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The Jan-Feb 2012 bulletin went out today, and it turns out we have a lot going on this Spring. 

Our next event is a sobering learning experience. The topic is Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery, and we’ll be seeing a short film, “Shari’s Story”, by Brad Riley, founder of the Boulder-based organization iEmpathize.  Find the flyer here.  This is not some far-away problem, but right here in the Denver area given that I-70 and I-25 are major transportation arteries. We will learn to recognize the signs of Human Trafficking.

To help prepare for the topic, and to prime some questions, you are encouraged to read Half the Sky. You can find details, and a map to the location on our

Events page.

 

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As of a minute ago, you now have the ability to register for the 2012 Expanding Your Horizons event in Boulder.  The conference is dedicated to introducing middle-school aged girls to professional fields, fields of study, and role models in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Math.

In exciting news about those of you who live on the Internet, registration fees can now be paid through PayPal!

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Like last year, Applebee’s is opening their doors to us on a Saturday morning, so that we can serve all-you-can-eat pancakes. The catch? In order to get those pancakes, you have to purchase a $7 ticket, and show up between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30, this Saturday, November 12th.

If you’d like a ticket, contact boulderaauw @ gmail.com, or come see us on Saturday morning. Tickets will be available at the door.

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Whoa, look at life happen.  A few updates since last I posted:

EYH page is updated with the conference date (Febraury 25, 2012), and that registration will open in mid-December.

Book group book lists have been entered, with links. Check out the awesome reading material.

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This is a reminder that we are having our Program Year kick-off event – our Fall Membership Tea – is tomorrow.  The event is open to Members and Guests, and we hope to see you all there.

In addition to hearing from Valerie Mcginnis, we will also be introducing our Interest Groups, talking about our Branch programs for the year, and sharing the amazing new materials and inspiration coming to us from National. There are many ways in the works that we branches can coordinate with National activities, including Election Day 2011 Get Out the Vote activities, making sure that word about the National Fellowships and Grants gets out to those women who could use them, and following up on AAUW’s research projects and the actions that have resulted.

As a program preview, have a video from National’s video channel.

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And what a pleasant autumn it has been, in Boulder, so far.   The students have returned to CU, the To Do list has exploded in a post-vacation flurry, and it is time to kick off AAUW-Boulder’s program year.

We’re kicking off the program year with our Membership Tea, at the Koenig Alumni Center.  Our Guest speaker this year is Valerie Maginnis, the new Director of the Boulder Public Library System. Here is the flyer for the event.

We are a group who loves books, and loves our community, so she’ll be speaking of things near and dear to our hearts.

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The bulletin for Sept-Oct 2011 has been posted, with sensitive members-only information redacted. If you’re a member, and you need another copy of the full bulletin, email boulderaauw at gmail dot com and we’ll get one to you post-haste.

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Another “Tangentially Related” entry – this time from The League of Women Voters here in Boulder County, with whom AAUW has shared common cause consistently and loudly.

From the program announcement:

GMOs: Bane or Blessing?

            On September 10^th at 10:30 am at the Louisville Library meeting room, the League will kick off its new program year with a panel discussion on GMOs brought to you by the Agriculture study committee.  Panelists are 2 professors from CSU, an organic farmer and a conventional farmer who work land in Boulder County.  The professors will help us understand what a GMO is, how glyphosate (Round Up) works, and how to evaluate studies for credibility.  The farmers will give us their perspective on the economics of the production side and the consumer demand locally.  There will be time for questions from the audience.

Speakers are:

Daniel R. Bush, professor in the Biology Department at CSU.  He is a plant physiologist whose research focuses on how plants move nutrients through their vascular systems.  He is also investigating basic growth processes that will contribute to yield increases for food and fuel.  He was a Professor of plant biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for 15 years before coming to CSU as the Chair of Biology in 2003.  He is the former President of the American Society of Plant Biologists, and has served on a variety of panels and advisory boards for federal agencies.

Norman Dalsted, professor in the Agriculture Department at CSU.  Dr. Dalsted comes from a North Dakota farm background, and he currently farms land in Weld County.  His major fields are Farm and Ranch Management, Agricultural Finance, Agricultural Production Economics and Regional Economics.

Paul Schlagel, 3^rd generation conventional farmer of 1000 acres in Boulder and Weld Counties.  He produces alfalfa, brewer barley, sugar beets and corn.  400 of the acres he farms are leased from Boulder County Open Space.

Sylvia R. Tawse, organic farmer.  She owns with her husband, Lyle Davis, Pastures of Plenty Farm in Longmont, a 35-acre organic farm; founder and president of Fresh Ideas Group,  a strategic communications firm dedicated to sustainable brands and issues.

This program kicks off their program year, and they’ve graciously invited interested AAUW members (and interested members of the public) to attend.

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Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN) recently contacted this site in a call for volunteers. They’re hosting their SPAN the Rockies fundraiser cycling event, and are needing willing individuals to help make the race a safe, fun success.

For more information on the event, visit the event page. You can also find the link to register to participate in the event, from there.
To volunteer, contact Chelsea @ safehousealliance.org

AAUW is not partnered with SPAN, nor is AAUW sponsoring the SPAN the Rockies event.

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Drive-by updating!

 

The 2011 side of our 2011 – 2012 program year Branch Meetings is starting to solidify.  You can find updates on the Events page.  Details regarding speakers, and down-loadable fliers are forthcoming, so check the Events category of blog posts periodically to find event-specific updates.

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We have safely arrived back from National Convention, and it was a blast.  Personally, I had never been to D.C. before, so just taking in the city was a nice added bonus to attending. I’m still putting together my notes and materials for an actual debrief for you, Dear Readers, but I can say that the programming was excellent.

The big change this year was that National Conventions Past usually involved a lot of business regarding the bylaws, public policy, and the board of directors – all of which were voted on at Convention, by delegates sent from the various State branches.  This year, AAUW debuted the One Member, One Vote system, in which all current members of AAUW could vote using online ballots, paper ballots, or voting machines at Convention to render their opinion.  As a result, the whole convention program could be devoted to the activities of the organization, and ways of using those activities to effectively move our mission forward.

I learned a lot about functioning in teams without driving any one of my team members away. I learned exciting things about how AAUW.org is trying to make it easier for people like yours truly to manage dynamic and growing branch websites. I learned that I am capable of speaking to my elected officials, and those who receive constituents on their behalf, without fear of feeling foolish. And that’s just scratching the surface.