From http://www1.indstate.edu/aauw-in/2007Fall74no1.pdf

Thank you for the trust you have placed in me to serve as your Great Lakes Regional Director for the next 2-year term. I am excited to be an officer at this time of changes and challenges for AAUW. When faced with change, many of us are uncomfortable and fear the future. We can either rise to the challenge and become better or we can shrink back within ourselves and die. If we are true to AAUW's mission, we will rise to the challenge and work to make AAUW an organization that will be vibrant for years to come.

The real challenge that lies before us is to ensure AAUW's future by mentoring a new or prospective member into our organization so that when we are no longer able to fight the good fight for AAUW, there will be someone else coming up behind us to continue. In my visits to branches all over the state of Michigan when I served as State President from 2004-2006, I met hundreds of women who were doing wonderful things for AAUW. They proudly showed me the projects they had been working on and shared the amounts of money they had raised for scholarships for women and girls to gain higher education. As I traveled around the state, I couldn't help but notice that I kept seeing the same picture: gray-haired ladies who were aging, many of whom were snow-birds only able to serve part-time at this stage in their lives. Most of these ladies have been members of AAUW for over 30 years and have a passion for AAUW's purpose.

While my experience comes from Michigan, statistics reveal that Michigan's story reflects not only that of the Great Lakes region, but the National Association around the country. If we are going to survive and thrive as an organization, we must individually mentor new and prospective members into AAUW and pass the flame on. We must share our passion and the importance of our mission and goals. Light the fire for AAUW in someone else so that they will carry the torch when we lay ours down. Identify someone you can take under your wing and share the AAUW story with, the faces of AAUW, and the purpose behind your projects so that they understand and want to join the fight.

Recruiting and retaining members is a major challenge but one we can rise to meet. Every member must be a recruiter for AAUW and every member must make sure that all members are welcomed and valued. The future of AAUW depends on each one of us and we must make it our personal cause. It is up to each one of us. Are you up to the challenge? Over the next 2 years, I look forward to meeting you at your branch and state meetings and will attend as many as I possibly can. Meanwhile, feel free to contact me at any time with your questions and concerns.