Change, Survive and Thrive
Change, Survive and Thrive
MEMO: SAR/Association Update
TO: SAR State Leaders/Members
DATE: 02/07/02
FROM : LaRonnia (Ronnie ) Williams, Director (SAR/AAUW)
As South Atlantic Regional Director for the American Association of University Women, it is a privileged honor to serve a dynamic and dedicated population of pioneers and TRAILBLAZERS. This year has been filled with the enthusiasm of success and the challenge of change. Personal and professional success, for me, is definitely "...a journey: not a destination." Once again, the privilege of making this "voyage" with the AAUW leadership teams and membership crews is a sterling experience.
As always, when I visit each SAR function, I will provide index cards and encourage members to make notes on "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", i.e....kudos, improvements needed and blunders. My reports are based, primarily, on officer/member feedback.
Association routes an abundance of information, through listserv connections, to each state/branch officer and/or state/branch chair/liaison. Consequently, serving as Regional Director does not necessitate the distribution of information that the position, at one time demanded. Nevertheless, here are some items of information, pertaining to varied areas in which you may be interested.
AAUW Leadership Conference: The Board approved the merger of the Conference of State Presidents and Educational Foundation training session for state chairs into one AAUW Leadership Conference. The LAF state liaisons will also be invited to participate. The conference will promote building state leadership teams and will include both full group sessions as well as function specific training.
We are changing the "look" of the EF/CSP June Conference, and organizing a Leadership Conference, where we eventually hope to train/mentor additional state leaders. This year, we will also be offering an invitation to LAF Chairs, so that they will be able to participate in cross-corporate leadership training. The conference may be starting on Friday (June 21), immediately following the June Assn. Bd. Mtg., so that the teams that attend will be able to interact with agencies and government that are open on that day. This is just a heads-up on more detailed and official information that will soon be available on-line and in future reports and publications.
We proudly applaud our SAR TRAILBLAZERS who are sharing their vast and varied leadership experiences by serving in numerous elected/appointed Association Positions! As of now, there are 27 SAR members serving AAUW at the Association level! Be sure to pick up a copy of the flyer that I have prepared, listing these "Phenomenal Women." and indicating the urgent need for YOU to join them, and share even more of our SAR savvy and expertise with our three corporate entities!
National Conference for College Women Student Leaders: AAUW accepted ownership of the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders from NAWE, the National Association of Women in Education, which has disbanded. On January 25, the Advisory Committee led by AAUW Program Vice President, Pam Collins, and staff met with the former NAWE committee and other local conference supporters to learn about the conference history. We are fortunate to be able to continue the legacy of the National Association for Women in Education (NAWE), by organizing and conducting this important conference for upcoming student leaders. It will be held at the American University, Washington, DC, June 6-8, 2002.
Yes, these include the same dates of our SAR Conference ( June 7-9), at which your presence is requested and expected ( "Come ' whatever'...or high water!")....however, this is a great opportunity for our states and branches to actively participate by encouraging the colleges in each area to send a student(s) to the NAWE Conference. Flyers will be made available for circulation, and CU Reps will receive details, and should be able to find information on the web at www.aauw.org/9000/nccwsl .
Convention: The Board agreed to continue using the current candidate campaign guidelines for the 2003 Convention election
AAUW Leadership and Training Institute, Inc. :The Board approved filing the formal documents to establish the AAUW Leadership and Training, Inc. The Institute will be a supporting organization of the Association and allow for a grants/corporate partnership structure.
It will be a charitable and educational division, functioning only at the Association level, whose purpose will be to raise funds and support the charitable and educational activities sponsored by our Association. These programs will include Leadership Development and training in Management and Economic Self-Sufficiency. Because it is a non-profit institute, it will be able to seek and receive corporate and foundation grants, as well as contributions from private individuals. We will be filing for IRS approval of the proposal that was signed by our executive team during a business session of our board meeting.
New Software: We are installing new software that should solve/eliminate many of the problems with which we are now concerned, pertaining to our membership transactions One major task will be to coordinate registration and all of the encompassing details that are involved in the planning/implementation of a bigger and better Association Convention, scheduled for June, 2003, in Providence, Rhode Island.
Public Policy: Thanks to a great idea of Marion Stillson, Public Policy Director on the AAUW Board of Directors (and SAR member, of course), plus the hard work of AAUW public policy and publications staff, the 2001-2003 Public Policy Program is now available on the AAUW website in Spanish! To access the document, simply go to http://www.aauw.org/1000/issues.html. A short advertisement--in English and in Spanish--of the available translation on the news scroll bar, is located on the home page (www.aauw.org). Please feel free to contact the Public Policy Department (votered@aauw.org,1-800/608-5286) with any feedback or ideas to share with other state public policy chairs.
National Award: Nancy Zirkin, AAUW's Public Policy Lobbyist, was recently honored by NARAL as the recipient of the Champion for Choice Award ! We all are very proud of Nancy, though not surprised. Nancy represents an effectual decision-making presence on The Hill. She may just welcome a few individual expressions of appreciation for her energetic support of our AAUW mission, policies and issues.
Membership: The Board was reminded about the on-going "Half-Year Dues Program" and the "Shape the Future" recruitment campaigns. The Membership Committee will review the recruitment strategy for MALs. However, until a new marketing plan is formulated, the current recruitment programs for MALs will continue, including acquisition and renewal mailings, telemarketing efforts, "Give a Grad a Gift Program," and the online application program. The new C/U brochure will be available soon.
In an effort to establish a connection with past members and to diversify our direct marketing strategies, AAUW has embarked on a new reinstatement telemarketing test. This integrated telemarketing program included contacting 10,000 lapsed members expiring between 1999 and , and 1996 and will add a critical component to AAUW’s current membership development program.
Association/Membership Leaders have recently developed a fantastic user-friendly Membership Workshop, "No Talking Heads!" This workshop links mission-related programming and membership recruitment and retention. There is also a section of the workshop that focuses on selling AAUW. Emails have been routed to the Assn Board, State Pres. and State Prog.VP list servs,letting them know that the workshop is available, and how it has been distributed to SMVPs. The shows are designed to run either as PowerPoint, with computer/projector or printed as overheads.
Programming: AAUW has partnered with NEA to sponsor the Bullying Awareness Campaign, a series of training seminars to assist communities in developing solutions to reduce and eradicate bullying and sexual harassment in America’s schools. This represents only one of the numerous programs that are developed in response to member input and concerns. There is a senior staff cross-corporate leadership team that discusses and reviews all new and current programs, activities and plans, to insure that all corporate programs are appropriate and applicable to our AAUW mission and priorities.
AND ALSO: The Association received an unqualified opinion, which is the highest form of approval that an organization can receive for the 2001-2002 audits
SAR Conference 2002
Our SAR Conference Planning Sessions have been very productive and upbeat. We are planning for a quality sharing and learning experience!! .
We are requesting that each state share the BEST OF THE BEST that has been a part of any facet of state/branch programming for this year. Please designate a member, from each state, to share a brief 8-10 minute presentation during the "SAR SHARING SESSION; Successes, Snares and Solutions" Workshop that is scheduled for Saturday.
We have, also, asked ALL STATES to prepare a 3-5 minute presentation on a TRAILBLAZER, (past or present), that we can use as insert tidbits during the general sessions. Some discussions have already yielded unique and individual ways to portray our conference theme, TRAILBLAZERS, e.g., costumes, props, etc. It’s your choice as to how and who. Please submit A and B preferences, by May 3, so that we can monitor the list for possible duplications.
If you have any further ideas that we can include as we finalize our plans for the SAR Conference experience, please share!!
Registration forms, flyers and other specifics are available during your state conventions, and located on the FL AAUW Website.
Be sure to pick up a TRAILBLAZER SAR Conference Brochure, and share it with your state and branch members!.
Be sure to start informing your family and friends, ASAP, that on June 7-9, 2002, you will be in Tampa, Florida, enjoying the camaraderie of your SAR TRAILBLAZERS!!
Or...better still…bring your family and friends with you, and extend the SAR Conference experience into a fun vacation in the "Sunshine State of Florida!"
Last changed:
23-Mar-2002
Return to AAUW NC 2002 Convention