BRANCH MEETING – June 14, 2025

9:30 AM – FIRST FRIENDS CHURCH WHITTIER

Program

For our last Program of the 2024-2025 year, we will shine the light on our Scholarship recipients.

We have invited them and their families to join us at our branch meeting and share their stories.  The scholarship program is one of the mainstays of our mission, and we always enjoy meeting the recipients in person.  We will also have the installation of branch officers for the 2025-2026 year.

In our branch meeting on May 10th, we asked our members what they remembered as significant among the various programs we had this year.  Each of the programs was mentioned, from the Tech Trek girls in September, to the artist, Lisa Ruiz, who spoke at the Whittier Art Gallery about Ida O’Keeffe in April.  Few had heard of Ida O’Keeffe, and they were glad to know about her.  They also appreciated a change in venue and felt invigorated by being in a new space.

Other members commented on the importance of Margo Reeg’s October presentation of the ballot measures, and some members took note that Dr. Ninochka McTaggart had set the right tone for the year in speaking about equity.  In December, we heard from Diane Britton from the Women and Children’s Crisis Shelter and presented her with gift cards donated by individual members.

A majority of our members expressed appreciation for Pat Dudley’s DEI segments, which really encouraged us to talk with each other.  Several members mentioned the need for personal stories to better understand how discrimination is sometimes subtle.  The need for “listening” to one another came up a couple of times, too, and the desire to have more conversations with our fellow members was also requested.  It is something we can strive for.

Mary Ann Pacheco had made an impact as well.  At least two members believe she should be asked to come back.  She not only clarified the need for financial literacy, but she also gave us a snapshot of some of the various areas of Whittier that need attention.

Emily Teipe, though, was the speaker mentioned most often.  Her presentation of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had left an imprint on many of us.  She reminded us that repression of women was not all that long ago, and we still have obstacles to overcome today, but luckily, working in unsafe buildings is not one of them.

Your comments are invaluable, and as Program Director, I will use them as a guide in the upcoming year, so I thank you for them.  For now, though, let’s move on to June, where we will welcome our new officers and celebrate our new scholarship awardees.  I hope you will all be able to attend this delightful Branch meeting!

Claire Koehler, AAUW VP Program Director

Ann Topjon, Program Associate