Coming Soon!  Social Media training for any AAUW of Michigan member interested in moving our mission forward via social media venues such as facebook and twitter.  Please contact Kathy Shaw (ksbanf@aol.com) if you are interested in how social media can create visibility and help us recruit members within our communities.  Keep watching here for announcements of when and where the trainings will take place.  AAUW of Michigan received an Impact Grant from AAUW and we will be using that grant to fund trainings around the state between now and next spring.  Janet Watkins will be doing the face-to-face training and I’ll be there to ask lots of questions and take notes!  Please join us…we are excited.

Kathy Shaw

AAUW of Michigan

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

Posted under AAUW of Michigan, Awards, Photo Gallery

“The End of Men?”

Image Credit: John Ritter

Author Hanna Rosin’s recent Atlantic Magazine cover story examines the impact the changing workplace is having on men, as women make gains under the shifting economic landscape.  Are women more suited and better able to perform in the postindustrial economy?  And, how do organizations like AAUW adapt its advocacy and programs without appearing/sounding or being anti-male?

Katha Pollitt of THE NATION, reassures male readers that Rosin’s article is not about the “extinction of men, Women on Topbut about men’s declining economic ability to dominate women and various sociocultural consequences.”

Yes, the world is a changin’ and former rules of engagement and division of labor continue to evolve and fall in favor of new ones.  Hopefully, what will emerge is something more balanced and equitable.  

What are your thoughts?  Join the conversation!

Janet Watkins

Posted under AAUW of Michigan, Equity in the News, Women and Work

Navigating the AAUWMI blog is easy.   It is a great place and way to express your thoughts and ideas about the issues you want to share with other readers.  You can include media such as photos, video, and audio.  Just click the desired icon in the tool bar next to Add media above.  Change font, add quote marks, align text, bullet or number a list, etc…

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

Thanks to Janet for giving me her time to teach me how to do this!!!!!

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

All women should celebrate the Women’s Equality Day on August 26, 2009, to commemmorate the passing of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women’s right to vote, beginning in 1920.

The Ann Arbor Branch of AAUW will celebrate the day by having an activity at the Washtenaw Community College Health and Fitness Center in Ann Arbor.

Time: 7-9 pm

Program: Finger food, meet other 10 co-sponsoring organizations, meet Elizabeth Caddy Stanton impersonator, etc, etc.  See you there.

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

            I was listening to NPR yesterday afternoon when I heard part of the story of Satchel Paige, the black baseball player.  He was not allowed to play in the major leagues because of the color of his skin…or, I should say, he was not allowed to play because of discriminatory policies by major league baseball.  It was well-known that he was as good, or by many accounts, better than the major league pitchers of his era.  He was able to become financially more successful than his contemporaries because of his entrepreneurial skills.  Mr. Paige was forced to pitch every day (in order to earn that living), whereas his counterparts in major league baseball pitched in rotation of maybe every third, fourth or even fifth day.

            Why am I regaling a bunch of women about a baseball player?  Because, it was policies set up by a previous generation of baseball managers that kept the best baseball pitcher of his time out of the major leagues.  We look at those policies now and think, “How short-sighted of them.”

            Isn’t that, boiled down to its essence, what we are debating about with the bylaws of AAUW?

            Don’t we need to look at AAUW with the eyes of the current generations of girls and women whom we purport to serve to see what their wants/needs are rather than those of the “previous” generations?

            Food for thought.

Kathy Banfield Shaw

AAUW of Michigan, President

Marshall, Michigan Branch

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

            It’s been almost two weeks since 50 of us from Michigan traveled to St. Louis for the 2009 AAUW biennial convention.  For most of us it was one of the best conventions we’ve attended: inspiring speakers, great workshops, interesting (?) debates with spirited arguments and lots (almost 1000) AAUW members with whom to network. 

            I drove to St. Louis with two fellow members and had a delightful time female bonding as we traveled across the country filled with amber waves of grain and green cornstalks of all sizes from just out of the ground to shoulder high depending on the amount of rain the region had received (I’m a farmer’s daughter…I can’t help waxing poetically about America’s farm lands).  We attempted to talk about all things not AAUW until arriving at our hotel and immediately started planning to host a hospitality room for our Michigan delegates; finding out who had arrived and where to have dinner; figuring out the schedule for the next day and where to register and oh, yes…who had to get up first to start the coffee in the morning.

            Friday was an incredibly full day…from early morning briefings, to workshops to bylaws debates to hearing the story of Lilly Ledbetter we barely had time to stop and have lunch or dinner.  The reception at 6PM was delightful with the candidates introducing themselves and branches from across the country showing their projects (many with STEM missions).  It was a good opportunity to meet members, have a bite to eat and learn new ideas of how to move our mission forward.  Again we ended the day with members coming to our room for a chance to catch up with each other and chat about the arguments we were hearing for and against the proposed bylaws. 

            We were anticipating Saturday’s business session to be contentious, but because our members live by Roberts Rules of Order, the meeting proceeded along with a few curves but no fatal bumps.  In the end those that brought forward a motion to retain the membership article from the bylaws passed at the 2007 convention were victorious. That means that the requirement for members to have an associate degree or better was retained.  An amendment to add partners was also passed.  Most other motions to amend the proposed bylaws were minor in nature and passed and those that were more sweeping did not pass.  And it was all accomplished within the timeframe outlined in our program schedule.  Not bad for 900+ women with opinions!

            Many of us attended the Educational Foundation banquet on Sunday evening and were pleasantly pleased to see “Michigan” in all the top ten contribution categories.  Michigan was #3 in the country for total giving to Educational Foundation; #6 in the country for total giving to the Legal Advocacy Fund; #5 in total giving to the Eleanor Roosevelt Fund; #10 in per capita giving to the ER Fund; #5 in combined giving to AAUW programs and #6 in combined giving to AAUW.

            On Sunday morning we learned that the new AAUW President is Carolyn Garfein from Georgia.  Carolyn was the AAUW Champion who spoke at our convention in May and answered many of our questions concerning the proposed bylaws.  Michigan was a bit biased towards Carolyn, but still, we believe she will make an excellent president. The panel on workplace discrimination reminded us that as much as we believe we’ve moved forward, there is more work to be done to ensure our daughters and granddaughters have a fair workplace.  Executive Director, Linda Hallman, introduced us to a new marketing DVD, gave us our marching orders and made sure we didn’t leave St. Louis until we understood the Value Promise:  By joining AAUW, you belong to a community that breaks through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.

            We attempted to get pictures of many of the highlights of the convention and we’re collecting those and getting them on the website…so check it to see if you or someone you recognize are seen enjoying the convention.

            14 of the 18 state board members attended the convention and are chomping at the bit to meet July 18-19 for the summer board meeting and tell me how they want to translate what we heard and saw into action. 

            I’ll keep you posted.

Kathy Shaw

AAUW of Michigan, President

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

Blog:  Wow! Haven’t had a chance to stop and type a blog until this morning…they are keeping us soo busy!  Lilly Ledbetter was outstanding yesterday.  Many of us said she brought tears to our eyes for the incredible sacrifice to her life that she has taken.  One comment last night about open membership came from a Michigan delegate…she said ” Lilly Ledbetter has done more for pay equity for women in the last 18 months than many in this room have ever done and we would deny her membership in our organization?”  I can’t fight with that logic.  The open forum last night on bylaws was civil and thoughtful.  The Bylaws Committee has done an extraordinary job of informing the members of the strategic plan moving the organization forward from the 2007 convention through the formation of the proposed bylaws.  All those who had comments were given the time to make their arguments.  It’s been VERY interesting.  The first business sessions are today. 
The workshops yesterday were also VERY good.  Our own Janet Watkins took part in the Website Tools workshop…I do have a photo but not the time to download it this morning…maybe later today.  She did a great job and I’ve learned even more ways to make the website and internet work for us…stay tuned.
My roommates, Jan Emery and Deb Ensign, kept me up laughing till very late last night…we open our room to Michigan delegates…and more we’ve had delegates from Iowa and California as well to discuss the ongoing convention…it’s fun and we’ve all had a chance to bond.  But we’re all a little droopy-eyed this morning.  Jan and Deb are downing coffee as I write this and we’re off to another day at the convention…I’m VERY proud of our almost 50-member delegation from the great state of Michigan…we can be seen all over the convention!

Kathy Shaw

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

 Hello All,

Posted under AAUW of Michigan