WE WELCOME YOU BACK TO ANOTHER AAUW YEAR!

by Lorrin Johnson & Stephanie Lemnios

The 2017-2018 AAUW year was filled with diverse offerings of action groups, interest groups, advocacy activities, impressive programs, and social activities too. In the STEM area, we had many AAUW volunteers participate in the 15th Annual Explore Your Opportunity Conference and the third Annual WizGirls conference reaching out to young girls, mentors, and STEM professional women. Other programs that continued to make an impact in our community were our education awards, scholarship awards, and Running and Winning. The branch programs proved to be both very interesting and educational including a wide range of topics from Women in Non-Traditional Roles to Court Watching Programs along with many others.

Many thanks to all of those who have both lead and participated in these activities resulting in a very vibrant and active branch.

In April, several of our branch members attended the AAUW New York State Convention. Some of us played active roles on many of the committees. Kim Churches, Chief Executive Officer of National reviewed the visions for AAUW for 2018-2019. It was a very inspiring conference.

For the upcoming year, more exciting programs are planned.

The program theme is for this year is Women’s Impact on History with engaging speakers planned for our Wednesday Branch meetings. Some of the topics include: Kelli Owens from the governor’s office discussing women’s issues and Marcia Brewster discussing water sanitation and gender as well as many others. Please join us on Wednesdays for our branch meetings most of which are held at the Greenburgh Public Library. Check your yearbook and/or CHIPS to check location and time of each meeting. It’s a great opportunity to learn and at the same time, to socialize with your fellow members of AAUW Westchester.

We hope that you will join us for the annual International Pot Luck Dinner on September 12th at 6 p.m. for friendship and to take the opportunity to learn about different AAUW interest and action groups. Members are requested to bring their favorite dish to share and to bring a friend.

If you are interested in exploring new ways to be involved we have a few open positions: Public Relations, Hospitality, the STEM Interest Group and the Explore Your Opportunities steering committee. Whether you are a new or long-term member of AAUW Westchester, we encourage you to explore some activities that you have not participated in and continue with those that you already enjoy.

We look forward to seeing you throughout the year and hope to see you at the Pot Luck Dinner. Let’s make this year full of impacting programs, learning new things and enjoying the friendship of AAUW members.

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September 2018

CHIPSThe monthly newsletter of the Westchester Branch of the American Association of University Women, Westchester County, New York

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AAUW SEPTEMBER MEETINGWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 6 PMGREENBURGH LIBRARY PROGRAM

"Shadow Patriots Lady Spies of War" Told by Revolutionary War patriot , Ann Fisher Miller, (re-enactor) Learn the story of these remarkable brave women, members of a proud sorority of every color and creed who risked their lives from the Revolutionary War through WWII in order to make America strong and to create a better future for all of us.We will be having our annual potluck dinner prior to the program so be sure to bring your favorite dish to share.

TUESDAY LIT GROUP SELECTIONS

Moonglowby Michael Chabon

Between You and Me! Confessions of a

Comma Queenby Allison Winn Scotch

The Leaversby Lisa Ko

Black and Blueby Anna QuindlenElephant Company

by Vicki CrokeThe Underground Girls

by Jenny NordbergLove and Ruin

by Paula McLainA Gentleman in Moscow

by Amor TowlesManhattan Beachby Jennifer EganThe Buried Giant

by Kazuo Ishiguro

EVENING LIT GROUP SELECTIONS

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Disgrace by JM Coetzee

The Bridge Ladiesby Betsy Lerner

Before We Were Yoursby Lisa WingateA God In Ruins

by Kate AtkinsonThe Woman Next Doorby Yewande Omotoso

The Other Einsteinby Marie Benedict

The Nordic Theory of Everything

by Anu PartanenThe Hazards of Good

Breedingby Jessica Shattuck

THURSDAY LIT GROUP SELECTIONS

The War of Twoby John Sedgewick Heart of Darknessby Joseph Conrad

In the Country of Menby Hisham MatarTransit of Venus

by Shirley HazzardAll for Nothing

by Walter KempowskiPachinko

by Min Jin LeeLincoln in the Bardoby George Saundars

Educatedby Tara Westover

Suitable Boyby Vikram Seth

WHAT ARE WESTCHESTER AAUW BOOK GROUPS READING?

AAUW BOOK GROUP MEETINGS!

DAYT IME LIT ERAT URE GROUP

The Daytime Literature Group will meet on Thursday, September 27 at 10 a.m. at the Ossining Library. The group will discuss The War of Two by John Sedgewick.

Contact Judy Blanchard-Young for further information.

T UESDAY MORNING LIT GROUP

The Tuesday Morning Lit Group will meet on September 11 at 10 a.m. in the home of Barbara McNear. We’ll discuss the novel, Moonglow, by Michael Chabon.

Please contact Wilma Gitchel for more information.

EV ENING LIT ERAT URE GROUPThe Evening Literature Group will meet at Lexington Square Cafe in Mt. Kisco, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5. Ellen Eschmann will lead the discussion of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

Please let Ellen Eschmann know if you plan to attend. westchester-ny.aauw.net/

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ART INTEREST GROUPOn Thursday, September 13 the Art Interest Group will tour the Museum of Art and Design and enjoy lunch at their beautiful restaurant, Robert. If you would like to join us, please email Shelli Pines.❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂

CURRENT ISSUES GROUPThe Current Issues Interest Group will meet on Friday morning September 7 at 10 a.m. Our new meeting place is the Knolls in Valhalla.   Our topic will be: Midterm Elections After Two Trump Years; Who Has Benefited, Who Has Lost ? For further information, contact Marie McKellar. ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂

POETRY INTEREST GROUPThe Poetry Interest Group will meet on Tuesday September 18 at 1:30 p.m. in the home of Janice Rabinowitz. ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂

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SAVE THE DATE: October 20, 20188 a.m.-4 p.m.

Roosevelt House (Hunter College), 47-49 East 65th St, New York, NY 10065

Registration Opens: September 4Register at: aauw-nys.org

AAUW New York State is pleased to announce a new one-day conference on October 20, 2018 in Manhattan to help college women successfully transition from students to professionals as they look for new jobs and start their careers. Students will be inspired and learn many job search and career skills from experts.

They will attend an AAUW Start Smart salary negotiation workshop to learn:• How to identify and articulate their personal value• How to develop an arsenal of persuasive responses and other negotiation

strategies• How to conduct objective market research to benchmark a target salary

and benefits• About the pay gap, including its long-term consequences

Additional career skills covered:• Tips on creating an outstanding resume• Interview skills• Do’s and don’ts of social media• Get professional head shots taken• Dressing for success and navigating workplace culture

A request: Please reach out to colleges in your area and encourage registration. Personal advertising is usually the most effective. This event is organized through the collaboration of AAUW New York State, District V Branches (Empire State, Rockland, Staten Island, Westchester), and Poughkeepsie Branch.

PROGRAM SPONSORED BY AAUW - NYC METRO FUNDS GRANT

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Mark Your Calendars Now!Here’s the AAUW Meeting and Program Schedule for 2018-19

Wednesday, September 12, 6 p.m. Greenburgh LibraryPotluck Dinner

Cyndi Kaufmann/Deb Palazzo, Daughters of Liberty’s Legacy, “Shadow Patriots” The role of female spies from the Revolutionary War to World War II

Wednesday, October 10, 10:30 a.m. Greenburgh LibraryJill Kiefer, Director Graduate Programs Arts, Warnborough College, “A Brief Survery of Women in Art” A synopsis of the contributions by women to the art world

Wednesday, November 7, 10:30 a.m. Greenburgh LibraryCarol Durst Wertheim, former professor, CCNY and NYU, “Food for Thought” There is much more to the food industry than just being the chef. Learn the roles women play behind the scenes.

Wednesday, December 12, 12:30 p.m. Tesoro D’Italia Ristorante, Pleasantville, NYHoliday Luncheon

Saturday, January 5, 10:30 a.m. Greenburgh LibrarySteve DeVillo, former development coordinator Bronx River Alliance, amateur historian, “The History of the Bowery” Learn the history of the Bowery, one of America’s most famous streets, the best and the worst of NY

Wednesday, February 6, 10:30 a.m. Greenburgh LibraryKelli Owens, Director of Women’s Affairs, New York State, “Understanding Women’s Policy and Politics in NY” An inside look at how the government addresses women’s issues

Wednesday, March 13, 6 p.m Location TBAMarcia Brewster, senior consultant, Nautilus International Development Consulting, “Water, Sanitation and Gender: Issues for the 21st Century” A presentation by an international expert on the impact of water resources on cultural and economic development

Wednesday, April 10, 6 p.m Location TBA Marcia Sloman, Under Control, “How to Organize Everything – Time Management” Time is our most precious commodity. Learn how to make the most of yours.

Wednesday, May 8, 6 p.m Location TBA Kjirsten Gustavson, museum educator, NYS Parks Department, “Woman on the Wheel” A discussion on the role of the bicycle on women’s emancipation

Wednesday June 8, 5:30 p.m. St. Andrews Golf Club, Hastings on HudsonSpring Fling Dinner

CURRENT ISSUES: EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL?

by Selena Barron

This past summer a documentary film, with a three letter title about a living woman, grossed $7.9 billion during the first month of its release.The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was co-produced by two women, Betsy West and Julie Cohen with CNN films. That first month was the 29th, highest ever, gross for any documentary. If you haven’t guessed yet, RGB is about 85 year old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and outstanding career. Her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court followed by the appointments of Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan gave credence to the ability of women to rise to the top in their careers, conduct themselves in an exemplary manner and navigate public and political challenges facing anyone seeking a confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

We understandably celebrate their achievements and success. However, for a large group of women the battle for equal opportunity and equal pay is far from over. For example in the August 2018 issue of the ABA Journal, the president for this year, Hilarie Bass, discusses her initiative, Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in Law. The study focused on what causes women to leave their law careers. She points out that “twenty years after law school, when lawyers should be in their most productive years, far too many women have not reached the same success as men, and close to half have left the profession entirely.” In order to gather data about the problems women face, the ABA funded research which included surveys, focus groups and studies of the long term career paths for women lawyers, Special emphasis was given to women of color and women over 50. Two national summits were held, one at Harvard last fall and one at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in June.

The results will be released later in the year but some information is now available. The surveys showed:

● 45 percent of women lawyers reported that they had been denied proper access to businessdevelopment opportunities because of their gender.

● 58 percent of women lawyers reported that they had experienced demeaning comments, stories or jokes.● Nearly 60 percent of women lawyers reported that they had been mistaken for a lower level employee,● Approximately 30 percent of women lawyers reported that their gender affected their ability to achievesalary increases or bonuses, desirable assignments and access to Sponsors.

In the focus groups some women complained that they were:● Used as a diversity token in a client meeting● Had credit for work they had done stolen by a male colleague.● Had “success fatigue“, a feeling of always having to work harder to achieve the same level of success asa man.”

Women said they experienced implicit bias from employers who then denied acting with any bias. Women lawyers also complained about incidents of sexual harassment. Ms. Bass concludes that “the goal of the initiative is to make ...recommendations for legal employers to help create environments that allow women attorneys to achieve their full potential.” The data collected through the initiative also has a wider usefulness. The data reporting gender bias, sexual harassment, pay gap, and lack of access to paths leading to promotion found through the ABA initiative exists not only for women attorneys, but also for women in many other career paths. Making barriers to careers for women more transparent, publicizing data collected at public forums, and sharing ways to make the workplace more hospitable and an even playing field for women can be done. AAUW is a recognized activist in working toward equal pay and equal opportunity for all women. As an AAUW m em ber, you are a w om an m aking a dif ference!

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WESTCHESTER AAUW SPRING FLING JUNE 2018, ST. ANDREWS COUNTRY CLUB, HASTINGS ON HUDSON

Induction of Officers: Diona Koerner (inductor), Stephanie Lemnios, Lorrin Johnson, Phyllis Hirth, Cynthia Plater, Barbara Lehman, Susan Appel, Judy Walsh, Carol McMillan

SUMMER ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTSby Jean Havens and Nancy Vincent, Co-Chairs

Summer activities are a carefree way for our AAUW branch members to get together informally during July and August. This year, three branch members volunteered to lead a variety of events. Cynthia Plater arranged for a July 11 trip to Eleanor Roosevelt’s home, Val Kill, up in Hyde Park, to be followed by lunch at the American Bounty Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America. Unfortunately, as the date neared, our numbers dwindled and the trip was ultimately cancelled. Thanks for working out the trip details, Cynthia.

On Wednesday, July 18, Selena Barron organized a lunch at X2O Restaurant in Yonkers. As always, there was a lovely view of the river and a delicious prix fixe meal. Thanks, Selena!

July 25 was the date of our third and final summer activity: preparing dinner for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla. Coordinated by Stephanie Lemnios, an intrepid six-member crew peeled, chopped, sliced, and baked a colorful meal for an expected 25 diners. Good job, Stephanie!

As our new branch year swings into action, it’s not too early to be thinking of a summer activity that you’d like to suggest for next summer.

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SEPTEMBER 20189/3 Monday Bridge Group 11 a.m.9/5 Evening Literature Group Lexington Sq. Cafe, Mt. Kisco 6 p.m.9/5 Board Meeting Greenburgh Library 10:30 a.m.9/7 Current Issues Discussion Group The Knolls in Valhalla, NY 10 a.m.9/8 EYO Planning Meeting Greenburgh Library 10 a.m.9/10 Deadline for submitting for CHIPS9/10 Monday Bridge Group 11 a.m.9/11 Tuesday Morning Literature Group Barbara McNear’s Home 10 a.m.9/12 Branch Meeting Greenburgh Library 6 p.m.9/13 Art Interest Group Museum of Art and Design9/17 Monday Bridge Group 11 a.m.9/18 Financial Interest Group Sophie Keyes’ Home 10 a.m.9/18 Poetry Interest Group Janice Rabinowitz’s Home 1:30 p.m.9/24 Monday Bridge Group 11 a.m.9/27 Daytime Literature Group Ossining Library 10 a.m

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