Future Generations are Counting on Us!

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

Threats have never been greater to women’s reproductive rights, voter access and a strong public education system. Women working full-time in the US are paid 83% of what men earn. At the current rate, we won’t reach pay equality until Year 2111. Since its founding as a non-partisan organization in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political.  When you join AAUW, your voice is amplified. You join lobbying efforts at local, state and national levels. Additionally, you bring with you the ability to change the organization itself for the better. Only 2% of AAUW membership represents women of color. Self-examination is warranted. The work continues. These are all reasons to renew your AAUW membership.

Here’s another reason: Participation in active life-long learning is important to overall wellbeing. You know it and appreciate it. It’s evident in our numbers. Our branch experienced 35% growth over the 3-year period Feb. 2019 – Feb. 2022. That’s right, growth in the pandemic. Membership count was 48 in 2019, 59 for the period Feb. 2020 – Feb. 2021, and 65 in 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 membership count in Feb. 2022 as compared to one year ago.

Our branch benefits greatly from the number and diversity of colleges and universities concentrated here, but I believe the count increase is because of a good combination of Jan Holland’s personality as a membership leader, relevant programs with a swift pivot to Zoom and our continued commitment to and expansion of local branch scholarships. We did not let a pandemic get in the way of our giving spirit or member 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 AAUW members in Asheville, Winston-Salem and Greensboro appreciated our programs and joined our branch this year as well as their own.

Stay Engaged: Don’t let your membership lapse.

Sign up now for in-person tour May 21 at Historic Stagville in Durham  (includes directions to the site).  Let’s build on the momentum. Bring a friend to Stagville. Join/Renew your AAUW membership. Join a branch interest group. Stay engaged, my friends. It’s good for your health. It’s good for AAUW. It’s good for a healthy democracy that can use all the help it can get. 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. That’s pretty good, but we can do better.

Decisions about Zoom or in-person programs depend upon meeting space policies and availability as well as speaker preferences and travel considerations. Lori Bunton, Michele Hoyman, Laura Thomas and Susan Williams are already working on speaker invitations for Fall 2022 / Spring 2023. Dr. Donna Wilson volunteers time every year to ensure an inspirational February program with local national AAUW Fellowships/Grants recipients. If you have a program topic and a speaker contact, please let us know. We invite you to give back! Email: aauw.odc.programs@gmail.com. 

In our January book club selection, Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family, the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray shares the wisdom of her grandmother, Cornelia Smith Fitzgerald, who had planted a young orchard on the family property in Durham, NC:  “I won’t be here when these bear fruit, child, but they’re for your time.”

We get one shot in this life. Make it count. Future generations are counting on us.

Yours in AAUW sisterhood,

Cindy Parks – President

Thank you:

• For renewing promptly in June. Saves time for volunteers like Jan Holland & Mary Sipple.
• Lori Bunton and Emily Hare for agreeing to serve as new officers (5/19 induction).
• Kay White for compiling our branch directory (Yearbook). Watch your inbox this summer!
• Mary Kolek for facilitating rich book club discussions.
• For donating $1, attending 1 program, or reporting your birthday for birthday dollars.
• For telling a friend about a program or book club discussion you enjoyed.
• For forwarding a newsletter or an email about our branch scholarships to help us reach a larger audience and meet our $5K/Yr. scholarship commitments.

Last year’s scholarship fundraiser success and the fact that you renewed your membership on time set us up for a solid Fall 2021/ Spring 2022. We could not have done this without Jan Holland, the support of AAUW-NC, and people like Kathy Pearre, Pat Ashe, Michele Hoyman, Mary Sipple, Dr. Donna Wilson, Katie Loovis, Mary Kolek, myself, and Liz Leone who serves as our AAUW Public Policy representative. Liz also volunteered to assist on administrative tasks related to keeping tabs on 4 scholarship funds and the recipients. We could not have established those scholarships without the support of sustainers Bea Keller, Dr. Susan J. Henning, and Barrie Trinkle. It’s quite the team effort. Go, team!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein