Arlene Bruck -- Exploring the Diversity of the World

Arlene is our AAUW branch Diversity Chair. Her commitment to diversity grows out of her love of foreign travel and her career as an educator. Her on-going fascination with psychology and sociology round out her view of the world.

She's been an AAUW member since 1970 because she values being a part of a community of educated women and she supports post-graduate education for women.

Her passion for foreign travel has taken her on educational tours of Europe for 15 years. And she loves foreign languages -- especially Latin and French.

Arlene was Hudson River Valley Teacher of the Year, 1995, and the International Biography Center's list of Influential Women, 2000. You'll also find her listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in Education.

Andrea Newman-Winston - Stage Manager

Andrea shared the presidency with Garnette for part of 2007-8. She joined AAUW in 2004 because she says she agrees so strongly with AAUW's raison d'etre.

She has a particular passion for education for all.

Professionally she works for the Onteora School District tutoring students who can't attend classes. And, the great love of her life is theater.

Andrea says, " I'm a stage manager who trained in Technical Theater, got an Actors' Equity Card through work at the Falmouth Playhouse back when dinosaurs roamed and electricity was two wires in salt water."

Of course, you can find her managing productions throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley, so she's not so old. She managed Merry Wives of Windsor in Woodstock this past summer.

She notes that she has been widowed for twenty years, raised two children, and got a master's degree in reading while continuing her theater work. And, like most of us at AAUW, she reads, and reads, and reads.

Registration Form 11/28 UN Briefing Effects War on Women

REGISTRATION FORM
The League of Women Voters of New York State (LWVNYS) and NYS-AAUW
in association with
The United Nations Department of Public Information
Invite You to Attend
BRIEFINGS ON THE EFFECTS OF WAR
ON WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD
on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 from *9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
*LWVNYS AAUW Registration Desk will be open from 9:00 a.m. for tours and luncheon until 12:30 p.m., Briefings will start promptly at 1:00 p.m.* at the United Nations Headquarters in NYC -- First Avenue at 46th Street

Name
Address
City State Zip
Day Phone E-Mail
Members/Students, Please Select Your Organization
O LWV of____________________
O AAUW---NYS
O HS/College/University
O Other Co-Sponsoring Organization___________________________________________________
COST/PAYMENT INFORMATION
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Optional Tour of the UN $12.00
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Optional Lunch Buffet in the Delegates Dining Room
Includes International Buffet, Dessert Bar and Coffee/Tea only $35.00
UN requires proper attire: jeans, shorts, sneakers will NOT be permitted.
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Briefings Program in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium
$73 Non-Member $63 Members of Sponsoring Organizations $50 Students $
Discounted fee to members of sponsoring organizations (AAUW) for Tour, Lunch, and Briefing
$ 100
TOTAL ENCLOSED $
My Check for $____________ is enclosed (make payable to LWVNYS)
Please charge my:________MasterCard ________VISA ________American Express ________Discover
Card Holder’s Name:______________________________________
Signature: ______________________________________
Card Number: ___________________________________________
Expiration Date: _________________________________
PLEASE RETURN TO:
United Nations Briefings/LWVNYS**62 Grand Street ** Albany, New York 12207
Fax: 518-465-0812 (Credit Card Registrations ONLY)
E-Mail: lwvny@lwvny.org with copy to aloha.garnette@gmail.com to local Kingston Branch president Garnette Arledge if you want to car pool or share a van directly to UN from Ames Parking Lot leaving at time to be announced.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 518-465-4162 or Garnette at 845-679-5246.
SPACE IS LIMITED, SO RESERVE EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 10,
For updates on the “Briefings” forum, visit our website: www.lwvny.org and this AAUW blog.

Louise Flood - Volunteer Extrordinaire!

Sixty-four years a Girl Scout; 33 years in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Historian of the Kingston Rotary, and board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ulster County. AAUW for eight years, 1950-58; rejoined in 2004 to make a contribution in support of women's causes -- the Educational Foundation and the Legal Assistance Foundation.

Louise just compiled a 90 year history of the Kingston Rotary and keeps up the local Girl Scout Council's archives, as well. She reads in every spare moment -- always has.

Always there when needed, Louise has served in many leadership positions. Most recent include --

• 2008-09 Hospitality Chair
• Past Regent and current trustee and board member of DAR
• Secretary of our AAUW branch until this September, 2007

Louise has four children and five grandchildren spread from the Hudson Valley to California. She says "The ultra-sound of my carotids is my only flattering photo."

Because Equity Is Still an Issue

Want to know more about AAUW? Here's a 6-minute video that features several AAUW members discussing why AAUW is important to them.

Just Say Hello

The Kingston AAUW is experimenting with a blog as website. You'll find this site contains lots of information about events, issues, and people that are important to us.

AAUW is all about exploring and learning, so dialog is important. You can use the 'comments' field to share your thoughts on any post. Try it.

To say hello, just click on the word 'comments' below. You'll get a little screen on which to leave your message. You then have to complete a box recognizing the letters so we know you aren't a robot trolling the internet.

Photo by Natascha2007

Update: Emergency Contraception

Last week we posted an AAUW Action Network Alert asking for support of the Emergency Contraception Education Act. The act hasn't made it out of Congress. This week, the NYC Public Advocate's Office released a report that reinforces the importance of the act.

NYC teens find access to contraception not so easy, report says -- Newsday.com: "The office found more than 60 percent of the clinics failed to have emergency contraception available, 73 percent of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene sites failed to provide birth control by prescription and only seven of the 38 teen health clinics had female condoms readily available."

If this is what women find in NYC, what do you think happens here in Ulster County?

Support the Emergency Contraception Education Act

AAUW Action Network: Support the Emergency Contraception Education Act: "Nearly half of pregnancies of U.S. women are unintended, and four in 10 of those pregnancies end in abortion. Increased access to information about emergency contraception will help reduce unplanned pregnancies, reduce abortions, and improve access to women's health care. In addition, only 12 states currently require hospital emergency rooms to provide emergency contraception-related services to victims of sexual assault, even though it is often the only contraceptive option available to them.

AAUW supports the right of every woman to obtain medically accurate information about and access to safe and comprehensive reproductive health services. AAUW believes that improved pregnancy prevention programs and access to complete reproductive health information and services enhance women's reproductive choices."

Click on the link above to Take Action! by sending a message to your representatives requesting their support of this bill which directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on EC to health care providers-including recommendations on the use of EC in appropriate cases-and to the American people.

In Memory of Dick Hlavsa

Vivi has asked me (Garnette) to let the AAUW membership know the following. Sorry if this duplicates previous emails to you.

"I know all of you would want to know our sad news: Dick Hlavsa died yesterday of injuries sustained during a car crash. He was able to tell the police our phone number, so I got there in time to see and comfort him at the scene of the accident before he was airlifted down to Westchester Trauma Center. When I finally arrived there, I found out that the internal bleeding had been massive, and by the time they had that under control, his heart stopped around 7 PM. David is here now and Lisa and Benjamin are coming later this week.

We are planning a memorial service for him this coming Saturday, September 22nd, from 3 to 5 PM at the Unitarian Congregation on Sawkill Road in Kingston. If you can't make it, I know you will be there in spirit. Please, no flowers. Contributions may be made to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Love--ViVi"

We all share ViVi's grief. We have lost a friend.
Freeman article

Photo by David McConeghy

Urge Senate Ratification of World-Wide Women's Rights - Two Minute Activist

For more than 26 years, the U.S. Senate has failed not only to ratify the UN Women's Rights Treaty (CEDAW), but it has failed to even bring it to a vote. This lack of action is unacceptable.

185 countries have ratified the treaty.

The U.S. is one of only eight countries that have yet to do so. We stand alongside Sudan, Iran, Qatar, Somalia, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga. This is not the example the United States should be setting as a true leader of democracy and freedom around the world.

American Association of University Women - Two Minute Activist: "Take Action! Urge your senators to advocate for basic rights for all women around the world by ratifying CEDAW. Simply click the link, scroll down to the 'Take Action' section and follow the instructions to send your message to your U.S. Senators."