BREVARDBREVARD BRANCHBRANCH NEWNEWSS Our 61st Year February 2016 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The cold and snow has not slowed our members down this month. January has been quite busy for our AAUW branch. Here is a quick look at some of our committees lately. The Book Sale Committee, led by Pinkie Byrd, continues to prepare for the 2016 sale. Members stay busy picking up large donations, sorting and boxing the books into categories. COMING EVENTS The influx will be picking up soon as the Yellow Boxes are delivered to various locations Feb 3 Book Club throughout the area. Mark June 18-24 on your 2:00 p.m. College Walk calendar – it’s going to be another great sale. Feb 8 Board Meeting The Jeopardy Committee, led by Treese Lawlis, has been 1:00 p.m. St. Philip’s Episcopal revising the 2016 Jeopardy Study Guide to use with Transylvania Church County’s 5th graders during Women’s History Month in March. Some new biographies have added, a few previous accounts have Feb 9 Branch Meeting been dropped, and all remaining profiles have been updated. Noon Lutheran Church of AAUW members will have the opportunity later this month to the Good Shepherd sign up to facilitate a Jeopardy session in a local classroom. Feb 23 Bridge Club The Women’s History Month Committee, led by Julia 1:00 p.m. Carol Carrano’s home Kennerly, has been planning the annual display at the Mar 3 Book Club Transylvania County Library in March. The national theme for 2:00 p.m. College Walk this year honors women in public and government service; we will have a Transylvania focus to our local display. Look forward to this interesting and informative exhibition. The Leadership Development/Institute for Women in Leadership (IWIL) committee has been active over the past couple of months as well. Our members and the Brevard College IWIL program are working together to plan two new activities in the coming months to increase interaction between AAUW and IWIL. My appreciation goes out to Kathryn Rasmussen, one of our members who is also the Brevard College faculty sponsor of the IWIL program, and to our Leadership Development/IWIL co-chairs, Carole Pohl and Pat Clow. (Continued on page 3) BRANCH MEETING 12 noon, Tuesday, February 9 Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Making Connections – So Much Injustice, So Little Time with the Rev. Carter Heyward NOTE CHANGE IN TIME; BRING A BAG LUNCH Hostesses: Sue Barrett & Carole Pohl BRANCH MEETING PROGRAM Carter Heyward, local AAUW and NAACP member, will be speaking to us on “Making Connections – So Much Injustice, So Little Time.” She is a theologian, teacher and priest in the Episcopal Church. In 1974, she was one of the “Philadelphia Eleven,” eleven women whose ordinations eventually paved the way for the recognition of women as priests in the Episcopal Church in 1976. Carter holds a BA from Randolph-Macon Woman's College (now Randolph College), an MA in the Comparative Study of Religion from Columbia University, and a Master of Divinity in Religion and Psychiatry from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She was awarded a PhD in 1980 for her work on redemption in the thought of two early Christian thinkers. Carter taught at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 1975, and was the Howard Chandler Robbins Professor of Theology there until she retired in 2006. The inaugural Carter Heyward Scholars Lecture was given at the college in her honor in October 2006. She received the Distinguished Alumni/ae Award from Union Theological Seminary in 1998. Carter is a remarkable advocate and activist, fighting for justice. She is also a founder of the Free Rein Center for Therapeutic Horseback Riding and Education. She has authored numerous theological books and articles. Please come meet and hear Carter at our branch meeting at noon on Tuesday, February 8. Don’t forget to bring your brown bag lunch. Leslie Chepenik, Program Vice President WELCOME A NEW MEMBER NOMINATING COMMITTEE Susan Cothern The Nominating Committee is looking for a “few good graduated from the women” to serve as officers for 2016-2017. Per our bylaws, University of we are charged with filling the following positions: Southern Mississippi president-elect, vice-president (membership), vice-president with a BS in Biology/ (programs) and secretary. These positions are two-year Pre-Med. She went commitments, with the exception of the president-elect, who on to earn an MBA serves on the board for three years (president-elect, with an emphasis on president, past-president). Healthcare Don’t be concerned if you have not had experience Administration from serving on a board or in one of these roles. Both current and William Carey University in 1999. past board members are very generous in sharing their Susan has been a professional experience and will guide you along the way. New fundraiser for almost 20 years and at membership and program vice-presidents will work with Brevard College for the past 8 years. She those who are serving their second year in these roles. And, moved to the Brevard area for our quality as president-elect, you will have an of life and outdoor recreation opportunity to observe and learn the opportunities. She is an avid runner and duties of the presidency before you is now engaged to a fellow runner. assume that responsibility. The Nominating Committee will be meeting soon to put together a list of potential nominees, and we welcome your input. If you yourself are interested in one of these roles, please let me know. We also welcome your suggestions of others who might be willing to serve. We have a terrific talent pool in this branch. Please consider stepping up to serve! Betty Schenfield, Nominating Committee Chair 2 President’s Message (Continued from page 1) The Bylaws Committee, led by Karla Bridge Club Atkinson, is working on updating our branch’s bylaws. A draft will be reviewed by the Board The AAUW bridge club will meet at 1:00 p.m. on of Directors in February. February 23, the 4th Tuesday of the month, at the home of Carol Carrano. If you would like information about Karla has also been busy with the Get Out this group, please contact Linda Thompson. The Vote (GOTV) initiative. During a week in February several branch members will be at Book Group local high schools working on voter registration The AAUW book group will discuss Infidel by Ayaan for 18-year-olds. We wish this group much Hirsi Aliat on Wednesday, February 3 at 2:00 p.m. in success. the downstairs meeting room at College Walk. We will Thanks also go to two members who have discuss Outside the Magic Circle by Virginia Foster stepped up to lead two committees when Durr on March 6. For more information please contact vacancies occurred unexpectedly. Kristen Carol Carrano. Alpert will now monitor the Legal Advocacy Fund efforts for our branch. Look for her article in this newsletter. Carole Pohl also JEOPARDY stepped up to head the Leadership Development/IWIL efforts, along with Pat Clow. March will be here before you know it, so it's time to Carole and Pat both had careers in higher plan for the Jeopardy program AAUW presents for fifth- education, making them a natural fit to work on graders to highlight Women's History Month. We are our college efforts. contacting the 5th grade teachers to schedule their classes and expect that many branch members will be needed for January 22 marked the anniversary of two the presentations. legislative decisions of interest to AAUW and its members. January was the 43rd anniversary of the It is a lot of fun, and we hope that you will sign up to Roe v Wade decision in 1973. This controversial help. Before the games begin there will be a verdict affecting women’s reproductive rights brief orientation session for everyone who has not still continues to be of interest legislatively and participated before and those who would like a refresher. in the courts. In 2016 the U.S. Supreme Court Three members are needed for each group: a score will hear another case on abortion, Whole keeper, a moderator, and someone to handle the Women’s Health v Cole, rising out of a recent computer. We are in the classroom for approximately 75 Texas law. AAUW has filed an amicus brief minutes, so it is not a large commitment of your time. against this law which prevents reproductive There will be a sign-up sheet at the February meeting health clinics from performing abortions unless with dates and times of the scheduled games. Please the doctors have admitting privileges at a bring your personal calendar and sign up for a richly hospital within 30 miles. In essence this law rewarding experience! Where else can you volunteer for shuts down all but 10 such clinics in Texas. a wonderful cause and it only takes an hour of your time? Citizens United v FEC is five years old. This Treese Lawlis, Jeopardy Chair ruling stated that contributions to candidates and causes was protected as political free speech under the First Amendment. This opened the door for Super PACs that may solicit unlimited and confidential donations from corporations and individuals. Already in the 2016 election cycle ,Super PACs have spent over $145 million with 10 months yet to go until the election. I look forward to seeing you at our February 9 meeting when the speaker will be Rev. Carter Heyward, one of our members. Carter is well-known as one of the first women ordained in the Episcopal Church and as a feminist theologian.