AAUW Chapel Hill members Syd Elstran, Allen, Doris Bernlohr.

AAUW of North Carolina is saddened by the death of our devoted member and friend Clara Allen on May 3, 2012. She was just a few days short of her ninety-fourth birthday. She had been a member of AAUW for 48 years.

AAUW became a part of Clara’s life when she joined the AAUW Naugatuck (CT) Branch in 1964. While in Naugatuck, Clara held almost every position: membership chair, educational foundation chair, historian, secretary, and chair of almost every other committee. She served two 4-year terms as president, although not consecutively. On the state level for AAUW of Connecticut, she was program vice-president and president.

Since moving to Chapel Hill in 1987, Clara continued to be a devoted and active member of the AAUW Chapel Hill Branch.

Clara Allen with fellow member of the Chapel Hill branch, Isabel Fowler.

As in Connecticut, she held many leadership positions in the Chapel Hill Branch including president 1995-97 and membership vice-president, and she has always been an advisor to the board. At the state level for AAUW of North Carolina, Clara served as historian and spent two years writing a book on the history of AAUW in North Carolina. AAUW of North Carolina is proud of this book, written in 2003, entitled “North Carolina AAUW History 1947-2001.” It has been an important reference for today’s North Carolina branches. During the last years Clara struggled with neuropathy and arthritis. Pain was her daily companion. She learned to deal with it with dignity and grace.

While in Connecticut, a devotee of adult education in general, Clara was instrumental in starting an adult education, program called Charter Oak State College. This was a college without walls and without computers. Students would go to libraries for classes where they would meet teacher/counselors to help them in their studies. This program is presently endorsed by the State of Connecticut and offers courses online. Since the Fall of 2011, Charter Oak State College also offers a master’s degree program.

Information and pictures above provided by Jean Green and Kay White of the Chapel Hill branch.

Her obituary appeared on May 6. in the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle and the Durham (NC) Herald-Sun.

AAUW of North Carolina expresses sympathy to Clara’s remaining family as well as those in the Chapel Hill Branch who knew her so well.

• List of offered fellowships and grants (pending acceptance and final agreement)
• More about AAUW Fellowships and Grants

AAUW of North Carolina is pleased to see the names of so many women scholars associated with institutions in the state.

With 13 pending fellowship recipients, we expect more fellows in North Carolina than in any other state except for CA (41), IL (17), MA (20), and NY (28).

The 13 scholars are associated with the following institutions: Duke (3), NC Central Univ (1), NC State Univ (2), UNC-Chapel Hill (6), UNC-Greensboro (1)

AAUW has also released a list of 32 community action grants for 2012-2013 or 2012-2014. None of those were to projects in North Carolina..

• Flyer about the event — with links for additional information

The rally will be on the Halifax Mall, the open area north of the Legislative Building, bounded by N. Salisbury, N. Wilmington, and W. Lane streets in downtown Raleigh.

View Larger Map

Text of Resolution opposing Amendment One

The image to the left shows how the amendment will appear on all four primary ballots: Democrat, Libertarian, Republican and Non-partisan. Be sure that your friends who have registered to vote as unaffiliated with any party know that they, too, have a vote in this primary (and that, indeed, they can choose a party ballot if they wish).

Members are asked to

• Bring awareness of the pitfalls of the amendment to their branch and their community;
• Organize actions to bring attention to the amendment;
• Get out the vote to defeat this amendment;
• Join in coalition with other organizations working against the amendment

Absentee voting has already begun. Be sure you are prepared to help voters understand both the primary voting process (since many skip the primaries) and this issue.

• NCElectionConnection.com: a great resource for information on the election (how to register, how to get an absentee ballot, when early voting starts, etc.)
• www.ProtectNCFamilies.org – A resource on information against the amendment
• Flyer/program insert from Democracy NC on both voting rules and the amendment. Print some to hand to your branch members/neighbors or order in quantity from info@democracy-nc.org

Edited 4/14 to add Democracy NC flyer.

• March 26, 2011 AAUW NC Annual Meeting
• March 25, 2011 AAUW NC Board Meeting

We had a wonderful speaker in February. Tamara Todd told us about the Guardian Ad Litem program. She has been a child advocate with the program for almost two years. She discussed her duties and responsibilities and the training that volunteers go through. She was kind enough to leave a few application forms with us for anyone who may be interested.

Connie proposed some fundraising ideas. She had a brochure from Biltmore Inspirations, a company that offers home decor and accessories. She also thought we could do a combined Mary Kay and Avon products fundraiser. We both agree to donate 25% of our profits to our scholarship fund. If you have other fundraising suggestions, we would love to hear them! I would like to continue this discussion at the March meeting.

Connie has graciously offered to host our March meeting. Georgie Stone-Wilson, Onslow Literacy tutor and local author, will be our speaker. Details are below.

Looking forward to seeing you there! – JoAnn Hall

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OUR NEXT MEETING: March 26 (Monday), 3:30 p.m. at Connie’s house, 107 Epworth Drive, Jacksonville. Guest speaker: Georgie Stone-Wilson, author and Onslow Literacy tutor. Georgie’s first book was New River: The Jewel of Onslow County. Her second book is entitled Yana’s: A Taste of the Past Where Goodbyes Never Happen. A third is on the way. Please join us to hear about Georgie’s writing and her volunteer work as a literacy tutor.

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NEWS FROM OUR ONSLOW LITERACY COUNCIL FRIENDS: Collette Boyd and our friends at the Onslow Literacy Council are kind enough to invite us to a number of their events. Two that you may enjoy take place in April. On Saturday, April 14 at 3:00 p.m. the Carolina Saints semi-professional football team will face off against the Carolina Ruff Ryders of Wilson, NC. The game benefits the Onslow Literacy Council. Admission is a book. It can be a dictionary, classic novel, science book, or an easy-to- read book. Location: 482 Springhill Road, the Belgrade Community Center.

Additionally, on Monday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m., Onslow Literacy’s open house will feature a special presentation by the Legacy Theater. Location: The Fellowship Hall of the Presbyterian Church, 400 Bayshore Blvd., Jacksonville (across Johnson Blvd. from City Hall). If you can attend this event, please let Collette know by contacting her at readolc7@ec.rr.com .

You may check the Onslow Literacy Council website – http://onslowliteracy.zxq.net – anytime to see their upcoming events and interesting pictures of their activities.

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2012 MEETING DATES AND PROGRAMS*

March 26, 3:30 p.m. – Meeting at 107 Epworth Dr., Jacksonville. Speaker: Georgie Stone-Wilson. Refreshments provided.

March 30-31 – AAUW NC Annual Meeting in Burlington, NC. Go to www.aauwnc.org for details.

April – Fundraiser – ideas?

May – Installation Banquet

*Locations will be announced closer to the meeting date.

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REMINDER: Our branch website is available 24 hours a day with our branch newsletters, current and past, and the latest information on what we are doing. So if you accidentally erase this e-mail, don’t worry. We are still here! Go to www.jacksonville.aauwnc.org .

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

Looking forward to seeing you there! – JoAnn Hall

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OUR NEXT MEETING: Please note that we will meet slightly earlier than usual – 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. We will meet at Brewed Awakenings at 1000 New Bridge St., Jacksonville. Even though the address is New Bridge Street, the building faces Johnson Blvd./Hwy 24 and is across from the license plate office. Coming from Morehead City/Swansboro, it will be on the left side of the street. Right after you pass it, there will be a chance to make a left hand U-turn to get there. Brewed Awakenings serves a lovely assortment of sandwiches, sweets, teas, coffees, fruit smoothies and Italian sodas. You may order whatever you like individually.

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SOMETHING TO CONSIDER –

Salary of Speaker of the House………………………$223,500 FOR LIFE

Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders…………………$193,400 FOR LIFE

Salary of House/Senate………………………………….. $174,000 FOR LIFE

Average Salary of a Teacher……………………………………………….$40,065

Average Salary of Solder Deployed in Afghanistan……………$38,000

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2012 MEETING DATES AND PROGRAMS*

February 27 (Monday), 3:00 p.m. – Speaker: Tamara Todd, Guardian Ad Litem volunteer. Location: Brewed Awakenings, 1000 New Bridge St., Jacksonville (directions above). Refreshments may be ordered individually.

March 30-31 – AAUW NC Annual Meeting in Burlington, NC

March or April – Fundraiser – ideas?

May – Installation Banquet

*Locations will be announced closer to the meeting date.

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REMINDER: Our branch website is available 24 hours a day with our branch newsletters, current and past, and the latest information on what we are doing. So if you accidentally erase this e-mail, don’t worry. We are still here! Go to www.jacksonville.aauwnc.org .

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

The event is free and open to the public. RSVP by calling the museum at 919-807-7992 by March 23.

Here is a link to a flyer you can use to help publicize the program:

http://www.nccfwdvc.com/documents/2012WomensHistoryMonthCelebration.pdf

In any event here is the

• 2012 report for North Carolina.

Note that this report shows a year over year membership growth for NC for the first time in several years. Congratulations to the Asheville, Chapel Hill, Hendersonville, Raleigh/Wake County, Salisbury, Statesville, Tar Heel, and Twin Rivers for growth over Feb. 1, 2011. If you ware wondering what part of the growth was due to dual members (those who belong to more than one branch), especially in the Tar Heel Branch, note that there are 11 more dual members in the THB than there were last year, so 902 to 917 does represent real growth, even if small.

Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.

The AAUW Public Policy Principles and Priorities (approved by vote of the members) includes the language that

To guarantee equality, individual rights, and social justice for a diverse society, AAUW advocates … [f]reedom in definition of family and guarantee of civil rights in all family structures

Therefore, opposition to the amendment is consistent with AAUW principles.

Starting with a document approved by the NC National Organization for Women, the AAUW NC executive committee has approved a resolution that will be considered by a vote at the AAUW NC annual meeting on March 31.

• Text of the resolution

This will be on the agenda for the March 30-31 meeting in two places:

• Friday afternoon meeting of branch presidents
• Saturday afternoon during the annual meeting of AAUW of North Carolina

Any vote on Friday will be advisory. The Saturday vote will be binding. If the resolution passes, members will be able to mention the formal opposition of AAUW NC when discussing the amendment. If the resolution fails, national policy will prevail, and members in favor of the amendment may, of course, express that opinion — but as individuals, not as AAUW members.

Reminder: AAUW NC bylaws now give a vote to each AAUW NC member attending the annual meeting. We no longer use a delegate system.

More info: Overview of the 2012 annual meeting