March 14th, National Equal Pay Day, is the symbolic date when full-time working women’s wages equal the wages earned by full-time working men in the prior year. Calculated on 2021 data, that’s 84 cents on the dollar nationally, and 88.7 cents for New York. To get serious about addressing historic wage inequality and current disruption in work for women, we must tackle all the root causes of the wage gap. New York has that opportunity now by taking bold action. See the related bills listed below.

– Wear red in solidarity on March 14!

– Watch the YouTube presentation by PowHer NY called Will the NYS Budget Prioritize Women? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1YQ8Qrc8cY

Related NYS Bills

– The Senate bill is S1978A, Raise the Wage Act, sponsored by NYS Senator Jessica Ramos.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S1978

– The Assembly bill is A1710, the One Fair Wage bill, sponsored by NYS Representative Jessica González-Rojas.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A1710

—————————————————————————————–
— Susan Holland, susan-holland@usa.net

AAUW Kingston Branch Meeting
Wednesday, March 22, 4 PM on Zoom
A Poetry Open Mike

Let’s all get our creative juices flowing and start getting ready for National Poetry Month in April  by joining AAUW Kingston poets and poetry lovers for an afternoon of inspiration!

Featuring AAUW Kingston Past-President ViVi Hlavsa. ViVi is a talented published poet and will read from her works. Vivi has published Waking October Leaves and Squinnied for a Sign. The name of her forthcoming work is Re-Versing: Memoir of a Non-Agenarian.

Also featuring our current branch President Lynn Gore, who will read select poems from her collection.

Do you write poetry now, or have you ever? Why not share your creativity with our members and guests as we welcome spring! Or, you can to read a favorite poem by another author.

RSVP to Lynn Gore at lynngore54@gmail.com (Subject: poetry open mike) so we know how much time to set for each participant. If time permits, you might want to have a couple of backup poems ready to go. Lynn will send the Zoom link out on 3/21.

See you on Zoom on 3/22!…Susan H., susan-holland-usa.net

Museum Morning, Musical Afternoon!

Bus leaves from Kingston Plaza (Hannaford side)
8 AM: Departs
7 PM: Returns

Cost:
AAUW Members: $190
Non-Members: $200
By April 25, send your check (made out to AAUW Kingston) with your contact information to:
Lynn Gore, 400 Chestnut Hill Road, Stone Ridge NY 12484

Questions? Call or email: lynngore54@gmail.com, 845-687-9210

Worried about walking? All seats are orchestra seats; shuttle bus from the opera house parking lot and wheelchairs at the museum are available.

Museum visit time: 10:30 AM to noon
The Fenimore Museum
A 1930s neo-Georgian mansion
Landscape paintings, American Indian artifacts, folk art, & more

featuring Randy Johnson: Storytelling with Photographs
Hall of Fame pitcher, Randy Johnson, shares his 40-year passion for photography in his first-ever solo exhibition, which features an array of images captured by Johnson during his treks across Africa. The work includes intimate shots of the people he engaged with and the abundance of wildlife he encountered. Johnson’s accompanying written account partners with the vibrant imagery, weaving together a visually appealing grand tour of the continent. This exhibit is the culmination of four visits to separate regions of the African continent, with the goal of creating a visual document. The show features sections on Ethiopia and its people, Rwanda and its silverback gorilla population, the great herd migrations of Eastern Africa, and portraits of various animals photographed in the wild. A total of 30 large prints will be on view.

For Lunch:
Bring a brown bag lunch and picnic on the beautiful Fenimore grounds, order a box lunch directly from the Fenimore Café before the trip, or buy a lunch onsite (more details to follow).

Musical at Glimmerglass Opera House
Candide
1 PM to 3:45 PM
“Francesca Zambello’s spectacular production of this great American musical comes roaring back to life. Voltaire’s biting wit, Bernstein’s toe-tapping, heart-warming melodies, and a barrel-load of laughs make for a wild ride across the “best of all possible worlds.”
Yet from Montevideo to El Dorado, calamity seems to follow poor Candide and Cunegonde everywhere they go; what’s the use of optimism when the odds seem stacked against you?

Music: Leonard Bernstein
Book: Hugh Wheeler, after Voltaire
Lyrics: Richard Wilbur, Stephen Sondheim, John La Touche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein
Sung In: English
Projected Supertitles: English
Run Time: Approx. 2 hours, 45 minutes

Glimmerglass staff recommends attending the free preview which takes place one hour prior to the show. Their expert music staff member will take you on an insightful exploration of the work you are about to experience.

AAUW Kingston: February Branch Meeting
featuring —
Mental Fitness: Strengthen your Coping Skills
with Guest Speaker Lisa Cypers Kamen

Join applied positive psychology and lifestyle management expert Lisa Cypers Kamen for an emotional muscle-toning training session designed to strengthen coping skills in order to better meet life on life’s terms.

Lisa is the Principal Felicitator at Harvesting Happiness, a global lifestyle management consultancy supporting clients in cultivating greater overall well-being and enhancing quality of life. Services include life-crisis triage, addiction and trauma recovery fortification, and corporate wellness programming. Lisa is an author, documentary filmmaker, podcast host, frequent radio, television and print media guest expert, TEDx speaker and contributor to The Huffington Post, Mind Body Green, Thrive Global, Positively Positive, and Inspire Me Today. She is a WEGO Healthcare Expert & Patient Leader.

Lisa infuses science and heart, humor and gravitas to support others in cultivating sustainable happiness and well-being—regardless of life’s drama, trauma, or challenges. Her dynamic presentations are interactive emotional fitness training experiences that will engage, amuse, motivate, and elevate the “Happiness Factor” of any audience.

Check out Lisa’s podcasts here: www.harvestinghappiness.com

Hi members,
Please check your inbox for an email (~1/19/23) from Shannon Wolfe,
Subject: …it’s time for YOUR voice to be heard —
=========================================================
Here’s a message from Gloria L. Blackwell, CEO, AAUW National:

It’s your AAUW, and your voice counts. It’s time to comment on and propose changes to the AAUW bylaws and Public Policy Priorities.

This spring, AAUW members will be asked to vote on amendments to the national bylaws recommended by the AAUW Board of Directors and AAUW Governance Committee. In accordance with AAUW’s bylaws, every AAUW member has the right to comment on proposed changes to the bylaws before they are put to the membership for a vote. Members can also propose changes to the Public Policy Priorities.

Here you’ll find all of the information you need to comment on the proposed bylaws changes and propose your own changes to the Public Policy Priorities. ==>
https://www.aauw.org/resources/member/governance-tools/national-election/
Comments can be submitted until Friday, February 3 at 5 PM ET.

Key Dates for 2023 Vote
February 3: Comment period ends at 5 PM ET
April 5: Voting opens (online voting is encouraged)
May 15: Online voting ends at 5 PM ET
May 17: Vote results announced online

Soup Fundraiser through March 5 2023
Eat some good soup and support our branch scholarships!

Made with top-quality freeze-dried ingredients, the delicious flavors are locked in
until you pour the packet in the pot with broth.
Add meat and fresh veggies as suggested or to your liking for a healthy meal.
No MSG. No Salt. No Preservatives.

Here is our unique branch fundraising web page:
https://fundraising.happyvalleysoupcompany.com/?fund=193
Please send this web page to your friends and relatives.
They can order and pay online and the soups are shipped directly to them.
Each package is $9 and shipping is calculated on the order form.
AAUW Kingston receives 50% ($4.50) for each soup package ordered on
our fundraising web page.

How Does it Work?
1. Go to our unique branch fundraising web page:
https://fundraising.happyvalleysoupcompany.com/?fund=193
2. You should see YOUR PURCHASE MADE BY 3/05/2023 SUPPORTS AAUW KINGSTON near the top and Thank you for supporting: AAUW KINGSTON below that.
3. Scroll down and click on the START SHOPPING button.
4. Click on the ADD TO CART button for each soup you want to order.
5. When you are done shopping, click on View cart.
6. Click on the PROCEED TO CHECKOUT button and fill in all of the required fields.
**Important!** ==> Under Fundraiser Name, type: AAUW KINGSTON.
7. If desired, you can ship soups directly to others.

If you need help ordering, email Lynn Gore: lynngore54@gmail.com

With 13 varieties to choose from, there’s a flavor for everyone.
These make great gifts for the holidays, birthdays, and get well and welcome baskets.
Stock up your pantry with easy, quick meals.

Thank you for supporting our branch scholarships and enjoy your soup!

For our 11/5/22 Branch Meeting, Luncheon, and Fundraiser at Reginato Ristorante in Lake Katrine, we were excited to welcome guest speaker Glenda Milner. The theme was: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Supporting the Next Generation. Jordan Scruggs and Gigi Smith, co-chairs of our branch DEI committee, and branch president Lynn Gore, organized the event.

Forty-four AAUW Kingston members, guests, and students attended the luncheon. Members sponsored eight students from the New Start Program at SUNY Ulster.

Thank you for speaking, Glenda, and thanks to all who made this fundraiser a complete success!

Gigi Smith and Jordan Scruggs (R) with our student attendees!

Guest speaker Glenda Milner, President and Founder,
1More Inc. (email: info1moreinc@gmail.com)
Website: 1Moreinc.org  (1More Inc.’s mission is to provide guidance and resources to help prepare today’s youth to be tomorrow’s leaders.)

Part 1 of Glenda Milner’s presentation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TTqQBpws2lALkK88PNw1geZgcRhMq7EK/view

Part 2 of Glenda’s presentation (includes audience participation plus Q&A):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eYNciQZKAARvMyB3dwgX0c0CJQdD5yUn/view

Photo credit: Lynn Gore, Gloria Waslyn
Video credit: Gloria Waslyn

Glenda Milner is a long-time resident of Ulster County, where she resides with her husband and five children. She has a passion for youth development and community. It was from this passion that 1More Inc. was founded. A program that provides mentorship, life skills, job skills, networking, and leadership development to females ages 15-20. This program gives these young women the tools they need to be successful in school and in the workforce, as well as, the necessary life skills to become future leaders and agents of change in their communities.
Glenda has a successful background in leadership and people development across a variety of fields including banking, retail, family advocacy programs, youth advocacy programs, and human resources just to name a few. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and an MBA.

She has spent many years honing her development and leadership skills as well as her financial acumen. She brings these skills and knowledge to the 1More organization to help strengthen and build not only the organization and its members, but the community as well. Her commitment to the community can be seen in her involvement with organizations such as the Junior League of Kingston, Kingston Midtown Rising and her involvement with her church. In all of these roles she is able to help identify and meet some of the needs in the community and support the community through several volunteer opportunities.

2022 General Election Information
Early Voting: Saturday, October 29 to Sunday, November 6
Election Day: Tuesday, November 8
Please get out and vote.
Encourage your friends, family, and co-workers to vote too.
We have U.S. Senate & Congressional, state, county, and local races, and a proposition.
For more info, see: https://www.vote411.org

Turn Your Ballot Over!
There is an important state proposition on the back of the ballot:
Ballot Proposition 1:
Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022
For more info, see: https://www.elections.ny.gov/2022BallotProposal.html

Polls are open in our area from 6 AM to 9 PM.
Call me if you or someone you know needs a ride to the polls.
Susan H., 845-389-3961, susan-holland@usa.net

Board of Elections websites
– NYS: http://www.elections.ny.gov/
– Ulster County: https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/
– Dutchess County: https://elections.dutchessny.gov/

Dear members, the AAUW Ithaca branch is holding three programs on Zoom* this fall and they invite and encourage all to join them:

Carry Light, Carry Fire 
Wednesday, October 19, 7 PM
Lisa Harris, a local author and educator, will read selections from her latest poetry collection, Carry Light, Carry Fire. In addition to three books of poetry, Lisa is also the author of three novels. The book group enjoyed reading Allegheny Dream and The Raven’s Tale. Lisa will welcome questions and discussion of her readings.

How to Save Reproductive Choice
Wednesday, October 26, 7 PM  
Robin Lucas, AAUW National’s Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator, will lead this critical discussion. She will discuss grassroots advocacy strategies to save reproductive choice for all women. We encourage all AAUW members and anyone you know who is concerned about our right to decide our own health care to join us.

Learning by Leading
Thursday, November 3, 7 PM  
Lynn Swain, Development Director at Cornell’s Botanic Gardens in Ithaca, has a new approach to saving our environment. Lynn has a 30-year career working behind the scenes in museums and non-profits. She will speak to us about an innovative program called Learning by Leading.  This program is cultivating a new generation of environmental leaders through stewardship, co-creation, and sense of place.

* Contact Alene Wyatt (alene14850@gmail.com) for the Zoom links.

PowHer New York cordially invites you to join us at the inaugural 2022 PowHer
New York Equity Summit on Thursday, October 13, 2022 from 3 to 6 PM EDT!

This summit is a call to action. Urgent change is needed to build an equitable, just, and inclusive
economy that respects the rights of women, values their contributions, and provides all women
the opportunity to work with dignity and to thrive. A unique gathering of advocates and thought
leaders in business, non-profit, union and government will inspire us to think and act boldly
during this unprecedented moment created by the pandemic and escalating threats to women’s
rights. In light of the upcoming elections, it is also a special opportunity to identify collective
action on public policy and spotlight often-ignored issues that matter to women and gender
expansive individuals.

Join us for this conversation focusing on the future as we envision it and new strategies to
achieve it.

Register now at: bit.ly/PHEquitySummit

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/778588566693707

Info on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PowherNY/status/1567715802815537152

*How We Define Women: When PowHerNY says women, we unequivocally mean cis and trans
women, and we are also inclusive of all other gender-oppressed individuals, including non-binary and gender-expansive people.