Summer breezes made us feel fine on our July Solaris cruise!…

Five of us fun-loving AAUW Kingston branch members went on our annual outing on
the Solaris, joining a sold-out music cruise on the evening of Thursday, July 18.
The weather had cooled off after one of this summer’s heat waves, so being out on
the water that night was simply delightful.

Rick and Marilyn, a folk rock duo based in Hudson, NY, performed many great tunes —
an awesome array of originals and favorite classic folk/rock/country/blues cover songs.

So ’til we meet again the same time next year, check out our photo below!…Susan H.

L to R: Margaret McDowell, Geraldine Popko, Glory Jasper, Lynn Gore, Susan Holland

7/24: It’s My Vote! Webinar: Voter Registration Training

AAUW National Webinar:
It’s My Vote! Voter Registration Training
Wed., 7/24, 7 PM ET
Register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wqhRLVv1SgGzmwUvquUZ6A

Given where we are in this election year, it’s important we prepare for the fights ahead. How do we do that? By registering ourselves and our communities to vote.

Join us to discuss everything you need to know to conduct local voter registration.

We’ll dive into the ins and outs of AAUW’s voter registration portal, provide insights, and share practices for maximizing your voter registration efforts — equipping you with the right tools to make a meaningful impact.

When We All Vote’s Managing Director of National Organizing will share some tips and tricks on holding voter registration events.

The session will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers. And if you can’t make it, join When We All Vote on Thursday, August 1, at 8 PM. for their National Voter Registration Day/Week of Action training.

2024 AAUW-NYS annual convention: exciting news!

We, her fellow board and branch members, extend a hearty congratulations to our marvelous newsletter editor Geraldine Popko! At the 2024 AAUW-NYS annual convention held 6/28 and 6/29 at the Hilton Hotel in Poughkeepsie, our branch won a 2024 AAUW-NYS Communication Award for Outstanding Newsletter! (See below.)

And thank you to our branch president Lynn Gore for her participation in a Learning Circle that was part of the Saturday afternoon session on Educational Challenges Today!

Also, thank you so much to our sister branch in Poughkeepsie for hosting this year’s state convention, to all of the organizers, and to the outgoing and incoming state officers!

– Susan Holland, branch webmaster, state delegate, etc….!

8/19/24: Bus Trip to The Pirates of Penzance at Glimmerglass Opera House in Cooperstown

Please reserve your seat today!

The 2024 Festival will open with Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance in a vibrant production directed and choreographed by Seán Curran and conducted by Music Director Joseph Colaneri, featuring set and costume designs by James Schuette and lighting by Robert Wierzel. A Gilbert & Sullivan classic, combining soaring vocal lines and slapstick comedy, returns to Glimmerglass for the first time in nearly 20 years. This colorful, family-friendly production features elegant Victorian ladies and an aristocratic band of pirates stuck in perpetual adolescence. Curran’s hit production from Opera Theatre of Saint Louis kicks it up a notch at Glimmerglass with the addition of a corps of professional dancers.

Due to a mistake made by his nurse, Ruth, Frederic is indentured to the Pirates of Penzance until his 21st birthday. When Frederic turns 21, he announces his intention to abandon the Pirates and live an honorable life. The Pirate King is disappointed to lose his apprentice, but he concedes that Frederic is duty-bound to follow his conscience. Ruth asks Frederic to take her with him; as he considers her proposal, a bevy of maidens appears. One of them, Mabel, is deeply moved by Frederic’s situation.

Christian Mark Gibbs is a multifaceted talent of stage and screen, and will bring his “strikingly handsome tenor” (Broadway World) to the role of Dan Leno in Elizabeth Cree and Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance.

Elizabeth Sutphen is an impressive addition to the Glimmerglass Festival’s 2024 season, praised for her “exquisite” (The Guardian) coloratura soprano and “crisp comedic instinct” (Opera News). Sutphen will be performing the role of Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance.

Craig Irvin brings his “well-schooled baritone” (Opera Today) to the roles of the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance.

Reserve your ticket by May 31

email Lynn Gore:

lynngore54@gmail.com

send check after email confirmation.

$170 for members, $180 non-members

all seats are orchestra seats and there are no stairs to climb

Please provide contact information and

pick up location:

Kingston or Saugerties

If you have questions contact Lynn Gore at lynngore54@gmail.com, (845)687-9210
send checks made out to AAUW Kingston to

Lynn Gore
400 Chestnut Hill Road
Stone Ridge, NY 12484

Itinerary for Monday, August 19, 2024

9:00 am Departure Kingston, Herzog plaza
9:15 am Pick up Saugerties Park and Ride Rt 32 across from the southbound entrance to I 87.
11:30 am Arrive at Glimmerglass Opera House
11:30- 12:45 pm Lunch* and Opera Preview
3:30 pm Board bus at Glimmerglass
5:30 pm Saugerties drop off
5:45 Kingston drop off

* Lunch: The grounds and many picnic tables are made available to guests for picnicking before and after productions. Enjoy delicious made-to-order wraps and sandwiches or visit the wine bar to create a special picnic on the grounds. There is also room on the bus for small coolers if you would like to keep a picnic lunch cool.

4/23 to 4/26: Climate Roadmap workshops

This month, we are highlighting the Climate Roadmap from Sustainable Hudson Valley and LWV MHR. (Our branch co-sponsored the set of 4 workshops that were held earlier this month.)

The project as a whole is so large and encompasses so much that it was agreed that it should be broken down into four sections, each focusing on one aspect. These one-hour sessions are chock full of useful and important information presented in a way that most people can understand.

It will be shared among local leaders with an interest in the state of, and possibilities for, making a positive impact on the future of our Hudson Valley and beyond.

Please join us for these important conversations. Feel free to share the information with your local environmental organizations, political leaders, and others who could benefit from learning more about what is happening and what each of us can do.

To register for any of the 4 workshops, which are each offered twice per day, or for all 4 of them, go here:
Workshop registration page

Monday, April 23, Noon – Decarbonizing Power, Buildings, and Transportation
Monday, April 23, 6 PM – Decarbonizing Power, Buildings, and Transportation
Tuesday, April 24, Noon – Building a Low-Carbon Circular Economy
Tuesday, April 24, 6 PM – Building a Low-Carbon Circular Economy
Wednesday, April 25, Noon – Farms, Forests, Land, and Water
Wednesday, April 25, 6 PM – Farms, Forests, Land, and Water
Thursday, April 26, Noon – Community and Economic Benefits
Thursday, April 26, 6 PM – Community and Economic Benefits

4/3/24 to 5/15/24 (at noon ET): AAUW National Election

Check your email for this Subject line: AAUW Election 2024, and then vote Yes for Open Membership!
From AAUW National Board Chair Julia Brown
For over a century, AAUW has championed gender equity while evolving strategically. Now we can build upon our legacy by welcoming all who share our mission, regardless of degree status.
Why does this matter? Because our standing as a leading voice for gender equity demands we practice the inclusion we fight for.
Far from devaluing our work, this evolution recognizes that many champion equity through non-traditional paths.
Rest assured, an open membership won’t require changing our name or mission. AAUW will remain the powerful organization you’ve always known, open to a wider universe of equity allies.
For over a century, our ability to evolve has been our strength. In these uncertain times, we need to include all allies, regardless of degree status.
Let’s forge a more just, equitable future together by voting Yes on open membership.
In solidarity,
Julia T. Brown, Esq.
Board Chair, AAUW

4/8 to 4/11: Climate Roadmap workshops

This month, we are highlighting the Climate Roadmap from Sustainable Hudson Valley. The project as a whole is so large and encompasses so much that it was agreed that it should be broken down into four sections, each focusing on one aspect. These one-hour sessions are chock full of useful and important information presented in a way that most people can understand.

We are co-sponsoring this event with LWV MHR. It will be shared among local leaders with an interest in the state of, and possibilities for, making a positive impact on the future of our Hudson Valley and beyond.

Please join us for these important conversations. Feel free to share the information with your local environmental organizations, political leaders, and others who could benefit from learning more about what is happening and what each of us can do.

Registration links for the four workshops follow:
Monday, April 8th, 6 PM – Decarbonizing Energy, Buildings, & Transportation
Tuesday, April 9th, Noon – Tackling the Carbon Footprint of Materials and Building a Circular Economy
Wednesday, April 10th, 6 PM – Farms, Forests, Land and Water: Optimizing Resource Use in a Changing Climate
Thursday, April 11th, Noon – Capturing Community Benefits for Environmental Justice, Economic Development, & Resilient Communities

4/23/24: April Branch Meeting and Poetry Open Mic

Come celebrate National Poetry Month with AAUW Kingston on Tuesday, April 23 from
3:45 to 5 PM at the Kingston Library, 61 Crown Street, Kingston.

The afternoon will begin with a presentation by our featured poet Mary O’Melveny. Mary began writing poetry after a long career as a labor rights lawyer. Her award-winning poems have appeared in many print and online literary journals and anthologies. She is the author of four poetry collections. Her most recent, “Flight Patterns,” was nominated for the Eric Hoffer Book Award. Her collection, “Merging Star Hypotheses” was a semi-finalist for The Washington Prize, sponsored by The Word Works. She has been twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Next, we will open the floor to poets or poetry readers who have signed up online to share their work or a favorite poem. Poems related to women are especially welcome. RSVP to let us know how many participants to expect. Please indicate if you are interested in presenting.
RSVP to Lynn Gore at: lynngore54@gmail.com (subject line poetry open mike)

Pleas join us! This meeting is open to all. Refreshments will be served.

Tuesday, March 12 is Equal Pay Day

AAUW-NYS, in collaboration with PowHer New York, a women’s advocacy coalition,
is hosting an in-person rally for everyone on March 12.
If you can’t make it to the in-person rally, you can also participate in an online virtual rally.

March 12 In-Person Rally:
New York City Hall – Noon to 1 PM – Wear Red!

March 12 Online Virtual Rally:
Use hash tag #EqualPayNY on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to spread the word about Equal Pay.

2024 Equal Pay Day Calendar

– Overall Equal Pay Day – March 12, 2024

– Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women’s Equal Pay Day – April 3, 2024

– LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day – June 13, 2024

– Black Women’s Equal Pay Day – July 9, 2024

– Moms’ Equal Pay Day – August 7, 2024

– Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day – August 28, 2024

– Latina Equal Pay Day – Oct 3, 2024

– Native Women’s Equal Pay Day – November 21, 2024