2009 has already been a historic year for women,
beginning with the signing of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and
most recently with the appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the
Supreme Court. AAUW National had an active role in supporting these
and many other initiatives.
At the local level, the Longmont Branch of
AAUW has continued its strong tradition of providing scholarships
and community grants. It is always a pleasure to celebrate these at
the Spring Fling in May, and get a chance to meet some of the recipients
to learn more about their goals and how our contribution will help
them achieve those goals.
The annual Bargain Book Fair October 16-18,
in its 56th year, continues to fund all our activities through the
money raised at this one event. We all know that it is a lot of work,
but I think it helps to remember that it is not just a fund raiser.
The book fair is also a community service project – taking books
from those who don’t want them, and putting them in the hands
of those who do. Isn’t it gratifying to see someone excited
about reading and ready to bring a pile of books home from our sale?
Aileen Solt and Kathy Flynn have done a marvelous
job leading the Longmont Branch over the past two years as co-presidents,
leaving a strong organization. Evidence of their success is the great
attendance at programs, and the re-establishment of the International
Dinner was so well received that we will continue it this year. With
Diane Kirkpatrick taking on the role of VP of Programs, we look forward
to another strong year of programs that provide learning, socializing,
and commitment to the AAUW theme: “Breaking Through Barriers
for Women and Girls”.
As a volunteer organization, we are dependent
on the involvement and commitment of all of you to continue to make
contributions to the community and support all of our activities.
The saying “many hands make light work” really is true,
and working together on the book fair, or putting on a program, or
hosting an event can be fun and rewarding as well.
Thank you for your past efforts, and we look
forward to your active participation in the future.
Charlotte Tyson, President
AAUW Longmont Branch
tyjud@comcast.net
