Presidents’ Corner
Greetings from your President
JANUARY 2009
My wish for all of you this holiday season is an experience of contentment and peace, whatever winter celebration you observe. This fall I have been inspired by working with a project designed to bring joy and contentment to children across the Valley. Every year Children’s Bureau (my employer of Christmases past and present) mounts an ambitious toy drive for the child clients of our programs. We have had the enthusiastic and generous participation of many businesses, organizations and individuals in gathering more than 1300 toys and other gifts. A conference room was arranged as a Toy Shop and parents of all our children were invited to shop. Parents selected two gifts for each of their children, one large, one stocking stuffer. If another family shares their home, the other parents also participated. They were assisted by staff and teenage volunteers, the children of staff and friends, who gave some of their vacation time to this effort.
Two days of shopping supplied our families with an enriched holiday, in some cases, the only toys the children will receive. The remaining 200-300 gifts were given to a program working with migrant families and were distributed to children of migrant workers. “Play is the work of the child,” and it is very warming to witness the spirit in which the toys were given, without knowing to what children they would go, but bringing them the tools of play and development.
There are many organizations conducting wonderful, supportive programs and I know many of you are involved with them. The spirit of generous giving is evident in AAUW’s support of scholarships, both national and local. Your opportunity to participate is the February EF Mini-luncheons, by attending and donating or by offering your home and preparing a lunch. Please see Linda Pluss’ request for help.
My hope is also that all of you will attend the January meeting and participate in a discussion of proposed by-laws. We need the thoughts and input of all of you and the best gift we can give is to hear each other out and consider these proposed changes to AAUW in a spirit of tolerance and generosity.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!
Elizabeth
Antelope Valley Branch
of the AAUW
January 2009
Chice Davison, Editor
aauw-av.org
General Meeting
January 10, 2009
10:30 a.m.
Saddle-Up
41455 20th St. West
(between Avenues M and N)
Palmdale
$3.00 Fee
It’s Field Trip Time!
We’re Going to the Saddle-Up Facility to Learn About a Therapeutic Program for Disabled Children in the Antelope Valley Using Horses
Thank you for your RSVP to
Joann Marshall, 942-7533 or
Gail Lofdahl, 722-5833
January Branch Calendar
Jan. 5 7:00 p.m. AVAAUW Board Meeting at Sydney Stern’s house, 1709 West Avenue L-12, Lancaster.
All members are invited to attend. Call to let Liz know you are coming, 943-1693.
Jan. 8 5:00p.m. Out to Dinner Diners will be meeting for dinner at Johhny Carino’s, outer ring of the
AV mall,Palm. Please call Anita Schrumpf at 942-3642 by January 7 to make
a reservation.
Jan. 10 10:30a.m. General Meeting at Saddle Up, 41455 20th St. West, Palmdale. Please RSVP to Joann
Marshall, 942-7533 or Gail Lofdahl, 722-5833.
Jan. 14 7:00p.m. Book Review Sue Berman will review the book Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horowitz
at the home of Sue Berman 3839 Sunstream Ave., Palmdale. Please call Sue at 265-0298 or
email at sueberman@earthlink.net to let her know you are planning to attend.
Jan. 20 Bridge Group will meet at the home of Joann Marshall, 44320 N. Rodin Ave., Lanc.,
Please contact Kay Brickner at 942-8816 or kbricknr@earthlink.net for information.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Tech Trek
January 15, 2009, is the due date for nominations from public middle school 7th grade math/science teachers. At this point, we expect nominations from our regular schools Cole, Tropico, Edwards, Boron, and probably Joe Walker. We also expect nominations for the first time from Hillview, Piute and Desert Willow! Members are also working to get nominations from Endeavor, New Vista, and Del Sur, and we have tried to contact several other middle schools. Members who are current or retired teachers have been particularly helpful in getting nominations: thanks to Jane Baughman, Ellen Schomberg, Jennie Leishman, Linda Pluss, and also Diane Sasaki, Wendy Harper, and Kathy Moore.
We received an $800 check from JT3, an aerospace company for which member Lisa Gray is the Chief Information Officer. Thanks!
The Whittier Tech Trek Camp is oversubscribed and asked us to reduce the number spots reserved for Antelope Valley Tech Trekkers from 12 to 8. The Fresno Camp has agreed to give us 4 spots, so now we have reservations for 4 at the Santa Barbara Camp, 4 at Fresno, and 8 at Whittier. The Fresno camp costs $700 per camper, and the others cost $800, so even though the parents will have to drive farther to have their daughter attend the Fresno camp, it will cost us less and we will have a better chance of reaching our goal of sending 16 girls to Tech Trek in 2009.
Our January committee meeting will be soon after the 15th, when the nominations are due.
Connie Harney
EF Mini-Luncheons
The following exceedingly generous and beautiful members have agreed to open their homes to our philanthropic group for luncheons in February: Connie Harney, Bonnie Stone, Sydney Stern/Frieder, Julie Agnew, and Kay Baker. I will also be hosting a luncheon. Anita Shrumpf, Carol Seidel, Liz O'Brien, and Gail Lofdahl have graciously volunteered to co-host. I could use a few more co-hostesses and am accepting volunteers at 947-1324 or lgpluss37@aol.com. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support. I can already predict a record-breaking amount raised to support our local scholarships, Tech Trek, and National Educational and Legal Advocacy Fund. You are all The Best!
Linda Pluss
Bohn-Meyer Math & Science Odyssey
The next Math & Science Odyssey is scheduled for Friday, February 6, 2009 at Antelope Valley College. The Odyssey involves 8th grade boys & girls. There is a coalition of people in aerospace, education and relevant math & science activities that have come together to make the Odyssey a success. Please contact Ellen Schomberg at 949-3177 or Connie Harney at 943-4231 to join other AVAAUW volunteers at this worthwhile & fun educational experience.
Ellen Schomberg
Dinner Diners
This month the group will meet on January 8 at Johnny Carino’s (on the outer ring of the AV Mall, Palmdale on the ring around the Mall, Palmdale. Please call Anita Schrumpf, 942-3642 by January 7 for reservations.
Anita Schrumpf
Book Review
On Wednesday, January 14, at 7:00 p.m. Book Review Members will examine the CivilWar in "Confederates in the Attic" through the lens of Pulitzer-Prize Winning journalist Tony Horwitz. Discover why it is still an important part of our history and why it is still with us today. Sue Berman will lead the group at her home: 3839 Sunstream Avenue, Palmdale. Please call or e-mail Sue if you plan to join the discussion : 265--0298; sueberman@earthlink.net.
Irene Yamasaki
Wine Tasting Fund Raiser
We have a place for the Wine Tasting now we need someone to organize it. The previous chair has instructions and checklists, there are experienced volunteers to help, all we need is YOU. Please let Liz O’Brien know if you can do this important job.
Nominating Committee
If sometime in the next month you look at your telephone’s caller ID and see a number you don’t recognize please answer it. It is a member of your friendly nominating committee making you an offer we don’t want you to refuse. We’ll be looking for a few members to be the officers for the 2009-2010 branch year. Please consider a position when we call.
Thanks, Chice Davison, Bonnie Stone and Wendy Harper, the friendly committee Harper, the friendly committee
Member News
Here are some corrections to your Membership Directory.
In the list of dates for General Meetings, the date for January should be January 10.
Additional information about new member Michelle George is that she has an AA degree from
Mt. St. Mary’s college and she is a retired secretary.
Ellen Schomberg’s email address is ellenbbagel@verizon.net
Presidents’ Corner
Greetings from your President
My wish for all of you this holiday season is an experience of contentment and peace, whatever winter celebration you observe. This fall I have been inspired by working with a project designed to bring joy and contentment to children across the Valley. Every year Children’s Bureau (my employer of Christmases past and present) mounts an ambitious toy drive for the child clients of our programs. We have had the enthusiastic and generous participation of many businesses, organizations and individuals in gathering more than 1300 toys and other gifts. A conference room was arranged as a Toy Shop and parents of all our children were invited to shop. Parents selected two gifts for each of their children, one large, one stocking stuffer. If another family shares their home, the other parents also participated. They were assisted by staff and teenage volunteers, the children of staff and friends, who gave some of their vacation time to this effort.
Two days of shopping supplied our families with an enriched holiday, in some cases, the only toys the children will receive. The remaining 200-300 gifts were given to a program working with migrant families and were distributed to children of migrant workers. “Play is the work of the child,” and it is very warming to witness the spirit in which the toys were given, without knowing to what children they would go, but bringing them the tools of play and development.
There are many organizations conducting wonderful, supportive programs and I know many of you are involved with them. The spirit of generous giving is evident in AAUW’s support of scholarships, both national and local. Your opportunity to participate is the February EF Mini-luncheons, by attending and donating or by offering your home and preparing a lunch. Please see Linda Pluss’ request for help.
My hope is also that all of you will attend the January meeting and participate in a discussion of proposed by-laws. We need the thoughts and input of all of you and the best gift we can give is to hear each other out and consider these proposed changes to AAUW in a spirit of tolerance and generosity.
