Masthead
         May,  2009  2008 - Vol 1, Issue 1
In This Issue
KAAUW Calendar
Book Club this week
Potluck & a Film
Summer Trips
May Meeting
Bridge Plus Party
Willie Haruk - an Interview
Lever Update
One Book, One Community
News
More News Headline




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Kingston AAUW Calendar
Kingston AAUW Calendar

Sun. May 10, Potluck & a Film - see below.

Monday, May 11, noon-2pm, Bridge Luncheon, KAL

Tues. May 12, 1 pm, Board Meeting, Kingston Library

Tues. May 12,Evening Book Discussion
5:15 See below for details.

Thurs., May 14, 4 pm, One Book, One Community, Author Andrea Lee, Ulster Community College, Student Lounge

Tues. May 19,Daytime Book Discussion,   1 pm, Kingston Library.

Tues. May 26, 7-9 pm, Branch meeting, A Monument to Truth, Kingston Library

Thurs. May 28, 4 pm, One Book One Community, Rev. Don Moore, Kingston Library.

Tues. June 9, 5 pm, Annual potluck picnic at Vivi's

Reserve Now!
  Summer trips - see below
 
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May Book Clubs
Book Cover Daytime Book Club: 3rd Tuesday at 1pm, Kingston Library:

Change: May: Enemy Women - the outstanding first novel by poet Paulette Jiles, leads us into new terrain, both geographic and historical, in the war between the states.

Set in the Missouri Ozarks during the Civil War, Jiles's story focuses on the trying times of 18-year-old heroine Adair Colley. When a group of renegade Union militiamen attacks the Colley home, stealing family possessions, burning everything down, and taking away her father--an apolitical judge--Adair gathers the remnants of her clothes and mounts a rescue effort.



Book Cover

Evening Book Club:

Check with Garnette Arledge
Potluck & a Film
May 10, The Italian
Russian Orphan
On Sunday, May 10th, 5 PM at ViVi's house (directions on request), we will be (appropriately) watching the following film:
 
The Italian tells the story of six-year-old Vanya (Kolya Spiridonov) who is about to be handed every Russian orphan's dream: A loving Italian family wants to adopt him and take him away from the rundown orphanage he calls home. But Vanya can't let go of his yearning for his birth mother. Determined to find her, he runs away and sets off on an adventure that leads him into a mysterious and sometimes perilous world. This moving drama received several international awards.
 
For this covered dish supper, please bring a main dish or salad.  I'll have weisswurst.  Let me know if you're bringing a dessert.

 I not only hope we can eat out on the deck, I hope you can make it! 
  Warmly--ViVi

Note: Vivi has a new email address: V.V.Hlavsa@gmail.com
Summer Trips
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

Sunday, June 7th to
The Brooklyn Museum
&
The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Cost: $53 includes entrances, transportation & tip
Leaving at 8:30 AM and returning around 6:30 PM
* * * * * * * * * *
Saturday, July 11th 
Tanglewood's
Morning Open Rehearsal of
Beethoven's Egmont Overture,
Bruch's Violin Concerto #1 & Dvorak's Symphony #8
followed by
Jacob's Pillow
Afternoon Performance of
Gallim Dance Fresh

Cost: $79 includes entrances, transportation & tip
Leaving at 8:30 AM and returning around 6 PM
* * * * * * * * * *
Tuesday, July 28th
 Cooperstown
Glimmerglass production of
La Traviata by Verdi
Cost: Balcony $86; Orchestra 106; Cooperstown alone $37
Leaving at 8 AM and returning around 8 PM
* * * * * * * * * *
Wednesday, August 12th Boscobel
for the Hudson Valley Shakespeare's production of
Much Ado About Nothing
Cost: $59
(Bring a picnic supper for eating on the lawn)
Leaving at 4 PM and returning around 11:30

Flier with details will follow.

For reservations, call Pat Whelan between noon and 9 PM at 845-657-6807 or write PWHL8@aol.com
Quick Web Links
Kingston AAUW Branch Communication Committee
Garnette Arledge
Doris Goldberg
ViVi Hlavsa
Susan Holland
Doris Licht
Irwin Rosenthal
Ruth Wahtera, Editor

If you have something you would like posted on either the Kingston AAUW or the Unofficial Passions site, e-mail the information to a committee member.
Greetings!
I'm sorry I'll miss you all at the Bridge Plus Luncheon on Monday. Susan Holland, Irene Miller and I will be in Albany testifying about keeping our levers. But, I know you'll come through with wonderful food and full tables to fill our scholarship fund.

The picnic is coming up in early June. Hard to believe it's the end of another year. Will you be on the slate of officers? We need some energetic people to step up to the plate.

Let's fill the room to hear Anne Gordon talk about Sojourner Truth on May 26th. She's always sharing interesting stories.
The editor
May  Meeting
A Monument to Truth
Unveiling of Truth Bronze


This month Anne Gordon, Ulster County historian and Branch member, will discuss the work underway to raise a monument to Sojourner Truth in the new park on the former site of the Port Ewen Town Hall.

Truth was born into slavery in 1797 and lived the first 30+ years of her life in an area that now is part of the town of Esopus, some of it working in a tavern on the very site of the park. Last month Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and others unveiled a bronze bust of Truth, which will be permanently displayed in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol.

Anne chairs the Sojourner Truth Monument Committee.
Kingston Library, May 26th, 7-9 pm
Bring a friend
May 11
Annual Kingston Branch "Bridge Party Plus"
2008 desert table

From Anne Gordon:
A Fundraiser for the AAUW Educational Foundation
Noon on Monday, May 11, 2009
 The luncheon will be held on Monday, May 11, from 12 noon until 2 pm at the Kingston Library, 55 Franklin Street, Kingston. $10 per person.

Please bring a salad or dessert (that serves 12 or more) and your card tables. Come early, if you can, to help us set up (10 am to noon) or stay late and help clean up afterwards.
 
For reservations, call me at (845)331-7380 or  or send an e-mail.
Branch History
Interview with Wilhelmina Haruk
Branch History
Willie Haruk joined AAUW in Binghamton in the early 1970s. She had heard about the organization through newspaper articles chronicling its activities and had earlier received membership information upon college graduation. She remembers her trepidation when she was informed that the Rochester Institute of Technology might not be on AAUW's approved list. Fortunately, it was and when IBM transferred Willie first to Peekskill and then to Kingston she found out she could transfer her membership. Virginia Lastig was President of the Kingston Branch and warmly welcomed her.
 
In 1983 Willie was elected president; at the same time she as new in management at IBM so it was a very busy time for her. She characterizes herself as a president who successfully delegated jobs rather than a "do-it-all" one.
 
Through her participation in the Toastmistress Program Will had become familiar with Robert's Rules of Order, which she followed in conducting AAUW meetings.
 
In 1988, Willie became a Life Member of AAUW. Her primary motivation at the time was that she might again be transferred and that she knew AAUW was a very nice entry to a new community. It turned out to be a wise financial move as National dues have escalated.
 
Willie has seen many changes in AAUW. One is away from National suggested study groups to more emphasis on activism. Another is a wider base of membership and fundraisers that are more varied. She has always found the newsletter very important for keeping members abreast of activities. She considers the on-line version very well done but at times misses having the paper version to highlight and mark.
 
Besides her tenure as president, Willie has contributed to AAUW in numerous ways, among the Directory, By-laws, and Bridge chairperson.

No Electronic Voting Machines Before Their Time
electronic voting Well, you can't win them all, but maybe you can win the ones that really count!
 
The branch lost its bid to have AAUW-NYS adopt a resolution in support of the lever voting system. We did stimulate a lot of discussion and many told us they had not really thought about the issue, so it was worth the effort.
 
Our goals: to create enough public support for maintaining our lever system to convince the NYS legislature to rescind ERMA - the legislation that requires counties to move to optical scanners with paper back-up.
 
Why? Several reasons, but the most important three:  

1)
Computer experts, the CIA, the Defense Department, and a growing number of other agencies and organizations recognize that no software-based voting system is secure. We become vulnerable to voter fraud from both internal and foreign sources.

2)
Changing systems means increasing on-going costs to NYS taxpayers by millions, annually and unnecessarily. Levers together with ballot marking devices meet federal requirements and work.

3)
Paper ballot backup introduces additional security, chain of custody, and audit issues that aren't addressed in the law.
 
Meanwhile the Public Policy Committee has been coordinating efforts with the Election Transparency Coalition. We are traveling to Albany on May 11th to testify at a NYS Senate Elections Committee Hearing on Polling.
 
The list of counties passing resolutions is rapidly growing: Ulster is joined by Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Schuyler, and Essex. Several others are considering resolutions at their May meetings. We are now initiating an effort to get towns and cities to pass resolutions. The NY State Association of Towns passed a resolution in March.

You can track our lever-activity here.
One Book, One Community
Andrea Lee and Don Moore
Branch History Andrea Lee will be speaking at SUNY Ulster on Thursday, May 14th, 4 PM in the Student Lounge. I hope you all can make it.  And by the by, I would suggest you also might like to read her novel:  Lost Hearts in Italy It does have quite a slant on the American experience, despite its Italian setting.  Copies of her short stories are available from the circulation desk at the Kingston Library.
 
On Thursday, May 28th, 4 PM at the Kingston Library, One Book/One Community presents Don Moore, Senior Pastor of the Living Word Chapel of West Hurley, who will address the topic of Identification and Alienation. 

Well known in this area, Pastor Moore has ministered nationally and internationally, not only by his inspirational books, personal counseling, and dynamic outreach on cable networks, but also by his musical productions and gospel albums.  The program is free and open to the public. 

For information, call ViVi Hlavsa at 845-331-0155.  Sponsored by the AAUW (American Association of University Women) the Kingston Library Book Group and various other area book discussion groups. 
 News and Celebrations

Anne GordonAnne Gordon was recently appointed Ulster County Historian by the Ulster County Legislature - a job for love, not money. We're delighted that the Legislature recognizes Anne's gifts; we love the things she shares with the Branch on a regular basis. As a side note, Anne reports how impressed she has become with the competency and commitment of the directors of the various county departments that she sees in action at  monthly department head meeting.

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Congratulations to Irene Miller who just received word that she's been nominated for Senior Citizen of the Year in Green County! We expect she'll win. She has such energy, determination, and passion.

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The mentoring project with the Hodge Center is moving forward. If you're interested, Contact Marjorie Regan.
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The Restaurant Rovers may not begin for another month or two. If you're interested, let Garnette know.
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More News!

Housing Discussions Underway: Much is happening on the alternative housing front. Amy Godes is chairing the Woodstock Aging in Place Committee, Vivi Hlavsa is secretary. And, Garnette Arledge hosted a luncheon meeting with the Department of Aging to discuss holding a series of conversations about types of housing for seniors. If this is a topic of interest for you, let one of us know so we can add you to the list for meeting announcements.
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Scholarships: Two Ulster Community College students received nice scholarship checks from us at the UCC awards ceremony this week - part of our local Educational Foundation work led by Anne Gordon. The Bridge Luncheon and trips support this fund.
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A nominating committee is putting a slate together for 2009-10. Whose turn is it to step up to the plate? So much to do, so little time. If we each take a job we can make many things happen.
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State Convention: We may have lost on the lever resolution, but we did get recognition. Janine Fallon-Mower was honored as an Emerging Leader (Read about it here.)  Ruth Wahtera received an award from the NYS Communications Director for "ground-breaking use of newsletter blogs." Garnette Arledge was recognized at the President's dinner and received a lot of attention for the cable program she and Janine have produced this year. And, the branch received platinum recognition.

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It's dues time, once again. Based on the discussion last fall, we will send an invoice to each member. Dues include National, State and local membership fees.