|
|
|---|
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Future AAUW Sussex County (NJ) branch activities are listed in the branch calendar. Our about us webpage gives general information about our branch activities. Below are descriptions of past 2009/ 2010 branch activities: March 2010: March 13th - Our monthly Bagels and Buns Meeting was held at the Sparta Methodist Church at 10:00. We had a shorter meeting and in lieu of a guest speaker, we showed the film, Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority. The 56 minute film looks at Ms. Mink's remarkable political journey, as she fought for the disenfranchised and forgotten in society. The film goes beyond her accomplishments to reveal a woman whose political journey was lonely and tumultuous. She is well remembered for transforming America's schools as the co-author of Title IX, the landmark legislation that opened up higher education and athletics to women.
March 4th - Members of our branch attended a special event at the Rockaway AMC Theater. AAUW branches across the United States participated in Half the Sky LIVE, a one-night only movie event presented by CARE on March 4. Sheryl WuDunn, co-author of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide - the book which inspired the film, publicly recognized AAUW, saying: "We would like to especially thank CARE's partner organizations, like the American Association of University Women, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the Girl Scouts of the USA, which have rallied their members around the country to take part in this event. They are raising their voices on behalf of the mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and sisters around the world - those who may not have the platform to speak out." CNN, the Huffington Post, and the St. Augustine Record , which highlighted AAUW branch participation, all covered the event. Have you purchased your copy of Half the Sky yet? AAUW's Barnes and Noble partnership provides discounts when you purchase books through the AAUW portal. Visit www.bn.com/aauw. Half the Sky is a New York Times bestseller and Tom Brokaw has said its stories "will pierce your heart and arouse your conscience.
February 2010: February 20th - Claire Willetts, from Project Self Sufficiency was our Guest Speaker for the February 20 thBagels and Buns Meeting. She made us feel especially proud of all the work that PSS does for Sussex County women. Her topic, "Helping Women in Need to Become Self Sufficient", was particularly inspiring for the attendees. Our branch donates money to PSS, and Ms. Willetts's discussion brought to the forefront the importance that our monetary donations are to this stellar organization. Claire Willetts is pictured below; 3rd from the right.
February 9th - Our members revived the Book Club this month by having a Supper/Meeting at Carole Monesmith's home. The members really seemed to enjoy this combination of eating while discussing a book so we decided to continue this type of activity. We also thought that having the Book Club on the same day each month allowed members to realize their commitments better. We decided that the second Tuesday of each month would work well for the majority of ladies. This month we had an active discussion of Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen. We delved into three segments for the discussion: 1. the author's writing about Louisa May Alcott; 2. Louisa May Alcott's life; and 3. the works of Louis May Alcott. Actually we even discussed transcendentalism so ¼ make that four segments!
January 2010: No meetings were scheduled in January. December 2009: December 12th - Lynn Beckmann hosted our annual Holiday Brunch at her lovely home. Her gorgeous "Rainbow-themed" Christmas tree and other beautiful decorations did not disappoint…that’s for sure! Plenty of food, laughs, and holiday cheer were enjoyed by all. It was a most pleasant and delightful time that we all shared.
November 2009: November 7th - Our Monthly Bagels and Buns Meeting met on November 7 th with Carrie Radice, Representative from Interfaith Hospitality, as our Guest Speaker. "Taking Care of Homeless Women, Children, and Families" was the main topic which she discussed with us. We were extremely impressed with the organization of the Interfaith Hospitality, and the manner in which the Sussex County Churches work together to help the needy families. October 2009: October 18th - Greetings from the Graveyard II Road Rally was one of our major fundraisers, which was held on October 18 from 11:00 to 5:00. After completing the rally, the participants "ended up" at Newton's Applebees to eat and to be awarded their prizes. It was the first time that we tried this type of a fundraiser, and it was a blast. We netted about $600.00 which we thought was pretty good considering it was a brand new idea. Lynn Beckmann planned the time-consuming rally and without her endeavors, this 1.) would never have been thought of and 2.) WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. Thanks Lynn for all of your hard work for our branch!
September 2009: September 12th - Our branch's new year began with our AAUW-NJ State President, Ms. Ginny Lyttle, visiting us for our Bagels and Buns Meeting. Her topic of discussion, "My Vision of the Future of AAUW" focused on the many changes which occurred at the national AAUW.Convention in St. Louis, MO in June. Our members had many questions which Ginny adeptly answered, as well as stating the direction that AAUW is headed.
June 2009: June 25th to 28th - Two branch members, Carole Monesmith and Jessica Pierson, attended the National AAUW Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. Carole was a State Delegate and Jessica voted as a Branch Delegate. It was exciting, informative, invigorating, and hot!! We attended workshops, attended many bylaw revision sessions, heard fabulous guest speakers, and even attended a Suffragist party which was hosted by a gecko! I know that we both returned to New Jersey with one thing in mind – Go AAUW!
June 20th- Our third end-of-the-year Annual Picnic was rainy, actually a downpour, but we didn’t let that stop us from having a great time. The group was small, but that did not bother us either! In fact, a new member joined our branch…welcome Debbie!
May 2009: May 9th – Our Sussex County Branch concluded the 2008-2009 AAUW year by having our Annual Meeting and Luncheon at JC’s Restaurant in Newton. Our guest speakers were Katherine Weaver, this year’s Virginia Ray Randall Scholarship for the Arts recipient, and her mother, Sara. Katherine concluded her second year at SCCC, majoring in graphic arts. In keeping with our theme this year of “Women of Success: Who, What, Why, and How their efforts affect us”, Sara elaborated on her role as a successful mother while at the same time, forming her own professional proofreading business.
April 2009: April 25th - Our Sussex County branch held its annual garage sale on April 25th, to raise funds for local scholarships and the national AAUW Educational Foundation. The recent garage sale netted $744.04 profit. The AAUW Educational Foundation supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented. April 18th – The AAUW-NJ’s Annual Meeting was held on April 18th at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, NJ. President Ginny Lyttle introduced Sally Chamberlain, who represented AAUW (national) and provided important information on a variety of topics. Members of our branch were so pleased that AAUW-NJ’s "Women at Agents of Change" award was presented to Dr. Mary Rapuano. Six years ago, as a faculty member at Sussex County Technical School in Sparta, Mary founded the Spanish Cultural Club. As a way of fulfilling the club’s mission of forging ties with our Latin American neighbors, the group organized humanitarian trips. When devastating floods destroyed parts of the Dominican Republic in 2004, they saw this as a learning opportunity and a chance to help others. Mary and her colleagues have returned to the beautiful Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic every year since 2004. Through these trips, many students have experienced first-hand the poverty that exists so close to their homes, and felt a sense of purpose in helping those less fortunate than they.
April 14th - The fourth installment of the Suze Orman financial seminar was held at Carole Monesmith’s home on April 14th. We discussed “must-have documents” that each of us should have in our portfolios. Getting organized is an important step towards financial freedom, and Suze Orman makes this step easy and comfortable.
April 4th – Our branch participated in Sussex County Community College’s Women’s Weekend which was held on April 4th. The Women’s Weekend is an opportunity for people ages 18 and older to gather for a fun-filled experience. The day features breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with interesting workshops and area vendors. Those who attend have the chance to explore something new to help them live a better life, learn something they’ve always been curious about, and have time to relax and enjoy the day. April 4th – We were very fortunate to have Ms. Patricia Packard as our guest speaker for the April 4th Bagels and Buns Meeting. Patricia is a Counselor/Advocate for the Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Intervention Services (DASI). DASI is a private nonprofit agency in Sussex County, New Jersey, providing services for over twenty years to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families. The agency’s mission is to change attitudes about violence and abuse held by individuals, institutions and the community at large. This will be accomplished through the provision of comprehensive direct services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families, community education and prevention programs, advocacy, and batterer intervention services. March 2009: March 31st – We definitely had a good time at our Independent Film Evening which was held at Carole Monesmith’s home on March 31 st. Just think - popcorn, candy, a great movie, and even greater friends. What more could one ask for, one might ask. I guess the answer is to do it all over again next month, with a different movie, of course! We finally were able to see Iron Jawed Angels , which had to be cancelled in October due to snow. We all were glad that we rescheduled this important film, which depicts the agony, tragedy, and victory of the suffragists who fought for women's right to vote, because it certainly was an important film to watch and to discuss.
March 24th - Muriel Everhart was the kind hostess for our March 24th Book Club. Her desserts tied in to the plot of the book that we read, Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. This book completes the "food trilogy" (Chocolat, Blackberry Wine) and explores some of the same themes, although this third book is much darker than the previous two. Five Quarters is a novel about betrayal; intimate betrayals, unspoken betrayals, betrayals within the family, the wider community and out into war-torn France. The discussion eventually led us to some of our own childhood escapades, and it really brought out the giddy side of all of us. This book club meeting was really a blast as the pictures below demonstrate!
March 14th - I speak for the members of our branch as I extend our sincere appreciation to Phyllis Pfeifer for doing such a fine job as our "Fill-in" Guest Speaker at our March Bagel and Buns Meeting. Not only did she share her academia accomplishments, but also the pros and cons of starting a business. After retirement, she entered the magical world of jewelry making, and she described her fascination with this creative process. Phyllis brought a fine selection of jewelry that she makes, and I think that quite a few of our members purchased some of her beautiful baubles. As Phyllis states, “After 31 years of teaching business education subjects, I retired in July 2003. During this time period, I wrote and won many grants to acquire the latest technology for my department. For the two years following my retirement, I became an Educational Consultant. I taught teachers in many schools, from elementary to high school, how to become better teachers using a student-centered approach. It was during this time that I began my jewelry business.”
March 5th - On March 5th, fifteen ladies from our branch attended the theater broadcast of the inspiring documentary "A Powerful Noise". The documentary followed the lives of three women from Bosnia, Mali, and Vietnam. In 450 selected theatres throughout the United States, a town hall discussion held in New York City was broadcast immediately after the showing. The panel included Madeline Albright, Nicholas Kristof, Christy Turlington Burns, Natalie Portman, and CARE President and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle. The broadcasts were organized by CARE, a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty with special emphasis on the global plight of women. AAUW supports efforts to help women gain and retain economic independence and self sufficiency.
February 2009: February 17th - The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion was the book for February’s Book Club that was held at Lynn Beckmann’s home. Didion's husband, the writer John Gregory Dunne, died of a heart attack, just after they had returned from the hospital where their only child, Quintana, was lying in a coma. This book is a memoir of Dunne's death, Quintana's illness, and Didion's efforts to make sense of a time when nothing made sense. "She's a pretty cool customer," one hospital worker says of her, and, certainly, coolness was always part of the addictive appeal of Didion's writing. The other part was the dark side of cool, the hyper-nervous awareness of the tendency of things to go bad. In 2004, Didion had her own disasters to deal with, and she did not, she feels, deal with them coolly, or even sanely. This book is about getting a grip and getting on; it's also a tribute to an extraordinary marriage.
February 7th – Our branch was pleased to welcome Toni Heavener as our guest speaker for our February 7th Bagels and Buns Meeting. She discussed her long time dream to attend college while she was raising her children. In 1977, she began attending Glassboro State College (now known as Rowan University). She had dreams of learning how to make pottery since she was about 12 years old. Toni started throwing pots at Rowan at age 54. After graduating college, she became a Senior Scholar at the University. She volunteered her time in the University’s Pottery studio helping the Professor by doing every job imaginable. For the next 15 years, as a Senior Scholar, she helped and taught her fellow students various techniques in pottery. She continues her love of clay by offering classes and displaying her works of art at various craft shows throughout the tri-state area. As Toni states, “Now at age 85, I spend most of my time throwing Pots in my backyard studio and enjoying my grandchildren. I love sharing my knowledge of pottery with my pottery students, performing pottery demonstrations and attending various craft fairs. It’s never too late to fulfill your DREAMS!!!!”
January 2009: January 24th - Several members from our branch were indeed fortunate to attend the AAUW-NJ Issues Meeting on January 24th. Lilly Ledbetter, the woman who inspired the Ledbetter Fair Pay act, was the keynote speaker at the third annual issues conference. The bill, which won Senate approval two days before our conference, had been approved by the House earlier in January. President Obama signed the bill into law at a White House ceremony on January 29th, 2009. Additional speakers at the conference included Drs. Yasemin Besen-Cassino and Mary Gatta who gave an overview of the data on the pay gap including explanations, examples and policy responses. Another highlight of the conference was a workshop on negotiating procedures presented by Leslie Pollack an author and lecturer. Carole Monesmith is pictured with Lilly Ledbetter (right) in the picture.
January 13th - We had a wonderful Book Club Meeting on January 13th as we discussed Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth . We dissected Ms. Buck's life and her timeless, sensitively written 1931 novel. Most of us had previously read it in our earlier years (very earlier years!), but I can speak for myself when I say that I so appreciated the almost lyrical writing, the cultural depiction of China and its people, and the achingly beautiful passions which passed forth on each page. If you have not read this book in awhile, please treat yourself to this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
December 2008: December 13th - Our Branch Holiday Party was graciously hosted by Lynn Beckmann in her lovely home. Each person brought a delicacy to share and indeed, we did! After brunch, we gathered in Lynn’s living room, in view of her gorgeously decorated Christmas tree, to share memories from yesteryear, and to sing Christmas Carols and other festive songs.
November 2008: November 25th - Jessica Pierson offered her home for the evening’s discussion of Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. On the eve of World War I, an all-female society is discovered somewhere in the distant reaches of the earth by three male explorers who are now forced to re-examine their assumptions about women's roles in society. It is widely considered to be one of the top 100 greatest books of all time. This great novel will surely attract a whole new generation of readers. For many, Herland is required reading for various courses and curriculums. For others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Charlotte P. Gilman is highly recommended. Charlotte Perkins Gilman (3 July 1860 – 17 August 1935) was a prominent American sociologist, novelist, writer of short stories, poetry, and non fiction, and a lecturer for social reform. She was a utopian feminist during a time when her accomplishments were exceptional for women, and she served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle.
November 8th – We were delighted to host Ms. Priscilla Orr as our guest speaker for our November Bagels and Buns Monthly meeting. She is a distinguished, celebrated New Jersey Poet, and also the Acting Dean of Sussex County Community College. Ms. Orr has one published book of poems and is currently working on another book. I heard it through the grapevine that many of our members plan on buying her released book; her poetry is simply moving and emotional.
October 2008: October 28th – Our Independent Film Evening, Iron Jawed Angels, had to be cancelled due to snow. We will reschedule this important film, which depicts the agony, tragedy, and victory of the suffragists who fought for women's right to vote, because it is an important film to watch and to discuss.
October 18th – Our first Bagels & Buns Meeting was held in the Sparta Methodist Church at 10:00. Most people were lively and awake for our first morning meeting. However, my sister Susan and I are not morning people, so I speak for myself when I say that I was trying to act lively and awake! We had a wonderful guest speaker, Ms. Donna Delvalle, who is the Executive Director of SEED Corp. SEED stands for Start Easy Eagle Development. Her central topic, “Housing for Mentally Disturbed and Previously Homeless and why it is Important to AAUW” was truly inspiring to all who attended this meeting.
October 7th – Our October Book Club Meeting was held at Carole Monesmith's home on Tuesday, October 7th at 7:00. The book that we discussed was Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler. In 1975, Lois Jenson became one of the first women to work in the iron mines of Minnesota and the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. Eveleth Mines was Jenson's employer. The center of the story is the 25-year ordeal Jenson and other women miners underwent: the harshness and callousness of the abuse directed at the women in the uncivilized and misogynist atmosphere of the mine will outrage readers. The equally brutal treatment that class members received in the civilized venue of the federal court system, especially by the lawyers for Eveleth, will shock them. This book opened our eyes regarding women’s plights, and the discussion that this book garnered was robust and mind-provoking to say the least.
September 2008: September 13th – After a lovely summer respite, our members gathered at Homer’s Restaurant in Sparta for a wonderful Welcome Luncheon and Meeting. We were fortunate to have AAUW-NJ’s State President, Ginny Lyttle, as our guest speaker. Ginny’s remarks focused on her vision of the future of AAUW. She is a gifted speaker, interesting and informative as well as humorous. We also gained a new member, Ms. Connie Fadden, so all in all, it was a grand day!
Below are descriptions of past 2007 / 2008 branch activities: July 2008: July 1st – The third installment of the Suze Orman financial seminar was held at Carole Monesmith’s home on July 1st. We discussed the various aspects of Retirement Investing. Every month we glean more and more knowledge and insight into taking care of our business…money business, that is. Each month, we also get new ladies joining our group to discuss Suze’s Women & Money Audio book. As one of our new members said, “I really enjoyed the meeting on Women & Money last night! Suze Orman has a very inspirational story herself and I believe she has a lot of valuable information to share. It's amazing how even with all the educational information available to the public this is still not a part of the regular curriculum for students. It's almost as if everyone has to learn the hard way! Imagine if this training began in middle school!” Thanks, Jessica…That about sums it up doesn’t it?!?
June 2008: June 24th – Carole Monesmith hosted the monthly book club meeting as we discussed Mexican culture and customs. Caramelo is a 2002 novel by American author Sandra Cisneros . It was inspired by her Mexican heritage and childhood in the barrio of Chicago, Illinois. The main character, Lala, is the only girl in a family of seven children and her family often travels between Chicago and Mexico City. Because Cisneros also has six brothers and her family moved frequently when she was a child, the novel is semi-autobiographical. The novel could also be called a bildungsroman, as it focuses on Lala's devel opment from childhood onward. The group focused mainly on the intriguing culural depictions, which Ms. Cisneros vividly shared with her readers. It was also suggested that other novels by this talented author would be very worth the read!
June 14th – Sally Larson graciously offered her home again for the 2 nd Annual AAUW Picnic on Saturday, June 14 th. The weather “held-out”, so to speak, and although it was somewhat overcast, the rain did not begin until later that evening. We had a wonderful time just relaxing and letting-go: letting the lush landscape, beautiful memories, and lasting friendships take over for an afternoon’s delight.
May 2008: May 19th – Wow, what a night! Some people think that book clubs are boring…well, not ours! Each month, we usually read the same book, but Carol Holmelund had a good idea at the organizational meeting; to critique an author rather than a book. So, in May, we each selected a different book that was written by Anne Perry. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong! The evening became chock full of discussions surrounding moral issues, redemption, psychology, legality, societal concerns, and maturation to name but a few bumpy roads upon which we traveled. Juliet Hulme was born on October 28, 1938, in Blackheath, London, England. She is a British historical novelist and a convicted murderer at the age of 15 (see also Parker-Hulme murder). To quote Ms. Perry, “I was born Juliet Hulme, but after the tragedies and errors of my childhood, about which I have already said all there is to say, I took my stepfather’s name of Perry, and Anne Perry is not a pen name but my legal and only name.” Most of our book club members said that they would continue to read her books regardless of her sordid past. One member (guess who!) said that she would never read one of her novels again, and if she had known about her past before reading the one and only book that she did read, she would not have read it. You read Anne Perry’s biography and make your own decision!!
Ms. Anne Perry May 17th - We had a nice turnout for our Spring Annual Meeting and Luncheon, which was held at Bella Italia, in Newton, on May 17 th. Guest speaker, Mare Galeos, was the 2008 recipient of the Virginia Randall Scholarship at SCCC. Revealing humor coupled with sincerity, Mare explained the emotional rewards of receiving our branch’s scholarship. After enjoying our delightful luncheon, the 2008-2009 officers were unanimously elected during our regular meeting. The new board members and department chairs are as follows: President: Carole Monesmith
April 2008: April 29th – Lynn Beckmann was the hostess for The Independent Film Evening on April 29 th. We watched the 2006 remake of All the King’s Men starring Sean Penn, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, and Kate Winslet. Based on the Robert Penn Warren novel, the movie depicts the life of populist Southerner Willie Stark, a political creature loosely based on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana. The story describes the rise of Willie Stark from a rural county seat to the spotlight. Along the way, he loses his initial innocence, and becomes just as corrupt as those who he previously assaulted for this characteristic. Our group decided that we should have watched the 1949 movie starring Broderick Crawford instead of this remake, which was more interested in showing off actors than in showing off corruption! April 22nd – It was a small gathering for our April Book Club meeting at Muriel Everhart’s home, but we had a nice time, good refreshments, and ample discussions of western life. The book for the evening was Doc Holliday's Woman by Jane Candia Coleman, a mix of Western fact and fiction. Muriel had other non-fiction books with pictures of Doc’s “woman”, Kate Elder, and various locales of the era which greatly added to the visual appeal of this interesting woman-before-her-time. April 19th – The April Luncheon and Meeting were extremely successful, entertaining, informative, delicious, and –yes – fun ! The turnout was great, including high school ladies, guests from the community, and relatives of our members. Our guest speaker, Feather Schwartz Foster, took us back in time to the White House days of President Woodrow Wilson. She provided an in-depth view of his two wives; Ellen Axson and Edith Bolling Galt, detailing the ways that circumstance and coincidence affect history. April 5th – The branch held its annual Garage Sale at the Sparta Ambulance Building on April 5th between 8:00 and 2:00. This annual fundraiser raises funds for local scholarships, the national AAUW Education Foundation, and AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund. This year’s net gain from the event was $462.63.
March 2008: March 11th – The March Branch Meeting, held at the Sparta Methodist Church, was highlighted by our guest speaker, Ms. Martine White. Our members and guests brought various antiques that were appraised by Ms. White. In addition to offering interesting detailed information about the manufactured processes of most items, she discussed insurance details, which proved interesting to her audience. The proceeds of the appraisals, in the amount of $97.00, benefited the Education Foundation. February 2008: February 19th - The first Women & Money Evening (W&ME) was held at Carole Monesmith’s home on February 19 th. The “Financial Seminar", consisting of Five (5) Financial Discussion Meetings, will meet once a month for five (5) months. The monthly Women & Money meetings are based on the fabulous NEW SUZE ORMAN audio book entitled WOMEN AND MONEY. It is NOT just a "do this and do that" book. It seriously discusses the empowerment of women with regards to money, asking for pay raises, considering your worth, etc. It closely parallels the equity gap issue, but it goes into ways that YOU can personally get control over your own financial worth so that you can and will narrow the gap. It is a powerful program that allows women to be more powerful!! The remaining programs are: • MONTH TWO: Credit Cards and FICO Credit Scores – scheduled for Tuesday evening, March 18th, at 7:00. Location is Carole Monesmith’s home Suze Orman suggests: “If money is the difference between a future of security and comfort and a future of doubt and fear; if money is a major factor in your personal happiness; if money is a reflection of how you value and perceive yourself... why don’t you take better care of your money?” The next Women & Money Financial Evening is scheduled for Tuesday evening, March 18 th. The location and time is Carole Monesmith’s home at 7:00pm .
February 16th – Our branch’s Winter Luncheon and Meeting were delightful, educational, and extremely interesting. Our short business meeting was followed by broccoli and spinach quiches, garden salad, and delectable desserts. After the delicious luncheon, Muriel Everhart, our very own AAUW Life Member, presented an informative workshop on genealogy – with tips, forms, resources, information, and anecdotes. We received some fresh perspectives and ideas for tracking down our lost family member(s). Following her presentation, AAUW members and guests proceeded to create their individual Family Trees. When one of us was “stuck”, Muriel offered each person significant suggestions to locate relevant information. One of the unexpected results of the afternoon workshop was the sharing of memories of families and friends.
February 9th – The book of the month, Atlas Shrugged, was discussed in quasi-detail at Carole Monesmith’s home. One could devote years to discussing the philosophical system that Ayn Rand called Objectivism. We devoted 3 hours to it so we barely touched the tip of the iceberg. Since her controversial ideas have attracted both enthusiastic admirers and scathing denunciation, it is not surprising that our book club members had different opinions. In fact, it was quite wonderful that such was the case! According to a 1991 Library of Congress report, it is considered the second most influential book after the Bible in the lives of its readers. [I forgot to tell the group that tidbit…I bet that really would have sparked some heated remarks!] A complex combination of mystery, love story, social criticism, and philosophical concepts, the 1,100-page novel embodies the author’s passionate celebration of individualism, free will, capitalism, logic, and reason.
January 29th – Lynn Beckmann graciously offered her home and large television (!) for our first Independent Film Evening. 1948’s The Bicycle Thief with Italian subtitles was the film for our viewing pleasure, complete with soda and popcorn. It is a tale of Rome 's post-World War II depression that earned a special Oscar for its devastating power. Although it is widely considered a landmark Italian film, it left us wanting more. Antonio relies on his bicycle to do his job, but the same day that he gets the vehicle back from the pawnshop, someone steals it. Antonio and his young son, Bruno, search the city in vain, as Antonio confronts a looming desperation. Personally, I feel that the message of this film was that of moral conviction. It is easy to say that one has respectable morals, but it depends on whether one’s morals have been tested. In this regard, the father who lost his bike was tested and pitifully failed the test. His failure was compounded because his actions were witnessed by his son. If you are someone who wishes to spend an hour and 20 minutes watching a man and his son look for a bicycle, this film is definitely for you!
January 12th – Stevie’ Fava’s home was the perfect setting for the book club as we discussed Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert. The “soul-searching” memoir is divided into three sections, each containing 36 quasi-vignettes, hence a vignette for each of the 108 beads of a japa mala; a necklace which is used as an aid in many strands of Eastern meditation. After a severe depression, she decided to take a year off and to go on a spiritual journey: 4 months in Italy for sheer pleasure; 4 months in Italy to enter an Ashram, meditate, and be one with the universe; and 4 months in Indonesia (Bali) to learn how to balance the two (pleasure and divinity). Some of our members loved it, and some ladies thought that the book was a memoir of a self-centered young lady’s journey around the world. Totally mixed views of our heroine were uttered such as, "She is just an American spoiled brat!", "How wonderful to want to find yourself and the Divine as she did!", "She is very self-centered, isn't she?" I thought that she ventured forth where no man (or woman!) ought to tread, but no one probably agreed with me. Needless to say, after being printed in over thirty (30) languages and a #1 best seller for months and months, it is being made into a movie with good old Julia Roberts wearing the beads. December 2007: December 17th - As book club members drank cups of tea at Susan Paynter’s lovely Victorian home, they shared a vibrant discussion of the book, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson. The book prompted discussions of our role helping other women around the world, the importance of education, and the dangers faced by the "hero" of the story as he struggled to build schools despite difficult terrain and complex local customs. Donna Peemoller, a friend of Susan Paynter's joined the discussion and offered great insight on the main character and his long time interest in making a difference in the world.
December 5 - The Sussex County (NJ) branch of AAUW has long been a contributor to the Sussex County Community College Foundation. An annual scholarship is presented to a Sussex County woman majoring in the arts through the Virginia Randall Scholarship for the Arts. This year’s recipient, Ms. Mary Galeon, majoring in Literature, was presented the award at the SCCC Scholarship Award Ceremony on December 5, 2007. Present at the ceremony were Ms. Trudi Randall , daughter of Virginia Randall, Margaret Anderson, AAUW-Sussex County Branch Scholarship Chair, and Carole Monesmith, President of AAUW Sussex County Branch.
December 3 - The Sussex County (NJ) branch of AAUW has long been a supporter of the Sussex County Community College. With this history of cooperation, college president Dr. Constance Mierendorf presented Carole Monesmith, AAUW-Sussex County branch president, a certificate proclaiming December 3, 2007 the American Association of University Women Day on the Sussex County Community College campus. December 1 - We celebrated our Membership Brunch and Holiday Party on December 1st. The US representative for the Faberge family, Ms. Kathleen Kerr, amazed us by sharing the remarkable history of the Russian Czars and the Eggs that were designed for them during that era by Peter Carl Fabergé. Kathy delighted us by showcasing 3 contemporary designs from the St. Petersburg’s Collection. Her impressive presentation enabled our members to glimpse the past, present, and future direction of this most remarkable Faberge company. For additional information, please visit http://fly.hiwaay.net/~christel/index.html and/or the US website for the art of the Faberge Family www.fabeggs.com November 2007: November 26 - Carole, Muriel, and Margaret met with Ms. Jessica Seda, a freelance writer for the New Jersey Herald on November 26 th at the Dennis Library in Newton. Ms. Seda plans to write an article for the New Jersey Herald about our Sussex County branch and the new study that was recently released by AAUW regarding gender pay gaps. This article will coincide nicely with our distribution of the study, Behind the Pay Gap, to all of the libraries in Sussex County.
November 13 - The Sussex County branch has been in existence since 1947. We held our 60th birthday party, celebrating this milestone on November 13, 2007. We enjoyed a fabulous skit, which highlighted activities of our branch’s 60 years; we devoured a delicious birthday cake; and we reminisced with friends. Just think, women similar to us have been investing time and energy, making friends, and reaping the benefits of belonging to this fine association since 1947.
November 17 - The Book Club met at Gail Swain’s home on Saturday, November 17 th to discuss Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Gail treated the group to a fine English Tea; complete with scones, tea sandwiches and luscious desserts. A lively discussion arose while discussing the mores of today vs. the mores of yesteryear because, as expected, the established customs portrayed by Jane Austen were astonishingly different than today.
October 2007: October 30 - An on-going motif of AAUW is “because equity is still an issue”. Since 1913, in fact, when AAUW released a comprehensive report detailing disparities between men and women’s pay in federal government jobs, AAUW has been working to eliminate pay inequity. A new research report states that pay gaps exit between women and men as early as one year out of college. Unfortunately, New Jersey ranks 49 th out of the nation. This month, to heighten awareness of this issue, our local branch presented the new publication, Behind the Pay Gap, to the six libraries within the Sussex County Library System, to the Sparta Library, to the Sussex County Vo-tech library, and to the Sussex County Community College library.
October 27 - For a delightful twist, the Sussex Highlands League of Women Voters, a political but non-partisan organization, treated our AAUW members and guests to a delicious luncheon at our October 27 th Meeting and Reception for Dr. Constance Mierendorf, the new president of Sussex County Community College. She presented her views of the current enrollment and activities of the college and her vision for the future direction of SCCC. With a spirit of mutual camaraderie, a framed “AAUW Honorary Membership” was presented to her on behalf of our AAUW Sussex County Branch board and its members. In addition, the new publication, Behind the Pay Gap was presented to Dr. Mierendorf to include in SCCC’s Library.
October 23rd - Lynn Beckmann was the hostess for our October Book Club get-together. The supernatural genre, The Green Mile by Stephen King, induced much discussion. An interesting statement that was uttered by quite a number of ladies was, “I didn’t think that I would like Stephen King, but I really enjoyed this read!” That is precisely what is so great about a book club. One is introduced to various and often unfamiliar types of books and/or authors.
September 2007: September 18 - While discussing The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall, we concluded that these ladies were progressive for the times within they lived. As the title of Ms. Marshall's book suggests, these three women successfully ignited American Romanticism. Although the three sisters lacked wealth, they accomplished many societal changes. Indeed, these ladies lived the life that AAUW promotes; equity for all women and girls, lifelong education, and positive societal change. Our hope is that the following list of books and authors will interest other AAUW friends to join our Book Club. There are only two requirements: to enjoy lively discussion and to RSVP to the hostess that you are planning to attend. This list of books is a great, varied selection. If we continue each year with this type of format (1. genre * 2. favorite book*/ author), we will be extremely well read women with interesting thoughts and ideas to share with those who wish to listen!
All of the books are readily available at www.amazon.com. Another website to look at is www.alibris.com. Future book club meetings:
Come and join us! September 15 - Our Sussex County Branch kicked-off the 2007-2008 year on September 15th. The Welcome Luncheon was held at the Bella Italia Restaurant in Newton. The productive meeting included members who actively suggested new and exciting activites for this year such as the Independent Film Evening. AAUW/NJ liaison guest speaker, Sally Ann Goodson, shared information from the state association. She also related the impact of AAUW upon her life and work.
Below are descriptions of past 2006 / 2007 branch activities: June 2007: June 7 - Picnic Pictures
May 19 - The 2007-2008 AAUW Sussex County (NJ) branch officers were elected on May 19, 2007. Our branch Annual Luncheon and Meeting took place at the Tuscany Bistro in May. Our guest speaker, Adrienne Lesser, discussed the ever-escalating crime of human trafficking. The national and state statisitics are staggering for this horrific crime. New Jersey is in the forefront by creating a Task Force to tackle crime-related activities in the state. At the branch annual meeting on May 19th, those present voted to use garage sale money to meet our annual obligation to the AAUW Educational Foundation and Legal Advocacy Funds
April 2007:
March 2007:
March 31 - Our Garage Sale was a huge success as we netted $895.90. The Sparta ambulance building is a perfect place to hold the sale. Manys thanks go to Mary Hookway and her husband Jeff for moving a lot of items to the building and then disposing of unsold goods. Thanks, also, to those of you who contributed time and/or items for the sale. February 2007 Our February meeting focused on “Women in the Arts”. Members who wished to participate selected a woman artist, presented a short biography, and included examples of the artists’ works. January 2007 December 2006: Our branch enjoyed a lovely holiday luncheon in December. In addition to all of the holiday pleasures, prospective members and guests were invited to learn more about AAUW. Our NJ State President, Virginia Little visited our luncheon and shared many informative state and national issues.
November 2006:
October 2006: Our October guest speaker was Ms. Jennifer Whitlock. She presented poignant information about a program, Girl’s Rule, sponsored by St. Clare’s Hospital in Sussex, NJ. Jennifer’s presentation, “Empowering Girls in Troubled Times” was eye-opening, informative, and greatly appreciated by our members. September 2006: The Spring House was the setting for our Welcome Luncheon in September. We enjoyed book reviews that were presented by our members who wished to share their favorite summer novel.
|
||||
To advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. 
