AAUW Reading (PA) Branch

AAUW MISSION STATEMENT

AAUW promotes equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, or sexual orientation.

AAUW provides many opportunities for women to explore their interests. Books, foods, the arts, trips, whatever, but always with a focus on the role of women. Our goal is to foster and encourage women “to stand up and be counted”

Click here to download the current issue of our local newsletter BRANCHLINES

Click here to download the latest issue of The Keystoner

The Keystoner is published four times a year, this newsletter shares information about our work across the state. We invite you to be a part of the exciting things happening across the state and to participate in AAUW Pennsylvania activities. The Keystoner will keep you informed.

2024-2025 Membership Form

March/April Events

Cultural Diversity – TBD contact Ellie Hunt.

Fine Arts – March 26 Goggleworks, April 21 Yocum Institute for the Arts. Contact Donna Weik.

Home Arts – March and April TBD Contact Judy Druckenmiller for details.

Literature – March 30 “The Great Alone” Kristin Hannah. April no meeting. Contact Virginia Schultz-Johnson.

AAUW Recognition of Women Breakfast
Saturday, April 26. 2025 – 9 -11 AM
McGlinn Conference Center
Alvernia University.

The Recognition of Women Breakfast is back this year. It is a time for our
branch to show the importance we place on education for women and
their achievements. Each senior high school girl and two of her guests will be
invited as well as Scholarship recipients from the past year. We would love to
have all our members in attendance. Guests are welcome.

Lucine Sihelnik, President & CEO of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, will
be the speaker. Lucine is a leader in Community and Economic Development and has spent the last twenty years working to bring sustainability to Berks County, least of all through her newest business venture Great American Creamery.

To sign up please complete the form on page 5 of your newsletter and return it to Denise Meister by April 11.

Berks Book Bonanza 2025

Berks Book Bonanza is accepting donations for the 2025 sale.

Donations are accepted on a Monday/Tuesday schedule from 9 am – Noon both days, and running until Tuesday, March 11 except for Monday holidays.

Donations will be accepted at the County of Berks South Campus location, 400 E Wyomissing Ave, Mohnton, PA 19540. Drop-offs will occur at the ramp in the back parking lot. See website for list of acceptable donations:

https://www.berksbookbonanza.org/copy-of-donation-information

Congratulations to our awardees for the AAUW State Awards:

Outstanding Woman

Awarded to a member of the branch for meritorious service to the branch and to the community. A one sentence summary is requested.

Carolyn Smith is recognized for her contribution to the Branch including Membership Chair, Webmaster and email monitor and as a member of the League, Carolyn attends the Naturalization ceremonies held by the county

Member Making a Difference

The Member Making a Difference Award is given to a branch member who has made a big difference in something important to the branch within the last year. The branch selects this recipient because she (or he) exemplifies the spirit of AAUW.

Denise Meister– Denise has revived the Senior Girls Recognition Breakfast and rebranded it as the Women’s’ Recognition Breakfast honoring the highest ranked High School Senior girl at our 19 school districts as well as our Scholarship recipients and the High School Science Fair winner.

Gateway to Equity awards

The AAUW Pennsylvania Gateway to Equity Award honors an individual, group or organization that has shown by action and philosophy the promotion of the AAUW mission to advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. It celebrates International Women’s Day, held annually on March 8.

Girls on the Run

Girls on the Run Girls on the Run of Berks County was established in 2013 offering fun, evidence-based programs designed to inspire girls of all abilities to recognize and embrace their inner strength and to make meaningful connections with others. Focused on girls in 3rd – 8 th grades, our programs inspire participants to recognize their inner strength, increase their level of physical activity, imagine their possibilities and confidently stand up for themselves and others. Over 6000 girls in over 80 schools & community sites across Berks & Schuylkill counties have participated in Girls on the Run programming. Our programs (Girls on the Run for 3rd – 5 th grades and Heart & Sole for 6th – 8 th grades) take place over 8-10 weeks in Fall and in Spring, with teams meeting twice weekly throughout the season. Teams are led by trained, volunteer “coaches” who deliver lessons that blend physical activity with life skills such as managing emotions, forming friendships and giving back to our communities. Each season culminates in a celebratory 5K that gives participants a tangible sense of accomplishment.

To learn more about Girls on the Run of Berks County and their upcoming events, go to https://www.gotrberks.org/

Named Gift Honoree

The named Gift Honoree recognizes an individual who make donations to national throughout the calendar year.

Suzanne Kirk – This past year 10 women contributed financially to AAUW totaling $800. Sue Kirk was one of those women. She donates her time as well to our Scholarship program where she organizes the Non-Traditional Scholarship award process

100th Anniversary Update

BCTV 100^th Anniversary presentation. Anyone who missed it or would like to see it again can go to this website:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNe476LZD4&t=110s

AAUW 2024 Revised Bylaws

The revised bylaws were voted on at the March membership meeting. The first 7 sections were mandated by AAUW National and have been approved by the Board in keeping with their directives. See Bylaws page to read revised bylaws.

AAUW PUBLIC POLICY

AAUW LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES:

Title IX Rules Released: Effective August 1st. Just in time for the new school year. Here is the Title IX Coalition Statement: Title IX Coalition Statement – Title IX Coalition Statement – Google Docs

Important Election Season Ahead: AAUW National is conducting several trainings on voter engagement.

Visit the website to learn more and watch for emails for upcoming webinars. ·

AAUW Voter Engagement: Voter Education : Voter Education : AAUW Action Fund
VOTE SMART The Voter’s Self-Defense System – Vote Smart – Facts For All

Economic Security:

Participate in coalitions supporting paid leave, living wage, and economic security issues such as:

Family Care Act: HB 181 Bill Information – House Bill 181; Regular Session 2023-2024 – PA General Assembly (state.pa.us)

Two-Minute Activist for Paid Leave AAUW: Take Action (everyaction.com)

Participate in Equal Pay Day activities. ( HB 98: is out of House Labor and Industry)Bill Information – House Bill 98; Regular Session 2023-2024 – PA General Assembly (state.pa.us)

Now is the time to reach out to your representatives to show it is one of your priorities!

Education:

Join Education Voters of PA Stand Up for PA’s Public School Students! – Stand Up for PA’s Public School Students! – Action Network
Participate in Advocacy Days in Harrisburg May 8th Register here: PA Schools Work Advocacy Day May 8th (PA Schools Work Advocacy Day May 8th (google.com)
Join PA Schools Work to receive updates on budget HOME – PA Schools Work – June 12th HOME – PA Schools Work
Join Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools Home – Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools (Home – Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools (pawins.org)

Fair Districts PA:

Take Action for Redistricting: Advocacy Action: Ask Your PA Representative to Co-sponsor HB 1776 It’s time to help build support for a Pennsylvania Independent Redistricting Commission through your support of HB 1776, which is a new bill that would be a constitutional amendment to establish a citizen’s redistricting commission Advocacy Action: Ask Your PA Representative to… | Fair Districts PA

LATEST PRESS RELEASES AND STATEMENTS FROM AAUW

On July 15th, the Pennsylvania legislature recessed until September after voting on a constitutional amendment package that would dramatically shift the balance of government power in Pennsylvania and call multiple rights into question, including the right to abortion healthcare. You can read our statement from last week here.The League strongly opposes this bill package (SB106) and is disappointed at the misuse of legislative power coming from Harrisburg. We are in the process of identifying different options for opposition, including speaking with lawmakers and coalition partners to develop a strategy to protect the rights of Pennsylvania citizens. As an organization founded to defend democracy, we will bring the strength of our network, power, and resources to this fight.Here’s what you need to know:The bill (SB106) contained FIVE proposed constitutional amendments which would greatly impact Pennsylvania citizens.These amendments would:

Declare that the state constitution does not grant any right relating to abortion, including no right to public funding for the procedure. Currently in PA, public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest. This amendment not only adds a funding ban to the state constitution, but removes the right to abortion altogether. The Pennsylvania constitution is meant to grant rights, rather than explicitly remove them for over half of the population. The League will continue to advocate for those who can become pregnant to access abortion healthcare.
Give the legislature more power, including the right to disregard the Governor’s veto. This is a partisan response to the current legislature’s dissatisfaction with Governor Wolf’s veto record. The legislature is in effect granting itself more power than the executive by saying they can reject the veto power of the Governor. This upsets the longstanding system of checks and balances which define U.S. and PA governmental systems.
Create additional voter ID requirements in a state with already strict voter ID law: Pennsylvanians must currently present a government-issued or student ID when they register to vote, or vote at a new location. As such, there is already a system in place to confirm voter identity. The justification for tightening voter ID rules is to prevent fraud. But significant voter fraud, especially voter impersonation, is virtually nonexistent. Furthermore, requiring voter ID does not require a constitutional amendment. Voter ID can – and should be – a change that is legislatively enacted by amending the Election Code.
Impose stricter residency requirements on new voters: The latest version of SB106 requires a 90-day residency within the Commonwealth (changed from 30 days) to vote. This means anyone who moves to Pennsylvania between August and November of an election year is denied their right to vote in a general election. It also bizarrely restates an old provision of PA law, which set the voting age at 21, which is out of date, as the 26th Amendment of the U.S. constitution sets the voting age at 18.
Require that elections be audited by the PA Auditor General: The Pennsylvania Department of State is the office with election oversight. They already conduct risk-limiting audits to help affirm the integrity of the process. This amendment reinforces a lack of trust in election administration at both the county and state levels, and aims to shift power away from actual election officials and place it under the authority of another agency.
Change the structure and powers of the Lieutenant Governor: This amendment would do two things: change the powers of the Lieutenant Governor, by eliminating their authority to break tie votes on final passage of a bill, and make the Lt. Governor a position that is not elected.

SB106 represents an attack on many of the issues the League has advocated for over the years, including the right to safely and easily vote and the right to bodily autonomy, and a fair and responsive government held accountable to checks and balances.

Furthermore, the passage of Senate Bill 106 is emblematic of how broken the legislative process in Harrisburg is. Legislative leaders manipulated long standing procedural rules to ram through a bill with multiple contentious topics AFTER 11 pm at night, late in the day, just before summer recess, with no public hearings, no genuine minority party input, and little opportunity for the public to engage or even see what was taking place.

Here’s what happens next:

The General Assembly returns on September 12th for the House and September 19th for the Senate. In order for the bill to be implemented, it must pass again in the upcoming session of the General Assembly.
The amendment will then be placed on the ballot for Pennsylvanians to vote on. If the bill passes early in the next legislative session, these amendment questions could be on the May 2023 primary ballot.
Constitutional amendments like SB106 do not need the Governor’s signature to be signed, and the Governor cannot veto these amendments if they are approved by the voters.
It’s been decades since Pennsylvania voters rejected a ballot question. If these amendments make it to the ballot, there is a high likelihood that they would be approved.

What League members and supporters can do:It’s time to turn our anger into activism. The November election is just around the corner, and it’s our responsibility to speak up in the meantime. We need your voice to hold our legislators accountable for their actions.

Write a letter to the editor expressing your concern and advocating for a fair process. Find more tips for letters to the editor and op-eds here. While this may seem small, sharing your thoughts with your community can have a positive impact in inspiring others to do the same.
Sign and share the Fix Harrisburg petition: The closed-door process that allowed this bill to pass is a clear example of the broken lawmaking process in Pennsylvania.
Sign one of the League’s active petitions or letter campaigns and tell your legislators that it’s time to advocate for voting rights, fair elections, and reproductive choice.
Subscribe to League emails so you never miss out on crucial updates on this issue.
Donate to the League to help us continue our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. We will need a wide berth of resources to fight on all fronts, and your support is greatly appreciated.
Join your local League and lend your talents to our statewide grassroots network of advocates. If you’re already a member, consider joining a statewide committee to advocate for the democracy issues you care about. We will be actively working on this issue – join us!

AAUW Statement Strongly Condemning the U.S. Supreme Court’s Opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following is a statement from Gloria L. Blackwell, AAUW Chief Executive Officer:

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) strongly condemns the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The decision overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that established abortion as a constitutionally protected right nearly 50 years ago and ignores the will of the American people, 80% of whom support legal abortion.

AAUW believes everyone has the right to make decisions about their own reproductive lives without government interference. Abortion access is vital to women’s ability to control their lives, bodies and futures. Without reproductive freedom, there can be no equity.

Being able to choose whether and when to become a parent improves women’s well-being and fosters economic security—a crucial component of AAUW’s mission. This is particularly important in a country that lacks accessible maternal health care, paid caregiving leave and workplace protections for pregnant workers.

The Court’s decision hurts all of us, but it will do the most harm to low-income people, women of color, immigrants, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people, because these groups already face substantial barriers to accessing reproductive services and health care.

While the Court’s decision is a major setback for all Americans, AAUW remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting reproductive rights, a vital component of gender equity.

If this ongoing struggle is important to you please consider becoming a member of our local Reading branch AAUW

PA State AAUW | National AAUW
Educational Foundation | Legal Advocacy Fund

AAUW Action Fund
Congressional Voting Record 116th Congress (January 2019-September 2020)