I have seen two undeniable signs of spring - robins and dandelions. And I noticed that my neighbor’s forsythia is blooming. Hooray!

For our March meeting we will be back at the BOLD office at the old train station, downtown Jacksonville. Our meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m. Evelyn Lynge will present a short program on STEM.

Ester Johnson, a Tastefully Simple representative, will also be at our meeting. I was unable to schedule both Pampered Chef and Tastefully Simple for the same afternoon. Ester will have samples of the spring line of products for us to try. She will also try to set up our “party” online so that members who cannot make it to the meeting will also be able to participate in our fundraiser. Our friends and neighbors may also participate.

I am looking forward to seeing you on the 22nd.

JoAnn

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2010 State Convention

The AAUW NC State Convention will be held at the Hilton University Place, Charlotte, Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17, 2010. You should have received the Tar Heel News by now. It is the convention issue and will contain the convention reservation form, convention programs and detailed hotel information. Please note deadlines.

The Hilton is located at 8629 J.M. Keynes Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262, next to the I-85 exit and just 6 miles from I-77. It’s a 100% non-smoking, lakeside property, whose meeting rooms and guest rooms have been recently renovated. The room rate is priced at $109 per night for double occupancy. You may book your reservation now. The number to call is: 1-800-HILTONS. Ask for “AAUW” and anyone answering can help you. You may also call the hotel reservation desk directly at (704) 547-7444. The deadline for making a reservation at the convention rate of $109 is March 17, 2010. Please book your room early to be assured of availability. If you have questions or need further information, please call Diane Schneider, Charlotte Branch President, weekday evenings, at: (704) 598-6268 or e-mail dmschneider@carolina.rr.com .

****

We’re collecting purses at our next meeting!

We are gathering new and gently used purses, pocket books, totes, and wallets to benefit Onslow County Literacy Programs. Purses should be clean and good quality. They will be dropped off at The Daily News. At the Oh Baby Family Expo on May 22, those purses will be auctioned off to raise funds for literacy. Questions? Please contact Connie Gamble Ochse, (910) 346-8223, cgo@ec.rr.com.

****

Our next meeting: March 22, 3:30 p.m. (this is a change from our normal time) at the old train depot downtown (BOLD offices), 421 Court Street, Jacksonville. Program: STEM by Evelyn Lynge and Tastefully Simple Fundraiser with Ester Johnson. Collecting purses for literacy.

****

Our February Meeting: At our February meeting Dennis Burgard spoke to us about BOLD’s overview, goals and initiatives. BOLD’s Mission is to promote the preservation of the commercial and residential structures in downtown Jacksonville and to aid in the enhancement of the physical and cultural elements of the area; to educate the community about the historic role of downtown Jacksonville and of the physical and cultural attributes that exist there. An interesting factoid is that between the years of 1976 and 2006, no new construction took place in downtown Jacksonville. Since 2006, twenty new constructions have taken place.

We were pleased to welcome Margaret’s daughter, Barbara, as a guest at the meeting.

****

CALENDAR

March 22, 3:30 p.m. Regular branch meeting at the old train depot, 421 Court Street, Jacksonville. Bring purses to donate. Program: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) by Evelyn Lynge and Tastefully Simple Fundraiser.

April 16-17, 2010 - AAUW NC Spring Convention, University Place Hilton, Charlotte. Convention is a time to connect with your fellow AAUW members from all over the state. This group is a rich source of knowledge on a multitude of topics. Don’t miss it! Details in the Spring Tar Heel News. Notice deadlines.

****

*Advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research.*

I hope that you are staying warm and dry during these weeks of cold and wet!

Thanks to each of you who replied to my informal email survey on the time for our meetings. As a result of your responses, our February meeting will be at 3:30. We will be meeting at the BOLD office at the old train depot in downtown Jacksonville. The Bettering Our Local Downtown (BOLD) organization has been working to revitalize the downtown areas of Jacksonville. One of their staff members will present a short program on the current plans and objectives of the organization. Following the presentation, we will have a short business meeting. We will be “passing the hat” so that we can make a contribution to BOLD, so please bring a few dollars to contribute.

Our March program will be presented by Evelyn Lynge. She will be talking about STEM.

JoAnn

The Hilton is located at 8629 J.M. Keynes Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262, next to the I-85 exit and just 6 miles from I-77. It’s a 100% non-smoking, lakeside property, whose meeting rooms and guest rooms have been recently renovated. The room rate is priced at $109 per night for double occupancy. You may book your reservation now. The number to call is: 1-800-HILTONS. Ask for “AAUW” and anyone answering can help you. You may also call the hotel reservation desk directly at (704) 547-7444. The deadline for making a reservation at the convention rate of $109 is March 17, 2010. Please book your room early to be assured of availability. If you have questions or need further information, please call Diane Schneider, Charlotte Branch President, weekday evenings, at: (704) 598-6268 or e-mail dmschneider@carolina.rr.com .

March 22 - TBA. Program: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) by Evelyn Lynge

April 16-17, 2010 - AAUW NC Spring Convention, University Place Hilton, Charlotte. Convention is a time to connect with your fellow AAUW members from all over the state. This group is a rich source of knowledge on a multitude of topics. Don’t miss it! Details in the Spring Tar Heel News.

AAUW NC Spring 2010 Newsletter, Tar Heel News

Highlights of this issue:

•  Convention 2010 information
  • Agenda and highlights (p. 1, 6)
  • Clay Carmichael, winner of Juvenile Literature Award, will be there (page 3)
  • Hotel information (page 4)
    • Deadline for AAUW rate: March 17
  • Registration (page 5) (download an extra copy)
    • While AAUW NC has provided online registration with PayPal payment for recent conventions, that may not be available this year. Please go ahead and register using the paper form.
    • Deadline: April 1
• More AAUW NC news
  • President’s message (page 2)
  • Nominating committee is still seeking candidates for 2010-2011 (page 1)
  • AAUW NC welcomes M. Cookie Newsom to the AAUW NC board and as AAUW C/U representative for UNC Chapel Hill (page 2)
  • Connie Gamble Ochse is stepping down on June 30. The Communications team needs a new leader, and the Tar Heel News needs a new editor-in-chief. (page
  • What’s next for AAUW NC? (page 7)
    • Link to article referenced in this essay and other references
• Branch news
  • Wilmington scholarship awarded (page 2)
• More news from AAUW and around the state
  • 25th anniversary of NCCWSL (page 3)
  • NC Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission names AAUW New Bern member Mary Peterson as chair (page 6)
  • NC Governor’s Conference for Women - Nov. 9 in Raleigh (page 7)

AAUW Twin Rivers/New Bern is hosting their annual authors’ luncheon on January 30 (Saturday). The luncheon is at the Chelsea Restaurant on the corner of Middle and Broad Streets; gathering at 11:30 and lunch served at noon. We will have an author at each table. This year we have a poet, two writers of local history, a playwright whose play will be produced later in the year in New Bern and others (ten authors total). You are cordially invited to attend. Tickets are $25. Contact: Mary A. Peterson, 6303 Gondolier Drive, New Bern, NC 28560, Phone: (252) 636-5074, Email: mapeterson2@yahoo.com.

JoAnn

The AAUW NC State Convention will be held at the Hilton University Place, Charlotte, Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17, 2010.

The Hilton is located at 8629 J.M. Keynes Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262, next to the I-85 exit and just 6 miles from I-77. It’s a 100% non-smoking, lakeside property, whose meeting rooms and guest rooms have been recently renovated. The room rate is priced at $109 per night for double occupancy. You may book your reservation now. The number to call is: 1-800-HILTONS. Ask for “AAUW” and anyone answering can help you. You may also call the hotel reservation desk directly at (704) 547-7444. The deadline for making a reservation at the convention rate of $109 is March 17, 2010. Please book your room early to be assured of availability. If you have questions or need further information, please call Diane Schneider, Charlotte Branch President, weekday evenings, at: (704) 598-6268 or e-mail dmschneider@carolina.rr.com .

We are gathering new and gently used purses, pocket books, totes, and wallets to benefit Onslow County Literacy Programs. Purses should be clean and good quality. They will be dropped off at The Daily News. At the Oh Baby Family Expo on May 22, those purses will be auctioned off to raise funds for literacy. Questions? Please contact Connie Gamble Ochse, (910) 346-8223, cgo@ec.rr.com.

January 30 - 11:30 to 2:30 p.m. AAUW Twin Rivers/New Bern Authors’ Luncheon. Chelsea Restaurant at Middle and Broad Streets, New Bern. Tickets $25. Contact Mary Peterson (252) 636-5074 or mapeterson2@yahoo.com.

April 16-17, 2010 - AAUW NC Spring Convention, University Place Hilton, Charlotte. Convention is a time to connect with your fellow AAUW members from all over the state. This group is a rich source of knowledge on a multitude of topics. Don’t miss it!

*Advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.*

• Winter 2009 Tar Heel News (PDF, 2.5 Meg)

See, in particular,

• information on the 2010 AAUW NC convention (page 1)
• federal public policy updates on the Healthy Families Act and the High School Athletics Accountability Act (page 4)
• a special thank you from Democracy NC on our support of the pre-registration for 16 and 17 year olds (page 3)
• President’s letter and pictures from the Fall meeting (page 2)
• Information on 2009-2010 AAUW Fellows in North Carolina (page 3; follow the link for more pictures and details)
• Information on Wilmington project to screen students for vision problems. (More on the Wilmington branch.)
• Ad highlighting membership in the Tar Heel Branch which serves the entire state
  • join now
  • give a gift membership

Correction:

• On page 2 there’s a discussion of the WAGE project’s $tart $mart workshops giving the names of a few members in NC who are trained facilitators. There are nearly 20 people in NC who have been through the facilitator training, including additional AAUW NC members Ada Gregory, Jean D’Addario, and Kathy Pearre. Two workshops have been held this fall at UNC Charlotte and at Duke. More info.

Boone was beautiful last weekend! The leaves had started to turn the brilliant reds, oranges, and ambers of fall.

The topics for Saturday’s presentations at the Fall Leadership Meeting ranged from “Creating a Healthy Branch Culture” to the WAGE Project. We also learned more about changes to the national by-laws and how those changes affect our branch by-laws. Our branch was represented by Heather Ochse, Connie Gamble Ochse and myself.

Did you know that October is Information Literacy Awareness month, as well as Talk About Prescriptions month? I will be presenting our October program. My focus will be how to find accurate and reliable health information. There is SO much information available today that no one person can know it all. Each of us must be able to act as an informed advocate when it comes to our health and the well being of our loved ones.

Looking forward to seeing you,

JoAnn Taylor Hall, President (coachjo@embarqmail.com)
______________________________________

Our Next Meeting: Meet us in classroom #2 in the Onslow Memorial Hospital Education Building on Western Blvd. on October 26 at 6:30 p.m. Our speaker will be JoAnn Hall addressing the issue of “Finding and Evaluating Health Information for Consumers”. Refreshments will be served.
_______________________________________
AAUW NC needs an interim secretary to complete Mary Stephens’ term. We have the state convention in 2010 and perhaps two executive conference calls to be recorded. Some of you take wonderful notes, plus we do use a tape recorder. We are a team - don’t stand back thinking someone else will do it. Contact Millie Hoffler-Foushee at millieh@triad.rr.com or 336-643-6689.
_______________________________________
CALENDAR

October 26 - 6:30 Branch Meeting in Classroom #2, Onslow Memorial Hospital Education Bldg., Western Blvd. Program: “Finding and Evaluating Health Information for Consumers” by JoAnn Hall. Refreshments will be served.

November 7, 11 a.m. - Carolina Authors’ Luncheon hosted by AAUW Wilmington in the Warwick Center, UNCW, Wilmington. Tickets: $25. Contact: Phyllis Leimer - pleimer405@aol.com or 910-798-2296.

November 22 (Sunday) - 2-4 p.m. Holiday Party and Silent Auction. Start saving your new or gently used items now for the auction. Bidding will be fierce - sharpen those pencils!

November 26 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

December - No branch meeting. Happy Holidays!

Mark your calendar: April 16-17, 2010 - AAUW NC Convention, University Place Hilton, Charlotte. Convention is a time to connect with your fellow AAUW members from all over the state. This group is a rich source of knowledge on a multitude of topics. Don’t miss it!

_______________________________________

*Advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.*
_______________________________________

Heather F. Ochse, Editor (ochshf79@aol.com)

Greetings!
I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our September meeting! We will have a guest speaker and then our business meeting. Please come with your ideas and suggestions.
These are some of the topics that will require your input:

1. Fundraiser for this year? When? What?
The last few years we have worked with a Tastefully Simple consultant for our fundraiser. Last year we also had a Pampered Chef consultant. Is this something that you would like to do again this year? Do you prefer October or November? Would you like to try this on a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon?

2. Holiday function? Silent auction? Lunch at a restaurant? Other options?

3. Guest Speakers. I have received two suggestions for programs and possible speakers for future meetings. What topics or speakers will bring you and possibly guests to our meetings?

Also, at our meeting, I would like for us to consider donating to the Onslow Community Outreach. They support the soup kitchen, the homeless shelter and the Caring community clinic. We can be Friends of the Oktoberfest Festival and have our organization listed on the program and the website. There are various levels of support and I think that we should consider donating $100.00. This will be on the meeting agenda.

Membership dues ($71.00) are past due. Please mail your check as soon as possible to Katharyn Thayer, 203 Hodges St., Morehead City, NC 28577. Make checks payable to AAUW Jacksonville Regional.

September 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. - Jacksonville Women’s Expo, American Legion Bldg, 146 Broadhurst Rd.

September 28, 6:30 p.m. - Regular branch meeting, Classroom #2, Onslow Memorial Education Bldg. Speaker: County Commissioner Barbara Ikner. Refreshments will be available.

October 9-10 - AAUW NC Fall Leadership Meeting, Broyhill Inn on the ASU Campus, Boone. Rooms are still available in Blowing Rock. Go aauwnc.org for the latest up-date. Meeting registration of $25 is due October 1.

Save the date: November 7, 11 a.m. - Carolina Authors’ Luncheon hosted by AAUW Wilmington in the Warwick Center, UNCW, Wilmington. Tickets: $25. Contact: Phyllis Leimer - pleimer405@aol.com or 910-798-2296. Contact Connie (346-8223) for carpooling possibilities.

Editor - Heather F. Ochse, ochshf@aol.com