Kingston AAUW Calendar
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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
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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. 
Evening Book Club:
Check with Garnette Arledge |
Potluck & a Film May 10, The Italian
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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!
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Summer Trips
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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 |
Kingston AAUW Branch Communication Committee
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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.
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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
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May Meeting A Monument to Truth
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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
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May 11 Annual Kingston Branch "Bridge Party Plus"
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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.
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Branch History Interview with Wilhelmina Haruk |
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.
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No Electronic Voting Machines Before Their Time
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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.
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One Book, One Community Andrea Lee and Don Moore
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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.
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News and Celebrations
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Anne 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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