senate leadership.

The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee once again. Senator Bonacic, who represents many of us, is a member of the Finance Committee.

Please take action. Call or write to Senator Bonacic asking him to support this bill to reduce wage disparity based on the centuries old bias against “women’s work.” Passing this Act will ensure that equivalent jobs are paid fairly despite the gender and/or race of those performing the work.

A quick way to make your opinion known is to use this link offered by the YWCA.

Should the Branch Provide Wal-Mart Gift Cards?

2011-05-24T12:58:00.000-04:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Mention Wal-Mart and the debate starts.
What will the Supreme Court rule on whether women working for Wal-Mart can sue as a class? Should you shop there when their low prices are the result of moving jobs out of the country? When the foreign companies they contract with pay unfair wages, ignore employee safety, or employ unfair labor practices?

Well, we have an issue that confronts our branch directly and the Public Policy Committee wants the branch to revisit it again before we provide our holiday diversity gift cards. Here's the debate -- which should prevail, giving Wal-Mart gift cards which provide recipients great selection and low prices or boycotting Wal-Mart due to their social policies and finding an alternative source for the gift cards?

Here are some members' comments.
Please add your comments below.

From Jean Semilof: Unfortunately, Wal-mart is far from the only company that pays minimum wage and that uses underpaid and exploited workers. If we were to boycott every store and manufacturer that does this we would would probably be able to buy very few manufactured goods. As Chairman of the Community Service Committee of the Ulster County Board of Realtors, I can say, firsthand, that the local Wal-mart has been outstandingly generous in supporting our many charitable events.

From Delores LaChance: Do you recall the German woman [Wal-Mart employee in Germany] who did not understand why the Wal-mart workers were having these problems in the US when German employees were not? They were even getting 36 vacation days per year. This is where our government fails its citizens; not so in many European states. From the looks of some current government antics in support of corporations, it can only get worse before getting better.

From Susan Hirsch: Film was very good - lots of issues raised, some of which were new to me. Each summer we spend a week at Chautauqua... A few year's ago the theme was "the world of work." One of the speakers addressed the low wages and lack of worker's rights at Wal-Mart. His parting comment was one I took to heart. He said he was in total sympathy with the need for people to shop at Wal-Mart if on a tight budget. But, if Wal-Mart shopping is not a necessity then speak with our pocketbooks and go elsewhere. I do not shop there.

In response to the question raised elsewhere about gift certificates we gives to Wal-Mart - by all means my vote is a loud and clear:stop! Gift certificates can be given to the mall or to one of the supermarkets. The dollar will not go as far - but sometimes trade-offs must be made. The lowest price should not be our goal. All the government economists have yet to be able to balance low cost and livable wages. But, unfortunately, only the government can regulate effective long term policies (higher minimum wages, changes in import-export policy, etc.) But since there will not be effective changes on this level in the foreseeable future, it is up to the individual to vote with shopping decisions for whatever limited effect that will have.

From Carole Leib: In this country, it is NOT a crime to be successful. Wal-mart pays into SS and has a health insurance plan for its employees. They are paid AT LEAST minimum wage. How much should people be paid to stock shelves? Walmart hires disabled people. They have a clean store and good merchandise. Because they are big, they can buy in volume and sell at a (generally) lower price than their competitors. THAT IS NOT A CRIME. Other large chains also buy in volume, but are not challenged like Walmart because they don’t pass the savings on to their customers: they pocket them. Walmart treats its customers very well – and, except to isolated incidents that we hear of from time to time, treats its employees very well, also. Think back to the furor when the mega-malls were being built. There was an uproar that it would kill small business. Today, how many people (other than me) still want to do away with the malls?

Walmart represents progress. You may not like it, but they function within the law. If you want to stop them, you need to change the laws – but that could have disastrous results. The law protects Walmart as well as us.

What do you think?

5/24/11: Public Policy Film/Discussion - The Economics of Happiness

2011-05-23T14:29:00.004-04:00

Check out the updated AAUW Kingston "Public Policy Plus" calendar, which includes information about:

- Ulster County Reapportionment Commission meeting at 5 PM today

- our Public Policy Film/Discussion this month -- The Economics of Happiness, Tuesday, 5/24, 7 PM at the Rosendale Theater

- plus a whole lot more!...

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Click on the link below for the updated calendar:

http://tinyurl.com/3cd3gfo

Click on the file name (kaauwpp+.pdf)
or the green DOWNLOAD button to save
and view the calendar.

Considering the Spiritual; Different from the Religious

2011-05-20T15:56:00.004-04:00

Sister Maria Lopez and Program VP Bev Sloane

Sister Maria Lopez says in her hospice work she provides spiritual support to Buddhists, Baptists, atheists and people of every other or no religious persuasion. And, there's a difference between spiritual and religious.

At the May 14 branch meeting, Sister Maria explained what spiritual care is and used many of her hospice experiences to show the difference it has made in the lives of many.   The discussion ranged widely from our personal experiences with hospice to how our belief systems impact our relationships with others.

Sister Maria Lopez, a member of the Sisters of the Presentation, has been a hospice chaplain in Ulster and Dutchess counties for 11 years.    Maria received a BA in Education from Mount Saint Mary College and an MA in Religious Studies from Manhattan College in the Bronx.

Maria has extensive experience in education, spirituality, and missionary work in Latin America, and pastoral work in NY.   She also served as Executive Director of the Presentation Sisters International Association, where she directed the IPA Global Social Justice Network, and established the Presentation Sisters as an NGO in consultation with ECOSOC at the UN.

Reapportioning and more...

2011-04-25T15:19:00.005-04:00

Check out the updated AAUW Kingston "Public Policy Plus" calendar, which includes information about:

- Ulster County Reapportionment Commission meetings at 5 PM today, Monday, 4/25, and at 3 PM on Wednesday, 4/27

- our Public Policy Film/Discussion next month -- The Economics of Happiness, Tuesday, 5/24, 7 PM at the Rosendale Theater

- plus a whole lot more!...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click on the link below for the updated calendar:

http://tinyurl.com/3wae9y5

Click on the file name (kaauwpp+.pdf)
or the green DOWNLOAD button to save
and view the calendar.

4/19/11: Public Policy film/discussion @ BSP

2011-04-18T13:25:00.013-04:00

Carbon Nation
a climate change solutions movie

Tuesday, April 19
6:30 PM -- Set up
7:00 PM -- Doors open
7:30 PM -- Film (discussion afterwards)

Backstage Studio Productions (BSP)
323 Wall Street
Kingston

Cost: free (donations accepted)
Cash bar with hot and cold drinks, including beer and wine

What do an entrepreneur in Alaska, a cotton farmer in Texas, a civil rights activist in California, and the CEOs of Stonyfield Farms and Duke Energy have in common? They are saving energy, creating jobs, and boosting the economy - all the while turning a profit in the process. You can see the stories behind these people in Peter Byck's latest film Carbon Nation.

Come see how climate change solutions can address other social, economic and national issues. Get a glimpse of some of the industries that can aid economic recovery, the power of entrepreneurship around the country, and the feisty, inspiring nature of the challenge of climate action today.

Hosted by:
League of Women Voters - Mid-Hudson Region

Other Sponsors:
Catskills Live! Trails & Wilderness Association
Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance

Supporters:
AAUW Kingston Public Policy Committee
BSP
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Sustainable Hudson Valley

Photo: Peter Byck
------------------------------------------------
For more information, call or e-mail
Susan Holland, 845-389-3961
Please let Susan know if you can
come at 6:30 PM to help set up.
See you at BSP!

Reflections on Geraldine Ferraro

2011-03-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

From Rokki Carr:

Geraldine Ferraro was my contemporary in some respects: age, immigrant parentage, profession delayed by motherhood, teaching careers, tenure as lawyers in the Queens County criminal justice system.

By sheer chance, I never met her until her campaign for Vice President of the United States, the first Italian American and the first woman to run for that office. Without a doubt, she was persecuted by the press as well as by her political opponents based uniquely on her gender, treated as no male candidate had ever been, subjected to unnecessary scrutiny, even by her Church, all of which she withstood heroically, and with a display of intellect and moral character rarely so eloquently displayed. She never won another political race although she continued to serve the public even through her long battle with multiple myeloma. Her reflection on the failure of the Mondale-Ferraro ticket was a demonstration of her wit as well as of her feminism.

“Throwing Ronald Reagan out of office at the height of his popularity, with inflation and interest rates down, the economy moving and the country at peace, would have required God on the ticket, and She was not available!”

I identified with Gerry more than with any other woman in public life. So where have we organized Hudson Valley women been these thirty years? Certainly not out there honoring or even acknowledging this Newburgh born champion of our rights. Until her death this week, we just allowed her to recede into a very faint memory. During the Sara Palin pantomime, her name never came up. Like Frances Perkins, her predecessor pioneer on the national scene, we have allowed her to be forgotten. She campaigned beside Hilary Clinton, but appeared only as a remote shadow. I think it's time we awakened to the reality of how complicit we are in this feminine amnesia.

It's not too late to make amends for our communal transgression.

What's at Stake for Women in Wal-Mart v. Dukes

2011-03-27T13:02:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, March 29, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Wal-Mart v. Dukes case. In addition, our Public Policy Film and Book Meeting will watch Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. 5:30 pm in the Kingston Library Community Room.

What's at Stake for Women in Wal-Mart v. Dukes: "Set against the backdrop of widespread disparities in pay, there is a tremendous amount at stake in the pay and promotions discrimination class action that will be argued in the Supreme Court on March 29th. In Wal-Mart v. Dukes, the Supreme Court will determine whether a nationwide class of women workers challenging alleged sex discrimination by Wal-Mart in pay and promotions can proceed. According to the plaintiffs’ evidence, women at Wal-Mart on average earned $5,000 less than men, even though women tended to have higher performance ratings and more seniority. Women also were less likely to be promoted to store manager positions and had to wait significantly longer for promotions than men. The Court’s decision will also effectively determine whether workers can continue to challenge company-wide discrimination by larger employers."

Title VII was intended to eradicate precisely the type of pernicious discrimination that is alleged in this case. Indeed, a company-wide class challenge is the only effective way to remedy company-wide discriminatory practices. With the average wage gap at 77 percent, women and their families are watching closely to see whether the Court’s holding will continue to allow the class action vehicle to be a critical tool for employees to challenge pay discrimination. In this economy, the stakes could not be higher.

AAUW's Legal Action Fund supports the plaintiff's case financially. Join us and bring a friend to discuss the film and its implications for us personally and as a branch.

3/22/11: World Water Day, Carbon Nation, & more!

2011-03-22T12:32:00.007-04:00

Check out the updated AAUW Kingston "Public Policy Plus" calendar, including:

- Today is World Water Day

- Two films in the Kingston Library Community Room:

1. Tonight - 6:30 PM, Carbon Nation

2. Tuesday, 3/29 - 5:30 PM, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click on the link below for the updated calendar:

http://tinyurl.com/5t45hd3

Click on the file name (kaauwpp+.pdf)
or the green DOWNLOAD button to save
and view the calendar.

KAAUW "Public Policy Plus" calendar

2011-03-16T13:45:00.005-04:00

Check out the 3/16/11 update, including:

Today
Wed., 3/16, 3 PM, change of location for Ulster County Reapportionment Commission Weekly Meeting -- for today only: 29 Manor Avenue, Kingston

Tonight: 6:30 PM, Race to Nowhere, Saugerties High School Auditorium

Tomorrow, 3/17/11, 4:30 PM, A Global Conversation about the Lives of Women and Girls, Kingston Library Community Room with Lois Shapiro-Canter, president, CEO, and founder of the Saratoga Foundation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click on the link below to check out the updated
AAUW Kingston "Public Policy Plus" calendar:

http://tinyurl.com/4mz6uza

Click on the file name (kaauwpp+.pdf)
or the green DOWNLOAD button to save
and view the calendar.

3/17/11: Public Policy Committee to Continue a Global Conversation

2011-03-16T08:55:00.001-04:00

A Global Conversation about
the Lives of Women and Girls

Thursday, March 17, 4:30 PM

Kingston Library, Community Room

As part of My Sister's Keeper, an AAUW-NYS Initiative, the Public Policy and International Committees of the Kingston AAUW are pleased to welcome our guest speaker Lois Shapiro-Canter, president, CEO, and founder of the Saratoga Foundation for Women Worldwide (http://saratogafoundation.org/). This meeting is a continuation of our Half the Sky book discussion. Come and join in the conversation!

Click here to download a flyer for this event.
Then, click on the file name (kaauw_msk_17mar11.pdf)
or the green DOWNLOAD button to save and view the flyer.

AAUW Kingston Branch Meeting March 19, 2011

2011-03-16T08:45:00.000-04:00

Nurturing the Body as Well as the Mind

March 19, 2011, 1 pm

Kingston Area Library Community Room

Jill Taylor is a physical therapist who will talk with us about ways to care for ourselves. She will cover some norms for strength, endurance, and flexibility as we age. She'll share some of the research about the impact of exercise on our well being and its interaction with many disease processes. She will also information on community and internet resources.

Jill graduated from Ithaca college and has been a physical therapist for 35 years. She has worked in a variety of settings including private practice with an emphasis on orthopedic and sports medicine. For the last 10 years she has worked in a hospital setting with an emphasis on balance and vestibular patients as well as the general geriatric population. She recently took the exam for specialist certification in geriatrics from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Join us on March 19th to have your questions answered.

3/15/11: Book discussion on Frances Perkins

2011-03-15T09:53:00.003-04:00

For our March book discussion, in honor of Women's History Month, we'll meet at 1 PM today (Tuesday, 3/15) in the Story Hour Room on the 2nd floor of the Kingston Library, 55 Franklin Street, to talk about The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor and his Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey.

Check out Marjorie Regan's Womens' History Month 2010 blog post about Perkins here.

In addition, March 25 is the 100^th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. If you haven't seen it yet, check out the 1-hour PBS documentary about it here.

There's a lot of good material on this site, including an interview with Kirstin Downey.

Congress to consider removing deadline to ratify ERA

2011-03-11T17:16:00.000-05:00

Baldwin Aims to Ratify ERA

On Tuesday, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (R-WI) introduced a bill to speed ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The legislation (H.J. Res. 47) would remove the deadline for ratification and render the Constitution amended once three additional states ratify. The last congressional deadline for state ratification ran out in 1982 with ratification from only 35 of the needed 38 state legislatures.

Image via Wikipedia

Highlighting the continued importance of ratifying ERA, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia recently noted his belief that the Constitution does not currently prevent discrimination on the basis of sex.

AAUW is one of over 25 organizations to have endorsed Baldwin’s bill, consistent with our 2009-2011 Public Policy Program. We oppose all forms of discrimination and support constitutional protection for the civil rights of all individuals.

This is an excerpt from this week's issue of Washington Update, an internal communication for public policy leaders and members of the American Association of University Women.

Slideshow Celebrating Int'l Women's Day in the Hudson Valley

2011-03-09T13:14:00.000-05:00

Here's a slideshow of yesterday's celebration at the Eleanor Roosevelt Walkway Over the Hudson. A glorious day shared with hundreds of Hudson Valley Women.

Spring Trip: MOMA and NYC, April 4, 2011

2011-03-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

Please join us for this spring trip to The Museum of Modern Art, where you will find the following special exhibits:

Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography

Over 200 works by outstanding women artists covering photography's 170-year history

Standard Deviations: Types and Families in Contemporary Design

Objects and designs of unique identity created for industrial scale

Picasso's Guitars 1912-1914

Fresh insights into Picasso's cross-disciplinary process during these breakthrough years

Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen

Two complete kitchens feature women's contributions to design objects, architectural plans, posters, photographs, and artworks

Paula Hayes, Nocturne of the Limax maximus

Organically shaped vessels made from blown glass, silicone, or acrylic and filled with a rich variety of plant life

Abstract Expressionist, New York

Presents the achievements of the 1950's generation that catapulted NYC to the center of the international art world

For more detailed descriptions, go to:
www.moma.org/explore/exhibitions?gclid=CPuxh7nesKcCFUbf4AodiEVHSQ

The bus leaves at 9:30 AM from the rear of the former Ames in the Kingston Plaza, picks-up at the Thruway Park-n-ride in New Paltz at 10 AM, and starts back from MOMA at 4:30 PM with a stop at Trader Joe's on Route 17.

Cost: $59 includes bus, driver tip and museum entrance

$56 for members of AAUW and SIP

Bus alone: $39

For reservations, call ViVi at 845-331-0155 (cell: 845-417-5229) or write vvhlavsa@aol.com, then send your check, made out to AAUW-Kingston Branch, to ViVi Hlavsa, 191 Lapla Road, Kingston NY 12401

Judy Dench and Daniel Craig on International Women's Day

2011-03-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

We're equals, aren't we, 007?

We must never stop asking until the answer is YES!

Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being | The White House

2011-03-01T15:08:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Today, kicking off Women's History Month, the White House announced the new report "Women in America." We're looking forward to studying the report and the media coverage it receives, especially given the Republican agenda as it relates to women.

Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being | The White House: "Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being

In support of the Council on Women and Girls, the Office of Management and Budget and the Economics and Statistics Administration within the Department of Commerce worked together to create the Women in America (pdf) report which, for the first time in recent history, pulls together information from across the Federal statistical agencies to compile baseline information on how women are faring in the United States today and how these trends have changed over time. The report provides a statistical portrait showing how women’s lives are changing in five critical areas:"

3/1/11: Gerrymandering in Rosendale

2011-03-01T05:49:00.008-05:00

Our Public Policy Film/Discussion this month

Gerrymandering

Tuesday, March 1
7 PM

Rosendale Theater
408 Main Street
Rosendale

Did you know that there are fewer competitive elections in the U.S. than there are in the USSR? Almost all election districts in the U.S. are “incumbent protected”, forever-safe seats, carved out so that the results are assured to one party or another. This is the year of re-districting across the U.S. based on the 2010 census.

"Quietly, without much comment or notice, the practice of gerrymandering has transformed from a dismal-but-bearable tradition of occasional opportunism into a cancer eating at the heart of democracy itself, rendering our votes nearly meaningless in countless constituencies across the land....nearly all U.S. Congressional districts -- along with state assembly and senate seats -- have been gerrymandered in one direction or another." -- David Brin. Ph.D.

Cost: by donation

Sponsored by: Mid-Hudson League of Women Voters

Before the film: from 5 PM on, all are invited to join LWV members for dinner at the Rosendale Cafe, 434 Main Street. Call 845-658-9048 to reserve.

This Sat., 2/12/11: The Story Behind "Music in Desperate Times" Ars Choralis

2011-02-10T12:11:00.000-05:00

February AAUW Branch Meeting
Saturday Morning, February 12, 2011, 10:30 a.m.
Kingston Library

Tom and Cecelia Keehn will present the story and slides of the renowned singing group, Ars Choralis, when they performed the unique "Music In Desperate Times" locally, in Germany and at St. John the Devine in Manhattan. Cecelia was the soprano soloist and Tom was a member of the chorus. Both are music educators and outstanding musicians.

If you're unfamiliar with "Music in Desperate Times, a friend of [Barbara] Pickhardt urged her to read a book about women who saved their lives by playing in an orchestra while prisoners in Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camp in Poland during World War II. Barbara was deeply moved by the story of these women.

She eventually researched the music the women played. Ars Choralis' member, Gregory Dinger, and accompanist, Kristen Tuttman, arranged the music. The spoken word was derived from texts written by survivors.

Survivors of the Ravensbrueck concentration camp in Furstenberg, Germany invited Ars Choralis to perform at their annual Liberation Day ceremonies in 2009 at the former Birkenau concentration camp, The Ars Choralis performance was intensely emotional not only for the audience, but also for the performers.

Please note, this is not a presentation of the concert although there will be music in the background at times. This is the story of the performers' journey back through history and across the ocean in memory of those musicians saving their lives through music.

I hope that we will have a very good audience for this program.

Pat Stedge

Class Action Suit Leads to Award for AAUW to Continue Pay Equity Work

2011-02-03T16:29:00.001-05:00

AAUW to Receive Cy Pres Award for Work to Fight Gender Discrimination

Award Follows Groundbreaking Gender Discrimination Case Settlement

WASHINGTON – The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has been awarded $23,500 as part of a cy pres award from the judgment in the largest gender discrimination case to ever go to trial.

The class action lawsuit against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation included approximately 5,600 women sales force employees who claimed gender discrimination based on pay, promotion, and pregnancy. A jury found Novartis liable for gender discrimination in May 2010, and the subsequent settlement was filed in federal court in New York in July 2010. Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court for Eastern New York approved the final settlement agreement in November, and AAUW learned of its selection to receive a cy pres award in December.

Cy pres awards are the result of class action lawsuit funds and are typically distributed to charitable organizations. AAUW will receive this award to support its mission to advance equity for women and girls.

“We commend the brave plaintiffs and their extraordinary legal team in the Novartis case,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. “They have broken through barriers for women employees of Novartis and for women employees around the world. We hope this case will inspire more women to stand up for their rights as workers and teach a lesson to those who would discriminate on gender or any other basis. AAUW is proud to be associated with this case and honored to be the recipient of an award that affirms our work against all forms of gender discrimination.”

The award from the Novartis settlement will help fund AAUW’s continuing advancement of women and girls through our programs, research, and advocacy, especially on the issue of fair pay. As this case demonstrates, wage discrimination remains a critical problem, and women's pay still lags behind that of men. On average, women make 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, and they represent only a small percentage of those who hold top positions in business and academia. By some estimates, women may lose between $500,000 and $1 million because of wage discrimination over a 40-year career.

“We were so pleased to be able to recommend AAUW for a cy pres award,” said Katherine Kimpel, a partner at the firm Sanford, Wittels, and Heisler, LLP, who successfully represented the class of more than 6,000 current and former women sales employees at Novartis. “Having an ally like AAUW in the fight for gender equity is so important, and we trust that the cy pres award will help AAUW continue to make a difference in the lives of girls and women across the United States. The victory in Novartis, although gratifying, is just one step in the right direction, as far too many employers continue to deny women workers their fair share of the American dream.”

AAUW ED responds to NYT article

2011-02-02T15:12:00.000-05:00

Linda Hallman, AAUW E.D.

To the [NYT] Editor:
According to “Man or Male?” (Education Life, Jan. 9), which compares men’s studies and male studies, both fields agree on something that is, fortunately, not true — that “academically at least, young men are in trouble.”
As our report “Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity in Education” explains, there is no “boys’ crisis.” Boys continue to outscore girls, on average, on many standardized tests, including the SAT math and critical reading tests. And according to the United States Department of Education, 41 percent of both girls and boys who graduated from high school in 2007-08 were attending a four-year college in the fall of 2008.
Certainly, some young men are in trouble, as are some young women. But whether we measure by test scores in elementary school, high school graduation rates or college enrollment, the differences in educational achievement are much greater between students from different income levels and different racial/ethnic backgrounds than between girls and boys.
Linda D. Hallman
Executive Director
American Association of University Women
Washington, Jan. 12, 2011

AAUW supporting professor fighting gender and race discrimination

2011-01-27T16:46:00.000-05:00

AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund Supports Promotion Suit against University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

UMass,Dartmouth Commencement

WASHINGTON – The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund announced today that it is awarding monetary support to the case Sun v. University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Plaintiff Lulu Sun, an English professor, has alleged sex and race discrimination in the promotion process at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Sun filed two charges of discrimination with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination (MCAD), the first in 2005 and the second in 2006.

For the first charge, MCAD found probable cause of discrimination based on gender, race, and national origin. In the second charge, MCAD found probable cause of retaliation and of discrimination based on gender, race, and national origin.

Sun will seek not only a promotion and damages for the alleged discrimination but also an order from MCAD requiring the university administration to undertake diversity and anti-discrimination training and to actively recruit and promote women faculty, especially women of color.

A public hearing began in December 2010 and will conclude on Monday, January 31, 2011.

"By supporting Dr. Sun's case, we are sending employers the message that discrimination will not be tolerated," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund seeks out cases that can bring about equitable treatment for all women in all workplaces."

AAUW support has been instrumental in the success of many promotion and tenure cases of faculty and staff at universities across the country during the 30-year history of the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund.

"At my university, there has been a pattern of discrimination against women and people of color for over a dozen years," said Sun. "There are almost no female faculty of color at the full professor rank. I am grateful that AAUW is supporting my case as I work to change this reality."

Today, AAUW provides financial and organizational support for a select number of cases that have the potential to provide significant protection for all women. The funds come directly from generous AAUW members who support the Legal Advocacy Fund.

For additional information: aauw-communications@aauw.org

Doing good work gets AAUW recognition!

2011-01-25T10:59:00.000-05:00

Image via

AAUW Recognized as Top Nonprofit for Education, Women’s Empowerment

WASHINGTON – The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has been named a top-rated nonprofit in two categories through GreatNonprofits’ reviews of charitable organizations. AAUW is listed as a top women’s empowerment organization and a top education organization.

GreatNonprofits, which is itself a nonprofit organization, provides an online forum for user reviews of nonprofits. The reviews by AAUW members and others who have benefited from AAUW’s research, publications, fellowships and grants, and leadership programs led to AAUW’s inclusion as a top nonprofit in the areas of education and women’s empowerment.

“AAUW is honored to have received this high rating from such a distinguished organization,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. “The rating is a fantastic validation of our organization’s strong mission, values, and financial transparency.”

In their reviews, supporters of AAUW shared some of their individual accomplishments and AAUW’s important role in their lives. These stories, featured on the GreatNonprofits.org website, highlight examples of AAUW’s work to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

GreatNonprofits was started in 2007 as a site to provide reviews and ratings of U.S. nonprofits. Users can rate more than 1.2 million nonprofits through the site and partner sites.

Before Roe Women Died

2011-01-23T12:23:00.000-05:00

This weekend we observe the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Abortion is still a lightning rod for bitter public debate, legislative battles, and polarization. This blog post from the National Women's Law Center reminds us of the reality both then and now: before Roe women died.

Before Roe | National Women's Law Center: "Let’s start with what I know to be true—Roe v. Wade saved women’s lives. Before Roe, women died. They died because they were desperate. They died because they were forced into back-alleys to have abortions in unsanitary conditions, sometimes without any anesthesia. And yet here we are today in 2011, on the 38th anniversary of Roe, learning about another back-alley and a purported “clinic” that preyed on vulnerable, desperate women."

I encourage you to read the whole post by Kelli Garcia, Counsel, on the National Women's Law Center Blog.

Fighting It Out In Court: Dukes v. Wal-Mart

2011-01-21T17:53:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund Supports Gender Discrimination Suit against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

WASHINGTON – The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund announced today that it is awarding monetary support to the case Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Lead plaintiff Betty Dukes, a Wal-Mart employee, has alleged gender discrimination in pay and promotion policies and practices in Wal-Mart retail stores. Plaintiffs for the case comprise a class of approximately 1.6 million female Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club employees.

Case History
In 2001, Dukes and other lead plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in order to further pursue the case as a class action. Wal-Mart appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, then to a three-judge panel of the same court, and then to the full en banc court. The class certification was affirmed after all three appeals, and now Wal-Mart is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. If the court affirms the class certification, the case will become the largest civil rights class action suit in the nation’s history.

The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari on December 6, 2010, and oral arguments on the class certification have been set for March 29, 2011.

Why AAUW Supports This Case
“AAUW is proud to lend our support to the lead plaintiffs of this groundbreaking case,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. “There is no chance that each of the 1.6 million female employees has the financial resources, time, and patience to pursue her own case against Wal-Mart. AAUW strongly believes that these women’s voices should be heard and that they should be able to stand together to fight for their families’ economic well-being. Class action cases also have a much stronger deterrent effect, showing the business community that discrimination is not good for the bottom line.”

AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund support has been instrumental to the success of many gender discrimination cases during LAF’s 30-year history. Other LAF initiatives include community and campus outreach programs, a resource library and online advocacy tools, a Legal Referral Network, and various research reports.

"Wal-Mart claims this case is too big to bring as a class action, but there is no big company exception to the civil rights laws,” said Equal Rights Advocates Executive Director Arcelia Hurtado. “The reality is that without a class action, the women working at Wal-Mart will never have their day in court. The women have been treated unequally as a class, and they should be able to assert their rights as a class."

AAUW’s strategic case support program provides financial and organizational backing for a select number of cases that have the potential to provide significant protection for all women. The funds come directly from the generous contributions of AAUW members who support the Legal Advocacy Fund.

###

This blog is published by the AAUW Kingston, NY Branch. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation's leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's founding 130 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections.

AAUW Public Policy Films and Conferences for January

2011-01-05T12:21:00.001-05:00

Four films and a CTAUN conference of interest to folks concerned about public policy issues. Please note, our meeting this month will be held at the Rosendale Theater on Tues., January 25th at 7pm. We'll watch "Journeyman" (one hour) and adjourn to a nearby spot to talk about it. Details below.

January 2011

Fri., 1/7 to Thurs., 1/13, 7:30 PM, (also 5 PM on Sun., 1/9)

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer

Upstate Films, 132 Tinker Street, Woodstock

An in-depth look by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney at the rise and fall of Governor Eliot Spitzer, once nicknamed “The Sheriff of Wall Street”. While serving as NY’s Attorney General, Spitzer “took no prisoners” as he tangled with and prosecuted some of the most powerful Wall St. executives in the country. After his election as Governor, with the largest margin in the state’s history, he seemed White House-bound. Then, shockingly, Spitzer – the paragon of proper – was caught with prostitutes. Interviewing friends, colleagues, enemies, Albany powers like Joe Bruno, and employees of the Emperor’s Club, including “Angelina”, the film explores and reveals the hidden contours of this tale of power, sex, and hubris. And it makes one wonder about a deeper connection between the fall of a Governor and the free fall of the economy.

Fri., 1/14, 9:30 AM to 4 PM, $65

Committee on Teaching About the UN (CTAUN) Conference at the United Nations HQ in NYC

Nicholas Kristof will be the keynote speaker. In 2000, all 192 member states of the UN agreed on a time-bound set of goals – the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -- to work toward eradicating extreme poverty, primary education for all, promote gender equity, improve maternal and child health, combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability – all by 2015! To register or learn more: http://www.teachun.org

Sat., 1/22, Sun., 1/23, Mon., 1/24, & Wed., 1/26, 7:15 PM

Inside Job, $6

Rosendale Theater, 408 Main Street, Rosendale

Inside Job provides a comprehensive analysis of the global financial crisis of 2008, which at a cost over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose their jobs and homes in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and nearly resulted in a global financial collapse. Through exhaustive research and extensive interviews with key financial insiders, politicians, journalists, and academics, the film traces the rise of a rogue industry which has corrupted politics, regulation, and academia.

Tues., 1/25, 7 PM

Journeyman, – Our Public Policy Film/Discussion this month

Rosendale Theater, 408 Main Street, Rosendale

Journeyman is a one-hour documentary about rites of passage, mentoring, and male culture in America. The film follows Joe and Mike, two teenage boys dying for healthy adult mentors. After their struggles with depression and violence, they join a mentoring program. As they work with male mentors they face challenging rites of passage, discover their inner strength, and learn to engage with a community of supportive men. The film features Michael Gurian (The Good Son, The Wonder of Boys), Dr. Michael Obsatz (Raising Nonviolent Children in a Violent World), Dr. Barbara Coloroso, (Kids Are Worth It), Dr. David Walsh (The Selling Out of America's Children, Why Do They Act that Way?). Journeyman studies the phenomena of "at risk" boys, plus issues in American male culture. The film discovers experiments to reinvent male communities by giving boys what they need to grow into mature manhood. Finally, Journeyman follows its’ characters into an authentic "Rites of Passage" where mentoring from a community of men and boys create a transformation experience for young boys entering adolescence. Cost: By donation. For more information, see: http://www.ittakesavillageny.org

Sat., 1/29, 5 PM

War Made Easy, 4th of 4 films in the Youth and War series

Rosendale Theater, 408 Main Street, Rosendale, Admission: $7 (free for ages 18 and under)

War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.

War Made Easy gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam war and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon’s meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity from the present alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Norman Solomon’s work has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “brutally persuasive” and essential “for those who would like greater context with their bitter morning coffee.” This film now offers a chance to see that context on the screen.

And they wonder why we need laws...Scalia's take on sex discrimination

2011-01-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

In December, the Senate refused to allow debate on pay equity legislation. Here's why it's important to pass legislation regarding women's rights. Scalia's comments in a newly published interview in the legal magazine California Lawyer are truly disturbing.

Scalia: Women Don't Have Constitutional Protection Against Discrimination: "You do not need the Constitution to reflect the wishes of the current society. Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesn't. Nobody ever thought that that's what it meant. Nobody ever voted for that. If the current society wants to outlaw discrimination by sex, hey we have things called legislatures, and they enact things called laws. You don't need a constitution to keep things up-to-date. All you need is a legislature and a ballot box."

Marcia Greenberger, founder and co-president of the National Women's Law Center, called the justice's comments "shocking."

"In these comments, Justice Scalia says if Congress wants to protect laws that prohibit sex discrimination, that's up to them," she said. "But what if they want to pass laws that discriminate? Then he says that there's nothing the court will do to protect women from government-sanctioned discrimination against them. And that's a pretty shocking position to take in 2011." (My emphasis)

The barriers just got higher and it's time to pass the Equal Rights Ammendment.

Holiday Party and Branch Meeting: Dec. 14, 2010, 4pm

2010-12-08T11:52:00.000-05:00

The Party: Join us at 4pm for refreshments, visiting, and shopping. The shopping? Donate a gift; shop for a gift. Proceeds to benefit our philanthropy fund.

Andrea Newman-Winston

Rita Kogler-Carver

The Program:

Emmy award winning lighting designer Rita Kogler-Carver and stage manager (and AAUW member) Andrea Newman-Winston will share stories and tips for preparing for major productions. While their productions take place in the theater, on TV, or the Olympics, you can apply many of their strategies in planning your major productions - holiday festivities, weddings, special parties, for example.

Kogler Carver won her Emmy for lighting design for the 2000 Sidney Olympics. She has worked extensively on Broadway and television productions, including the Montel Williams show. Semi-retired now, she is the artistic director and producer for the nonprofit Dragonfly Performing Arts Center in Green County.

Newman-Winston began her theater career in Boston and has focused on teaching theater arts and managing local theater productions. Both began their backstage careers at a time when both lighting and stage management were considered men's roles.

You can see the results of their planning at the current Dragonfly production of "It's a Wonderful Life," a musical version presented as a 1940's radio drama, December 3-5, 10-12

Rosalie Zimmerman

2010-12-06T11:32:00.000-05:00

Publicity Chair, 2009-11

Virginia Kohli

2010-12-01T19:53:00.000-05:00

Virginia Kohli - profile to follow

Branch Historian, 2010-11
Telephone Tree

Rokki Carr

2010-12-01T19:47:00.000-05:00

Rokki Carr - Profile to follow

International Chair, 2010-11
Public Policy Chair, 2009-10

Carole Leib

2010-12-01T19:39:00.000-05:00

Carole Leib - profile to follow

Recording Secretary, 2009-11

Sheila Beall

2010-12-01T19:35:00.000-05:00

Sheila Beall - Profile to follow

Directory/Data Base, 2009-11

Ruth Bean

2010-12-01T19:32:00.000-05:00

Ruth Bean -- profile to follow

Membership Vice President, 2010-11

Pat Stedge

2010-12-01T18:29:00.000-05:00

Pat Stedge handles hospitality with Ginger Yaple. She's a talented musician and has coordinated collecting biographies of exceptional NY women for us.

Hospitality, 2009-11
Branch President, 1998-2000

Jane Riley

2010-12-01T18:01:00.000-05:00

Jane Riley has stepped up to the plate to serve as treasurer. More details to follow.

Treasurer, 2010-11
Newsletter editor

Ginger Yaple

2010-12-01T17:55:00.000-05:00

Ginger shares Hospitality responsibilities with Pat Stedge. She spends part of the year in the sunny south but is with us in spirit all year long. More details to follow.

Hospitality, 2009-11

Beverly Sloane

2010-12-01T17:31:00.000-05:00

Profile to be added

VP for Programs, 2009-11

Joan Reis

2010-12-01T17:28:00.001-05:00

Profile to be added

Corresponding Secretary, 2009-11

Dolores LaChance

2010-12-01T17:24:00.000-05:00

Dolores LaChance often bridges the gap between our branch and the League of Women Voters. She lives in Saugerties, retired from her career as a teacher, and loves to travel.

Legal Action Fund Chair, 2009-11

Paycheck Fairness Act Debate Blocked by Senate

2010-11-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

Republicans block debate for want of two votes. They don't even want to talk about it.

The Paycheck Fairness Act (S.3772) was blocked on a procedural vote by a minority of senators on Nov. 17th. The 58 votes

in its favor fell just below the 60 required to open substantive debate on the legislation. As AAUW Director of Public Policy and Government Relations Lisa Maatz put it

, "This de facto filibuster of fair pay by Senate Republicans ensured that we never got to a debate on the bill's merits. Strategically, I can't blame them --- they can' t win a fair fight against pay equity."

Following the vote, President Obama issued a statement

noting his deep disappointment and pledged to continue his administration"s support for stronger protections of women"s equality in the workforce. Maatz and AAUW received personal thanks

from the president for all the hard

work

on behalf of the Paycheck Fairness Act. To watch his remarks, click here

Take Action! Let your senators know how you feel about their vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, and urge

them to support future legislation aimed at closing the wage gap.

Return to top

CEDAW Hearing - When will the US ratify this treaty?

2010-11-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia:Countries that have ratified CEDAW

CEDAW is finally receiving the attention it deserves.

Women's Rights Treaty Gets First Senate Hearing in Eight Years

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law held a hearing

just before Thanksgiving

on the long-neglected United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

CEDAW is the only international agreement that comprehensively addresses women's rights, providing a universal definition of discrimination against women that establishes a basis for every government's domestic and foreign policy. Although CEDAW was passed by the U.N. General Assembly in 1979 and signed by President Carter in 1980, the United States remains one of just seven nations

(including Iran and Somalia) that has failed to ratify the treaty. Treaty ratification requires a 2/3 vote (67 votes) of the Senate, more votes than many other critical women's rights bills have received recently. However, the hearing, coupled by the recent support for ratification

voiced by first female Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, is a positive sign

AAUW has endorsed

CEDAW ratification since 1981 and is a longtime supporter of U.N. programs addressing the rights of women and girls. To learn more about the coalition working to ratify the treaty, visit www.CEDAW2010.org

Paycheck Fairness Vote This Week. Call in NOW!

2010-11-14T10:44:00.001-05:00

Help Batgirl in the Battle for Fair Pay
Watch the Batgirl vs.Unfair Pay

Take Action!

The lame duck Senate is slated to vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act this Wednesday. If we don't get it passed now, we start over again and the odds of getting it passed become negligible -- probably for years.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, is a national call-in day to support the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Please call your Senators toll-free at 877/667-6650.
Thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for sponsoring the Act. Ask them to work hard to pass it without amendment so that it will go directly to President Obama's desk for signature.
SHARE our Batgirl

video on Facebook and Twitter and by email and encourage your friends to call!
And remember - Batgirl always calls more than once when it's super important!
877/667-6650

AAUW NY Kingston Branch

Hilda Solis: June Cleaver, meet Juana Solis

2010-10-23T12:12:00.001-04:00

Image via WikipediaHilda Solis: June Cleaver, meet Juana Solis | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Opinion: Viewpoints: "Now policymakers, employers and workers must find better ways to help people succeed at home and on the job. Products need to be made and parent-teacher conferences need to be attended. Aging parents need to be cared for and work deadlines must be met. Children get sick and have to stay home from school on the same day the big presentation is due at work. Yes, women now comprise nearly 50 percent of American workers, and in the majority of U.S. families, women are co-equal or even primary earners.
But this isn't just a women's issue. Men today have nearly doubled the amount of time they spend on child care, according to recent studies. Nearly half of all children in the U.S. live in households where all parents work full time. More than 43 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers to family members over the age of 50. We are all in this together.
Work-life balance policies and workplace flexibility initiatives aren't niceties; they're necessities for working families. For employers, they aren't just the right thing to do; they're the smart thing to do. A recent report by the President's Council of Economic Advisers found that when businesses adopt accommodating policies, it adds to the bottom line.

Read the article here.

How to Raise Powerful Women

2010-10-19T19:45:00.001-04:00

Geeta Desai is president of the AAUW Poughkeepsie Branch. Her October message in their newsletter is reprinted here with Geeta's permission.

Image via Wikipedia

Thirty-three years ago, I looked down on my new-born daughter’s face and silently vowed to raise her to be a powerful woman. At the time, little did I know that I had embarked on an arduous but enlightening journey. There were all the usual challenges: boys to ward off, homework to be done on time, telephone calls to be limited to daylight hours, arguments to be had about whether a curfew was even necessary.

My biggest challenge, however, was to model the strength that I wanted her to develop. For example, I did not want her to be crushed when girlfriends let her down or to let criticism cut her to the quick, or to turn to counterproductive habits when she was stressed. But, in reviewing my own behavior in the early years I realized that I, on the other hand, had been guilty of all of these lapses; I had been inconsolable when I didn’t get my first “big “job, I had reached for excessive amounts of chocolate when I’d been blue, I had let criticism wound me repeatedly. To develop the resilience, strength and optimism that I wanted my daughter to have, I knew that I had to change the habits of a lifetime.

Looking back, I recognize the two things that would have helped me immensely. First, I wish I had joined the AAUW a long time ago. The company of smart, strong, supportive women would have helped me to develop an inner strength and a balanced perspective. Second, I wish my daughter could have taken advantage of girl-friendly events like our very own “Live YourDream” conference for seventh graders.

Still, I’m happy to say that my daughter has turned out to be a force to contend with. I talk to her about the AAUW, the great women I’ve met, our wonderful projects and the anxiety I feel about how much work still remains to be done. She talks to me about working in the male-dominated film–editing business, her dreams and her fears. We’re still muddling through that long journey that we started so many years ago but it is now filled with brilliant insights, touching moments and much more faith in ourselves.

For those of you who may be raising a seventh grade girl or know someone who is, please visit our website at www.aauwpoughkeepsie.org and please encourage as many girls as you can to attend the “Live Your Dream” Girls’ Conference.

This year’s conference on Saturday, November 6 will cover friendships, creative self-expression, girl power, writing and publishing articles, dealing with diversity in schools, fashion and self-respect. If you would simply like to volunteer at this event, come at 1 pm to help sign out the girls.

So, here’s to strong girls and stronger women. May our ranks continue to grow.
Geeta Desai
If you know a 7th grade girl in the Hudson Valley who could benefit from attending (and who wouldn't benefit?), please share the conference information with them.

10/19/10: GASLAND at UUCC Kingston

2010-10-19T11:52:00.003-04:00

If you haven't seen GASLAND yet,
get thee to the UUCC tonight! --

7 PM on Tuesday, October 19
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills
320 Sawkill Road
Kingston, NY

Sponsored by the Social Action Committee of UUCC
as part of its Issues Of Our Times series. Free admission.
For more information, call Paula at 845-679-2821.

10/18/10: NYS Gubernatorial Debate

2010-10-18T14:27:00.006-04:00

Tonight at 7 PM:
Watch the first-ever NYS Gubernatorial Debate
live — on your TV or online.

Water, water everywhere....

2010-10-15T13:32:00.007-04:00

Today is Blog Action Day 2010. The topic is water.

Thinking Globally
Almost a billion people on the planet live without access to safe drinking water. You can help change that. Click on the petition link on the right to support the UN's efforts to bring clean, safe water to millions. For $25, you can give clean water to one person for a lifetime. Or you can start our own fundraising campaign. Click here for more information.

Acting Locally
1. Come to our next branch public policy meeting on Tuesday, 10/26 at the Kingston Library, 55 Franklin Street. We'll meet in the 2nd Floor Craft Room (to the right of the Children's Library) and watch Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008, 90 min.) at about 5:45 PM, then discuss it. This film is based on the book Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World's Water by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke.

"Wars of the future will be fought over water, as they are today over oil, as the source of all life enters the global marketplace and political arena. Corporate giants, private investors, and corrupt governments vie for control of our dwindling fresh water supply, prompting protests, lawsuits, and revolutions from citizens fighting for the right to survive. Past civilizations have collapsed from poor water management. Will ours too?"

Also recommended (we might watch at a later date): Flow (2007, 84 min.) "A look at the world's water crisis and how the causes of the depleting water supply is connected to pollution, human rights, and even politics."

Optional homework assignment:
Read the Blue Gold book and share your thoughts during the post-film discussion

2. Just say no to fracking!

a. Watch GASLAND.

b. Submit written comments on NYS DEC's Draft Strategic Plan for State Forest Management by 10/29. Let's ask DEC to remove the entire Mineral Resources section (pages 225 to 242) from this document, and ask that our state forests never be leased to the gas industry. From page 231: "A significant amount of concern with hydraulic fracturing has been expressed both within and outside DEC due to the high volume of water used (up to eight million gallons per well)."

c. Support our neighbors in PA. Here's one way: attend the post-Election Day Rally to Stop Shale Gas Drilling on Wed., 11/3 in Pittsburgh. At noon, rallygoers will march across the Rachel Carson bridge to protest at the Developing Unconventional Gas (DUG) East conference. Check out the Water Management Workshop description: "Water use and disposal in the Marcellus shale is a huge issue of importance to operators, local citizens and regulators. From 2005 to 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued more than 2,000 permits for new Marcellus wells—and the average frac can use 3- to 5 million gallons of water. Some 10% to 30% of that returns to the surface, to be treated or recycled."

d. Get informed at:
http://dontfrackwithny.com/
http://frackaction.com/

3. Get to know our greatest local body of water: the Hudson River (shown above). Go for a walk in a riverside park, dip your toes in, take a swim, go fish, indulge in a fall cruise, go sailing or kayaking, visit a lighthouse. Get involved with and/or donate to Clearwater, Riverkeeper, or another group of your choice.

The real bottom line: Love your mother. She is made up of 70% water, like our brains! Let's use them wisely, and do whatever it takes to protect mother earth's precious water and all of her natural resources — for all living beings, for we are all connected.

Now showing: GASLAND at Upstate Films

2010-10-05T16:23:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen GASLAND yet, here's your chance! It's showing this week - Tues (10/5), Wed. (10/6), and Thurs. (10/7) at 5:45 PM and 8 PM - at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck, NY.

9/23/10: Public hearing on NYS DEC's State Forest Management Plan

2010-09-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

Public hearing tonight (9/23):
6:30 to 9:30 PM
DEC Region 3 Headquarters
Main Conference Room
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz

Workplace Salaries: At Last, Women on Top

2010-09-02T16:06:00.000-04:00

Workplace Salaries: At Last, Women on Top

Have you read about this study, yet? Women earning more than men in some urban markets. The headline is a bit misleading, but the news is unexpected, until you read the details. Here are some excerpts from the Time article:

Here's the slightly deflating caveat: this reverse gender gap, as it's known, applies only to unmarried, childless women under 30 who live in cities. The rest of working women — even those of the same age, but who are married or don't live in a major metropolitan area — are still on the less scenic side of the wage divide. ...

He [the researcher, James Chung] attributes the earnings reversal overwhelmingly to one factor: education. For every two guys who graduate from college or get a higher degree, three women do. This is almost the exact opposite of the graduation ratio that existed when the baby boomers entered college. Studies have consistently shown that a college degree pays off in much higher wages over a lifetime, and even in many cases for entry-level positions. ...

... he found that the cities where women earned more than men had at least one of three characteristics. Some, like New York City or Los Angeles, had primary local industries that were knowledge-based. Others were manufacturing towns whose industries had shrunk, especially smaller ones like Erie, Pa., or Terre Haute, Ind. Still others, like Miami or Monroe, La., had a majority minority population. (Hispanic and black women are twice as likely to graduate from college as their male peers....

Significantly, the conditions that are feeding the rise in female wages — a growing knowledge-based economy, the decline of a manufacturing base and an increasing minority population — are dominant trends throughout the U.S. "This generation [of women] has adapted to the fundamental restructuring of the American economy better than their older predecessors or male peers," says Chung. While the economic advantage of women sometimes evaporates as they age and have families, Chung believes that women now may have enough leverage that their financial gains may not be completely erased as they get older....

The holdout cities — those where the earnings of single, college-educated young women still lag men's — tended to be built around industries that are heavily male-dominated, such as software development or military-technology contracting. In other words, Silicon Valley could also be called Gender Gap Gully.

AAUW Kingston Branch Officers: 2010-11

2010-09-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our new 2010-2011 AAUW Kingston Branch Officers and many thanks to those of you who completed your terms

2010 -2011 Officers
President - Bette Nitzky

VP, Programming - Beverly Sloane

VP Membership - Ruth Bean
Treasurer - Jane Riley
Recording Secretary - Carole Leib
Corresponding Secretary - Joan Reis
Committees
Bus Trips - Vivi Hlavsa
Communications - Ruth Wahtera
Directory - Sheila Beall
Diversity - Arlene Bruck
Educational Foundation - Doris Goldberg & Gloria Sender
Historian - Virginia Kohli
Hospitality - Pat Stedge and Ginger Yaples
International - Rokki Carr
Legal Advocacy Fund - Dolores LaChance
Publicity - Rosalie Zimmerman
Public Policy - Susan Holland
Telephone Tree - Dot Henry

See your directory for phone numbers and email addresses. We'll be adding links as we complete more profiles.

Women weren't given the right to vote; we fought for it

2010-08-30T19:09:00.000-04:00

Ninety years have flown by since the passage of the 19th Amendment.

What do you think those fearless women and men who fought for women's right to vote would think if you told them they could only get paid 77 cents for every dollar a man earns for comparable work? [According to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gap between men's and women's median earnings widened slightly between 2007 and 2008, from 78 percent to 77 percent for full-time, year-round workers.]

What do you think they would think of the small number of women in House and Senate?

Wouldn't they think there might be a connection? Here's how these two issues are intertwined:

Women get paid less because there's no place to turn for protection under the law. The House has already passed the Paycheck Fairness Act. More than once. If the Senate hasn't passed it before they adjourn in a few weeks, we start over again at the beginning. Again.

Here in NY, our elected representatives have played games with pay equity legislation, as they have with so many other issues. So, we don't have protection at the state level, either. I think Susan B. Anthony is right.

“There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers.” -- Susan B. Anthony

While many men say they support equal pay, they don't seem to be in office. Or, they aren't exerting their influence to get this legislation passed. And, nationally, the number of women in office may actually drop.

An article today by Lisa Mascaro in the LA Times said:

Women now hold 90 [of 435] seats in Congress: 69 are Democrats and 21 are Republicans. After the November election, Congress could end up with as many as 10 fewer female members, prognosticators now say, the first backslide in the uninterrupted [slow] march of women to Washington since 1978.

So, here are a few things you can do:

Take Action: Ask our representatives what specific things they will do now to ensure that pay equity legislation is passed now.
Ask every candidate this fall for their position on pay equity and whether they will provide leadership for passing pay equity and comparable worth legislation.
Reach out to friends and family in other states, especially those with senators uncommitted or opposed to the Equal Pay Act, asking them to take action. You can find Congressional voting records on "women's issues" .here.
Think about the women you know who would make strong candidates for office now or in the future. Encourage them to think about running. There are lots of resources available to help women sort out what it takes and whether to run. You can find a few here.
Subscribe to the Two-minute Activist to stay abreast of these issues.

The Best of Barcelona

2010-08-19T09:18:00.000-04:00

Barcelona, on the Mediterranean coast, is one of Spain's most livable and lovable cities. For anyone who has ever wanted to go on an excursion to Europe, this is the perfect time!

The US dollar is strong and the exchange rate is in our favor, so pack your bags, locate your passport, bring a camera and join us for the trip of a lifetime.

$3358 per person including round-trip airfare
on Continental from Newark based on double occupancy
$2614 per person excluding airfare based on double occupancy
Single room supplement $447/
Bilbao Extension: Price on Request
Balance due by September 8.

INCLUDED TOURS AND EVENTS

Gaudi Tour:
Antoni Gaudi was one of the most important architects worldwide. His masterpieces are sensuous, curving, almost surreal - and established him as an innovative leader of the Spanish Modernists (Art Nouveau). Most of his extraordinary works were conceived in Barcelona, and his world of fantasy is evident in every corner of the city. We'll visit 3 of his projects. The magnificent Sagrada Familia church is considered Gaudi's masterwork and he devoted the last 15 years of his life entirely to this endeavor, working on it from 1883 until his death in 1926. The church is still unfinished and not expected to be completed before 2026. It will be consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI on November 7th, a week before our visit. Casa Battlo, another masterpiece, has a façade decorated with a magnificent mosaic of ceramic tile fragments. The roof is arched and resembles a reptilian creature. Parc Guell is a magical place: the pavilions seem to be taken out of Hansel and Gretel, with curved roofs covered with brightly colored tiles and ornamental spires, looking like the dorsal spines of a dragon.

Picasso Museum:
The museum occupies five medieval palaces and houses the most important collections of paintings, drawings and ceramics from the early years of Picasso's life. More than 900 works were donated by the artist and his family. Our private tour will showcase the extensive collection of these early works as well as some of his later pieces. Prior to visiting the Picasso Museum, we'll walk through the old city and stop at sites where the locals gather: LA BOQUERIA - Barcelona's famous food market; the CHOCOLATE MUSEUM - that depicts the origins of chocolate; CAELUM - a café where the Jewish baths were located 600 years ago; and GISBERT- for freshly roasted nuts and coffee beans.

Dali Museum:
This is a full day excursion, leaving the city and exploring the countryside: first stop is Figueres, Salvador Dali's birthplace and location of the museum he built to house his art. We'll experience the indescribable creative genius of this artist in a museum that is a work of art in itself. Then on to Blanes - a small charming town by the sea in an area known as the Costa Brava (rugged coast) where we'll meet the fishing boats at the pier as they sail into port to unload their catch of the day. We'll follow the fishermen and their carts to the fish auction and continue to dinner at a local restaurant for Pica Pica - an array of local dishes caught and prepared fresh from the sea - with Spanish Cava.

Cooking School and Paella Dinner:
We'll all participate in a hands-on cooking class, preparing typical dishes of the region, including paella. Then we'll sit down for a sumptuous dinner with wine, savoring the dishes we've just created. We'll all have a keepsake of the recipes and an apron to remember the experience.

Note: all entrance fees to museums for group tours above are covered and we will provide local guides and staff to accompany us for all group events. Gratuities for drivers and all tour and museum guides are included. These tours require moderate physical activity, and walking tours may involve climbing stairs and walking reasonable distances.

OPTIONAL TOURS

The following four optional private tours give you the flexibility to include one or several tours that interest you. You may prefer to explore the city on your own or just relax. The optional tours require a minimum of 10 participants each, so we need your selection(s) with payment by September 8th to arrange the tours. If you decide earlier, it would be helpful if you notify us. The cost includes private tour with guides, and transportation to and from the museums. Note that some of the tours require a great deal of walking.

WELCOME TO BARCELONA - WALKING TOUR
2-3 HOURS $36
Included will be Las Ramblas - the soul of the city and most vibrant street, with shops, restaurants, flower vendors, mimes and street entertainers. Las Ramblas is undoubtedly the liveliest place in Barcelona.

CITY ORIENTATION TOUR INCLUDING WALKING THE GOTHIC QUARTER AND DOWN THE RAMBLAS - 4 HOURS $78
This tour includes transportation and requires walking. This city overview is the perfect way to become familiar with the amazing sights of Barcelona. It takes in Las Ramblas -the colorful, bustling, avenue that opens to the Mediterranean Sea. It includes famous architectural highlights of the city including Gaudi's famous Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlio and La Pedrera . We'll see the Montjuic Hill area, site of the 1992 Olympic Games. The tour also features the ancient city center, also known as the Gothic quarter with ruins that date back to Roman times.

MONTSERRAT AND CORDONIU WINERY - 6 HOURS WITH LUNCH
$205
This unique mountain, located about an hour from Barcelona, is the site of the Santa Maria Monastery and the home for about eighty monks. The basilica, next to the monastery, is where the famous Black Virgin statue is located, and from the top of the mountain we'll experience the breathtaking views of the Catalonian countryside.

Then on to Cordoniu, a winery that dates back to the 16th century, and a major producer of "cava" - Spain's most distinctive sparkling wine. There are miles upon miles of underground caves, where wines mature and are aged. The magnificent combination of sea, mountains and temperate climate create optimum conditions for the grapes to mature. We'll see the beautiful grounds as well as the state-of-the art technology that makes this one of the most important wineries in the world.

MNAC - CATALAN NATIONAL ART MUSEUM 4 HOURS $90
This museum takes visitors on a journey through a thousand years of Catalan art from the 10th to 20th centuries. It houses the largest and most important works of Romanesque art anywhere. The extensive Gothic Art collection includes mural paintings, metalwork, enamelwork, sculpture, wood and ivory carving. The murals, because of their size and quality, are considered the most exceptional in the world. The Renaissance collection includes works by Titian, Tintoretto, El Greco and Rubens.

Bilbao Extension November 18-20, 2010: We are offering an overnight extension for those who want to visit Bilbao - the site of the Guggenheim Museum. Designed by Frank Gehry, it is one of the most striking museums in the world. It sits on the Nervion River and resembles a ship with its brilliantly reflective titanium panels. The collection includes art from the mid-twentieth century to the present. Accommodations are at the five-star Silken Gran Hotel - which looks out over the shining structure of the Guggenheim Museum. The bold, almost whimsical design of the hotel seems to have spilled over from Frank Gehry's remarkable architecture. The hotel has a restaurant, café, fitness center, and sauna. The Bilbao extension includes accommodations for one night with daily breakfast, air transportation from Barcelona to Bilbao and back to Barcelona, all transfers and extensive guided tour of the Guggenheim Museum. Ask for the cost to add this wonderful optional add-on.

********

Accommodations are for 6 nights in the beautiful four-star Hotel Condes de Barcelona. It is centrally located on the elegant Paseo de Gracia, and faces "La Perrera", one of the famous Gaudi buildings. The hotel has two restaurants, fitness center and sauna. Included are 6 buffet breakfasts, 5 dinners, 2 half-day tours, 1 full day tour (out of the city), and a Cooking School Event with dinner.

We'll have tapas and paella, and dinners in wonderful restaurants, including the 17th century Catalan Farmhouse where Vicky, Cristina and Juan dined in the film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

For further info, call Linda at 845-255-5256 or email artladyLG@aol.com. Specify "art tours" in the subject line.

To reserve, make your check payable to AAUW, include your phone# and mail to: Linda Gold, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561.

A non-refundable deposit of $700 is due with your reservation by July 22. After that time the deposit is $750. The balance is due by Sept 8. Reservations after this time will be subject to availability. Since we are holding only 20 seats at this low price on Continental Airlines, additional tickets will be priced higher.TRANSPORTATION:
We will be happy to assist you with your flight needs. Due to limited availability and rising airfares, you are strongly encouraged to use our air packages. We have reserved only 20 seats on Continental's roundtrip direct flight from Newark to Barcelona on November 11, returning November 18. Participants traveling by air with us will be provided with chartered round trip bus service with pick-ups from Kingston and Monticello to Newark airport. Upon arrival in Barcelona, those traveling with us will be greeted outside customs by a staff member and transported to the hotel. En route, to get our bearings, we'll have a brief orientation tour, seeing the highlights of the city from the comfort of the coach. Note: transfers to and from the airport are included for those purchasing airfare with us. We can arrange for transfers for an additional fee for those not traveling by air with us. For those booking your own airfare, we will not be responsible for any air arrangements you make on your own.

TRAVEL INSURANCE:
We strongly suggest you obtain a TRAVEL PROTECTION PLAN to cover medical expenses, baggage loss and delay, as well as trip interruption or cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances. As an AAUW member or friend, you have access to Insure My Trip, a site that for no cost lets you compare trip insurance from the top industry providers. And, remember to ask that the policy include a waiver for pre-existing conditions, and a hotel stay in case of cancellations due to volcanic ash.
DISCLAIMER: AAUW and Linda Gold assume no responsibility for and cannot be held liable for any personal injury, death, property damage or other loss, accident, delay or inconvenience. In addition, responsibility is not accepted for losses or expenses due to sickness, lack of appropriate medical facilities or practitioners, weather, strikes, volcanic ash disruption, theft or other criminal acts, war or terrorism.

AAUW and Linda Gold reserve the right to withdraw any tour announced or to change or cancel itineraries or hotels, whenever it is deemed necessary. Although itineraries are as accurate as possible, they are subject to change due to traffic, weather, or any other conditions beyond our control. Although every effort is made to handle passengers' luggage as carefully as possible, we are not responsible for and do not assume liability nor accept claims for loss or damage to luggage due to breakage, theft or wear and tear through hotel and group carrier handling.

Note: This trip is based on a minimum of 20 reservations and AAUW has the right to cancel due to insufficient enrollment.

7/26/10: $tart $mart meeting in Highland

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On Monday, July 26 at 11 AM, join Joan Monk (AAUW Kingston / Poughkeepsie / Westchester member), who will meet with Irene Keyes and Betty Harrell from the Poughkeepsie Branch and two members of the Westchester Branch. All are interested in using the $tart $mart* program in their branches. They'll meet on the Highland side of the Walkway Over the Hudson (87 Haviland Road), then have lunch afterward at Mariners Harbor (46 River Road).

Would you like to get this program going in the Kingston Branch? Can you attend the meeting on 7/26? If so, please let Joan Monk know. Let's get this program started!

* $tart $mart: To help make sure that graduating women know how to negotiate for equitable pay, AAUW and The WAGE Project formed a partnership to provide the $tart $mart Campus Negotiation Workshops. AAUW and The WAGE Project hope to reach over 500 campuses with this dynamic program within the next three years.

7/17/10: GASLAND at Onteora HS with Josh Fox & Maurice Hinchey

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Come see GASLAND this Saturday, July 17, at 7:30 PM in the Harry Simon Auditorium at Onteora High School, Route 28, Boiceville, NY.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey will join director Josh Fox for a post-screening Q&A session.

Tickets will be available at the door for a suggested donation of $5.

When Catskill/Pocono filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for Natural Gas drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies, and contamination. Fox encounters EPA whistleblowers, congressmen, world recognized scientists, and some of the most incredibly inspiring and heart-wrenching stories of ordinary Americans fighting against fossil fuel giants for environmental justice.

"Right now the Marcellus Shale is under attack by natural gas drillers" commented filmmaker Josh Fox. "Nowhere is it more important for citizens to see GASLAND and get engaged in fighting unregulated hydro-fracking than in the Catskills. Thanks to the Woodstock Film Festival, we are bringing our important message to the folks who need to see it most."

"GASLAND is a very important film about the risks posed by hydraulic fracturing - a method of drilling for natural gas that currently lacks proper oversight," said Congressman Hinchey. "We've seen what happens when energy companies are granted unfettered access to our precious natural resources without that oversight. In the wake of one of the largest environmental disasters in our nation's history, as millions of gallons of oil spew into the Gulf of Mexico, it is abundantly clear that we simply cannot rely on the promises made by those who have everything to gain and nothing to lose from drilling. We cannot allow drilling to move forward without rules in place to protect drinking water and our overall environment."

An important and timely exposé, GASLAND reveals the practices of the largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history. Developed by Halliburton, “Hydraulic Fracturing,” or "fracking," has swept across the United States, opening up new territory in 34 states to extensive drilling, including the Marcellus Shale, a vast formation that underlies most of New York and Pennsylvania, as well as the New York watershed and the Catskills/Poconos.

Join AAUW Kingston on our first trip to Barcelona!

2010-07-04T22:16:00.000-04:00

Barcelona, on the Mediterranean coast, is one of Spain's most livable and lovable cities. For anyone who has ever wanted to go on an excursion to Europe, this is the perfect time!

The US dollar is strong and the exchange rate is in our favor, so pack your bags, locate your passport, bring a camera and join us for the trip of a lifetime.

For additional information click here.

AAUW Kingston Branch Scholarship Winners

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(L to R) Yuvelca Reyes, Irwin Rosenthal, and Marie Daniels

We had a great opportunity to meet with our two 2010 scholarship winners at the annual picnic this month. Both earned associates degrees from Ulster Community College this month and will use their scholarship money to pursue their bachelor degrees.

Yuvelca Reyes has enrolled with SUNY Empire to pursue her degree in therapeutic recreation, a major of her own design. Yuvelca believes that our lives and the world would be better if we all found things to do that we enjoy. Her quest is to help people find those things that are right for them. She's especially interested in using her motivational skills to engage residents in Newburgh in constructive fun -- an alternative to the gangs and crime we've been following in the news. To that end, she's been organizing a July 4th tournament. Yuvelca is full of energy and ideas; now she wants to learn how to make them work.

Marie Daniels has enrolled at SUNY New Paltz. Her plan is to get a degree and teaching credentials in earth science and teach. But that's just the first step. Marie loves library science and plans to pursue a graduate degree to become a librarian. (Librarians love AAUW. There were three at the picnic, all ready to provide Marie guidance and support.)

Both these young women are mid-career students with children at home. They are following in the footsteps of many of us, balancing family and children, pursuing the love of learning and the need to support our families doing the things that we love.

Irwin Rosenthal and Doris Goldberg, Education Foundation co-chairs, coordinated selection of our 2010 recipients. You won't find Doris in the picture. Why? She had to leave early for a library board meeting!

Congratulations to Marie and Yuvelca. The branch has given them student memberships to AAUW so we hope to see a lot more of them and follow their career.

Pay Equity Updates

2010-06-11T18:44:00.001-04:00

While Fair Pay Day has come and gone, the issue remains. AAUW Washington Update has cited several news items of late that you should be aware of.

Department of Labor Announces Top 20 Fields for Women According to a recent report by the Department of Labor, secretaries, administrative assistants, and registered nurses are the nation's leading occupations for employed women. Among the 20 fields listed, findings show a lack of women in non-traditional, STEM careers, as well as a median salary of $657 per week for women 16 years and older.

Federal Government Not Hiring As Many Women According to a new report by Federally Employed Women, the number of women in top positions within the federal workforce is much lower than that of men. While that number nearly doubled between 1992 and 2003, there has been relatively no change since 2006. The report cites a lack of training and cross-training as major reasons for the lack of women in top positions, and that training funds are typically cut under budget restraints. Thus, in today's economic climate, women are provided fewer opportunities to advance to top federal positions.

Wage Gap in Academic Medicine Women in academic medicine earn significantly less than their male counterparts, according to a study released in April's Academic Medicine. Researchers sampled at random 3,000 life science employees at the top 50 academic medical centers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looking to explain the gender wage gap. The study found that over a 30 year period, full-time female faculty members made almost $215,000 less than men of equal standing, and nearly $700,000 less over a full career. Professors Eric Campbell, PhD, and Catherine DesRoches, DrPh, have linked their work on the study with the need for a systematic change in the field.

The Harvard Business Review has a quick slide show Investigating the Pay Gap by Sarah Green.

AAUW's Washington Update is emailed to subscribers every Friday. It covers the Washington developments related to AAUW Public Policy issues. Washington update is another benefit of your AAUW membership; you can subscribe to it here.

2010-11 Reading List

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Image via Wikipedia

AAUW BOOK CLUB Reading List for Sept. 2010 to June 2011

Sept.21 The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon.. This takes place in Sitka Alaska where a fictitious Jewish community has been established after WW2 to welcome survivors of the Holocaust.

Oct. 19 Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. A young asthmatic boy named Rueben Land narrates the story of his family after his brother Davy kills two bullies who had targeted him and their family. When Davy escapes prison Rueben and family follow Davy to the Badlands with many adventures.

Nov. 16 Howard’s End by E.M. Foster. This was first published in 1910 and is about class struggle in turn-of-century England. The motto of the book is “only connect”.

Dec 14 We will read and discuss poetry selections assembled by Vivi Hlvasa. Please note we are meeting on the 2^nd Tuesday to accommodate the Holiday Schedule.

Jan. 18,2011 Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. Once again into the trenches of WW1, a long term illicit love affair and a hero who finds hope and meaning despite the anguish.

Feb. 15 The Help by Katherine Stockett. A Southern woman writes about the connections between black maids and their white women employers in the 1960’s in a small Georgia town.

March 15 Frances Perkins: The Woman Behind the President by Kirsten Downey. Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve in an American Presidential Cabinet . She was instrumental in securing “New Deal” legislation and served 12 years as FDR’s Secretary of Labor.

April 19 Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery. This was first published in 1847-48. It satirizes early 19^th century British society. The title comes from Paul Bunyan’s allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress. Vanity Fair refers to a stop along pilgrim’s progress: a never ending fair in a town called Vanity.

May 17 Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. This fiction published in 1881 is considered one of James’ finest. The Lady is Isabel Archer, a young American heiress victimized by two American Machiavellian expatriates.

June The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich. The author with a German, American, French, Ojibwa background, writes from an Indian reservation perspective. This is a story of passion and compassion about a priest who meets an Indian Elder who possesses love medicine.

Happily compiled by Marjorie Regan with a little help from Wikipedia and other online sources.

AAUW Kingston, NY Branch

10/29/11: Ulster County Candidate Forum

10/18/11: Two films tonight on Women & War

Anita Hill 20 Years Later | C-SPAN

Hear the Candidates for Kingston Mayor and Ulster Cty DA, 10/29

Read with the AAUW Kingston Book Club, 2011/12

AAUW Kingston Branch 2011 -12 Calendar

2011 -2012 AAUW Kingston Branch Board

Fracking in Saugerties, Hot Coffee in Kingston

10/11/11: Annual AAUW-NYS Day at the UN

AAUW-NYS Sponsors a Day at the UN, Oct. 11

Ulster County Office of the Aging Public Hearing, Fri., Sept. 9

GASLAND at 6:30 PM tonight at Rhinebeck Town Hall

7/12/11: Branch Strategy, Part 2 - please come!

No Surprise: Capitol Hill Staff Mostly Male, White

Pamper Yourself at SPAC July 16, 2011

Reserve now: Clark Institute Trip August 6, 2011

Protect the Reproductive Health of NYS Women

Pay Equity Legislation in NYS

Should the Branch Provide Wal-Mart Gift Cards?

5/24/11: Public Policy Film/Discussion - The Economics of Happiness

Considering the Spiritual; Different from the Religious

Reapportioning and more...

4/19/11: Public Policy film/discussion @ BSP

Reflections on Geraldine Ferraro

What's at Stake for Women in Wal-Mart v. Dukes

3/22/11: World Water Day, Carbon Nation, & more!

KAAUW "Public Policy Plus" calendar

3/17/11: Public Policy Committee to Continue a Global Conversation

AAUW Kingston Branch Meeting March 19, 2011

3/15/11: Book discussion on Frances Perkins

Congress to consider removing deadline to ratify ERA

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Join AAUW Kingston on our first trip to Barcelona!