We are proud of

• 77% renewal rate by the July 1 deadline,
• 75% increase in the number of members since November, and
• 85% growth in the number of primary members since the branch was chartered.

• As of June 30, 20 of the 26 members who joined for 08-09 have renewed, 4 have resigned and 2 are pending.
  • The resignations include two men who were given gift memberships and two dual members from out of state.
  • The renewals include two members who switched their AAUW primary affiliation to this branch.
• We now have 42 members (counting the two pending) and 24 of them are connected to AAUW primarily through this branch. The 18 others belong to community-based branches as their primary connection – 12 of the 21 other branches in NC and one in PA.
  • 25 were AAUW branch members when joining this branch. Seven of them have transferred their primary membership to the Tar Heel Branch.
  • 7 were at-large AAUW members
  • 5 more were lapsed members
  • 5 are new AAUW members
• Map of AAUW NC Branches and Tar Heel Branch Members (as of June 20 with 31 members).
• The branch charter was approved on November 19, 2008, with 24 charter members, 13 for whom this was their primary branch, 11 who were also connected to a community-based branch.

We are now collecting dues for 2009-2010. Branch dues are $5. AAUW and AAUW NC are $49 and $11 respectively, for a total of $65 for members joining through this branch.

Here are two reports on the branch finances for its first fiscal year:

• FY09 Quick Summary (just the high points)
• FY09 Cash Flow (more details)
• FY09 Account Balances

Both document that the branch has a balance of 187.68 at the end of the year.

If you want to see the detailed list of transactions that show the break down of the figures on the cash flow statement, let Nancy know.

We are looking for a volunteer to review the financial records to confirm that these reports match the records and the list of transactions. If you are near Raleigh and want to do this later in the month (after we receive the bank statement), please let Doris or Nancy know.

See also other posts on branch finances.

Thanks to AAUW, AAUW NC and the following members for contributions to the branch during its first year:

Patsy Abell, Statesville
Judy Atkinson, Winston-Salem
Doris Bernlohr, Burlington
Judy Hallman, Chapel Hill
Birgit Pauli-Haack, Naples, FL
Mary Fran Schickedantz, Greensboro
Nancy Shoemaker, Raleigh
Queen Thompson, Charlotte

EMBRACING CHANGE

As delegates prepare for our convention in St. Louis, Missouri June 26-28, I hope each of you have also taken the time to be informed.  Change is in the air as we deal with new bylaw proposals.

The proposed bylaw changes before us all began in 2005 when the boards of AAUW began a strategic process to address AAUW’s ability to be a viable organization in the future.  At the 2007 convention in Phoenix, the members unanimously voted to restructure AAUW. At the same time delegates also instructed the AAUW Bylaws Committee to prepare revised bylaws that reflect this restructuring.

Another major issue to be decided in St. Louis is whether to open our membership to anyone who supports our mission to promote equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research.

A complete copy of the proposed bylaws can be found in the latest special convention issue of Outlook. I invite each of you to check it out.

The Tar Heel branch will be well represented in St. Louis.  At this time– members Karla Atkinson, Shelia Bassoppo-Mayo, Mary Fran Schickedantz, Nancy Shoemaker, and Queen Thompson will be St. Louis bound.  The Tar Heel branch is entitled to one vote, and I will be your voting delegate at convention.

If any of you have questions or comments you would like to address to any of us before we go to St Louis –we welcome and encourage them.

I want to thank each of you for your continued support of the Tar Heel Branch.  If each one of us can bring at least one more person to join us this year, we can double our membership and meet our goal. Let’s do it!

Thanks.

Doris Bernlohr,
President, THB

These links are for further information on our complex organization. Click the ones that fit your interest and time.

Branch News (tarheel.aauwnc.org)

• Branch members help the WRC in Alamance County
• Finance: 4/30 Treasurer’s report; Proposed 2009-2010 budget
• Governance: Proposed branch policies; Note on the bylaws

AAUW North Carolina (aauwnc.org)

• $tart $mart Kickoff in North Carolina (05/28/09) – Branch member Sonya Stafford is taking the lead in organizing  this project in NC. It helps young women negotiate the salary on their first job.
• Registration information for the summer meeting (05/27/09) – All members are welcome at the AAUW NC meeting in Hendersonville, July 17-18. A major section of the meeting will be a discussion of what delegates learn at the Association convention in St. Louis.
• JACKSONVILLE REGIONAL BRANCH MAY-JUNE-JULY 2009 NEWSLETTER (05/14/09)
• Greensboro Equal Pay Day Proclamation (05/04/09)
• See also updates to AAUW NC Public Policy Priorities

AAUW News (aauw.org )

• Attendees at the National Conference of College Women Student Leaders will be joined by luminaries including the Nontombi Naomi Tutu (see keynote speakers) and Diane Rehm (see women of distinction)
• Recent public policy alerts include career training, paid sick days, and hate crimes prevention, as well as the request to call Sen. Hagan about the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Our budget for 2009-2010 is fairly simple. We haven’t built up a reserve and the $5/person dues won’t kick in until after July 1.

We are still encouraging members to donate to the branch to strengthen our financial position and give us some leeway if a new project comes up that the board wishes to fund. For now, though, any significant project will need to include a funding plan to cover any of its expenses.

Branch assets 4/3/09: $210.00

Expected net expenses through 6/30/09: $25 (copying materials to explain the branch at the AAUW convention)

Proposed budget 2009-2010

Other line items may appear on the branch cash flow statement:

• pass through payments to AAUW and AAUW NC. This represents the cash flow that the branch controls
• donations/expenses for special community or project groups

Last year the branch received $150 donations from individuals.The $100 estimate is a conservative one.

“Marketing” includes a projected test mailing to members-at-large as well as outreach to the NC branches to explain this new branch.

“Administration” includes PayPal fees for new members joining online and the costs of occasional mailings to reach the branch members.

Members are asked to comment on this proposal. The 2009-2010 budget needs to be approved by the board.

Tar Heel Branch Members - WRC Herb Festival

On Thursday, April 23, four branch members helped at the refreshment table for the Herb Festival of the Women’s Resource Center in Alamance County. This is a major fundraiser that supports the work of the WRC, dedicated to helping women and their families improve and enrich their lives. Its main program is “New Choices” which serves displaced homemakers. Branch member Becky Mock is the center’s program director.

Pictured are Jenna Johnson, Caroline Novello, Doris Bernlohr, and Becky.

Note the “Ask me about AAUW” buttons that got the branch a bit of visibility at this event. We have more buttons for any members who want to do a similar project in their community.

Here is an initial draft of the branch policies. The board will be asked to approve a version of the policies sometime in June. All members are welcome to comment on this document. Please use the branch e-mail list for the discussion.

AAUW Tar Heel Branch Policies

As we were drafting the branch policies, we realized that the branch bylaws don’t cover electronic votes of the branch in all cases where they may be required. Article X covers an election process appropriate for the branch, and Article VI. Section 2. (changes to dues) and Article XX. Section 3. (changes to the bylaws) refer to that process. However, in Article XII Meetings, there is no such reference.

An initial suggestion is to take Section 4 from “Article XI. Board of Directors” and use a version of that in Article XII which could be retitled “Meetings and Branch Business”.

Such votes are rare, but do occur occasionally (as when we elected a delegate to the state convention). This will be adressed more formally after the national convention when we see what other modifications will be needed in the bylaws.

Here are the financial reports as of 4/30/09. If you want to see the transaction details, please let me know.

Account Balances 4/30/2009

Cash Flow FY09 as of 4/30/09

[Doris was called out of town and delegated this newsletter to Nancy. When she returns, expect to hear about her Equal Pay Day activities and the AAUW members who worked at the Alamance County Women's Resource Center Herb Festival earlier this week.]

Send an E-Card

Equal Pay Day Activities
If you have written a letter to the editor, sent a message to Sen. Hagan, sent an equal pay postcard to a friend, watched the AAUW video, or plan to watch AAUW’s Lisa Maatz in one her presentations this week, please make a quick comment on our branch web site. You’ll find the comment form at the bottom of the post on Equal Pay Day which has links to instructions for all those and more. [See the branch home page http://tarheel.aauwnc.org or the state home page http://aauwnc.org for links to the two minute video from YouTube.]

Advocacy Day Followup
There’s still time to use the virtual advocacy campaign to contact your NC legislators about the issues that were on the NC Women’s Agenda.

Special alert: Contact Senate majority leader Tony Rand, 919-733-9892 and ask that he ensure that the School Violence Prevention Bill, SB526, the “bullying bill” be heard in the Senate Education Committee by May 7 so that the full Senate can consider the bill before the May 14 crossover. [Bills that don't affect the budget need to be passed by either the House or Senate by the "crossover" deadline, or they die until the next legislative session (i.e. 2011-2012).]  AAUW NC has voted to support this bill so if you call, you may identify yourself as an AAUW member. For more information see http://www.aauwnc.org/about/aauw-nc-public-policy-priorities/.

$mart $tart Campus Negotiation Workshops
Branch member Sonya Stafford who works for the Employment Security Commission is a local contact for the WAGE Project’s $tart $mart Workshops to teach junior and senior college women how to benchmark the salary of the job they want when they graduate and learn basic salary negotiation skills. AAUW members have an opportunity to get involved in this important project. See http://www.wageproject.org/content/get_even/aauwenlist.php and the attached flyer with Sonya’s contact info.

Welcome to our new members:

• Cheryl Lewis, PI/Director, Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, at Elizabeth City State University joined at the College/University event at UNC-CH on April 3.
• Karla Atkinson, incoming co-VP of Programs for AAUW NC and a member of the Brevard branch
• Martha Smith of Burlington who had been an at-large member of AAUW

We now have 31 members, 18 “primary” members and 13 who belong to at least one other branch.

2009-2010 memberships
We’re now accepting dues for 2009-2010. Watch for an invoice after May 1, but if you want to cross one more thing off your list, you can use the online “join now” form on the web site — just choose either the link for $60 (if this is your primary branch) or $11 (if you pay AAUW dues through another branch). No need to complete the form unless your contact information has changed. If you have any questions, please contact the treasurer, Nancy — 919-773-1340. Reminder — if you renew by June 30, branch dues are $0. After that they will be $5 (and the amounts on the links will change to $65 and $16).

In addition to Cheryl, Karla, and Martha welcomed above, the following members have already paid for 2009-2010 and will not be getting a renewal invoice: Meagan Cody, Sonya Stafford, and Queen Thompson.

If you have the Tar Heel as your second branch, please do pay your dues in your first branch promptly so that we can “connect” you correctly to the Tar Heel Branch.

Again, watch for more details early next month!

Here’s to ending the need for Equal Pay Day soon!

-Nancy, for Doris.

BRANCH NEWS (tarheel.aauwnc.org)

Send an E-Card

There’s a lot of AAUW activity around next Tuesday’s Equal Pay Day. [Women need to work from 1/1/2008 to 4/28/2009 to earn what men did during 2008.] Webinars, online activities, and letters to newspapers, and other many suggestions for projects in your communities are all part of AAUW activities across the country.

Here’s the complete list that includes:

• Watch a live webcast of a panel discussion about Equal Pay Day on Monday, April 27 at 11 a.m. EDT.  AAUW’s Director of Public Policy and Government Relations Lisa Maatz will be on the panel, which will be moderated by longtime AAUW friend and Paycheck Fairness Act sponsor Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
• Send an Equal Pay Day e-card to friends and family to spread the word.
• Contact Sen. Hagan to ask her to support the Paycheck Fairness Act.

And there’s more — click here for a dozen suggestions.

What are you doing? Post a comment here to document your support — and if you’d like to write a longer “blog for pay equity” post, we’d be glad to publish it here. Just contact us.