Voting Delegates present at the 2011 Georgia AAUW state convention support a motion to provide written 30 day notice to the branches and their members of a proposed $10 increase in AAUW of Georgia state dues, to be effective with dues payable as of July 1, 2011 … for the 2011-2012 AAUW year.

National dues remain at $49.00 for 2011-2012. State dues will be $20 per year. Branch dues are set by each branch. (Atlanta Branch dues will not change, but each member would pay a total of $87, if the state dues increase is adopted. The increase would be effective when members pay their 2011-12 dues this May.)

Branches are asked to present this proposed increase to their members immediately for discussion and reply with a response by May 10th to Debbie Karvey, AAUW-GA co-president. If any branch and/or member is concerned about the increase, the branch or individual is asked to provide Debbie Karvey with possible alternative solutions to the budget deficit.

All branch responses and suggestions will be shared with the budget committee. All branch responses must be received by May 10th. State convention is currently in recess and the delegates present at the convention on April 2, 2011, will vote electronically on May 15th, on the proposed increase.

Continue reading for background information.

Carrie Smith, President Marlene Humphry, Evelyn Merk

Twelve Houston-Peach branch members attended the state convention held in Warner Robins. Laurie Shaw, HP member was installed as Co-President of AAUW Georgia. She has been serving as the Vice President for Membership. She will serve with Debbie Karvey for the next year.

Patricia Ho, AAUW Director at Large was the evening speaker. She reviewed the AAUW strategic plan and information from the Every Member survey. She is a candidate for the AAUW Vice President. She was an engaging and informative speaker.

The branch hospitality room was a popular place after the Friday banquet.

The registration form is now available for the state convention April 1- 2 at the Fairfield Inn in Warner Robins. Send Registration form with a check make payable to AAUW of Georgia in the amount of $52.00, or Registration and separate meal cost, if necessary, to: Marlene Humphry, President, Houston-Peach Branch, 141 Majestic Oak Circle, Byron GA 31008. The form includes the lunch selection for Saturday.

AAUW OF GEORGIA STATE CONVENTION 2011

Please register directly with the hotel and mention “AAUW” to get the reduced rate. The hotel registration deadline has been extended to March 7.

Eleanor Granum is our founding president of the branch and is recognized every year with an award named in her honor. The nomination form is available under the Eleanor Granum tab on the menu. Marty Scarborough, Chair of the Eleanor Granum Committee, asks that all nominations be submitted by April 1, 2011.

Ann MacKay's Facebook Page

Have you heard about Facebook and Twitter? If Facebook was a country it would be the third largest in the world. Social media will be the topic for the March 8 meeting of Houston Peach AAUW. Ann MacKay, branch member and social media user, will talk about the benefits of connecting and conversation through technology. She will also demonstrate how Facebook works and offer tips for setting up your account to maximize privacy. Ann celebrates 26 years of using a Mac computer and can usually be found with an iPad or iPhone nearby. She serves as  the web manager for the AAUW Georgia and Houston Peach branch websites, is the Facebook administrator for AAUW Georgia and serves on the national AAUW Social Media Task Force.

Come for refreshments at 6:15 followed by the program at 6:45 p.m. in  the second floor meeting room at Lowe’s Toyota, 375 South Houston Lake Road, Warner Robins, GA.

The branch equity project starts at Kay Road Elementary in Byron, GA in March. Girls Reading It Together in School or GRITS is a four week after school reading program. Fifth grade girls meet weekly to read aloud a book, discuss it and have fun while doing it. This year Marlene Humphry will be the discussion leader with Jane Winston as the assistant. Mark your calendars for helping with the discussion and refreshments for March 9, 16, 23 and 30. It is a fun and easy way to get involved in the community projects that make a difference in the lives of girls.

This will be the sixth year for the program.

Kristina Simms

The February 8 program will feature a poetry reading by Kristina (Tina) Simms. A native Georgian, Simms is a retired educator and social service worker. She has published numerous articles, poems, non-fiction books Wild and woolly Georgia, 1870-1899, Macon: Georgia’s Central City: and Illustrated History, A Year at the Lake; poetry chapbooks Southern Maps, Window Seat, Anytown Parade; and her newest book, The Stradivarius in the Basement: A collection of essays, was published last year. Other members of the branch will also participate.

Kristina Simms is a graduate of Mercer University and holds a master’s degree in English from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Colonel Brynn Morgan

Colonel Brynn Morgan captivated us last month with her description of what life is like as an American officer female in a war zone as well as what life is like for the female natives.

Colonel Morgan is the Staff Judge Advocate, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. Colonel Morgan graduated, cum laude, from Mississippi University for Women, Columbus, Mississippi in May 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with minors in English and political science. She received her Juris Doctorate from Rutgers-Camden School of Law in May 1990. She entered the Air Force on October 10, 1990.

Colonel Brynn Morgan captivated us last month with her description of what life is like as an American officer female in a war zone as well as what life is like for the female natives.
Colonel Morgan is the Staff Judge Advocate, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. Colonel Morgan graduated, cum laude, from Mississippi University for Women, Columbus, Mississippi in May 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with minors in English and political science. She received her Juris Doctorate from Rutgers-Camden School of Law in May 1990. She entered the Air Force on October 10, 1990.

It will be a full house at Jane Winston’s home for our catered meal and festivities. This year we are invited to share our talents for the entertainment portion of the evening. The photographer has been assigned so those not attending can see how the evening unfolded. The members of the Warner Robins Branch wish you all a very happy Holiday Season.

The Reading in FUNdamental program celebrated 44 years of helping kids discover the joy of reading. The branch has been conducting RIF distributions continuiously since 1973.

RIF commissioned a study to determine what impact, if any, does access to print material have on our children’s reading performance. The study, Children’s Access to Print Material and Education-Related Outcomes, was commissioned by Reading Is Fundamental and conducted by Learning Point Associates, a nonprofit education research and consulting organization and affiliate of American Institutes for Research (AIR).

The study concludes that children’s book lending and ownership programs were shown to have positive behavioral, educational, and psychological outcomes. A summary of the study is available on the RIF website.