Kansas AAUW 2014 Annual Meeting – Branching Out In The Little Apple

Forty-four AAUW members from across the state “Branched Out in the Little Apple” on Saturday, April 12, during the annual state conference held at the Leadership Studies Building on the Kansas State University Campus. Mary Hale Tolar, Manhattan Branch member and director of the School of Leadership Studies, greeted participants as they arrived. Organizing the meeting were members of the Manhattan Branch Planning Committee: Olivia Collins, chair; Nancy Bolsen, Barb Booth, Kathy Borck, Maxine Coffey, Barbara Gatewood, Claudia Jones, Tresa Landis, and Joyce Wells, with Maxine Coffey serving as general meeting facilitator the day of the conference.

Participants received welcome packets prepared by Claudia Jones and Kathy Borck when they registered and enjoyed refreshments provided by local favorite Radina’s Coffeehouse and Roastery. Registration was managed by state treasurer Carolyn Dwire and Manhattan Branch treasurer Claudia Jones, assisted by Manhattan Branch member Barbara Amoah.

State President Bonnie Tandoc opened the meeting in Town Hall where all sessions took place throughout the day. Manhattan Branch president Nancy Bolsen introduced Manhattan City Commissioner, public school teacher, and active community member Usha Reddi, who presented a welcome to the City of Manhattan.

A special highlight of the opening session was the recognition of Manhattan first grader Seoyon Kim, 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. Art Contest Best of Show winner in the K-2 category, with a special certificate. Seoyon’s artwork was reproduced on notecards that were made available to conference goers for a $10 donation. A portion of the proceeds from the notecard distribution will be given to Seoyon’s college fund. Present for Seoyon’s recognition were her parents Eunyoung Kim and Dr. Jinsoo Kim.

Following the business meeting, during which door prizes obtained by Claudia Jones and Kathy Borck were distributed, and a morning refreshment break featuring coffee and tea, muffins and scones, participants were treated to the day’s keynote presentation by Kansas State University First Lady and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs in the College of Engineering Noel Schulz.

The title of Schulz’s presentation was “Advancing Women through AAUW and K-State – Thriving, Not Just Surviving.” In addition to sharing her personal story, Schulz provided an historical perspective on women’s involvement at Kansas State University. She used the Women of K-State organization as a case study for how organizations can aid women in their personal and professional development. Citing both the Women of K-State mission and that of AAUW, she stressed networking is a two-way street, and there is a need for multiple networks and mentors.

In summary Schulz said K-State has a rich history, prominent present and bright future related to the contributions of women. She noted that AAUW also has a rich history of advancing women. Of special emphasis was that we must be adaptive to reach our goals of advancing and supporting women. “We’re still writing chapters in this book,” Schulz said. We must continue to help the next generation write ‘Her Story’ Schulz concluded, as well as knowing our own. Paslay Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Schulz is a nationally recognized expert in power systems engineering who researches the use of computers, including intelligent systems, to solve problems in power system design, operations and controls. As an administrator, Schulz has been actively involved in recruiting and retaining women in engineering, faculty development and encouraging international experiences in education. She has initiated faculty networks for women at two universities.

Break Out Lunch Bunch Discussion Groups coordinated and facilitated by incoming Manhattan Branch president Barbara Gatewood were the featured noon time activity. Participants picked up their box lunches and joined in on one of the informal discussion groups to share the fruits of their labor and help other AAUW branches to grow, learn new ideas, and explore exciting opportunities.

Group choices were: 1. Membership Recruitment and Retention Strategies; 2. Programs for Branch and Regional Meetings; 3. Implementing AAUW Programs, Resources, and Research Reports; 4. Website, Electronic, and Printed Media; 5. AAUW Branch and National Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants; 6. National and International Public Policy Issues; 7. C/U Partnerships and Growing AAUW’s Presence on Campuses; 8. Challenges, Needs, and Opportunities of Individual Branches; 9. Developing Deeper Connections Through Interest/Discussion Groups, Networking, and Mentoring.

Following lunch Senior Branch Relations Manager for National AAUW in Washington, D.C. Claudia Richards presented “Fire Up for Membership/AAUW Forward in 2015.” Bonnie Tandoc noted in her introduction that Claudia Richards is Jane of all trades at AAUW, having worked in Development for 13 years, Meetings for 3 years, and currently as Senior Branch Relations Manager in Membership. Richards has visited 26 of the 50 contiguous states; she can also name at least one AAUW member in every US state and territory. Claudia studied Business Administration and Marketing at the University of Maryland and is a proud 20+ year employee of AAUW. This was her first trip to the State of Kansas.

In her presentation “Fire Up for Membership” Richards asked whether we have ever wondered what inspires someone to join AAUW. She noted what current members were looking for out of their membership with AAUW and how Kansas stacks up to similar states. In addition, she shared the best practices in recruitment and retention.

“Forward in 2015” was an action-packed, content filled update from AAUW national that showed what’s going on at headquarters and around the country. Most importantly, it was chockfull of tips on how local branches can use the information to recruit, retain and engage new members.

The closing session featured installation of state officers and presentation of a variety of awards for individuals and branches. Nancy Bolsen, Manhattan Branch president, was installed as incoming state president, Manhattan was recognized as a Star Branch, and Tresa Landis, Manhattan Branch vice president for programs, was elected to serve on the State nominating committee for 2015.