Chapter One
Events
State conventions, legislative/public policy days, voter education days, and workshops have been staple events sponsored by AAUW of Wisconsin throughout its history. In this first chapter we view these four categories of events as they unfold during the decade covered by this history supplement between the years 2001-2011.
State Conventions
Early in AAUW’s history its divisions recognized the value of state conventions and workshops that brought together division and branch leaders to discuss mutual problems, solidify aims, and generally strengthen AAUW at both state and local levels. The following brief summary of AAUW of Wisconsin State Conventions from the 2001-2011 period covered by this supplement indicates some of the changing interests and projects of the division and general progress toward its goals. An AAUW state convention consists of an annual meeting, district meetings, and general sessions featuring speakers and workshops.
An important part of each yearly state convention is the annual meeting where state business is conducted. The annual meeting is presided over by the state president. The five AAUW of Wisconsin state presidents during the decade of this history supplement are: Pam Thiel AAUW La Crosse Branch 2000-2, Ann Gustafson AAUW River Falls Branch 2002-4, Cheryl Buckley 2004-6, Marge Mueller AAUW Oshkosh Branch 2006-8, and Marian Seagren Hall AAUW Wausau Branch 2008-10.
What follows is a chronological listing of AAUW of Wisconsin yearly conventions recounting just some of the highlights.
81st Stone Harbor Resort, Sturgeon Bay, April 20-22, 2001
AAUW is a Journey, not a Destination. Four of the featured speakers include: Pamela Collins, former AAUW of Massachusetts state president and current candidate for AAUW program vice president; Kathleen Melez, former assistant professor in biology at UC Los Angeles and LAF plaintiff; Mildred Pearson, who works with Milwaukee Public School District middle and high school teachers as secondary curriculum coordinator for Write Source Educational Development House in Burlington, Wisconsin; and Susan Duffy who speaks about her sexual harassment suit which was adopted by LAF in 1997 and scheduled for trial in 2001.
82nd Ho Chunk Casino Hotel, Baraboo, April 19-21, 2002
Together We Can Shape the Future. Three of the featured speakers include: Janet Fitch, lifelong Milwaukeean, media activist, and president of New Moon Productions; Deidre Martin, New Moon Productions researcher; and Gwen Wong, Leader on Loan and AAUW director of leadership development who both gives keynote address and presents a workshop on managing change. Other presenters include: Patty Hankins, AAUW Membership VP who presents two workshops and Sylvia Newman, LAF president who participates in a Town Hall meeting along with Gwen Wong, Patty Hankins and Judy Kneece, AAUW Educational Foundation director. After a tornado watch on Friday, convention attendees are surprised to wake up Sunday morning to several inches of snow!
83rd Plaza Hotel & Suites, Wausau, April 25-27, 2003
Heralding a Bright Future. Three of the featured speakers include Marcia Capriotti,AAUW Program Development Committee member and Leader on Loan; Delinda Chapman, Regional director; and Susan Whitaker, LAF plaintiff who speaks about the sexual harassment she experienced and sexual discrimination suit she has filed against Northern Illinois University. AAUW Racine Branch honors its long time member Della Wendt, former AAUW of Wisconsin state president (1936-8), by establishing in her name a second EF American Endowment, this one commemorating Wendt’s 100th birthday. A “Dellabration” of Wendt’s accomplishment is held at convention. Wendt passes away the following January. Additional special events during the convention include a Virginia Gildersleeve High Tea and an Eleanor Roosevelt Walk through Marathon Park.
84th Minneapolis Airport Marriott, Minneapolis, MN, April 30-May 2, 2004
Together – Women on the Move. First-ever combined AAUW of Minnesota/AAUW of Wisconsin State Convention. Keynote address by National AAUW President Nancy Rustad. Leaders on Loan are AAUW President Nancy Rustad and Bets Brown, Educational Foundation director. Keynote speaker is Hennepin County, MN Attorney Amy Klobuchar (current U.S. senator). Resolution passes to open membership to individuals who have completed two years of post secondary work.
85th Country Inn, Peewaukee, April 23-24, 2005
Walk with Purpose, Power and Progress. Keynote speaker is Wisconsin’s Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton on raising the grade for Wisconsin women through the Wisconsin Women Equal Prosperity (WW=P) initiative. Workshops focus on the four key WW=P issues: economic sufficiency; health, safety, and well being; educational achievement; and leadership and political participation. The close alignment of both AAUW and WW=P missions becomes even more evident and AAUW members are encouraged to become involved in their region’s WW=P Regional Solutions Network and take up the four issues in branch programs. Ten branches receive 21st Century Making the Connection Best Practices recognition.
86th Park Plaza Hotel, Oshkosh, April 28-30, 2006
Strengthening Our Connections. Speakers include: LAF plaintiff Charlene McMahon of Carrol College, Waukesha; Dr. Jannelle Cooper, Director of the Memory Center of Affinity Health Systems; Lori Keating-Heinemann, Wisconsin Secretary of the Department of Financial Institutions; and Marsha Block, new Executive Director for WW=P.
87th Crowne Plaza Hotel, Madison, April 20-22, 2007
Circle of Power. The state’s biennial theme of “Mission/Membership, Action, & Visibility” dedicates the convention to the power of shared knowledge and action. A pre-convention book discussion of Liz Perle’s Money, A Memoir: Women, Emotions, and Cash on Friday evening focuses on economic power. Convention workshops include how to acquire political power, financial independence, and champion the AAUW mission. Sarah Harder, former AAUW President (1985) and President of the National Peace Foundation, speaks at Saturday evening convention banquet on “AAUW and the Feminization of Power.” 22 branches attend.
88th, Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel, Brookfield, April 25-27, 2008
Take Action/Solve Problems. Convention banquet speaker is Kathleen Dunn, celebrated talk show host on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Ideas Network Station. Jerence Mortenson discusses her son Greg Mortenson’s book Three Cups of Tea, the Central Asia Institute (CAI), and her campaign to support her son’s work building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan at a Friday night book signing and Saturday morning workshop. AAUW President Ruth Sweetser addresses the convention. Workshops are on branch programming, public policy, voter education, Fraud Busters, membership ideas, designing a web page, getting appointed to committees, diversity circles, counterpart panels, and a Wisconsin Legislator Panel. A swim with Eleanor Roosevelt raises money for EF on Sunday morning. The schedule was rearranged to incorporate state business throughout the convention programming. Resolutions pass on affirmative action and AAUW awareness and mission-driven programming. Over 160 members and 26 branches attend.
89th Hotel Mead, Wisconsin Rapids, May 1-3, 2009
Breaking Through Barriers. Six of the featured speakers include, Lisa Maatz, AAUW Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, Mary Charles, CEO Girl Scouts of the Northwester Great Lakes, Inc.; Ruth Rohlich, project director for Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp; Debby Anderson Meyer, Outreach and Development Director for Wisconsin Democracy Campaign who speaks on what to do about corruption creeping into judical elections, Marta Larson, program manager for Wisconsin Programs for Educational Opportunity who speaks on the Great Lakes Girls Collaborative Project; and Ronni Nivala, Wisconsin “champion” who explains the proposed AAUW bylaws changes.
90th Blue Harbor Convention Center, Sheboygan, April 23-25, 2010
Imagining New Possibilities…Making New Realities. Three of the featured speakers include, Laurie Benson, founder and CEO of Inacom Information Systems from 1984-2009; Ruth DeYoung Kohler, director of the nationally acclaimed Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan; and Kathleen Cha, AAUW Director-at-Large. At annual meeting during convention, the membership approve the completely revised AAUW of Wisconsin bylaws.
91st Best Western Bridgewood Resort Hotel and Conference Center, Neenah, April 8-10, 2011
Learn, Act, Connect. Six featured speakers include, Dr. Susan May, president and CEO of Fox Valley Technical College; Connie Hildebrand, administrator, clinical social worker, lobbyist, trainer-educator, writer, and speaker; Henry Golde, Holocaust survivor and author; Penny Bernard Schaber, State Assemblyperson representing the 57th district; Kathy Flores, Diversity Coordinator for the City of Appleton; and Holly Kearl, AAUW program manager. Because of the AAUW by-law change eliminating branch delegates to convention the procedure changed to one member – one vote meaning that for the first time ever in the history of AAUW all decisions are made by vote of every member present and in good standing (paid up on Association and State dues). Decisions made by a simple majority (51%) of those present. A quorum consists of 5% of the eligible voting membership present (approximately 80 members).
Legislative/Public Policy
There is on the statue books of this country legislation for the good of the children, of the women, for peace, that never would have been there if AAUW had not been a lobbying organization.
Hallie Farmer, AAUW Committee on Legislative Program Chair, 1951, quoted by Chris Wing in Winter 2002 Badger Briefs
To better guide national public policy decisions AAUW‘s Public Policy and Government Relations Department works hard to provide association members with up-to-date information about issues before the legislature, the voting records of elected officials, position papers about key issues, news releases and quick responses to questions concerning AAUW’s stance on issues. Additionally, AAUW’s Lobby Corp, composed of volunteer members and college student interns active in weekly visits, give AAUW an influencial voice and face on Capital Hill.
Similarly to at the national level, AAUW of Wisconsin sets public policy goals for the state. We do this biennially at our state conventions where delegates adopt a two-year Public Policy Program for the state that directs our advocacy efforts. To inform and update members on legislative/public policy issues and to implement our public policy goals AAUW state divisions hold annual legislative/public policy days. The program consists of speakers and workshops aimed at active member participation. AAUW of Wisconsin organizes and presents, sometimes together with other state cosponsoring organizations, legislative/public policy days during most of the years covered by this history supplement. Public policy chairs on state board during the decade are: Chris Wing AAUW River Falls Branch 2000-4, Renee Barr AAUW Fort Atkinson Branch 2004-6, Rebecca Mason AAUW Racine Branch 2008-9, and Barbara Peterson AAUW River Falls Branch 2009-11.
In the following chronological review we highlight AAUW of Wisconsin’s biennial Public Policy Programs (with changes underlined) and legislative/public policy days, and also note outstanding national and state issues that surface and upon which AAUW of Wisconsin takes action.
2000-2 Public Policy Program includes (among other issues) advocating for: enforcement of laws that prohibit discrimination at all levels of education, programs that empower women by providing them with education, training, and support for success in the work force, and promotion of gender-fair representation and compensation at all levels of employment.
2001, AAUW of Wisconsin works with the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and its other coalition members to push for passage of campaign finance reform. We also strengthen our ties with the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault to more effectively implement our public policy program’s call for increased efforts statewide to prevent violence and to assist its victims.
March 2001, Wisconsin Citizen Action Day, Madison. Chris Wing marches with her daughter (see photo below).
October 13, 2001, Legislative Day, Pyle Center, Madison; Keynote speaker is Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Pat Roggensack. She presents on appellate court decisions and their impact upon legislation. Breakout sessions are presented on the then current Wisconsin legislative agenda items: campaign finance reform, sexual assault, economic security for senior women, reproductive rights, and mothers and children in poverty. Among the speakers are State Senator Gwendolyn Moore, and Carolyn Castore, Legislative Director of Wisconsin Citizen Action who presents on “Do’s and Don’ts” of advocacy. Seventy-five members from 24 branches gather for the event.
2001-2002, AAUW of Wisconsin along with other coalition members of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign push for passage of campaign finance reform during the 2001-2002 legislative session. AAUW of Wisconsin strengthens its ties with the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault to more effectively implement our public policy program’s call for increased efforts statewide to prevent sexual assault and to assist its victims.
2002, This is a state election year for Wisconsin governor and AAUW hosts a debate with all the candidates at Milwaukee Area Technical College.
2002-4 Public Policy Program changes include (among others) advocating for: rigorous state standards for entry into the teaching profession and recognition of a teaching license as the primary requirement for employment in public and private schools, teacher training programs to address equity issues,public assistance programs for women in poverty that improve access to education, career development, and earning potential, access to quality, affordable dependent care and adequate family and medical leave, and improved accessibility and affordability of quality mental and physical health care.
March 6, 2003, Lobby Day, Concourse Hotel, Madison, in collaboration with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Speakers include Wisconsin’s Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton, and Wisconsin’s only physician legislator Representative Sheldon Wasserman who was presented with Planned Parenthood’s Voice for Choice award.
October 25, 2003, Public Policy Day, Pyle Center, Madison; Speaker is Dr. Gloria Sarto, Co-Director of the UW Center for Women’s Health and Women’s Health Research. Dr. Sarto is also the first woman to be elected president of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society in its 127 year history. Workshop also include sessions on Title IX, free air time for candidates, reproductive choice, W-2 and public policy orientation for branch chairs and members.
2003, Title IX Defense Success: Less then one year after its 30th anniversary, Title IX, the 
landmark 1972 federal law providing women and girls equal opportunity in education and athletics, is at risk. “Despite its broader mandate, Title IX is best known for leveling the playing field in school sports. Women and girls have seen tremendous gains in athletic opportunities since the law’s passage. In 2003, AAUW issues a policy statement promoting “vigorous federal enforcement of Title IX.” Huge victory when the US Department of Education announces it would not make any changes to the law. This success could not have been attained without the thousands of phone calls, e-mails, and letters we sent to President Bush, Education Secretary Rod Paige, and members of Congress expressing support for Title IX.
2003-4, Roe vs. Wade Challenge: In 2003, just 30 years after the Roe vs. Wade decision legalized abortion, women’s reproductive freedom hangs by a thread. Also in 2003, AAUW states its principle that it “supports the right of every woman to safe and comprehensive reproductive health care.” AAUW is a national co-sponsor of the April 25, 2004 March for Freedom of Choice in Washington, D.C. The state board votes unanimously to designate AAUW of Wisconsin as a march co-sponsor and several AAUW of Wisconsin members participate in the walk in Washington, D.C.
2004-6 Public Policy Program changes include (among others) advocating for: equitable and adequate funding to promote excellence and quality public education, increased levels of participation for girls and young women in mathematics, science, and technology in elementary and secondary schools, Wisconsin laws regarding victim’s rights, sexual assault, domestic abuse, spousal impoverishment prevention, and sexual harassment be strengthened through increased legislative efforts and improved enforcement, and support for programs that include adequate funding to prevent violence against women and to address the impact of violence against women.
March 15, 2005, Women’s Health Day of Action, Monona Terrace, Madison, cosponsored with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.
March 25, 2005, WW=P Convention, Madison, (see WW=P entry in chapter two on partnerships).
April 12, 2005, Women’s Legislative Day, Inn on the Park, Madison, co-sponsored with Wisconsin Women’s Network and the Wisconsin League of Women Voters.
October 15, 2005, Public Policy Day, Pyle Center, Madison; Speakers include Executive Director NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Kelda Helen Roys, Executive Director of Madison-based Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Mike McCabe, Attorney Christine Bremier Muggli speaking on recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision overturning caps on medical malpractice; Public Policy Analyst with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Nicole Safar, a representative of the non-partisan Wisconsin Women’s Network, and an update on WW=P from a member of Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton’s team. Attendees meet 2004 AAUW EF Selected Professions award winner Jennifer Balknap who is in the Environmental and Civil Engineering PhD program at UW Madison. Members are urged to subscribe to AAUW Action Alerts. The alerts provide detailed updates on how AAUW’s priority isssues fare in Congress. Fifty-two members from 15 branches attend representing each of the five districts.
2006-8 Public Policy Program positions on education include: Opposing school vouchers, supporting Title IX, and opposing federal funding for abstinence only sex education.
2008-10 Public Policy Program changes include (among others) advocating for: Education programs to address equity issues for teachers and others, support for and access to higher education for women and disadvantaged populations, and affirmative action programs to improve racial, ethnic, and gender diversity.
2008, AAUW Director of Public Policy and Governmental Relations Lisa Maatz speaks on two different occasions to AAUW members and guests at events hosted by AAUW Milwaukee North Shore Branch. Maatz speaks May 13, 2008 at the branch’s annual meeting held at North Shore Country Club. The AAUW director speaks a second time this year for the branch’s holiday dinner on December 9, 2008 at Women’s Club of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Maatz’s topic following the November national election is AAUW After the Election: Our Agenda for a New President and a New Congress.
2008-09, AAUW selects AAUW of Wisconsin to receive a AAUW Public Policy Impact Grant. Wisconsin is the only state in the Great Lakes Region to receive this prestigious award. AAUW recognizes AAUW of Wisconsin as a state that exhibits high potential for strong public policy impact. The grant empowers AAUW of Wisconsin to increase public awareness and involvment of members in contacting legislators and other leaders regarding women’s issues.
November 4, 2009, Legislative Day, Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, Madison; Speaker is Sabrina Gentile, lobbyist for the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families who speaks on lobbying etiquette, and the topics of education, health care, and campaign finance reform.
2010, Two-Minute Activist Tool Initiated for Wisconsin: AAUW of Wisconsin members had used AAUW’s Two-Minute Activist system to receive alerts notifying them of opportunities to take action at the national level. In 2010 AAUW of Wisconsin makes a two-year financial commitment to provide its members with a new statewide Two-Minute Activist. This new tool makes it easier for members to communicate in a timely way with our state legislators.
August 26, 2010, Nineteenth Amendment Anniversary celebrates 90 years since women in the U.S. won the right to vote.
Too Political?
Since becoming AAUW-WI public policy coordinator, I have been pleased and gratified by the membership’s response to my communications about the need for action. You have attended hearings, written letters to the editor, e-mailed, phoned, and written your legislators, and contributed to AAUW public policy efforts….
On several occasions, however, a member has openly and honestly shared her concern with me that AAUW is “too political.” Because this concern has been shared with me in good faith, I want to respond to it carefully and thoughtfully.
…The provision of scholarships, funding for research, contributions to lawsuits against sexual discrimination all serve to promote equity, lifelong education, and positive societal change. … Our public policy efforts, likewise, are absolutely essential to our mission. Since AAUW began in 1881, (AAUW) has been one of the nation’s most influential voices for equality.
While being the voice of moderation and mainstream women, AAUW has nonetheless embraced with courage a progressive confidence in informed public action and a belief in the potential of government to address inequities. The political landscape in which these efforts have taken place has continually changed over the years. During the Cold War Era, AAUW struggled to maintain its position on international cooperation. Racial justice was for many years an unpopular issue, and for a time some branches resented the prohibition of segregation that the Association Board of Directors issued in 1948.
Currently the political climate has become quite conservative. Furthermore, involvement in politics under any banner has declined. It has become quite socially acceptable to refrain from voting and other activities of citizenship because of disillusionment with the political process. All of this notwithstanding, we stand by our mission and know that we cannot make gains towards its accomplishment without political action. …
One of the things that I appreciate most about this organization is the diversity in the ways and means that members are offered to further the mission. Some members find their greatest satisfaction in fundraising for scholarships. Others are members because of the opportunities to mentor young girls and contribute to their awareness of career choices. Still others, like myself, are grateful for the opportunities for political action afforded by our organization. …
Chris Wing, AAUW of Wisconsin public policy chair, 2000-4, condensed from article in Summer 2001 Badger Briefs
Voter Education
AAUW launched the Voter Education Campaign in 1995 stressing that information is the cur
rency of democracy.
To prepare members to get out the vote AAUW of Wisconsin holds a biannual Voter Education Day. The daylong workshop is held on the years preceding fall elections and during the summer so that AAUW members from around the state can use the event as a model for developing workshops as the election approaches and hold workshops back in their home communities. Voter Education workshops provide information on timely issues, and demonstrate both how to track the candidate’s positions on the issues and how to get out the vote. The goal is not only to inform AAUW members, but also to reach those who are typically underrepresented in the voting booth and in society in general.
Voter Education chairs and cochairs serving on AAUW of Wisconsin state board during the decade of this history supplement are: Pat Finder-Stone AAUW Green Bay Branch 2000-1, Lea Picciolo AAUW Milwaukee-North Shore Branch 2001-3, Janet Nortrom AAUW Milwaukee-North Shore Branch 2002-3, Ellie Olson AAUW Appleton Branch 2003-5, Patty Hankins AAUW Geneva Lake Branch 2005-7, Judi Kneece AAUW Janesville Branch 2005-8, and Renee Patterson AAUW Milwaukee Branch 2008-9.
What follows is a chronological listing of voter education days during the decade of this history supplement and some of the highlights from them.
July 15, 2000, Midway Hotel, Green Bay; Michael McCabe of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is a speaker.
July 20, 2002, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), Downtown Milwaukee;
July 24, 2004, Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton; planned in coalition with League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. The workshop provides the small but strong group of attendees with information in four areas: education, health care, environment, and peace/justice.
April 29, 2006, Voter Education workshop incorporated into spring convention, Park Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, Oshkosh; 16 branches are represented and commit to holding candidate forums, issue forums, voter registration drives, and a get out the vote phone bank before the upcoming November elections.
2010 AAUW of Wisconsin receives an AAUW Impact Grant titled, Women to Women Voter Turnout: Community-Based Campaigns to Mobilize Women to Vote. This grant is to be used to train AAUW members on effective get out the vote efforts.
2010 October, Steven Point; Workshop titled “Women to Women: It’s My Vote” presented by AAUW Field Director Seth Chase. The purpose is to help branches set up GOTV programs focused on the millennial age group 18 to 31. This group has not formed voting habits and we can address their issues which include school loans, jobs, and health care.
AAUW branches in Wisconsin promote voter education in their communities through conducting voter registration drives and hosting events such as issue forums, candidate forums, and panels of area elected women who encourage more women to run for public office. Individual branch members are encouraged to join and take action from the online AAUW Action Network.
Workshops
AAUW of Wisconsin periodically holds workshops in various parts of the state during the decade of this history supplement. We here present a chronological listing of the workshops along with highlights from them.
2001, Woman-to-Woman & Transition Conferences: In lieu of a statewide summer workshop, AAUW of Wisconsin state board assists branches around the state with holding these conferences in their areas.
2003, District Workshops: AAUW of Wisconsin state board presents a half-day workshop at each of the five AAUW of Wisconsin district meetings. Topics covered include programming, leadership development, membership, the Education Foundation, as well as general AAUW information.
2007, Spectacular Savvy Saturdays on two dates at two locations, November 3, 2007 at Milwaukee Area Technical College, Mequon and November 10, 2007 at UW Marathon County, Wausau. The workshops are designed to inform about the AAUW organization and develop advocacy and leadership skills. Session topics include visioning, theme team tactics, planning an issue forum, working with the media, grassroots advocacy training on lobbying legislators,and hands-on sessions on public policy, navigating the new AAUW and AAUW of Wisconsin websites, and mastering the member services database. Participants are asked to develop a short elevator speech that they can use to articulate the mission of AAUW to acquaintances unfamiliar with our organization.
2008, Leadership: Breaking Through Barriers! on two dates at two locations, November 8, 2008 at UW Fond du Lac, and November 15, 2008 at UW Eau Claire. Nearly 50 members participate.
2010, Super Terrific And Remarkable Saturdays (STAR) on two dates at two locations, November 6, 2010 at UW Eau Claire, and November 13, 2010 at McFarland Public Library. Participants are introduced to the brand new Wisconsin version of the Two Minute Activist.