May June 2014.pub

ON THE MISSISSIPPI
Red Wing Area Branch
American Associa on of University Women In This Issue
Notes from Program Chairs 1
Membership Dues ................ 2
Proud to Be a Member .......... 2
Gustavus Prof ........................ 2
Cammy Nelson ...................... 3
Spreading the Word.............. 3
Give a Grad a Gift ................. 3
BNG 2014 Report................... 4
BNG 2014 Pictures ................ 4
Show Me the Money ............ 5
State Convention Report ...... 6
First Time at Convention ..... 7
Hall of Fame Honorees......... 7
Citizen of the Year Form ...... 8
Book Club ............................... 9
Connecting Threads .............. 9
Nesbitt’s .................................. 9
Spring Wrap‐up Picnic ....... 10
Coming Up ........................... 11
May‐June 2014 Notes From the Program Chairs
This year wraps up with a great picnic at Nesbitt’s Nursery & Oasis
Eatery. It is sure to be a fun filled event! I will want to hear all about it.
Before we focus on the coming year, we wish to thank all the members
who have contributed this past year. Many of you have chaired programs,
opened your homes, and repeatedly volunteered to help with multiple
occasions. Our branch is successful because of all the contributions large
and small by our members. Not to be missed are the members who made
every eﬀort to attend as many functions as possible. Thank you.
Looking ahead to the programming for the coming year, we are working
to continue strengthening our ties with Southeast Technical College. Also
on the horizon is a focus on women in our own community who are
making a diﬀerence in a variety of ways. We look forward to presenting
our schedule in the future.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, don’t hesitate to forward us your
thoughts. We are also in need of 2 volunteers to chair our Holiday Brunch,
December 6. If there is a particular month or venue you have a connection
with that you wish to have a say over, please speak up!
Once again, Thank you for a great year!
Kathy Bell [email protected]
Linda Thielbar [email protected]
Spring Road Trip
May 14 (See page 9) Wrap‐Up Picnic
Ci zen of the Year
Tuesday, June 3 Nesbi ’s Nursery & Oasis Eatery (See pages 10‐ 11 Nominations are due for the Citizen of the Year on May 15. This person
does not have to be a member of AAUW. The nomination form is included
in this newsletter on page 8. Please send your nominations to Kay
Humphreys.
Hiawatha Happenings
Page
Membership Dues
Proud To Be a Member
By Kay Humphreys, Membership VP
By Kay Humphreys, Membership VP
Please submit your dues to Ellen by our annual
picnic June 3rd.
I am proud to be a member of the AAUW Red Wing
Branch and you can be too!
Your prompt payment saves Ellen and me lots of
time and backtracking. We can really use your help on
this. Thanks so much!! Dues are once again $73.00.
Remember that $43 is tax deductible. Students, your
dues are just $19. That is a real deal for a full year
membership. As a student member we have lots of
opportunities for you in our organization to create a
stronger resume, develop stronger leadership skills,
and we have many experienced members to mentor
you.
I heard many complimentary comments at the state
convention regarding our branch. The following is a
sample of what I heard: “Oh, you’re from Red Wing;
your branch really works to fulfill the mission of
AAUW.” Another said, “I read about your Brave New
Girls Project, that is exactly what we need to be doing.
“ ”The Red Wing Branch, I came down to see the film
at the Sheldon about important women in our state.
That was a very special night. How on earth did you
pull all of that together?” I know for a fact that these
and all of our events would not be possible without
you, our members. This year our Program Chairs
Kathy Bell and Linda Thielbar asked for chairs for each
event. Thank you for stepping up. You in turn
searched for volunteers to make each event a success
and that happened. Many new members contributed a
to our successes this year. When we work together,
new and seasoned members, this branch knows how to
get things done. Thank you.
Make your checks payable to: AAUW Red Wing
Area Branch
Mail to: Ellen Hutchinson
28609 Walnut Run Way, Red Wing 55066
Read This: A Real Deal
Get your dues in on or before June 3rd and you
could be the winner of a free membership for the year.
Your name will be placed in the hat when your check
arrives and it just may be the name drawn to be the
winner. Do it now and be the lucky one to get a year’s
free membership.
Our annual picnic will be here soon. I would like to
ask you to bring a new or potential member to the
event. The organization and what we do can excite oth‐
er women in the community. We just need to let others
know what it is that we do at the National, State and
especially local level. Be proud of your involvement
with AAUW and share this enthusiasm with others.
We do make a diﬀerence in other women and girls
lives.
Gustavus Assoc‐Prof at BNG
(Sarah attended Brave New Girls ROAR to observe
the program for classes she is teaching at Gustavus.)
Sarah sent the following note after the event:
Kay Humphreys with Gustavus Adlophus
Associate Professor Sarah Wolter.
Page 2
Thank you for letting me observe the Brave New
Girls workshop at TBMS earlier this spring. I was so
impressed with the members of your organization and
feel lucky to have witnessed such amazing civic
engagement in action. The girls benefit from your
philanthropy so much; having the tools to break down
mediated messages is so critical. Thanks for being so
conscientious of young women and for representing
Red Wing so well. I am honored to have observed the
workshop.
Sincerely, Sarah Wolter
Hiawatha Happenings
Cammy Nelson, Young Women for Equity Award Recipient,
At the AAUW Minnesota State Conven on
Mikel Cliﬀord, a member of Young Women for Equity Award Committee, introducing Cammy Nelson to the convention attendees.
Cammy Nelson, Red Wing Branch member, was nominated and chosen to receive the Young Women for Equity
Award. Recipients of this award must have shown leadership in a specific action or event that reflects the AAUW
Mission. Cammy has many achievements working for girls and young women. Teresa Sagen thanked me and our
branch for nominating such a worthy candidate. Cammy’s leadership in our Brave New Girls’ conference was
exactly what the selection committee was looking for in a recipient. Cammy spoke to the convention about her
passion working for equity for women and girls. We are proud to have Cammy as a member of our branch. She is
truly a leader for the future.
Kay Humphreys, Membership VP
Give a Grad a Gi
By Kay Humphreys, Membership VP
Spreading the Word
By Kay Humphreys, Membership VP
This spring I presented at the Red Wing and
Winona Tech Colleges. Those in attendance heard
about our great organization. I gave a brief historical
overview and antidotal stories about how AAUW has
made a diﬀerence for a cause and in individual lives. I
have also been invited to speak to Cindy Ciszewski’s
Women’s Studies Class at its next oﬀering. It was fun
for me and is a great way to spread the word about our
organization and what we do.
Hiawatha Happenings
AAUW members can give a recent college graduate
a free 1 year membership in AAUW National, at no
cost! Give a free membership to anyone who has grad‐
uated in the last year, who has earned either an associ‐
ates, bachelors, or doctorates degree, who is not cur‐
rently a regular member of AAUW.
AAUW e‐student aﬃliates (these are students
attending colleges with AAUW campus aﬃliation) will
automatically receive GGG upon graduation. Expose
the power that comes from belonging to a national
women‐led organization of more than 170k members
and supporters who believe in and advance equity and
education for women and girls by giving this gift. I
have the forms and will happily send one out to you or
just go on line.
Page 3
Brave New Girls Know How To
Roar!
By Shannon Hanson
They say that a lion’s roar can be heard from five
miles away. The 60 middle school girls who participat‐
ed in this year’s Brave New Girls workshop had an
opportunity to have their roars heard. There is no
doubt that they ended the three hour session with
more confidence, understanding, and power. They
learned valuable skills in learning how to be active
consumers of media through inspiring content and
critical thinking. The lessons were interactive and led
not only by Cammy Nelson, the keynote speaker, but
also by a dozen high school girls. The high school girls
provided a unique opportunity for the girls to actively
participate in small group discussions. Through this,
the middle school girls felt empowered and ready to
make their roars heard. While the statistic about the
lion’s roar is impressive, what is even more impressive
is knowing that there are 60 young consumers who are
now more critical when looking at magazines and
media.
They are ready to roar!
Page 4
Hiawatha Happenings
Show Me the Money – and Much
More
By Linda Thielbar
It takes a lot of planning and volunteers to make
Brave New Girls happen each year. In addition,
resources from the community play a large part in
what we can accomplish. 2014 was a big year for the
Sponsor a Girl fundraiser because we raised over
$1,000 ‐ $1,225 to be exact. These donations come from
a large cross section of the community who support the
girls in our community and the AAUW mission.
Walmart gave us $100 gift card that assisted in
purchasing refreshments and supplies. Insty‐Prints
provided a $300 grant that made it possible for us to
print a beautiful reusable banner and printed our lead‐
ership materials. Minnesota State College ‐Southeast
Technical provided the three‐ring notebooks for the
leadership team and meeting space for our committee.
Amanda Downing arranged for free use of First
Covenant Church for leadership training. Kwik Trip
gave a $100 donation. Laurie Andrews did the applica‐
tions for donations to Walmart, Insty‐Prints and Kwik
Trip. Mayo Clinic provided delicious cookies for the
BNG event, and Marilyn Meinke provided treats for
the leadership training event.
Maureen Nelson designed our poster and t‐shirts.
Cammy Nelson went beyond the call of duty to
develop leader training materials and serve as the
featured speaker of the day. The high school leaders
did an exemplary job at leading small groups and
assisting throughout the day.
Special thanks to Marcia Jensen and Community
Education for handling registration, printing materials
and marketing. Twin Bluﬀ Middle School administra‐
tion and staﬀ continue to provide space, equipment
and support.
Cammy with high school leadership team in front of the BNG
display case and banner
Our Branch continues to provide volunteer and
financial support for Brave New Girls. We couldn’t do
it without all of you. Thank you once again for making
Brave New Girls a reality.
BNG 2014 Planning Committee: Erin Yoemans,
Shannon Hanson, Laurie Andrews, Cammy Nelson,
Linda Thielbar, Amanda Downing, Maureen Nelson,
and Nancy Lizette Berlin
Hiawatha Happenings
Page 5
State Conven on 2014
By Roger Sween
Since adopting a new practice, AAUW Minnesota
held its first 24‐hour convention, April 11‐12. The Min‐
neapolis Branch hosted under the theme “The Art of
Purposeful Living.” Instead of a hotel, the Gale Man‐
sion, home of the Branch, served for all meetings and
therefore limited attendance to capacity for meals – 200
attending.
Since Red Wing Area Branch’s membership in‐
creased over the previous year, we are now able to
send five voting delegates. Representatives included
Kay Humphreys, Cammy Nelson, Maureen Nelson,
Roger Sween, and Sandy Wollschlager in addition to
past state presidents Alice Ellis and Pat Sween, who
also have voting status. Of 30 current Minnesota
branches, 25 sent representatives showing a preference
for this shorter and less‐expensive arrangement.
The business session on Saturday also finished in
record time while completing all major business. With
budget passed, minutes and reports accepted, and
adoption of public policy action priorities for 2014‐
2016, election of oﬃcers held the only deficiency. The
Nominating Committee lacked a third member and an
alternate for next year’s 5‐member Committee, plus no
volunteers came forward at the meeting. Time saved
allowed for a resolution oﬀered from the floor that
passed. This resolution calls for AAUW Minnesota and
its branches to work with schools in the implementa‐
tion of newly passed legislation on safe schools (an anti
‐bullying measure).
Presenters included Catherine Hill, AAUW’s Direc‐
tor of Research. She presented a forum that highlighted
AAUW research in general and gave workshop twice
specific to community colleges where a large number
of women, especially older women with children, re‐
ceive associate degrees or the first two years of college
completion. Attorney Susan Burke, supported by the
Legal Advocacy Fund, also spoke to the assembly on
her eﬀorts to reform the military justice system by
bringing a series of national lawsuits concerning mili‐
tary rape, the treatment of prisoners, and negligent
procedures that injure many soldiers. A documentary
on her work, The Invisible War, further illustrates her
eﬀorts.
Other workshops focused on private philanthropy
including how to evaluate non-profit organizations
prior to contributing and on elder law with top ten
issues for an aging population.
Also distributed at the convention was the decennial history of AAUW Minnesota for 2004-2014.
The history outlines the activities of the state organization and supplies brief highlights of the branches.
Each branch receives a copy as do each past state
president.
Next year’s convention is hosted by the Austin
Branch, April 10-11, 2015.
Award announcements at various times included
presentation of the Young Women for Equity Award,
this year presented to Cammy Nelson. Cammy, in
receiving the award, told of her double strategy to
benefit both older students, serving as mentors, and
the middle school girls attending Brave New Girls in
2014. Our branch did not place in this year’s fundrais‐
ing awards based on the information the Vice Presi‐
dent for Funds received from AAUW. Newsletter
awards are no longer given.
Membership changes among branches ranged from
16.39% increase (Austin – 61‐71) to a decrease of
22.22% (Moorhead – 9 to 7). Red Wing Area Branch
received recognition for its 6.78% increase, 59 to 63,
one of 13 growing branches. Two remained at the same
level, 15 decreased. Overall, statewide branch member‐
ship declined only 16 from 2014‐1998.
Page 6
Hiawatha Happenings
First Time at Conven on
By Cammy Nelson
As a first time attendee of the state convention I
wasn’t sure what to expect as I walked into the AAUW
mansion. The one thing I did know, without a doubt,
was that I would be sitting in a room filled with
passionate, vocal women who care about making a
diﬀerence. In the end, that was all I needed to know.
The state convention featured fascinating speakers
and oﬀered an in‐depth look at the impact AAUW
members are making in Minnesota and around the
world. I was honored to receive the Young Women of
Equity award and embraced the opportunity to tell all
attendees why Brave New Girls is such an incredible
program every year for girls in Red Wing. As the
awards night came to a close, we had the pleasure of
listening to the keynote address on growing through
the narrow spots from Ruth Bachman. She has an
incredible story and message that I encourage all
AAUW members to learn more about.
Saturday began with a business meeting that
demonstrated the importance of taking an active role in
your branch and working together as a state. At lunch
we heard from a lawyer who is fighting for victims of
sexual assault in the military. This was the highlight of
the convention for me. Her words were inspiring and
infuriating at the same time. The stories she shared
were just one more example of the fact that we have
come so far, yet we still have a long way to go.
In addition to the business, I was able to attend an
incredibly inspiring breakout on volunteerism as well
as a breakout on the research conducted by AAUW.
The 24‐hour convention flew by, but it was fun to meet
members from all over the state as well as being
challenged to think about how I take action, personally
and as an AAUW member!
Hiawatha Happenings
Top Picture: Past Hall of Fame Honorees include
AAUW members Carol Duﬀ, Linda Thielbar and Jane
Donkers. Also pictured: Marcy Doyle, Anne Jacobson, Donna
Dummer and Pam Horlitz.
Bottom Picture: Women’s Network inducted three
women into the Hall of Fame for 2014. Gladys Savage, Judy
Christanson and LaVonne Lommel – all three have connections
to AAUW.
Page 7
AAUW CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Name:
Telephone #:
Address:
Background:
Contributions to Community and/or work:
Other Comments:
Submitted by:
Name:
Page 8
Telephone#:
Hiawatha Happenings
AAUW Book Club 2014
What is included in the branch reads
for this year? Here is the Book Club infor‐
mation. All members are invited to join
in book club discussions for one or all of
the meetings. If you see a book you are
interested in, please consider coming to review it and
express your opinions. We share a beverage—even
wine—and a snack. Book club members host the meet‐
ing.
Selections for this year are:
Tuesday May 13, 4 p.m. Prague Winter
by Madeleine Albright. Host: Joan Kovacs
Tuesday, July 8, 4 p.m. In the Gard en o f the Beasts
by Erik Larson
Tuesday, September 9, 4 p.m.
Round House, by Louise Erdrich. Host: Jean Magnusson
CT Spring Road Trip
Wednesday - May 14th 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Join us for a day trip into Wisconsin.
Begin at the WI home of member Laurie An‐
drews (N1950 County Road K, Hager City).
We continue our journey on scenic County Road
On to
garden divas ,
a cute shop east of River Falls.
Then into River Falls to visit Global M.A.D.E, a fair
trade/global market.
Next we journey to Hudson to have lunch at over‐
looking the beautiful St. Croix River.
Then a visit to one of the last, hometown book stores
‐ Chapter2books on Main Street in Hudson.
If time permits, we will drive through Ellsworth on
the way back to Red Wing and visit the Ellsworth
Creamery, home to the Cheese Curd Capital
of the world.
You will be back to Red Wing between 4 and 5.
RSVP by May 7 to
Laurie Andrews
Hiawatha Happenings
Oasis Eatery & Catering at Nes‐
bi ’s Nursery & Orchard, Happ‐E‐
Hill, & Red Wing Confec onery
In 1995, my mom, dad, and brother
started Nesbitt’s Nursery &
Orchard; and in the spring of 1996,
all of us got together to plant our
first spruce and apple trees; 8,500
Colorado Blue and Black Hill
spruce and 100 apple trees. From
the original three varieties of
apples that Lee and I planted,
Nesbitt’s Orchard has grown to
incorporate a wide variety of
apples and apple enhanced products. Oasis Eatery
produces apple butter, pie filling, syrups, jams, apple
sauce, and a lot more! In 2005 we opened our retail
space, 2006 a coﬀee shop, 2008 Oasis Eatery and Happ‐
E‐Hill, and as of June 2013 we took ownership of Red
Wing Confectionery. Our goal has always been to pro‐
vide local, fresh, seasonal, and sustainable… Locali‐
cious! In addition to the multitudes of our organic ‐
grown apples and produce, we oﬀer jams, syrup, hon‐
ey (harvested from our backyard); fair‐trade, organic
and kosher MorningStar coﬀee; and homemade Izzy’s
ice cream (WI dairy)! My mom and I have worked
together running the ‘front end’ of the businesses, and
it’s my mom’s passion for cooking that got me in‐
volved in culinary arts. I’d watch my mom make all
this fabulous food and I knew from a very young age
that cooking was something I wanted to pursue profes‐
sionally. My grandfather, ‘Swede’ Gordon, was a chef,
and this influenced the level of creativity my mom had
in the kitchen, so it makes sense that it all comes natu‐
rally for me, too. We attribute a lot of our success from
being Locavores; knowing where our products come
from and using local, fresh, and sustainable ingredi‐
ents! We feel strongly about providing superior experi‐
ences, products, and customer service. Oasis Eatery,
Nesbitt’s Nursery and Orchard, Happ‐E‐Hill, and Red
Wing Confectionery are extremely warm and inviting,
as is our staﬀ. We now oﬀer wonderful wraps, pastries,
catering (on and oﬀ‐site) and homemade breads at
both locations, in addition, from June‐September we
have Wednesday Pie Night, Friday Fish Boil, and
*NEW* this year, every Saturday we’ll host our Pierce
County “Meat & Greet”! Check our website
www.nesbittsnursery.com and “friend us” on our
Facebook page for updates, or give us a call at
715.792.2676 or 651.388.0174!
Page 9
AAUW Picnic
Tuesday, June 3
Nesbitt’s Nursery & Oasis Eatery
N4380 State Road 35
Prescott, WI
5:30 Cash Bar
6:00 Riding Tour
6:30 Dinner & Program
$15 per person
Our meal will feature pizza using local ingredients.
Gluten free pizza will be available – please indicate gluten free when you RSVP.
RSVP by May 16 to Linda Thielbar [email protected]
5:00 meet at the public parking lot at 4th & Potter – next to American Legion
Page 10
Hiawatha Happenings
Newsle er Informa on
Send information to: Pat Welke
1844 Bohmbach Drive, Red Wing, MN 55066
[email protected]—651-388-2100
Or, [email protected]
Minnesota Website: http://aauw-mn.net
Association Website: www.aauw.org
Association email: [email protected]
Red Wing Area Branch Website:
www.rwab-aauw.org
Mission Statement: AAUW advances equity for
women and girls through advocacy, education,
philanthropy and research
Vision Statement: AAUW will be a powerful
advocate and visible leader in equity and education
through research, philanthropy, and measurable change
in critical areas impacting the lives of women and girls.
Looking Ahead
May 13
Book Club, Joan Kovac’s Home
May 14
Connecting Threads, Spring Road Trip
Jun 3
Wrap-up Picnic, Nesbitts Nursery &
Oasis Eatery
Jul 8
Book Club, Location TBA
Aug 8
Mississippi Shuffle Relay for Life Event
Sep 9
Book Club, Jean Magnusson’s home
20123‐2014Branch Oﬃcers
President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
VP Program:
VP Membership:
VP AAUW Funds:
VP Public Policy:
Historian
Board Assistants
Vacant
Janet Brandt
Ellen Hutchinson
Kathy Bell
Kay Humphreys
Terri Cook
Pat Sween
Lynda Kern
Darcy Olson
Mette Christiansen
Hiawatha Happenings
If your email address changes, please notify me
and our president ASAP so that you don’t miss any
of our AAUW email notices.
Page 11

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