Drinks, plates, napkins and utensils provided. No reservations required.

2013-2014 Officers to be installed:

President – Nicky Stanke

Co-Secretaries – Sara Pedram, Dana Perry

Co-Program Vice Presidents – Pamela Burke, Renee Carlson

Membership Vice President – Diane Krizek

Finance Officer – Stefanie Hatfield

Nominating Committee Chair (Immediate Past President) – Mary Emily Kitterman

President-Elect – Winnie Weinrich

For more details, contact Pam Burke at (816) 361-2098 or pamelaburke2729@gmail.com

At the 100 High School Girls annual event, Keishana Washington from Van Horn High School, Quynh Nguyen from East and Saira Quezada from Northeast (pictured l-r) were awarded scholarships for their academic work, leadership and community service.

Our special guest speaker  Missouri State Senator Yvonne Wilson presented an uplifting and inspiring message to all in attendance. AAUW-KC member Alice Jenkins provided entertainment with her impeccable piano playing.

Special thank you to the dedicated committee for making this event such a huge success (pictured above l-r): Stefanie Hatfield, Dana Perry, Pam Burke, Ellen Johnson, Janice McIntyre, Dodie Murphy, Cynthia Ginn and Earline Bentley. (Not pictured: Mary Emily Kitterman and Ardy Pearson.)

On April 17th, a foggy morning gave way to bright sunshine at the Capitol in Jefferson City. It bode well for the outcome of AAUW Missouri’s Equal Pay Day Rally, planned and implemented with coalition partners, NOW (National Organization of Women) and the League of Women Voters.

The mission of the rally was to educate our legislators and the public that, even though the Equal Pay Act was passed 50 years ago, women still make on the average 20-25 per cent less than their male counterparts.  We reminded attendees that the gender pay gap still exists not only in unskilled job ranks but also at college-educated and even top executive levels.

We were gathered in the beautiful Rotunda by our Master of Ceremonies, Shirley Breeze, AAUW National Leadership Corps. AAUW Missouri President Linda Berube (pictured at podium) gave a stirring speech inspiring us all to work towards closing the gender pay gap.  Proclamations from Governor Nixon and Kansas City Mayor Sly James were read, raising up Equal Pay Day.  Several legislators spoke to the group. Educational packets containing facts and figures about pay equity and a ‘special’ Pay Day candy bar were distributed to senators and representatives.

Rally participants enjoyed the warmth and camaraderie of sharing an important common cause!

The Thorpe Menn Award was established in 1979 by AAUW-KCMO in honor of Thorpe Menn, a longtime book editor of the Kansas City Star, who supported all aspects of Kansas City’s cultural life, especially local authors and artists.

Author nominations are being accepted until June 1, 2013.

The award includes $500, a framed certificate of recognition and a listing on the KC Public Library website. Nominees may be published writers of fiction, non-fiction, children’s books or poetry. Nominated authors must reside in the greater Kansas City area (Jackson, Cass, Clay, Lafayette and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties in Kansas). All books must have been published in 2012. Previous award recipients are not eligible. (For complete details: TMNOMINATIONS2013)

Two copies of the nominated book should be submitted to Thorpe Menn Nominations, Attn: Pamela Chaudoin, PO Box 849, Liberty, MO 64069

For more information, you may also contact Pamela Chaudoin, Reading Committee Chair, at 816-728-1304 or pamelachaudoin@sbcglobal.net.

In 2011, Jane Biers and Debbie McWard, who are leading a statewide effort to recruit Missouri colleges and universities to join AAUW as College/University Partners, approached Betty Shouse and Jane Crigler to see if they would contact their alma maters and ask them to join. They did and William Jewell College, where Betty got her bachelor’s degree, and Central Methodist University, where Jane attended, agreed to join. This brings the number of colleges and universities in Missouri who are AAUW Partners to 18!

Perhaps there are other KC Branch members who would contact their alma mater to see if they would like to become a partner? There are many benefits. All undergraduate students at partner institutions are eligible for free e-student affiliate membership. As such, they can receive electronic copies of AAUW’s publications and research. They also have access to all AAUW’s student affiliate benefits including a vast array of leadership and professional development resources, and can apply for AAUW fellowships, grants, and awards. There are advantages for the institution as well. Among these, they can tap into AAUW’s powerful advocacy for education, and they receive recognition in AAUW’s online directory of partner members. Faculty, staff and students are also eligible for member discounts on many things from subscriptions to insurance.

For more information on AAUW-KC partnering with your alma mater, please call Jane Crigler at 816-523-7781.