“Not the boys less, but the girls more.” – Anna Julia Cooper (1858-1964)

Future Generations are Counting on Us!

Threats have never been greater to women’s reproductive rights, voter access and a strong system of public education. While non-partisan, AAUW is an organization that vigorously supports and promotes gender fairness, equity and diversity in all of these public policy concerns. When you join AAUW, your voice is amplified. You not only support lobbying efforts at higher levels, but you also bring with you the ability to change the organization itself for the better. These are all reasons to support AAUW and to renew your AAUW membership for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. 

Participation in active life-long learning is important to overall wellbeing. You know this and appreciate it. It’s evident in our numbers. Our branch experienced 35% growth over the 3-year period Feb. 2019 – Feb. 2022. Membership count was 48 in Feb. 2019 and increased to 65 by Feb. 2022. Our branch was second only to Charlotte which reported 41% growth (17 to 24 members) over the same period. Sadly, overall AAUW-NC membership declined almost 20% for the same 3-yr. period. Only 8 of 19 NC branches reported a higher count in Feb. 2022 as compared to one year ago.

I believe our branch’s count success is because we did not let a pandemic get in the way of our giving spirit or our engagement. The pivot to Zoom kept current members connected, generated broader community interest, and allowed us to capture the benefit of adding several “dual memberships” when members in Asheville, Winston-Salem and Greensboro attended our programs and joined our branch this year as well as their own.

Stay Engaged: Don’t let your membership lapse.

Join/Renew with AAUW. Stay engaged, my friends. It’s good for your health. It matters even more for future generations. AAUW membership and branch participation counts because others are counting on us.

Stay Connected: Show some love by showing up.

Program committee volunteers and interest group facilitators dedicate several hours per month to provide “ah-ha” opportunities for us. They value our time as much as their own. 26 of 65 members attended our Annual Meeting in March 2022. That’s pretty good. But we can do better. We get one shot in this life. Make it count.