Presidents Message

By President

Edie Lee

edie.lee@lifetime.oregonstate.edu

Edie’s Notes—Change

Text Box: You all know the saying “If you don’t like the weather in Oregon, wait five minutes (and it will change)”. The fact that things will change is probably the only thing that we can rely on to stay the same. AAUW is changing, from the national level down to the local branches. At the Association level, the Educational Foundation will be consolidated with the Association, to become a unified 501(c)(3) charitable organization. This will permit your donations to go directly to AAUW as tax deductible charitable contributions, including your membership donation (previously membership dues). The Association and EF boards will also be consolidating and will require new bylaws. Changes to the Legal

Text Box: Advocacy Fund are also being made. A new value promise has been developed that adds a critical piece that has never been fully articulated before and that expresses the spirit of AAUW. By joining AAUW, we belong to a community that breaks through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance. The value promise is a clear statement of AAUW’s unifying commitment to a fair chance and serves as a reference point against which all our programming is measured. At the Corvallis Branch level, we will soon have Janice Abele taking over the office of branch President, along with several newly elected officers. We will have changes to the bylaws which will allow us to plan our

Text Box: mission-based programs more creatively. We have started providing small scholarships for additional programs (OSU Winter Wanderings and National Conference for College Women Student Leaders). More young women have joined the Corvallis branch recently and more are expected to join. I have the expectation that all of these changes will make AAUW a more vital and interesting organization. I encourage you to invite a guest to attend the Spring Luncheon at the Corvallis Country Club on May 24 so she will discover what a welcoming group of women we have in the Corvallis branch. Please be sure to make your reservations by May 16. See you there!