CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

(See the newsletter for more information)

Upcoming AAUW Petaluma events
Late June, date TBA - Program Committee meeting to plan for next year
Other events of interest
June 3 - 5-6 p.m. - SRJC Petaluma Virtual Cocktail Hour, Webinar on Building Futures Virtually

2021-2022 Membership Renewal

Your personalized membership renewal invoice should have arrived in your email on May 24 or May 25. Look for an email from memberinfo@aauw.org with the subject line, AAUW Membership Renewal for Fiscal Year 2022.

The easiest way to pay is to click through the link in the invoice (a secured personalized link for you) and pay by credit or debit card.

Do not renew by signing in directly to the national website with your username and password. You cannot renew your branch membership in this manner. Use the link provided in the membership renewal invoice.

Your prompt payment is appreciated!

Dee Short, Co-VP Membership-Treasurer

YOU!

We hope that we will be able to return to in-person programs this fall beginning with our September Social! In order to continue to provide vibrant, meaningful programs, we need your help! We need ideas, suggestions, and members to help take on the planning of programs.
Got an idea? Join the program committee and see it through to its fruition! You will be amazed at the fun it is to see your ideas take shape. Willing to help in other ways? That’s great too!

We will meet in late June (in person, outside, if possible, with wine and snacks, or on ZOOM.) Let us know if you are interested in helping make 2021-2022 the year of the great Come-Back!
Contact your program VP’s at stefaniecapps@gmail.com or Rory Keller at rory@sonic.net if you have an idea and/or wish to help!
Stefanie Capps and Rory Keller
Co-Program Chairs

Named Gift Honoree Recognition

The Named Gift Honoree award is designed by AAUW to allow a Branch each year to recognize members for their outstanding service to the Branch. It is a most special way of acknowledging those who have helped to make AAUW the strong organization it is.
This year, the Named Gift Honoree committee is proud to recognize three members who through their leadership and ongoing involvement have added so much to the energy and success of our Branch:
Pat Riley - Kris U’Ren - Stefanie Capps
These three Named Gift Honorees exemplify the many skills and talents it takes to insure that our Branch continues to move forward. Their commitment to service is greatly appreciated and it is an honor to recognize them for the 2020-2021 program year.

Pat Riley	Kris U’Ren	Stefanie Capps

Sandy Benson, Co-VP Funds

Pat Riley
Pat Riley’s service to the Branch began in 2010 when she became Membership VP and also served as New Members’ Chair. Her ability to make people feel welcomed and valued helped to grow our membership. In 2012-2014 she was Co-VP of Funds where she helped to create the establishment of a new AAUW endowed scholarship fund at SRJC for Petaluma students. In 2020-2021 she became Co-VP of Membership and again helped members to stay connected during this period of social isolation. She has also served on the School Support Committee and has become a Mentor to a Petaluma student.

Kris U'Ren
Kris ‘Ren joined the Branch in 1980. Over the many years that she has been a member, Kris has provided leadership in a wide variety of ways from serving a President twice, being the Branch’s ongoing link to SSU and instituting and maintaining the Branch’s Facebook presence. For the 2020-2021 year, Kris was elected Program Co-VP. During this most challenging year Kris, along with her partner, Stefanie Capps, worked to develop ways to create meaningful, inter-active programs allowing our members to be connected and feel welcome from Webinars to a virtual December luncheon.

Stefanie Capps
Stefanie Capps joined the Branch in 2017 and immediately became involved. In 2018 she became General Meeting secretary, and in 2019 she stepped into the position of Publicity and Social Media, as well. In 2020-2021 Stefanie was elected Program Co-VP with Kris U’Ren, taking on the job during a most challenging time. During the past program year she has assumed the role of our tech guru, spending many hours perfecting her knowledge of Zoom meetings. This insured that our members were able to share in meetings from the safety of their homes.
Named Gift Honorees' Responses

Pat Riley: I wish my screen was working so you could have seen the look of total shock on my face when you announced my name! I was following along with Karen's introduction, applying everything she said to another member I knew was going to be honored. Then in the last sentence or two I got it! OMG, I was stunned! Thank you so much. Working with all of you is a pleasure. I'm looking forward to another productive, rich year.

Kris U’Ren: Thank you to my AAUW Branch for honoring me with the Named Gift Award. I was shocked! It was especially sweet to receive it alongside Pat Riley and Stefanie Capps - two women I really admire. For the past 41 years, AAUW Petaluma has provided me with lifelong friends and purpose. I am indebted to all of you for your support, friendship, compassion, and the willingness to share knowledge. I am deeply humbled to receive this award. Thank you!

Stefanie Capps: I feel so honored to be in the company of Kris and Pat and all the former Named Gift Honorees! Being a part of AAUW this year helped keep me sane by giving me a sense of purpose and connection. Thank you for honoring me. I truly was gobsmacked!

Local Students Chosen for Tech Trek

As you may have heard, our branch has selected five girls for this year's Tech Trek, a virtual stem camp. We had an ice cream social which four of the five attended (see the photo below).
The three virtual camps in California this summer will host 640 campers.
AAUW has done it again. It was no small feat of design, organization and implementation to convert a day camp into a virtual model. The only thought being to make sure another year of girls did not miss the opportunity to attend Tech Trek. And always to further the mission of education for girls.

So proud to be part of AAUW!
.
Patsy Knight, Camp Director
Michele Meyer & Carol Homrighouse.
Tech Trek Coordinators

From left to right: Jimena Palacios, Jazzlin Mejia Andrade, Eva Blais, and Daniella Martinez. Not pictured, Yuliana Garcia Hernandez