Since 1933, our branch in Beaver Dam Wisconsin has been supporting AAUW’s mission of advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.
We are an active group of about 45 members. We meet monthly September through April, with a brief business meeting and then a fun and informative program. A delicious brunch and program on a Saturday in May ends the year. Our group also hosts monthly morning and evening book clubs.
We sponsor two to three $2,000 scholarships to area high school seniors each year. In 2019, we started a new scholarship program for women who are returning to school through Moraine Park. We have been able to give two $1,000 scholarships through this program. The money for these scholarships is the result of the community’s generosity at our one and only fundraising event: the Scholarship Gift Basket Auction, held each year in October. Check out the scholarship page for more information, including another opportunity offered through the State of Wisconsin’s AAUW.
Two messages from your branch president:
September 2023:
Welcome to the new AAUW year! As a former teacher, fall brings feelings of excitement and fresh beginnings. It brings memories of reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. And it challenges me to think ahead, to plan for the coming frosty winter months.
Our new AAUW year brings many of these same things. I’m excited about the programs we have lined up. It feels like a new and improved year for me as president. I have one term of experience, a new and enthusiastic Vice President, a newly updated set of bylaws and several new members. We have memories of the fun we had on August 23rd at our kick-off event at Ooga Brewing, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. And I’m thinking ahead to a new initiative we’re introducing later this year to warm up your winter. Stay tuned!
A new year is exciting, but it is also a comfort to build on past successes. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is still an important initiative with our national organization, and several of our programs this year touch on that issue. Once again, we’ll gather in October to raise the money for our spring scholarships at our basket auction. Our book clubs are ready to go. Our members will continue to volunteer at the Food-Is-Free food pantry. And, as always, our slate of programs for the year includes timely and thought-provoking topics, but also some dedicated more to fun and camaraderie.
Here’s to new fall beginnings! I wish you a joyous season filled with warm sunny days, cool clear nights and your favorite warm beverage.
Bobbi
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January 2024:
Happy 2024!
I recently read an article published by Time magazine entitled 13 Ways the World Got Better in 2023. I was surprised by this title. I’ve spent the last year reading news reports about military conflicts, climate change and unsettling politics, so I, like others, was feeling pessimistic about our future. But this article gave me a great deal of hope. One of my favorite facts from the list is that violent crime in the U.S. has declined 49% since its peak in 1991, including a drop of 2% in the last year. Another was that talk of energy transition has finally turned into concrete action as developers are building clean-energy infrastructure at an unprecedented rate and scale.
There are also two big reasons why we, as AAUW members, can feel optimistic. First, AAUW recently announced that we have received a four-star rating (97%!) from Charity Navigator. If you are unfamiliar with this organization, they have rated more than 200,000 charities, focusing on cost-effectiveness and overall health of a charity’s programs, including measures of stability, efficiency, and sustainability. This four-star rating is prestigious recognition that means our dollars are well-spent by an organization committed not just to empowering women, but also to fiscal responsibility and organizational effectiveness. We should all feel great about this achievement!
Secondly, I’m thrilled to announce that AAUW will have an important national vote coming up this spring, seeking to remove the 2- or 4-year degree requirement for AAUW membership. I know this has been an issue for many of our members for some time. I can’t tell you how to vote, but I encourage you to talk about this issue with your AAUW sisters and to be sure to watch your mailbox for future voting instructions.
May your 2024 be filled with health and happiness.
Bobbi
