Considering the Spiritual; Different from the Religious

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.

AAUW Branch Meeting Locations During Library Elevator Servicing

The Kingston Library elevator is out of service for the next month or two. We're figuring out the best location for our meetings during this time and will post the information here and on our calendar.



Tuesday, March 23, 6:30 - 7:45 PM
Branch Meeting:
Writing Our Memoirs
1st floor, outside the Local History Room
Note: the library closes at 8 PM and there will be no refreshments at this meeting.

See you there!

Feb. Branch meeting on pay equity - as scheduled!

On Tuesday, Feb. 26th, a handful of intrepid AAUW members defeated yet another blizzard to participate in our first branch meeting by conference call.

Our February program, Pay Equity Status Report, a presentation by Lois Haignere, Ph.D., had already been rescheduled once due to snow. Determination can make many things happen. We met despite the snow via conference call.

Lois is a respected researcher in pay equity issues. Some of the points she made:

• There's a significant difference between equal pay and comparable pay.
• In the private sector you can be fired for disclosing your pay to others, so there's often no way to know whether you are paid unequally; the 2007 Supreme Court decision made it virtually impossible to bring a successful private sector suit.
  
• In NYS, the existing law covers only equal pay.
• To correct this, in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, the NYS Assembly has passed the NYS Fair Pay Bill with bi-partisan support and great fanfare
• Every year the NYS Senate kills the NYS Fair Pay Bill in committee.

This year a broad based coalition of women's groups, including AAUW, are committed to getting the bill out of committee. This call/branch meeting was a prelude to Pay Equity Day in Albany on April 2, featuring Gloria Steinem and others who will join with us to lobby the State Legislature on the upcoming vote for pay equity.

You can download a pdf of Lois' slides here.

Women and minorities have long received lower pay than their counterpart males. According to recent research by national AAUW, women now earn 77 cents to every one dollar men earn, yet do not pay correspondingly less at the cash registers. This year, the focus for Pay Equity Day in Albany will be on improving the lot of librarians and library aides, teachers' aides, nursing aides and food service workers -- often women, often supporting families and children.

This free program is open to the public. Donations will be accepted to provide scholarships for those wishing to join the lobbying in Albany on Wed., April 2. For more information, contact AAUW Kingston Branch President Garnette Arledge (845-702-2120, kaauw12401@gmail.com).

1/15/08: literary group tackles Triangle

Update - 2/5/08: Some members have asked about our January meeting.
We discussed Triangle, The Fire That Changed America.
This non-fiction book about an event in NYC in 1911 could be compared to the historical fiction we read in September: Paradise Alley, the book about NYC in 1863 during the Civil War draft riots.

The beginning Labor Movement was helped by the devastation of the fire. The cooperation of women socialites who came to the working areas,Socialists, Immigrants, laborers joined in a common cause effected changes. Most important, though was one, young, immigrant, working girl who was beaten by thugs hired by management. She still gave lectures on the necessity of workers organizing themselves.
From, Marjorie Regan,
AAUW Book Club Moderator

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The next monthly meeting of the literary group will be held on Tuesday, January 15 at 1 PM, upstairs at the Kingston Library at 55 Franklin Street. We'll discuss Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by Dave von Drehle. Do join us, even if you haven't finished (or read!) the book.

Lucien Freud and Alexander Calder - Together Feb. 21st

Join us Thursday, February 21st, 4-5:30 pm, at the Kingston Area Library.

Whether you are going on the Kingston AAUW bus trip to the Museum of Modern Art or not, you are invited to a pre-trip presentation on Lucian Freud, (self-portrait at left), Sigmund's grandson, by Sue Kiok. Sue Kiok is a Woodstock artist and founder of the NY City Arts Mural Workshop.

We will also see PBS's excellent American Masters series of Alexander Calder's Circus.

Come enjoy, all are welcome to this free, public event sponsored by the American Association of University Women.

And, you can learn more about the March 8th trip to the Museum of Modern Art here [link].

For more information please contact, AAUW President Garnette Arledge at aloha.garnette@gmail.com or call 845-702-2120.

The Kodi Family Update - Coping with Violence

At the September branch meeting we heard about the Kodi family in Miyuga, Kenya. Many in our community, including the branch, contribute to the children's education, so the violence in that part of the world takes on a personal note for us.

Ellen Osgood followed up with our September speaker, Christine Dinsmore, to see how the family is faring. Christine's feedback:

The Kodi family members are affected by the violence to different degrees.

First, they are from the Luo tribe -- the minority tribe that feels as if the election was stolen. But they do not support the violence being committed by their tribe or any other tribe or the government.

Of the children, Valaria is most affected. She is the youngest of the sibling group and lives in Nairobi. Her family moved her to a different school because she was the only Luo attending her school -- her classmates were Kikuo. School was not in session when the violence broke out so she was not directly accosted by anyone. However, the family didn't want to take a chance that she would be taunted or assaulted, so she was moved to a mixed tribal school. The new school is not as strong academically as her previous school, but her family didn't want to chance her safety for school achievement.

Valeria lives with her aunt and cousin. They moved to another part of town because their section was extremely dangerous. So, in addition to a new school, they have been uprooted and are now waiting out the violence.

The rest of the children have been affected less. The boarding schools began a week or so later than normal, but the violence has not followed them there.

Inviolata has transferred to a different boarding school, but that's more to do with the stigma of her pregnancy and the birth of her son. She was forced to leave school because of the pregnancy and her family thought that she might be shunned by fellow students and teachers because of being tossed from school last year.

Oliva, who hopes to go to nursing school, remains on the army base with the father of her child. She wants to return to the farm but it’s unsafe at this time. However, the family also worries that the army base could explode if the crisis spreads to the army. Fortunately, that hasn’t happened. We hope it won’t.

Photo from Wikipedia - traditional Luo village

One Book/One Community 2008

This year, One Book/One Community will be joining Bard College to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of Chinua Achebe’s classic Things Fall Apart.

One Book/One Community 2008 Schedule

Tuesday, Feb 26 at 8 PM A TRIBUTE TO CHINUA ACHEBE

Presented by the Pen American Center, at Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, NYC Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe is joined by Toni Morrison, Chris Abani, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Edwidge Danticat, Suheir Hammad, Ha Jin, and Colum McCann for this exciting anniversary tribute to Things Fall Apart (1958) -- one of the first African novels written in English to receive global critical acclaim. The evening features a special performance by the Francesca Harper Dance Project with dancers from the Alvin Ailey School. Presented in collaboration with Vintage Books.Ticket Price: $15 available at Ticketmaster

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Thursday, March 27 at 7 PM ACHEBE, CONRAD AND IMAGES OF AFRICA IN THE WEST

Explore two literary classics on African themes: Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness with a panel of Bard and SUNY Ulster Professors - Vanderlyn Hall, Student Lounge, Ulster Community College. Free

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Saturday, March 29 1:30 PM MODERNITY & TRADITION IN AFRICAN LIFE

The clash of civilizations will be discussed by Professors Wendy Urban Mead and Myra Young Armstead - Poughkeepsie Library Auditorium, 105 Market Street, Poughkeepsie Free

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Thursday, April 3, 12:30 PM LISTENING TO ACHEBE'S WORDS

Nicola Sheara will read passages from Things Fall Apart. A light lunch of salads and desserts will be provided by the AAUW - Kingston Library, 55 Franklin Street, Kingston, Free

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Friday, April 11, 7:00 PM A PREMIER WORK OF LITERATURE TURNS 50

Panel Discussion with: Chinua Achebe and Jesse Shipley, Bard College; Amadiume, Dartmouth College; Simon Gikandi, Princeton University; Christine Griffin, Red Hook High School; Moderator: Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, Dartmouth College. Sosnoff Theater, Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, Bard College, Free

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Tuesday, April 15, 1:00 PM Kingston AAUW Book Club

The Book Club will discuss Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Kingston Library

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Sponsored by SUNY Ulster, Bard College and the Kingston chapter of the American Association of University Women

Funding provided by the New York Council for the Humanities (any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect those from the National Endowment for the Humanities)

11/13/07: literary group discussed Stones From the River

On 11/13/07, the literary group met upstairs at the Kingston Library at 55 Franklin Street to discuss Ursula Hegi's book Stones From the River.

Virginia Kohli gave us some background history and information about the author.

10/16/07: literary group discussed Gilead

On 10/16/07, our monthly branch literary group met upstairs at the Kingston Library at 55 Franklin Street. We discussed Marilynne Robinson's book Gilead. Pat Stedge gave us some information about the author.

Photo by Islandboy

Membership Tea held on Sunday, Oct. 14

Our new Membership VPs, Elaine Hammond and Polly Langer, organized a lovely Membership Tea yesterday afternoon at the Woodstock Fire House. Though it was chilly and overcast outside, inside it felt warm and welcoming.

We had a nice mix of long-time members, newer members, and complete newcomers to AAUW. Five people signed up on Sunday, with a few more "in the works"!

After giving us a little time to sip, munch, and mingle, Garnette gathered us in a circle and welcomed everyone. There were about 20 women and one (brave!) man. We went around the room and each of us introduced ourselves. It was an awe-inspiring ensemble. One of our new members even dashed in for an "intermission" between her two afternoon selections at the Woodstock Film Festival. Newcomer Judith Karpova spoke briefly about her experience in Iraq. Janine Fallon Mower noted that we are a group devoted to "social action and social interaction." And that about sums it up!

Photo by Heather Garland

Thanks to Peggy Kelland, International Update

At our September branch meeting, Peggy Kelland, NY State AAUW International Affairs Director, announced the new affiliation between AAUW and Care and shared an update on the break between AAUW and the International Federation of University Women. She explained that the IFUW break comes as a result of pure economics. National AAUW, despite our dues, can't afford the IFUW dues and now owes millions.

Peggy also provided an update on the Bina Roy Fund, where most of our branch contributions go.

She discussed AAUW's commitment to primary education for all women, worldwide. I especially liked her explanation why. She said, " When you educate a man, you educate a man; when you educate a woman, you educate a family."

Thanks for joining us, Peggy.

Sept. '07 Meeting: The Kodi Children of Miyuga, Kenya

Last September our speaker was Christine Dinsmore who spoke to us about the Kodi Kids of Miyuga, Kenya.
The father of these five children died and their mother is ill. An uncle promised his brother on his deathbed that he would make sure the children finish school. Christine Dinsmore has rallied Ulster County to "adopt" them. She will give us an up-to-date picture of this family and their needs. There are two additional projects that are looking for support. One is to bring safe water to the village and the other supplies solar cookers and training to women in the village. It is possible that the uncle can also join us.

David Marrell explained the difficulties families in Miyuga face in ensuring they have wood for cooking and water for sustenance and cleaning.He is working to provide solar cookers and hopes to drill a well in the town.

Peggy Kelland, the NYS AAUW International Officer, answered many of our questions on AAUW International Projects and the new relationship between AAUW and CARE.