Marlene Verbrugge and Ann Domsch spoke on the topic “Operation Military Kids and 4-H Military Partnerships Create Opportunities for Military Connected Youth.” These programs include camps, curricula for schools, and informal learning. Operation Military Kids currently facilitates support groups in two USD 383 schools. Military partnerships with 4-H create a consistent 4-H “home” for children and youth of military families around the world. Many of the 4-H curricula result in pragmatic benefits for military families, for example babysitting training and use of mobile media that make communications with deployed parents more feasible. These curricula have been developed and evaluated by land-grant universities.

Branch president Barbara Gatewood called the meeting to order. Gatewood and Maxine Coffey gave a synopsis of two recent Manhattan AAUW Board and Leadership Team retreats.

Jean Lee reported that September 23rd is national voter registration day; registration drives will be held at several locations in Manhattan, including Varsity Donuts.

State president, Nancy Bolsen announced that the state AAUW annual meeting will be April 11, 2015 at Butler County Community College. AAUW national meeting will be held in San Diego, June 18-21, 2015.

The next Manhattan AAUW branch meeting will be held at the City Hall. The program topic will be city government; the speaker will be Usha Reddi.

Persons interested in learning more about AAUW in Manhattan may go to manhattan-ks.aauw.net or email manhattanksaauw@gmail.com.