Masthead
     October,  2009  2008 - Vol 1, Issue 1
In This Issue
KAAUW Calendar
Potluck & a Film
Trip to the Met
Branch Officers
November Meeting
Kristin's Advice
Book Discussion
Thoughts About Playing Bridge
News




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Kingston AAUW Calendar
Kingston AAUW Calendar



Thurs., Nov. 5, 2pm Kaatsbaan Open Rehearsal: Kimberly Bartosik, Dance Theatre

Sun. Nov 8, 5 - 8 pm Potluck & a Film, V. Hlavsa's home

Tue. Nov. 10 3pm Branch Board Meeting, Kingston Library -- yes, there is a board meeting.

Sat., Nov. 14, 2-4 pm Nov. Branch Meeting: Why and How to Get Comfortable with the Web

Tues. Nov. 17, 1-2:30 Book Discussion, Kingston Library. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner.

Thurs. Dec. 17
NYC and the Metropolitan Museum
details here.

Correction:
Tues. Dec. 15, 5 pm Branch Holiday Celebration



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Potluck & a Film
Times and Winds
Movie Poster

At 5 PM on Sunday, November 8th, we will gather for a covered dish supper and watch the 2007 Turkish film Times and Winds, directed by Reha Erdem with gorgeous music by the Estonian composer Arvo Part.

 Here's the review:
Young teen Omer contemplates the unthinkable as he bitterly struggles under the loveless yoke of his scornful Muslim cleric father. Yakup, his best friend, obsesses over a beautiful schoolteacher.  Yildiz recoils from burgeoning womanhood. 

Called a "gorgeous dreamscape of a film" set in the mountains of Turkey, it is bewitched by the rhythms of everyday life--it moves slowly--but it is wise in its depiction of the cycle of life and unblinking in its exploration of fate's capricious malice and childhood's discontent.
 
I'll make a pork roast. 
Hope you can come! 
ViVi
Annual Trip
Metropolitan Museum or NYC
Angels

Reserve now for our annual trip to the Met

Thursday, Dec. 17

Quick Web Links
2009-2010 Kingston Branch Officers
Leadership

Coordinating Heroines:
Susan Holland
Doris Goldberg
Beverly Sloane

President
- Bette Nitzky - on leave
VP, Programming - ViVi Hlavsa and Beverly Sloane
VP Membership - Suki Kerr & Jean Semilof
Treasurer - Doris Licht
Recording Secretary - Carol Leib for Susan Holland
Corresponding Secretary - Joan Reis

Committees
Bus Trips - ViVi Hlavsa and Pat Whalan
Communications - Ruth Wahtera
Directory - Sheila Beall
Diversity - Arlene Bruck
Educational Foundation - Doris Goldberg & Irwin Rosenthal
Historian - Bernie Carpino
Hospitality - Pat Stedge and Ginger Yaple
International - Vacant
Legal Advocacy Fund - Dolores LaChance
Publicity - Carole Leib
Public Policy - Rokki Carr
Telephone Tree - Virginia Kohli

See your directory for phone numbers and email addresses.

Click here for links to leadership profiles.
Kingston AAUW Branch Communication Committee
Ruth Bean
ViVi Hlavsa
Susan Holland
Doris Licht
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.

About AAUW

AAUW's Value Promise
By joining AAUW, you belong to a community that breaks through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.

AAUW's Mission
AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.

Greetings!
When I was in high school my friends always knew they could count on me to push them into controversy they'd prefer to avoid. One day II was rallying students into joining one of the early public demonstrations against the Vietnam war when a classmate looked me in the eye and said, "Ruth, can't you ever just leave us alone to do nothing?"

I guess that early habit of pushing people to get involved, even when they want to be left alone, has stayed with me. That's why I'm organizing the program at the branch meeting Saturday, Nov. 14.

I'm worried. Most of us will live well into our 80's. If you aren't benefiting from the incredible resources the internet is offering today, how left out will you be in five or ten years as more and more of our daily life depends on the web?

So, this month, we're going to have a heart-to-heart talk about how to learn to love the internet. See below for details. 

The editor
November Branch Meeting
Why you should learn to love the Internet
Cartoon

Saturday, November 14, 2009
Kingston Library Community Room
2:00 pm

This month we'll have a heart-to-heart conversation about why you don't have a computer, or have one but hate to use it. We'll  explore
  • Why the world is going to lose patience with you and leave you behind soon
  • Some things you can do on the web to enrich your learning, hobbies, relationships, and fun
  • Resources that can help you get started or improve your competence
For those of you who aren't computer averse, come help by sharing your favorite uses, sites, and tools.

p.s. If you have a laptop, please bring it. We'll break into small groups for show and tell.
Kristin's Advice
Hospice Inc Music Therapy

For those of you who missed Kristin Swanson speaking on Myths and Realities of Hospice and the music therapy program at Hospice, Inc. at our October meeting, you missed an a presentation that was thought provoking and informative.

One of the take-aways was the NY State Health Care Proxy form. Kristin encouraged us to complete our own form and also to encourage our friends and family members of all ages to complete one, too. Healthcare proxies are most important when a crisis strikes. Automobile accidents, trauma, and other crises can strike at any age.

The NYS Department of Health provides several resources to help you think through what you want and who will speak for you, in addition to the form itself. Here's the link to the page on their site.

If there's interest, we can arrange a workshop to talk about the forms in more detail. Let program VP's Beverly Sloane or Vivi Hlavsa know if you're interested.
Book Discussion Group
As I Lay Dying by Wm. Faulkner
William Faulkner
November 17, 2009
Kingston Library Community Room
1:00 pm

The AAUW Book Club Had an excellent meeting in October discussing Greg Mortenson's book, Three Cups of Tea.  Member Diane Metsger brought her friend, Dr. Subooha Zafar to the meeting to tell us about the current situation in Afghanistan

On November 17th, we will meet at 1pm in the library to discuss William Faulker's As I Lay Dying. We are hoping to have Raymond Lippert and Vivi Hlvasa, both Faulker experts, share information with us.
Marjorie Regan

Thoughts About Playing Bridge
Bridge Hand

I'm not a bridge player. In fact, I have some negative feelings about bridge players. You see, when I was very young, living in a small town on Crete, there were three avid bridge players among the ex-pats -- one of them my now ex-husband. They were desperate for a fourth and I was pressured into learning the game.

For love, peace, and to please my friends I worked hard at learning. Everyday they cajoled, coached, and took turns suffering as my partner. Until the day it happened. Yes, the doors to the once-daily bus opened and, wonder of wonders, a bridge player emerged.

I'll never know how, within five minutes, they recognized him as a bridge player, although I suspect they took turns meeting the bus each day and interviewing any likely candidate..."Excuse me, but do you, by any chance play bridge?"

My brief life as a bridge player was over. I was summarily dismissed, never to have a seat at the table again. I felt... well, a strange combination of relief and rejection.

But this article in the Wall Street Journal started me thinking about it again. I wonder if our bridge players would offer an opportunity for novices to learn.

In reference to Alexander McCall Smith on Bridge - The Game That Trumps All Others, WSJ.com
"My ideal bridge four? W.H. Auden, me, Woody Allen and Barack Obama, who strikes me as being the sort of person who is considerate-and a listener. I'm not sure whether the current president plays bridge; he has other things to do, I suppose. And my least ideal bridge four? Saddam Hussein (an unforgiving partner), me, Marilyn Monroe (bad memory for cards), and Gandhi (not competitive enough).
- Alexander McCall Smith is the author of more than 60 books, including the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series."

The WSJ article offers some links for new and experienced bridge players and some interesting observations on the game, its history, and it's players. It's good reading whether or not you play bridge.
Ruth Wahtera
News and Celebrations
Correction: The last update indicated that Virginia Kohli would take Susan Holland's place as recording secretary. Carol Leib is the person who stepped into that role. Thanks to Carol and apologies for the mix-up.

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Get well wishes to Suki Kerr who replaced a knee this past month and Denise Springer who has had both cataracts removed.

That's a good reminder -- have you completed your  Helping Hands Survey ? Jane Riley, our branch matchmaker, will be coordinating the givers and receivers of services. Please contact her for further information. 845-338-2384 or jriley9868@aol.com

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Some people can suffer terribly from perfume on someone across the room. Diana Bryan, sculptor, and our holiday party presenter, is one of them. We're excited to have her as our speaker and aim to protect her from an allergy attack. We'll remind you again, but this is to plant the seeds. The holiday party will be scent-free!

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Legal Advocacy Fund  will once again participate in the 'Holiday Wrap' fund raiser at Hudson Valley Mall. The dates assigned to AAUW are Friday, Dec. 4th, from 3:30 PM to closing and Saturday, Dec.19th for the entire day 'til closing. We'll need lots of volunteers as that Saturday should prove to be a busy and profitable one for our LAF. Please plan on donating a few hours of time for this worthy cause and hopefully enjoy this activity with other GREAT AAUW members.
Dolores LaChance 
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What does the Shriver Report mean to us? Over the last month we've seen a lot in the media about the Shriver Report. Two thirds of US households depend on the woman as either the primary or co-breadwinner. And over 80 percent of men and women agree businesses that fail to adapt to the needs of modern families risk losing good workers. What is it that families need? Men now agree with women that government and business need to provide flexible work schedules, better childcare, family and medical leave, and equal pay. How do we get our institutions to catch up with the needs of our families? Let the conversations begin.

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On our website:
Bookmark our branch website and our Unofficial Passions blog.

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A hard copy calendar is available for printing and will be updated and handed out at branch meetings. Contact Ruth Wahtera for a copy. 449-6568 or wahtera.ruth@gmail.com

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Reminder for Holiday Giving:
AAUW members get a 5% discount when ordering books from Barnes & Noble on-line. Often there's a discount coupon for an additional amount --  Just use this link.

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Deadline for the December newsletter submissions:
November  20th.