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https://aauwto-ca.aauw.net/ and [email protected]

OAK TWIG Winter 2019-20

President’s Perspective – Betty Stapleford

Oak Twig Winter 2019-20 Volume 54 No. 5

Upcoming AAUW

Events!

• First Sat of each month at

9am: Coffee at Stella’s.

• 12/3 & 12/17: Hiking

• 12/8: Holiday Party

• 12/16: Morning Book

Group

• 12/19: Evening Book

Group

• 1/11: Suffrage Tea

• 1/13: Women on Board

• 1/16: Evening Book Group

• 1/23: Unity Book Group

• 1/27: Morning Book Group

• 2/24: Morning Book Group

• 3/1: Suffrage Tea

Inside this issue:

I have been a member of a great many organiza-

tions in my lifetime, from the Brownies to high school

orchestra to college clubs to professional organizations,

social justice and service groups. Each one has had

unique qualities, but they also had similarities, including

requirements for joining, leadership teams, activities for

members, rewards for participation, and expectations for

membership.

So what is unique about AAUW? One of the im-

portant things to me at first was our commitment to gen-

der equity for women and girls and our focus on educa-

tion and advocacy. But the thing that has led me to con-

tinue with the organization for more than twenty years is

the people. It is the opportunity to work with women

(and men) who are committed to the values I believe in and the things we can accom-

plish together for the good of our community, our country, and the larger world. We

learn. We create. And we contribute to the lives of others.

But—the greatest value I have received throughout the years has been through

my active participation, not just my membership. So I encourage you to find a place in

our AAUW branch through interest groups or programs, community outreach activities,

learning and study, financial contributions to scholarships, technical and media support,

and leadership in our governance or service projects. The possibilities are as endless as

your imagination to create them.

So don’t just be a member on our rolls. Be a member in your commitment to

the values we share, the advantages we provide, and the opportunities we share. I think

you will be glad you did. I certainly have been!

In solidarity, Betty

President’s

Perspective

1

Holiday Party Flyer 2

AAUW Activities 3-4

AAUW Outreach 5-7

NGH Honorees 8

Suffrage Tea Flyer 9

Special Interest

Groups 10-11

IBC Luncheon Flyer 12

Order Forms

Support Our

Advertisers

15

Contact List 16

Betty Stapleford, AAUW President

Are you new or just a little out of touch with other AAUW members? Join others at Stella’s in Newbury Park on the first Saturday of each month at 9am—for breakfast or just

coffee. Get to know some others in a casual setting!

https://aauwto-ca.aauw.net/

mailto:[email protected]



Let’s Celebrate a Great Year with AAUW!





September 14, 2019, dawned sunny and warm with plans in place for our annual Fall Breakfast

at the Moorpark Country Club to begin. The tables were all set, and the incredible table deco-

rations with their sailboat motifs were placed on the tables by their creator Paula Nathan to sup-

port our theme “Get on Board.” And then the attendees arrived, dropping off their diapers and

wipes for the community diaper bank of Conejo Community Outreach, signing in, and moving to the

coffee station. After coffee and conversation, everyone was welcomed and invited to sit at round

tables to be introduced to the attending elected officials and called to get their food at the delicious

breakfast buffet.

The program then began with the keynote speaker, the Honorable Fiona Ma, Treasurer of the

State of California, who gave an entertain-

ing and informative presentation about her

life and election to her current position.

She then graciously answered a number of

questions from the audience and even

joined as a member of our branch, paying

her dues on the spot. She stayed after the

breakfast to greet and talk with many at-

tendees, especially the young women stu-

dents who participat- ed in the program. We

were indeed honored by her presence

The program continued with the acceptance of the budget presented by our treasurer Vera King,

remarks by our president Betty Stapleford, and the introduction of a new project for our branch

“Women on Board 2020” by Nathalie Gosset. These presentations were followed by a Public

Policy update from Peggy Buckles, a Tech Trek summary by Sally Hibbitts and this year’s partic-

ipants, an AAUW Funds informational talk by Jeanette Hosek, and a report by Sandra Martinez

and some of the leaders of the Latino Youth Leadership Group. Concluding this segment of

the program was one of the highlights of the event, the sharing of one of our Women’s History Pro-

ject Monologues of Helen Greiner by Haiden Corwin, one of Lori Peters’ former students.

In conclusion, there was the recognition of the many breakfast volunteers, the presentation of the

table decorations, and closing remarks by our president. If you were there, you could probably

share many other important memories. If not, please do come next year. It was and amazing cele-

bration and a fitting start of a great year for the Thousand Oaks Branch of AAUW.

Fall Membership Breakfast~

Great Start to a New Year!

AAUW BOARD MEMBERS 2019-2020 President: Betty Stapleford Vice-President/ President-elect quarterly rotation: Vera King, Sally Hibbitts, Sharon Dyer, Bonnie Shubb Secretary: Sharon Dyer Treasurer: Vera King Membership: open. How about you? Directors: Peggy Buckles (Public Policy); Narda Fargotstein (Technology and Communi-cations); Judy Gindi; Sally Hibbitts (Tech Trek); Jeanette Hosek AAUW Funds); Bev Khoshnevisan; Anne LaFianza (Community Outreach); Bonnie Shubb; and Diane Turcott-Birchman





Dying with Laughter a great success!

The November 17th library event called

“Dying with Laughter“ showcased five ter-

rific mystery writers from the Sisters in

Crime LA Chapter. Members of both

AAUW and the community heard an inter-

esting and informative discussion about the

craft of writing mysteries.

POINSETTIA REPORT

Thanks to all of our members and friends who have purchased

Poinsettias this year. We had a good response to the fundraiser

and should realize about $700+ for AAUW Funds. The poinset-

tias will be delivered sometime on Friday, Dec. 6th and you can

pick up your order SATURDAY, Dec. 7th at Eloda Linehan’s

home. See last page of newsletter for details.

If you cannot pick up your order that day, contact Eloda to ar-

range alternative plans. There will be some extra plants available

for sale at the holiday party on Dec. 8 at Vera King’s home.

More AAUW Activities

Above: authors Will, Janet, Jeri, and Linda

Left: Moderator Julia Bricklin





AAUW Outreach

Tech Trek: Winter Update

Our Branch has submitted a reservation for eight girls to attend Tech Trek Camp this next sum-

mer at UCSB. This number reflects a required 20% reduction from last year, necessitated by the

closing of one of the other SoCal sites. AAUW-TO has received enough funds, thanks to the

amazing support of many very generous members, to send all eight of our campers to UCSB.

Thank you very much to all of those who have given so far and if you’re still interested in obtain-

ing a tax deduction for this year, please use the included form on pg. 13.

Our next steps in our Tech Trek process is to start contacting the local middle schools for the

names of nominated girls and connecting with

them for their application packets. Interviews and

selection will follow in March and April. Please let

Sally Hibbitts know if you are interested in helping

out with this wonderful opportunity. It is truly

very meaningful to see these girls benefit so di-

rectly from this life changing experience.

On Friday, November 1, we were very lucky to

be able to take eleven of our Branch Tech Trek campers, including girls from both 2018 and

2019, on an all day excursion to Paramount Studios. This was a special opportunity for them to

learn more about digital animation as the mother of one of our campers, Sydney Bandejas, works

in an executive position for that studio. The girls also had a special tour of the extensive backlot,

which covered several areas where productions were in process. Thank you to Betty Stapleford

and Bonnie Shubb for assisting in chaperoning duties. It was a fun and enjoyable day for one and

all.

These are memories from Tech Trek

2019 and showcase our campers:





AAUW Outreach

Over the last 4 years we have been ac-

tively involved in creating a program to

provide opportunities for Latino youth

in the Conejo Valley high schools. And

last spring we advanced that project to

a new level. Focusing on students at the

Thousand Oaks High School, we devel-

oped in invited group of students to

apply for membership in a group to fo-

cus on leadership skills necessary for

success in today’s word with elected

officers, interactive projects, and team-

building activities. And we are having

amazing success. If you are interested in

finding out more about this exciting program, please ask Sally Hibbitts, Betty Stapleford, Sandra Mar-

tinez, Peggy Buckles, or Nancy Taylor

Walker

Latino Youth Lead-





New Branch Project:

Conejo Women on Board 2020 Update and Invitation

Those who attended our great Fall Breakfast In September were told

about the new Branch Project called “Conejo Women on Board

2020” which was highlighted by the Breakfast speaker, State Treasurer

Fiona Ma.

This project will help implement the intent of recent California legisla-

tion, SB 826. This legislation is designed to improve opportunities for

women to obtain more positions on the Board of Directors of publicly

owned corporations headquartered in California. As more women

succeed to these positions, there will be created more equity in compensation and working conditions

for all women within the corporate structure. Also, research shows that more females in positions of

corporate leadership correlate with dramatic increases in corporate profits.

Our Women on Board Project Committee has already started reviewing regional corporations for com-

pliance with the SB 826 requirements, and we are generally happy with observed progress. However,

now it’s time to increase our outreach to other companies to be sure they meet the requirements for

2021.

Another part of this project is to help provide services for women who may be interested in obtaining a

corporate board position. How do we turn our (mostly volunteer) experiences into characteristics need-

ed for such a position? We are researching ideas training materials and opportunities to help and assist

these women.

Thank you to the following members who have agreed to help initiate this project: Nathalie Gosset,

Shannon Sutherland, Bonnie Shubb, Diane Narhi, Joan Edwards, and Wendy Hoffman. We’d love to have

you join us at our next meeting in Monday, January 13 at 2 pm. Please contact Sally Hibbitts for further

information.

From left: Shan Sutherland, Diane Narhi,

Nathalie Gosset, Wendy Hofman, Sally

Hibbitts, and Joan Edwards. (not pictured:

Bonnie Shubb).

AAUW Outreach





Every year the branch nominates members for the Named Gift Honoree award. This award is

given in recognition of the member’s service to the branch and includes serving on the board,

branch committees, special projects, and other service to the branch. The branch may submit up

to four names to the national office for this award. On page 15 of this year’s directory you can

see the names of former honored members. In addition, members of the community can be suggested for consideration if they have made

significant contributions to the mission of AAUW and our branch through program support and/

or scholarship support. The committee will review all the nominees sent in my members by Dec

30. Awards are given at the Annual meeting in May. Please email your nominee’s name and rea-

son for nomination to: [email protected]

~Jeanette Hosek, AAUW FUNDS Director

NOMINATIONS FOR NAMED

GIFT HONOREES ARE REQUESTED

The holidays can be a time of stress but also warm feelings and generosity. Here are some real-life stories to inspire you in this season of good will! https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/90086/20-heartwarming-stories-will-brighten-your-holiday-season.





Save The Date! MARCH 1, 2020--- 1:30-3:00 PM

BE A SUFFRAGE SISTER AND ATTEND AAUW’S

THIRD AND FINAL SUFFRAGE TEA!

CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT

OAKNOLL COMMUNITY CLUBHOUSE, THOUSAND OAKS, CA

300 McCloud Ave, Thousand Oaks, CA

Wear Your Hat!

Email Jeanette Hosek or Wendy Hoffman

for details about upcoming branch and area events.





AAUW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

The Unity Book Group invites all members to participate in our terrific friendly group, which is a Community Out-reach opportunity with the Islamic Center of the Conejo Valley. We meet every other month and our books have more of a multi-

cultural focus and appeal. There is so much we have in common as women, rather than what keeps us apart. Our next meeting will be on Thursday AFTERNOON, January 23 at 1 PM at the home of Nancy Taylor-Walker. Susan Fagan suggested the next novel, This Tender Land by William Krueger, which has been described as a mix-ture of Grapes of Wrath and Huckleberry Finn. “Over the course of one unforgettable summer, four Native American runa-way orphans will journey into the unknown and cross paths with others adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. This Tender Land is an enthralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us while.” ( Goodreads) Please contact either Sally Hibbitts or Shoshana Brower for additional information. Hope to see you at our next meeting! The Evening Book Group meets at 7:00 pm on the third Thursday of the

month. Any questions contact Sharon Dyer. Here is an updated sched-

ule for the remainder of the year:

UNITY BOOK

GROUP

EVENING BOOK

GROUP

DATE BOOK REVIEWER HOSTESS

12/19/19 Save Me the Plums

By Ruth Reichl

Audrey Giuffrida Sharon Dyer

1/16/20 Skeletons of the Feast

By Chris Bohjalian

Jean Maxwell Cathy Whitney

2/20/20 Island of Sea Women

By Lisa See

Cathy Whitney Jean Maxwell

3/19/20 Destiny of the Republic

By Candice Millard

Need Reviewer Audrey Giuffrida

4/16/20 The Alice Network

By Kate Quinn

Pat O’Donnell Jean Maxwell

5/21/20 I Was Anastasia

By Ariel Lawhon

Need Reviewer Pat O’Donnell

6/19/20 Pachinko By Min Jin Lee

Sharon Dyer Sharon Dyer





SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS: BOOK GROUPS

The Monday morning Book Group meets the 4th Monday of the month in the Thousand Oaks Library, except December changed to Monday 12/16. Call Joan Udani for questions. Here is a schedule for the rest of the year:

MORNING BOOK

GROUP

BOOK AUTHOR REVIEWER MONTH

The Island of Sea Women Lisa See Claudia Spelman 12/16/19

Midwives Chris Bohjalian Audrey Giuffrida 1/27/20

Pachinko Min Jin Lee Joan Udani 2/24/20

3/23/20 The Moment of Lift Melinda Gates Shel Magnuson

4/27/20 Educated Tara Westover Bett Stapleford

5/16/20 Becoming Michelle Obama Jeanette Hosek

6/22/20 Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens Wendy Hoffman

HIKING GROUP THE Hiking Group meets Tuesdays at 9:30am for a 2-3 mile hike.

Rain cancels. Call Melanie Ashen if questions.

Dec. 3: Lindero Canyon Road. Take Lindero Canyon Road sourth to

parking lot for Boccaccio’s Restaurant. Park in lot facing Lindero Cyn

Road.

Dec. 17: Botanic Garden of the Conejo

Valley. 400 West Gainsborough Road.





IBC Luncheon~Plan to Attend!





Order Your Permanent Badge!





SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS!

Advertise on our website and in our

monthly Oaktwig newsletter. The fee for

12 months is $125. Contact the AAUW

TO branch at [email protected]

Next time you see one of these advertisers,

thank them personally for their ongoing and

much needed financial support.






CONTACT INFORMATION

AAUW policy is to maintain member privacy by not publishing contact information online. Accordingly,

this page will be deleted for the web version of the newsletter.

NAME IN NEWSLETTER CONTACT INFORMATION

Melanie Ashen Phone Only:

(805) 497-6773

Shoshana Brower (805) 368-3393

[email protected]

Peggy Buckles (818) 879-1834

[email protected]

Sharon Dyer (818)991-0689

[email protected]

Audrey Giuffrida (805) 241-2809

[email protected]

Nathalie Gosset (805) 522-2188

[email protected]

Sally Hibbitts (805) 750-3119

[email protected]

3119 Adirondack Ct., Westlake Village

Wendy Hoffman (805) 496-2764

[email protected]

Jeanette Hosek (805) 523-3488

[email protected]

Eloda Linehan 427 Calle Vera Cruz, Newbury Park. Directions: Borchard Road to Dos Vientos Communty. Left on Via Las

Brias, left at Via Rio then an immediate right on Calle San Juan, left on

Calle Norte and right on Calle Veracuz. Phone: 310 809-0926.

Sandra Martinez-Galvan (805) 889-0964

[email protected]

Betty Stapleford (805) 630-8117

[email protected]

Shan Sutherland (818) 932-9790

[email protected]

Joan Udani (818) 991-6590

[email protected]

The Oaktwig is compiled by Margaret Tennant. Please submit all stories and pictures by the Feb. 18th for the Spring edition. Questions? 805.376-9846 or

[email protected].



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