PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Moving Forward Together: Advancing in Equity and Inclusion is our theme this year. It reminds us to keep our AAUW mission in mind as we carry out our branch’s activities. Our program for October was a good example, as our speakers, who are both members of the branch, tackled democracy and justice.
Nancy Cowardin shared her experiences as a forensic specialist advocating for persons with disabilities in the criminal justice system. And we learned about Proposition 50 and the AAUW Get Out the Vote (GOTV) 2025 Guide as Margo Reeg provided us with information and motivation to vote in the upcoming special election on November 4. Be sure to exercise your democratic right to vote and send in your ballots.
The October 11 branch meeting was a visual treat, as Hospitality VP, Marian Locke, provided holiday-themed decorations as well as a tasty buffet. Thanks to the Raffle Committee, Kay Clark, Pauline Rogers, and Quincey Grace, there were many people at the raffle table, contributing to our fundraising as well as having fun.
The AAUW Los Angeles County Interbranch Council (LACIC) is meeting on Sunday, November 9, at 2 PM on Zoom. All are invited. Margo Reeg will be presenting discussions on Measure G – the Los Angeles County Government Reform Act (see article on page 7). We will send the LACIC newsletter with Zoom link to everybody. The LACIC meeting is a great opportunity to hear from members of other branches, and the presentations are always interesting.
Thank you to the volunteers who signed up at the October meeting for the Hospitality, Tech Trek, Bylaw/Standing Rules, and Nominating Committees. We still need more: Tech Trek Coordinator, the Bylaw/Standing Rules and Nominating Committees, or a newsletter proofreader. Are you interested in learning about the governance of the branch? If we have enough people, we will form a discussion group. As always, you can contact me directly at pocampo@aol.com
Happy Birthday to everyone born in November!
Karen Van der Baan, Nov. 2 Lovey Sherman, Nov. 5 Patricia Cuocco Nov. 17
Andrea Bellamy, Nov. 19 Barbara Gile, Nov. 23
Did you know? Birthdays are now listed in the Yearbook. If you haven’t already, send your birthdate to Susan Halliday at sbathalliday@yahoo.com. Be sure to include the year, we will not publish it, but use for demographics.
The date is set for our 100th Anniversary celebration to be held on April 11, 2026. We will have our annual branch meeting for everyone, with a special keynote speaker. In addition, we will have a separate luncheon afterwards, details and ticket prices to be announced soon.
And lastly, I wish you all peaceful and enjoyable holidays; Veterans Day on November 11, and Thanksgiving Day on November, whether with a big family or a quiet time to reflect.
Paula Ocampo
GWA-AAUW President