Alabama Daybreak Volume 57, Issue 2 AAUW of Alabama Fall 2007 Ready to Run is Getting Ready Ready to Run: Training Alabama Women for Government Leadership to Go! The concept for Ready to Run is an outcome of AAUW of Alabama’s Program Theme Team Ready to Run is getting ready to go and and Public Policy Committee. In the process of developing statewide programs to support the you do not want to be left out! It is creat- national theme, “Education as the Gateway to Women’s Economic Security,” discussions ing excitement around the state and the word revolved around the problems in Alabama. After much research, it was determined is spreading to members and nonmembers the problems affecting Alabama women and their issues are centered on the fundamentally flawed Alabama Constitution and the insufficient number of women participating in alike. Ready to Run is preparing to do what governmental processes. Therefore, the Program Theme Team and Public Policy Committee no other organization or political group in concluded that the voice of women in Alabama had to be stronger. Alabama is doing, providing training to Recruiting participants and/or becoming a Ready to Run participant is vital to Alabama’s encourage women to run for government progress because we need more women serving in government leadership. Our goal is to leadership. As members, we understand the train qualified Alabama women. Therefore, qualified women in AAUW and women in our problems affecting the quality of life of Ala- communities cannot afford to miss this opportunity, because Alabama is paying a high price bama’s women and children can only be ad- for the absence of women’s voices in our state’s leadership. f o dressed by increasing the number of women e n r G o m o W v e leaders in government. r Don’t Miss the Training: n a m According to a 2000 study by the Institute m e Qualifying and Filing Appropriate Documents a n b for Women’s Policy Research, women in Al- t a • Basic Alabama government l L abama lag behind in every index measured: A e • Age, residency, and other requirements political participation, employment and a g d • Local and state requirements n e earnings, economic opportunity, reproduc- i r n • Working with the party organizations s i h tive rights, and health and well-being. This a R R i • Evaluating your strengths r p report assigns Alabama a grade of D- and of Developing a Campaign Team T the 50 states, we rank at the bottom even in • Building blocks for planning a campaign R E A D Y TO R U N evaluating the status of women in their com- • Recruiting professionals and volunteers munities (The Status of Women in Leader- • Managing your campaign team while letting them do their job ship in Alabama, 2003). Fundraising But Ready to Run is prepared to pro- • How much money do you need and how to raise it? vide non-partisan training that will position • Establishing a campaign budget women leaders for the challenge of changing • Challenges to raising funds for women candidates the quality-of-life standards for all Alabama Preparing and Marketing a Campaign Message citizens – men, women and children. This • Dealing with the media is truly a dynamic opportunity for AAUW • Establishing a platform of Alabama to increase the participation of • Utilizing free advertising and media women leaders in government in the 21st • Public speaking century and We Can Do It Together! Networking Now is the time to “talk too much!” Now • Identifying personal, community, is the time to “spend too much!” Now is and professional contacts the time to “be renewed” in our vision for • Building relationships Alabama! Ready to Run is ready to go be- • Becoming visible in the community cause now is NOT the time to do “business • Preparing a grassroots campaign as usual!” Are you ready? Are you excited about how you will be a part of making a difference? Are you ready for the future of AAUW and Alabama? Ready to Run co-directors: Ready to Run is at the starting line and Mildred Lanier and Several members of the Ready to Run team. Back row, we are ready to go! JOIN US and let’s run left to right: Elizabeth Hendrix, Cindy Bell, Alison Dr. Elizabeth Hendrix Stigers. Front row, left to right: Brendette Brown Green, together into Alabama’s future! Tiffany Todd, Mildred Lanier. AAUW Website: www.aauw.org AAUW of Alabama Website: www.aauw-alabama.org President’s Message Wedding bells chimed this summer for AAUW of Alabama Communications Director Mrs. Candice Rigsby Bressler. Congratulations to Ready to Run Co-Director Dr. Elizabeth Hendrix as she pursues her new career with Missouri Western College/University in St. Joseph, Missouri. AAUW of Alabama members keep Recording Secretary Barbara Knotts in their thoughts as she fights her battle with Multiple Sclerosis. A special thanks to Yvonne Brakefield, Program Vice President, for recording the minutes for the Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings this summer. Please welcome new appointments to the Board of Directors: Teresa A. Whiting, Educational Foundation Chair, and Tiffany Todd, LTI – Technology Literacy Chair. These “Fresh Faces of AAUW” reflect the new, young, diverse and professional leadership within AAUW of Alabama. AAUW leaders of the past raise the curtain for these “Fresh Faces” to take center stage. As Sherry Schiller, organizational guru, stated at the AAUW convention in Phoenix, AZ, “No more business as usual!” AAUW of Alabama accepts her challenge to “Create our own reality.” As we create our own reality, we must answer the traditional questions of what, when, where, who, and how, but the true test will be our accountability of the measurable outcomes. Results focused on AAUW’s mission are what count. At the August 2007 Leader- ship Conference, attendees expressed the need to strengthen the AAUW image and increase visibility in Alabama with branches uniting throughout the state in focused goals with one voice. In addition to our main project, Ready to Run, AAUW of Alabama will focus on supporting Alabama Arise’s legislative agenda, Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform drive for a constitutional convention and Alabama Children’s Literacy Guild’s efforts to eradicate childhood illiteracy. Through our Leadership and Training Institute Chairs, we will focus on Financial, Leadership and Tech- nology Literacy. The host convention and program committee are planning the AAUW of Alabama State Convention, “Focus, Unite, Succeed,” for April 2008. Start placing $20 each month in a special savings account, or select your own secret space, towards the Convention Registration Fee and EF/LAF Banquet. Plan to attend the pre-convention workshops on the University of North Alabama campus. Review the Spe- cial Convention Page with highlights of activities and events at the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa, Florence, Alabama. We look forward to seeing you in 2008. Audrey L. Salgado f o r Return this portion with your payment $ e n G o m o W v e r n a m m e a n b t Training Alabama Women for Government Leadership* a l Ready to Run L A e a g d This project was made possible in part by a grant from the AAUW Educational Foundation. n e i r n s i h a R R i r p T R E A D Y TO R U N REGISTRATION FORM Name: ____________________________________________Name for nametag:_____________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________________State:_____________Zip:_____________ Email: ______________________________________________________________________________ Work Phone: __________________________Home Phone:______________________Cell:_______________________ Please place an X in the box for desired training location. Please place an X in the box to indicate education level. Birmingham Training Site High School Diploma Huntsville Training Site Associates Degree Auburn Training Site For details for a one day Pre-Convention Training, Florence, Bachelors Degree April 4, 2008, contact Cindy Bell, [email protected] Masters Degree Occupation ____________________________________ Ph.D. or Higher Have you ever run for political office before? ___Yes ___No If so, what position did you run for and when: ____________ Saturday Trainings: January – June, 2008 $158 fee includes 5 all-day training sessions, ____________________________________________ electronic meetings, textbook, other materials ____________________________________________ and resources. Lunch on your own. Please make your check or money order in the amount of $158 payable to AAUW of Alabama – Ready to Run, P.O. Box 383053, Birmingham, Alabama 35238 *Ready to Run does not guarantee that participants will be elected or appointed. – 2 – Ready to Run Scholarships The Ready to Run team is proud to be an agent for change by presenting training opportunities for women of Alabama to become a stronger catalyst for advancing equity for women and girls in their communities, state, and nation. Historically, men have been primary supporters of other men preparing to run for office. Jimmy Clark, former Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives, reveals, “Men are more inclined to support those things that they work in, and when you get to broad issues like health care and children’s issues and those sort of things, women are more apt to dig in and stick with it longer” (The Birmingham News, May 23, 1994). And “dig in and stick with it” is the legacy of the women of AAUW of Alabama – past, present and future. Because of the strong history of giving, the members of AAUW of Alabama have proven to be willing and committed to sharing their financial resources to bring about change in Alabama and the nation. At this critical time in our state and nation for the need for leader- ship, the Ready to Run team is asking for member support to sponsor 10 scholarships at $158 to help promising women get the training needed to be competent to run for and serve in government leadership in Alabama.