AAUWFALLSCHURCHFLASHVolume66,Number9December4,2017

DecemberBranchMeeting When:Saturday,December9from2:00PM-5:00PMWhere:SusanConklin'shouse(2013NorthNottinghaminArlingtondirectlyoffLeeHighway)What:AAUWFallsChurchAnnualHolidayPartyWehopeyouhavereceivedand,ahem,repliedtoyourEviteforthebranch'sannualholidayparty.Pleasebringanappetizertoshare.Ifyoudonotdrinkcoffee,tea,water,orcider,thenpleaseBYOB.Inkeepingwithpreviouspractice,wewillhavedonationbasketsfortwocharities:Britepaths(https://britepaths.org/)andBRAWS(http://www.braws.org/).BothLOVEgiftcardsbutBRAWSalsotakespackaged,newitemspertheirWebsitelist.Donationtoeitherorbothisentirelyoptional.President’sMessageDearfellowmembers,HappyHolidays!AsweprogressthroughThanksgiving,theDecemberholidays,andstartintotheNewYear,IwantyoutoknowhowthankfulIamforallofyou.Thankyouforhighattendanceatbranchevents.Wecontinuouslyhaveastrongmembershippresenceateachof

ourmonthlybranchmeetings.ThankyouforspreadingthewordaboutAAUW-FallsChurchbybringingcommunitymemberstoourmeetingsandadvocatingfortheworkwedoinFallsChurch.Thankyoufordonatingyourtimeandtalentstoensurethesuccessofourendeavors.Ilookforwardtosharingsomeholidaycheerwithyouthisweekendandwishyouallawarmandfun-filledtransitioninto2018.Warmly,Kristan

UpcomingProgramsVERYIMPORTANT:WearemovingourmeetingsiteforJanuary,FebruaryandMarchmeetingsaswellastheMayScholarshipAwardsmeetingtotheAmericanLegionHall.InNovember,webeganourmigrationofmeetingsites,necessitatedbythelackofmeetingspaceavailableintheCommunityCenter(duetoCityHallrenovations).ThismigrationwillcontinueaswemeetforJanuary,February,MarchandMayintheAmericanLegionPost130HalllocatedinFallsChurchat400NorthOakStreet.ManythankstothePostleadersforofferingusthisspace.Undauntedbyallthischangeofplace,agroupofabout25metintheFallsChurchEpiscopalChurchparloronNovembertohearKatherineWhiteexplainthehistoryandraisond'etreforWomenand

GenderStudies.AmemberoftheSpringfieldbranch,Katherineisadynamicandinformedspeakerwithacleargraspofpoliticalrealitiesforwomen.Alivelydiscussionfollowed.

DinnerParty–oneofthegenderstudiesiconsKatherinediscussedduringherslideshow.

MARKYOURCALENDARS!BRINGFRIENDS!

GerryRIGGED

AdocumentaryproducedbyWCVEinRichmondaboutgerrymanderinginVirginiaandaroundthecountry.

PresentedbyBrianCannon,theexecutivedirectorofthe

redistrictingreformgroup,OneVirginia2021.

American Legion Post 130 Hall 400 North Oak Street

Falls Church Sunday 14 January

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by the Falls Church branch of the American Association of University Women

open to the public at no charge

NominatingCommitteeInpreparationforourMarchbusinessmeeting,itistimetostartplanningfornominationsandelectionsforthreeoffices:President,VicePresident-Programs,andSecretary.Eachposition

servesatwo-yeartermandcanbesharedwithapartner.Areyouinterestedincontinuingorexpandingyoursupportofourbranch?Doyouhaveideasyou’dliketoshareorenactattheexecutivelevel?Thenoneofthesepositionswouldbegreatforyou!PleasecontactShannonLaBarberaorKittyRichardsontoshareyourinterest.PublicPolicyLeagueofWomenVotersofVirginiaPRE-SESSIONLegislativeRoundtableDecember6It’salmosttimefortheannualLeagueofWomenVotersofVirginia'sannualPre-SessionLegislativeRoundtableinRichmondonDecember6,2017(9:30a.m.to12:30p.m.)Theeventisfreeandfeaturesrepresentativesfromavarietyoforganizations,includingAAUWofVirginia,whopresentshortsummariesoftheirlegislativeprioritiesfortheupcomingGeneralAssemblySession.It’salwaysaninformativesessionandallowsustoseeotherorganizationswecanworkwithonourlegislativepriorities.Itwillbefollowedbyanoptionalluncheon.Completeinformationfollowsbelow.Pleasebesuretoregisterevenifyouarenotattendingtheluncheonsessionbecauseseatingislimited.Wednesday,December6,2017CreditUnionHouseofVirginia,108N.8thSt.,Richmond,VA23219-2306Constructionhascreatedtheneedtofindanewmeetingplace.Webelieveyouwillbehappywiththesenewaccommodations.Italsomeansthatnoteverything(i.e.,speakers)hasbeenfinalized.Aspecialwebpagehasbeensetuponthelwv-va.orgwebsitetokeepyouinformedasnewinformationarises.Youcanseethewebpageathttp://lwv-va.org/pre-session-december-6-2017orjustusethelinkonthehomepagehttp://lwv-va.org.ThereisanonlineregistrationformonthepageaswellasalinktopayforlunchviaPayPal.Youcanregisteronlineandthenmailinyourcheckifyouprefer.Or,youcanprintandfillouttheregistrationformandmailitinwithyourcheck.PleaserememberthedeadlineforluncheonregistrationisNovember30th!Again,thewebpagetoregister,pay,orprintishttp://lwv-va.org/pre-session-december-6-2017Itisgoingtobeanexcitingyear,socomehearfromtheexpertsonwhattoexpectforthe2018LegislativeSession.LeslieTourigny,AAUWofVAPublicPolicyVP571970-1782cellphone:703307-8227BookClubNewsOurbookclubwillnotmeetinDecember,butwearecurrentlyintheprocessofvotingonselectionsforthebookselectionsforJanuarythroughMay,whichwewillannounceinthe

Januarynewsletter.Wearechoosingaclassic,ahistorybook,andabiographyamongotherselections.Itwaspointedoutinourboardmeetingthat25%ofourbranchattendsbookclub.Quiteimpressive!Contacts:PaulineRosensteinandKathleenGerrity

40YearsofActivismforWomen:The1977NationalWomen’sConferenceinHouston,TX

AAUWFirstVicePresidentDr.NancyJoyner(left)andAAUWPresidentDr.MarjorieBellChambers(right)attheNationalWomen’sConferenceinHouston,TX,November1977.ImagefromAAUWArchives.

Youknowhowfarwe’vecome.Youknowhowfarwehavelefttogo.DonatetodaytohelpAAUWcontinuetoadvanceourmissionofachievingwomen’sequity.

ThisNovembermarkedthe40thanniversaryoftheNationalWomen’sConference(NWC)heldinHouston,Texasin1977.TheconferencewasanoutgrowthoftheInternationalWomen’sYearconferencesandapresidentialcommissiontoexplorebarriers“that[prevented]womenfromparticipatingfullyandequallyinallaspectsoflife.”Thegathering,chairedbyRep.Bella

Abzug(D-NY),wasauthorizedbypubliclawduringtheCarteradministrationandwasthefirstwomen’sconferencesupportedbyCongress.

Whilemuchoftheconferencehasbeendocumented,itisimportanttoturnourfocustothesignificanceofthiseventinAAUW’shistory.ManyofourmembersworkedonthestateorganizingconferencesthatprecededtheNWC.AAUWcounted115membersinHoustonrepresenting37statesasdelegatesamongthetotal2,000inattendance.Theconferencewasahugeevent,and,accordingtotheAAUWJournal,alsoincludedanestimated17,000observers,manyofwhomwereAAUWmembers.Suchwell-knownfiguresasactivistsGloriaSteinemandCorettaScottKing,actorAlanAlda,authorMayaAngelou,andathleteBillieJeanKingalsoattendedthe1977NWC.

Althoughtheconferencewasmeanttobeaunifyingstartingpointtolargerdiscussionsaboutthestatusofwomen,itquicklybecamepolarizedovertheissueoftheEqualRightsAmendment(ERA),whichAAUWsupportedatthetime.AAUWwasamonganumberofwomen’sorganizationsthatorganizedacaucusinsupportoftheERA.Asmalleranti-ERAgroupwasalsoinattendanceandheldacounter-rallyorganizedbyspokespersonPhyllisSchlafly.

DespitethehotdebatesurroundingtheERA,the1977NWCgaverisetotheexpansiveNationalPlanofAction,whichdealtwith26areasofinteresttowomen,includingchildcare,employment,theERA,reproductivefreedom,anddiversity.

TothisdaymanyoftherecommendationsfoundintheNationalPlanofActionarestillattheforefrontofAAUW’slegislativeagenda.Thoughwomenhavemadesocialprogresswithinthelastfourdecades,westillhavealongwaytogobeforeweachieveequity.Onethingiscertain:JustasinHouston,AAUWwillcontinuetorelyonthepoweroforganizedwomentoadvanceourmission.CalendarofBranchEventsDecember6: LeagueofWomenVotersofVirginiaPRE-SESSIONLegislativeRoundtable CreditUnionHouseofVirginia,108N.8thSt,Richmond,VA23219-2306 9:30a.m.to12:30p.m.December9: BranchHolidayParty,SusanConklin’sHome,Arlington,2p.m.to5:00

p.m.January14: BranchMeeting,AmericanLegionPost130Hall,400NorthOakStreet,

FallsChurch2p.m.to4p.m.

fTheAmericanAssociationofUniversityWomenpromotesequityforallwomenandgirls,lifelongeducation,andpositivesocietalchange.InprincipleandpracticeAAUWvaluesandseeksadiversemembership.Thereshallbenobarrierstofullparticipationinthisorganizationonthebasisofgender,race,creed,age,sexualorientation,nationalorigin,ordisability.http://aauw---va.aauw.net