Tar Heel News

AAUW NC

Tar Heel News

W03 issue
 Front page
 Public Policy
 AAUW/SAR
 AAUW NC
 Branches

President's Message

President's Message
Laura Rumbley
AAUW NC

The AAUW NC State Board met in Greensboro for a rescheduled fall meeting on October 11. The original meeting was canceled to due Hurricane Isabel's arrival on our coast.

Autumn has brought its usual busy activities and the start of another eventful year for AAUW NC. The board accomplished much in a short amount of time and I would refer you to other articles in this issue and to our wonderful web site for detailed information about the business we conducted.

Among the many activities our members are involved with on both the state and local levels, I would like to call three state initiatives to your attention.

First, the planning and implementation of our AAUW Public Policy Impact Grant is well underway. Two issues forums are planned as part of the grant, one to be held early next year concerning the judicial appointments process, and the other about Title IX, to be held at state convention. This is a wonderful opportunity for members to be activists for public policy and to work with other coalition partners. If you are interested in attending and helping with these events please contact our public policy chairs, Barbara Ann Hughes (state) and Dot Busey (federal).

The second activity comes from our program vice-president, Mary Peterson, and the program committee. The committee has been hard at work planning an extraordinary program of events for our convention. For the first time, the convention will include a Young Women's Leadership Conference. AAUW NC members will work with UNC Charlotte and other coalition partners to bring together student leaders, professionals, and mentors to discuss issues important to young women leaders. This is exciting! It is an opportunity for all branches to reach out to young women. Do you know college student leaders who would benefit from this conference? Would your branch consider sponsoring them? Would your branch sponsor a student leader from the Charlotte area? The opportunities are endless for branch interaction and commitment.

The third activity involves a program that has been created by the Champions of Goal IV of the ReConnection committee, "Face to Face." Pat Abell, Bobbie Edmisten, and Marty Folsom have developed an "Ambassadors" program, which will bring volunteers to each branch with resources from the state board. This is an excellent program, well-thought-out and executed. Branch program chairs, please take advantage of this opportunity to bring information and resources to your branch. It was developed in response to requests from branch members for more face-to-face interaction with the state board.

We were delighted to have Ann Terry, SAR director, present at our state board meeting. Her article is on page six. Association has sent several new resources to all branch presidents-brochures for membership, LAF, EF, public policy, and others. A new survey, Strengthening Our Branches, can be duplicated, mailed, or accessed on-line.

As always, I am humbled by the talented and dedicated people who give their time and energies freely for AAUW and its issues. Wherever you go, YOU carry the message of AAUW. YOU tell everyone, policy-makers and coalition partners alike, about our priorities. YOU sponsor and support vital programs. It is important that we reward and support YOU, our member and leader volunteers.