SAN ANTONIO AAUW BRANCH Advocating for Women and Girls Since 1908

NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2018 From the President Volume 110 Issue 4

Happy December!

The holidays are upon us and I hope everyone has an enjoyable Thanksgiving. 2018-2019 THEME December is a time of celebrating light and finding joy. When the dark of winter comes, we shine our lights to brighten our days and illumine our Empowerment Through Education nights. Maybe that is why every major tradition has a celebration at this time.

As AAUW members and as women, we can shine our light on the march of women in all areas of government and justice after the mid-term elections. Women and diversity were illumined on many fronts. We will watch with BRANCH OFFICERS great interest as they take their oaths and begin their important work. I read an article today about how women are the great collaborators. Let President collaboration begin on the important issues that affect us all!

Suzanne Benson On the local level, AAUW had a great November meeting learning more about

pay equity. Though I was sick and could not attend, I was told that there were Co-Vice President for Programs many great questions for our presenters and everyone was engaged in the Eleanor Skelley discussion. Everyone should have received via email the information about

Co-Vice President for Programs Work Smart from National. I hope you will all take advantage of this opportunity and share it with others. This initiative is a powerful way to help Eva Nwokah women gain pay equity.

Vice President for Membership I hope to see you all at our December meeting. You will find the details in this Pat Sanford newsletter. I wish you and your families joy and peace during this holiday season. Secretary Cheryl Fuller To Peace, Suzanne Benson Treasurer Mary Heye

$500 Visa Gift Card Drawing

The drawing for the $500 Visa Gift Card will take place at the December meeting. You do not need to be present to win. Proceeds go to the Textbook Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25. Buy your tickets at the December meeting or send your check payable to AAUW-SA and the top sanantonio-tx.aauw.net portion of your tickets to Ann Marie Rehner in the envelope provided in Ann Marie's letter.

[email protected] Thank you for participating! Ann Marie Rehner

P1 DECEMBER MEETING SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 11:30AM-1:30PM

Pericos Mexican Cuisine 1439 E. Sonterra Blvd. 78258

Speaker Judge-Elect Rosie Gonzalez

Please RSVP to Eleanor Skelley by Monday, November 26 [email protected]

Meeting Menu Your Worth as a Woman

Appetizer: Pericos Queso Do you, your daughters, and your Here’s the best part: The program granddaughters know what they are works! In surveys with our Choice of Entree worth? Read the following and share participants, nearly all reported having

Trio Fajitas: Beef, chicken, and shrimp with them. Encourage them to invest more confidence and better negotiating fajitas with onions and bell peppers. an hour for free and find out how much skills after taking the class. you and they are worth! Served with guacamole and pico de gallo. Training 10 million women in salary

Veggie Fajitas: Grilled zucchini, From National: negotiation is central to AAUW’s goal onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, of closing the gender pay gap by 2030. and corn. Served with guacamole and Did you know that 57 percent of men By changing laws, improving employer pico de gallo. try to negotiate their salary, but only 7 practices, and empowering women to percent of women do? negotiate their own futures, we can Chicken Fiesta: Diced chicken fajita make it happen. grilled with pico de gallo. Served with Women still only make 80 cents on the guacamole. dollar, but you and AAUW can narrow We’re building a movement, and we that gap. need your help to spread the word.

All entrees served with corn or flour Please urge your family, friends, and AAUW introduces Work Smart Online followers to take AAUW’s Work Smart tortillas, charro beans, and Spanish rice. at salary.aauw.org. It is a free salary Online course at salary.aauw.org. If negotiation course to help women earn they like it (we know they will!), ask $25 cash or check payable to AAUW the pay they deserve! them to share it with their networks as This easy, engaging e-tool will teach well. you to: • Learn the market value of your Take Work Smart Online today skills and experience and improve your financial future! • Determine an equitable “target

salary” based on your experience Karen Reichensperger and skills • Ask for—and get—the pay you deserve

Welcome New Members

We are pleased to welcome two new members who joined at the October meeting: Dr. Yolanda Rodriguez-Escobar and Dr. Patricia Tucker. Dr. Rodriguez-Escobar, meeting speaker, made a dynamic presentation on HIV/AIDS: Impact on Latinos. Dr. Tucker attended with fellow member Ali Heller. Welcome, Yolanda and Patricia. We are happy you are now members of AAUW! We hope to see you often at monthly meetings and interest groups.

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AAUW scholarships. One example of an leftovers from generous portions. The initiative shared with the 5 C/U Staying Active, Involved, two speakers from St. Mary’s garnered members is Work Smart, which has our attention when they discussed their and Positive been presented in all 10 San Antonio research about the impact of women on districts with excellent results, per the San Antonio economy. I hope The midterms are history, and while testimonials. The hope is that the some of those we voted for won, educational institutions will sponsor members and guests’ experiences were unfortunately others lost. We all voted Start Smart for all their women similar to mine on this particular because we cared. One of the most students so that their first position Saturday. My favorite part of each positive results of the election at every following graduation will recognize meeting is enjoying the camaraderie level is the large number of women their skills and compensate them among the women who show up, from both sides who won public office. accordingly. cheerfully put down money, and listen Many of us believe more women in Cheryl Fuller and share their opinions and issues office will result in those who make and over food. Members attending this vote for the laws affecting women and luncheon paid $25 at Pappadeaux girls have a better understanding of our concerns. It is the growing impact of while the cost of each meal was $24.95. these women, and those who are The branch paid for gratuity and Branch Scholarships speakers’ meals, but from a treasurer’s already serving, who will be representing you and your issues. Our It’s scholarship time again at AAUW viewpoint, the luncheons over a years’ part in this new start in local, state, and San Antonio. Scholarship information, time “pay for themselves”. It has been national affairs is to keep in touch with both textbook and graduate, is being two years since we increased the all of our elected officials. Write and sent out to the area colleges and luncheon fee from $20 to $25. The call them often. Put them in your universities as well as to our College/ amount was increased because the electronic and hand written contacts. University representatives. If you know prices at various venues had increased, List their office addresses, emails, and of a talented woman, you too can pass and we traditionally cover meals for phone numbers. Let them hear from on the word and our web site, our speakers. The increase in luncheon you. sanantonio-tx.aauw.net. fees has made it possible to pay for Mynda Holman McGuire Karen Reichensperger members’ and speakers’ meals without a consistent deficit over time. Based on last year’s figures, some meetings resulted in a profit and added to our More College/University coffers to offset more expensive luncheons and to support other AAUW Members -SA activities. One important activity is

We are happy to report that we have paying for the meals of the scholarship additional San Antonio area colleges recipients at our annual Scholarship and universities (C/U) that have joined Luncheon. At this April meeting, when the AAUW SA Branch. The University we award textbook and graduate of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the scholarships, we invite each recipient University of the Incarnate Word and one person of her choosing, to be (UIW) have joined Our Lady of the our guests for the event. Some Lake University (OLLU), Palo Alto and October Culinary Adventures at NOLA recipients bring several family San Antonio College (SAC) as members. members and pay for the extra meals The committee established to focus on relationships and partnerships with themselves. Last spring six scholarship local educational institutions convened awardees brought one person each, so its first meeting last month and is Every Little Bit Counts the Branch paid for 12 guest meals at developing plans to further expand C/U Los Patios. Your board routinely involvement, highlighting the benefits As your Treasurer, I want to assure you reviews Branch operating expenses as of AAUW membership for faculty, staff, that every penny you pay to the San well as other expenditures, income and students. The committee is vital in Antonio Branch of AAUW counts, from from dues and luncheon fees, and our recruiting and retaining members for membership dues to scholarship endowment and dividend cash funds in our branch. It will develop information donations—even the luncheon fees! the Edward Jones account. I want to and materials to provide to C/U The annual budget was available for voice my appreciation to you for representatives and engage C/U leaders to participate in AAUW activities, members to view at the October handing over those checks and cash including student competition for meeting at Paesanos; the balanced payments at each luncheon meeting. budget provided an overview of income This money pays for not only the meals and expenditures for fiscal year 2018- and venue, but adds extra dollars and 2019. Our November luncheon at cents to our scholarships and activities Pappadeaux was informative and that support women and education. delectable thanks to the careful planning of our Program Vice- Mary L. Heye Presidents, Dr. Eva Nwokah and Dr. Eleanor Skelley. The setting, seating, service, savory seafood choices and desserts were perfect! The servers were also ready with the containers for the November meeting speaker, Belinda Roman P3 INTEREST GROUPS New President of BRIDGE

1st and 3rd Mon, 5:00pm Dr. Leana Wen assumed her position as

La Madeleine at Park North President on November 12, 2018 and is the first female physician to lead 722 NW Loop 410 at Blanco, 78216 Planned Parenthood in nearly 50 years. Contact Pearl Eng Dr. Wen is uniquely qualified and very [email protected] experienced as an advocate for 210.240.8118 women’s health and rights. Highlights of her career include serving as the Commissioner of Health, where she was a fierce public advocate HISTORIC SOUTHWEST for women’s health care, with 23 clinics Sat, Dec 8, 12:00pm providing reproductive health care. She opposed federal cuts to Title X, the Texas Holidays nation’s family planning program, and DoubleTree Hotel fought to protect women and families 37 NE Loop 410 at McCullough, 78216 in Baltimore from the administration’s Contact Ruth Lyle by Dec 1 rollbacks of healthcare. Dr. Wen’s [email protected] credentials are impressive, graduating 210.479.3349 summa cum laude from California State University at the age of 18, earning her medical degree, and then becoming a Rhodes Scholar. She MOVIEGOERS obtained two master’s degrees at the University of Oxford and was president Sat, Dec 8 (earlier date) of the American Medical Student Movie, time, and place selected by the Association, leading 65,000 physicians- group and announced the day before. in-training to fight for universal health Contact Fran Vetters care and reproductive rights. She was a volunteer at a Planned Parenthood [email protected] health center during medical school. 210.481.7765 Like many Planned Parenthood patients, Dr. Wen is an immigrant, born in , China, arriving with her family as a young child, and BOOK DISCUSSION becoming a U.S. citizen in 2003. Sat, Dec 15, 11:00am (later time) Throughout her life she and her family

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane relied on Planned Parenthood for by Lisa See health care. Hostess: Fran Vetters 25018 Burnt Arrow, 78258 Contact Fran Vetters by Dec 12 [email protected] Want to Learn More About 210.481.7765 AAUW? Join the AAUW Texas Conference Calls

ULINARY DVENTURES Calls will take place C A October, December, February, No Culinary Adventures in April, June December. See you in January! Second Tuesday, 5:00pm Membership with Gloria Long

WINE, WOMEN, & WISDOM Second Thursday, 5:00pm Public Policy with Crystal Garcia No Wine, Women, & Wisdom in December. See you in January! Third Tuesday, 4:00pm AAUW Funds/Fundraising with Jean Dodds

Third Thursday, 4:00pm Program with Melodia Gutierrez

Call 641.715.0634 PIN 622745#

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