The 25 charter members represent nine of North Carolina’s 100 counties and three other states. There are two men, former members of two disbanded branches,  seven at-large members choosing to connect to AAUW NC, four former members who had let their membership lapse, and nine members of other AAUW NC branches who are interested in helping this new model get started.

For more information, see http://tarheel.aauwnc.org for the online membership signup form, contact info@bwob.aauwnc.org or call Doris Bernlohr at 336-586-7001.

Standing: Branch members Nancy Shoemaker, Sheila Bassoppo-Moyo, Mary Stephens, Mary Fran Schickedantz, Queen Thompson
Seated: Branch president Doris Bernlohr, AAUW NC president Millie Hoffler-Foushee

• Equality North Carolina will be asked to add AAUW NC’s name to the list of organizations that support the renewed efforts to pass the  “school violence prevention act.” Board members filled out postcards that will be forwarded to Equality NC to forward to the legislature expressing support on this issue. For more postcards for your branch, contact Seth at seth@equalitync.org or call him at 919-829-0343.
• A resolution approving the formation of the Tar Heel Branch (the North Carolina branch without borders).

The branch has chosen the name “Tar Heel branch” but will use the tagline “the NC branch without borders” to clarify its status as more states adopt this model. It has approved working rules and elected an initial board (see bwob.aauwnc.org/businessOct2008.htm)

The branch has recruited 23 members. Of those, 12 will have the Tar Heel branch as their first/only branch. Six of those are converting from at-large status. There are also two new members and four who had let their membership lapse. The 11 who were already members of other AAUW branches (and so will be “dual” members in this branch) represent seven of the 21 NC branches and two out-of-state branches. The North Carolina branches represented include Charlotte, Greensboro, High Country, High Point, Raleigh/Wake County (2 members), Statesville (2 members), and Winston-Salem.

References

• Text of the resolution
• Form that the state president and membership vp will be asked to sign

• Fall 2008 AAUW NC meeting. [Hotel reservation deadline 10/1; Registration deadline 10/17.]
• Recruiting is underway for both 2009-2010 officers and for team members who’d like to get involved now
• Branch without Borders approval vote is scheduled for Oct. 31.

Copy of the letter  (with 10/18 correction replacing “secretary” with “program vp”)

Attachments:

• Nomination Form for 09-10 officers (see also version you can fill out on your computer)
• Talent Bank Form (to print and discuss, but please use this online version)
• Branch without Borders brochure

In the first 16 members we have

• Two men (one new to AAUW, one converting from at-large membership)
• Two members of branches in other states
• Two lapsed members who are re-joining AAUW through the branch
• Three at-large members who are joining AAUW NC through this branch
• Seven members of other branches in AAUW NC

15 of the 16 are “online,” and we do expect online communication to be key to the branch’s success.

Our recruiting to date has been among those who are aware of AAUW, and we’ve encouraged branch members to join to learn about the model. We hope they will be able to offer the option to those who are reluctant to join the branch but wish to support AAUW with this new kind of membership.

Plans for the near term:

• Send additional information to the branch presidents, including copies of the branch brochure
• Take a vote on the branch’s name. [”Tar Heel Branch” appears to be in the lead at this point.]
• Ask the state for formal approval at the October 31 board meeting — and submit the required paperwork to the Association fo AAUW board approval.
• Send additional information to the college/university representatives. [As with communities where there is no branch, this branch might provide structure — and a branch roster — on campuses where there are several individual members who have no way to get in touch with each other.]
• Start a broader recruiting campaign with the members-at-large
• Work with those who said they wanted to be in branch leadership to craft the branch bylaws.

Again, all branches are encouraged to have at least one member join this new branch — perhaps someone from your membership or communications teams. That way you can see if other members from your community join the branch and let them know about special events or activities. You will also have a vote as we finalize the branch bylaws and policies — which may affect how the branch recruits near community based branches.

For more information and for information on how to join, see http://bwob.aauwnc.org or write info@bwob.aauwnc.org.

We are now at the stage of recruiting at least 15 charter members. If you would like to be a part of this experiment in a new way of organizing an AAUW community, please sign up by completing this form.

Initial fees will be paid to AAUW NC (until the charter members decide on the branch name and it opens a bank account). Dues are

• $0 - for members and student affiliates of AAUW NC and its branches who have already paid for 08-09
• $17 - for students working on a first associate or bachelors degree who have not already paid student affiliate fees for 08-09.
• $11 - for AAUW members-at-large (or branch members for 08-09 from other states) who wish to join this new branch.
  • Note: If your AAUW membership will expire before 12/31/08, please contact info@bwob.aauwnc.org before sending payment.
• $60 - for those who wish to join/renew with AAUW by joining this branch.
  • This will cover your at-large membership in AAUW, so you will not need to wait until the branch formation is complete to receive membership benefits.

So, to sign up as a charter member of this branch:

1. If you owe anything, send your check payable to “AAUW NC” to Nancy Shoemaker, 7009 Jeffrey Dr., Raleigh, NC 27603.
2. Fill out the charter member information form

Please contact info@bwob.aauwnc.org if you have questions or see the earlier post for background on this idea.

[Note (8/5/08): Originally we said the dues for those joining AAUW as charter members of this branch would be $62. We had incorrect information that at-large members would pay $51 after 7/1/08, but they are actually being charged $49, the same as branch members. So we lowered the total by $2.]

How can we have a dramatic impact in the Princeville and Tarboro area? How can we help create opportunities for women and girls as well as reach out to current members-at-large not connected to a branch in these areas? The new branch structure, Branch Without Borders, will make it easier to accomplish several goals: provide a branch structure; gain membership as well as provide a mechanism to develop projects in Princeville, an area with no members and formerly devastated by flooding; and lastly it would reconnect with Tarboro which only has 12 members-at-large.

If individual members would like to help develop projects in Princeville and Tarboro after the new structure becomes a reality, we can have a strong impact because we will have access to AAUW resources and have the ability to organize creative and meaningful projects that will make a difference to the members living in those areas.

I won’t be at the Salisbury meeting — but I’ll be thinking of you while attending my 30th college reunion.

Please contact me (find phone/e-mail on the state contacts list) if you have questions or comments.

-Sheila Bassoppo-Moyo
AAUW NC Membership VP

• minimal structure
• dues that approximate those that an at-large member of AAUW NC would pay
• a program that may involve projects in different areas of the state, but which will not be “meeting” based

Who would join such a branch? Those who want to support our mission and get the benefits of AAUW membership, but

• who live far from the nearest community based branch or
• whose lives are such that a community based branch is not a good fit

Why would such members join this branch, instead of just joining AAUW at the national level?

• To connect to the state organization to
  • get advocacy information about what’s going on in Raleigh, not just DC
  • support AAUW NC’s coalition partners such as NC Women United, NC Voters for Clean Elections, and the NC Coalition on Aging
  • get all AAUW NC publications and the information about state projects and the efforts of the community based branches
  • get access to the member section of the AAUW NC web site with directories of AAUW leaders across the state

• and to connect to AAUW members near them
  • With access to the branch roster, members in towns or on campuses where there is no branch can find each other and perhaps organize an occasional event or project using AAUW’s name (e.g.. take an issue to the local school board, march as AAUW in the local MLK Day parade).
  • Community-based branches will be able to contact these members about special events and issues

Think of the women (and men!) that you’ve tried and failed to recruit to AAUW. Would the conversation had ended differently if you’d been able to offer them the option of the “branch without borders”?

This branch structure follows a model from Montana, and was discussed in North Carolina in 2005 when we changed the AAUW NC bylaws to say that AAUW NC could provide special support to one branch. This new branch will claim that special support and its bylaws will reflect that there may be some functions where the branch will request help from the state board. [The proposed bylaws for AAUW do, however, decrease the number of requirements AAUW places on branches and so by 2009 this branch may need less “help” from the state.]

The next steps:

• Discuss this at the AAUW NC board meeting on Friday, July 25, and get agreement in principle that starting a such a branch is a good thing.
• Recruit at least 15 charter members. These may be members of other branches who would be “dual” members of this branch, current at-large members of the Association, or new members. (For those who are not already members of AAUW NC, we’ll collect an amount that will make them individual members (or student affiliates) of AAUW NC — $62 for those new to AAUW, $11 for members joining AAUW NC for the first time, $17 for new student affiliates.)
• The charter members agree on a name (Tar Heel? Long Leaf Pine? Mountain to Sea? or just “Branch Without Borders”?) and formally petition the state board for its approval.
• Once approved, move forward with completing the bylaws and communicating the benefits of branch membership to members-at-large and others who may want to join or who may, even if they do not join, may help recruit members for this special branch.
• As the spirit moves, the members of the branch can then start using AAUW’s name in projects — Doris has already said she’d like to organize a bus to take members to the AAUW 2009 convention in St. Louis, an appropriate project for a “state wide” branch.

If you’d like to be part of the initial team, please contact Nancy or Doris. (You can reach them at info@bwob.aauwnc.org.)  Instructions for joining will be posted shortly (after the board meeting).

BAW

Membership Committee Report
October 15, 2007
(Minus the Diversity Component)

Goals:

• Increase membership by working with the Advocacy Toolkit initiative
• Work with UNC-Chapel Hill to form a satellite branch of AAUW Chapel Hill
• Work with Nominating Committee to identify and recruit candidates for AAUW NC officer positions
• Host exhibit at NC Conference for Women to network with and recruit from the 2400 attendees, exhibitors, and speakers
• Continue to identify ways to reach out to populations not traditionally served by AAUW (minorities, differing socioeconomic groups, etc.)

Activities:

• C/U rep continues to make contact with college and university members to encourage participation in AAUW NC
• C/U rep working with Advocacy Committee to develop and market the Advocacy Toolkit
• Nominating Committee identified one member of 2008-2009 Nominating Committee (Nancy Shoemaker) and searching for candidates for other offices (MVP, Communications/Secretary, four additional candidates for the Nominating Committee)
• Membership Vice President visited High Country Branch
• Membership Vice President made arrangements for participation in NC Conference for Women
• Membership Vice President attended kickoff for National Girls Collaborative Project at The Science House (NC State University)
• Continued work on Branch without Borders concept
• Entire Committee attended the Summer Leadership Conference in Gastonia