Fall 2001 Survey

Additional Comments from paper surveys.

From Asheville, Wilmington, Raleigh/Wake County, Cherokee County, Brevard, Sandhills-Southern Pines, Jacksonville Regional, Chapel Hill, Hendersonville, Gaston Regional, Franklin County

Other reasons for not attending

  1. In past years before moving to NC I attended some of these conventions. Most of the time they were very longwinded and uninteresting.
  2. Too far to drive.
  3. Caregiver for mother and dog. A sitter adds to cost.
  4. Family commitments were more pressing. Other members from our branch have gone.
  5. Not interested in national meetings. They appear unrelated to local chapter -- we do not receive enough info re national agenda, i.e. not stressed enough in info sent to individual members.
  6. Commitment to family and other organizations.
  7. Austin - timing did not fit personal schedule, family's priorities.
  8. I just am not interested now in attending.
  9. I have other priorities in terms of more involvement.

How can the meetings change?

  1. In today's world of technology why do we need so many meetings?
  2. Rather than one state meeting, have two: one east and one west. Or focus on cluster meetings rather than statewide meetings. Travel is more practical. Make presentations more sophisticated.
  3. They are fine - and when I get there I enjoy them and learn a great deal -- it is simply time!
  4. Location more centralized. Lower costs for national convention.
  5. Less expensive for retirees, if possible. I realize the difficulty in obtaining hotels with adequate space. Changing times of year and eliminating banquet? Hard choices. Limit except for board to Fri. night - Sat. 3pm. Some of our best SAR conferences on college campuses. Problems from Murphy - remote. Even a meeting 4 hours away may require an overnight stay. I was FL State Pres. and well aware of these problems.
  6. Always feature one of the AAUW fellows from NC.
  7. State meetings need to be centrally located. An 8-9 hour drive is out of the question for me.
  8. Be more attendee friendly; i.e. new members to a meeting be given a "buddy" to accompany them during meetings to explain procedures.
  9. I would prefer a "call to action" to contact Congress, etc., by individual members.
  10. Give me a job to do and I may attend.
  11. The problem is not with the meetings. My reason for not attending is due to personal changes.
  12. Add specific strategies for professional fundraising. (Include reproducible handouts, role-playing, methods that can be used by older, retired professionals without secretaries and office staffs.)
  13. I have no suggestions. However, I do think AAUW has more meetings than necessary (national, etc.) for a functioning organization.
  14. No suggestions - since at this stage in life I am not able to take on any more than I'm doing now, especially such meetings beyond the local.

Other comments

  1. State Pres or VPs perhaps should travel to chapters or to cluster meetings.
  2. Working full time and having conferences and commitments there as well one just must pick and choose.
  3. Meetings are not attracting younger members. Subject content should be examined. Also, Leadership Conference is during summer month of vacation.
  4. I am primarily interested in the local branch. I have never been much of a conference goer.
  5. I have been handicapped with impaired lung functioning since I began medical practice here. I have always enjoyed being a part of AAUW, but the stress involved in private practice worked against my attending these functions both because of overload fatigue and the duty of putting medical functioning first.
  6. I have always enjoyed the meetings I've gone to.
  7. I'll be out of state during summer months, and unable to attend state conferences then.
  8. I did attend the fall meeting in Burlington. It was great and an easy drive. If it had been further away, I would not have gone.
  9. Consider a more "central" meeting point. Consider handicapped friendly facility for meetings. Consider a conference call agenda for some executive meetings.
  10. I do not feel related to national. I would like to see a breakdown of salaries for national and state (sic!) staff. I'm not sure we are getting our money's worth. In fact, having been a member in MN and NC I have never felt we received enough info.
  11. What if instead of rooming with a friend we asked a person who has never been to room with us - from either our branch or another. Could also have 3-4/room to cut down on expenses.
  12. My reason for not attending had little to do with "program", perhaps a little to do with expense (although this was not explored), but everything to do with other commitments.
  13. AAUW is important to me, but not a priority in my life at the present time.
  14. Are there too many area meetings?
  15. Though I've been a "member-at-large" of AAUW since graduating from the University of Louisville, I've never been a part of a local branch until coming to Asheville 8 years ago. The local contact is proving to be a valuable experience but time, energy, and other priorities let me know I cannot extend myself beyond the local branch.

Last modified: 11-Aug-2002
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