Phrases  from  Phyllis

Phyllis Thompson Indiana President

As I reflect on the new year of 2002, I am reminded of a quotation: "Luck is the corner where planning meets opportunity." I think that is true for AAUW in Indiana. The State Board of Directors has been planning ways to make our 2002 convention in French Lick one of challenges and opportunities.

We are going to continue with our trailblazing theme and then see how together with other groups and coalitions we can "Trailblaze and Tailgate."

AAUW in Indiana is very strong. Branches remember our mission and purpose and are not afraid to try something new. I am impressed by what I see happening.

So let us begin to prepare for a wonderful adventure in French Lick. Get the word out that everyone is invited to come. We hope to see many families in attendance.

Read the materials that are sent to you and be prepared to vote. We have officers, proposed bylaws and a peace resolution on which to vote, in other words business! We also for the first time ever will have an issues forum to which the surrounding communities, fellow AAUW members from Kentucky, and all our families will be invited to attend.

Come and be ready to share and to listen. We know each of us has many ideas and we want to use this as a time to learn and grow.

Some of the things we want to share with our AAUW friends and officers are:

• The most enjoyable and challenging event our Branch did this past year was....
• What made it good for me was.....
• Something we could do to make things work better in the area of...is...
• What I think would be fun to try next year is.....
• The one thing we didn't do this year that I would want to help us do next year....

Remember, we want to see every Branch in Indiana at convention. We are planning on you being there. We also want to plan on you being at Regional Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan in June.

So I look forward to seeing you in French Lick April 19-21 and then in Grand Rapids June 7-9. What a bouquet of opportunities we can share together.

Indiana AAUW is strong because of each of us. Let us unite, celebrate our accomplishments, and work together to achieve even more. We can do this!!!
 
 
 

Planning  for  Change

Delinda Chapman  Great Lakes Regional Director

Log on to the future of AAUW. The Great Lakes Regional Conference sets the stage for our actions as an organization in the 21^st century. The technology theme brings focus to our interest in moving women and girls to the understanding that they can be involved in this growing, potentially lucrative, interesting field of work. Logging onto the future means change, as we become a more diverse community, as we learn to include our African, Arab, Asian, Central and South American sisters and brothers. Logging onto the future brings us face to face with the messages young women are getting from the media. Millions of dollars are spent to promote a standard image for women. We in AAUW are interested in building self-esteem in every young woman, accepting her individual differences.

The regional conference will address these issues of technology, diversity and individuality. On Saturday, June 8, our keynoter, Ann Simonton, will share her message of challenging racism, sexism and violence in the media through education and action. The "chatroom" sessions will present futuristic thinking on class, equity, wellness, marketing our message and social justice issues. This regional conference will expand your vision, strengthen your knowledge and understanding, and fire-up your resolve for action.

AAUW has always been in a position to lead. But, to do so, has required organizational change. The Association board, on which I sit representing the Great Lakes Region, is discussing the changes necessary to better lead and support our branches in 2003 and beyond. Information about these discussions and the action plans, which arise from them, will be shared at the state conventions and regional conferences.

With a trimmed Association board (from 21 to 12 members), changes will affect profoundly how we conduct the business of AAUW; how we represent our diverse community; and how we communicate our aspirations and actions to our members and the broader population. We will be shaping the future.

Just as the Adelante program opened our eyes to the possibilities and value of reaching out to previously untapped resources, we are positioning ourselves to take additional steps to promote inclusiveness and diversity. You will be hearing and reading of new programs and initiatives. It’s time, like in the game of "Twister," to look at this topic from different angles. Use that Change Management Tool Kit to "think outside the box."

Lest we become distracted by more publicly noted events from the issues that tear at the essential fabric of our civil life, issues that bear heavily on the lives of women in America, I will share an awakening I experienced in the midst of preparing this message. Two events came together for me when I heard that a youth in our church was greatly disturbed by the fact that her older sister was dating a "skin-head" and defending his positions, which were most antithetical to those of our religious community. The second was my reading of Kathleen Blee’s research for her new book, Inside Organized Racism: Women in the Hate Movement. Ms. Blee outlined the strategy behind the recruitment of women, educated women, by playing on their fears for personal safety and family security, both physical and financial. I was startled to think there were members of our sisterhood so isolated that they might prefer the insane assurances of such groups to the bright future to which we are working. We must find ways to get our message out to them and any whose reserve of hope has been diminished by fear and isolation.

The challenges continue. We are always in transition. We must be active and vigilant and vocal and studious, all the characteristics our predecessors demonstrated in their words and deeds which contributed to equity, peace, and human understanding. William Arthur Ward wrote, "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; and the realist adjusts the sails." It is time to trim our sails as we sail toward positive societal change with everyone on board.
 
 

What is Tech Check? How do we organize a Sister-to-Sister Summit? What if we don’t have the resources to sponsor a summit? What is the Shape the Future Campaign? What can we do as a branch to prepare for the upcoming elections? How do I fill out the numerous forms we’re sent? Where do I get more copies of forms? What is LAF? How can I use the studies published by the Educational Foundation?

If you have these or other questions about AAUW programs, send them to our state president, Phyllis Thompson [4634 Morning Wind Pl., Fort Wayne IN 46804] prior to the State Convention on April 19. All questions submitted will be answered during the Town Hall portion of the convention on Sunday. Even if you can’t attend the convention but have a question, send it to Phyllis. The questions and answers will also be published in the next issue of the Indiana Bulletin.
 
 
 

Richmond

Their Public Policy group meets monthly to attend various local board and commission meetings such as the Board of Works and Safety and the Human Rights Commission. What a great way to learn first-hand how decisions are made that affect your community.

Indianapolis

Members are planning an Eleanor Roosevelt Walk/Run to raise money for this fund on June 8 at Holliday Park. Participant fees are $15, $20, or $25, which may be paid outright or collected from sponsors. Of course, the fees will help boost the branch contribution to the Educational Foundation for its assistance to teachers.

The EF committee sent a candle to each member with the request to "Keep the Candle Burning for Education for Women and Girls!" Members were asked to light the candle, reflect on the importance of education for women, and to write a check to the Educational Foundation.

Anderson

They are beginning plans for a Sister-to-Brother Summit. We’ll have to hear more about this as their plans develop!

Fort Wayne

Held a Health Forum with a physician, several nurses, and a support group volunteer as subject matter experts. Discussions centered on menopause, osteoporosis, blood pressure, diet and exercise, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Thank you very much to those branches sharing their newsletters with the Indiana newsletter editor. To the rest of you – please share your news by sending your newsletter to Barbara Wellnitz.
 
 
 

Teacher Fellows previously had to "do it all" – complete a plan of study, attend the Teacher Institute, and implement a gender equity project during the fellowship year. Now they can choose from a range of options phased in over three years.

New for 2002, Teacher Professional Development Fellowships provide up to $5,000 for workshops, courses, and conferences (including the Teacher Institute), plus seed money for planning a project to advance gender equity in classrooms and schools.

In 2003-2004, Classroom Project Implementation Grants will be added for developing and implementing a classroom-based gender-equity project.

In 2004-2005, K-12 Dissemination Grants will help teachers more effectively share information about their projects.

Thank You

Beth LeRoy, Educational Foundation

As I sit here trying to write what will probably be my last article for the Foundation to the AAUW membership of Indiana, my feelings are running in all directions. I have enjoyed my four years as director of Educational Foundation and am pleased with the response you have given to the Maryhelen Barnes International Fellowship. Four years ago, the dollar level of that fund was $62,000; it now stands at $87,000. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Maryhelen is a member of the Anderson branch and has been a member in two countries and several states. She is a life member as well as an honorary life member; in fact, AAUW has been part of her life for 70 years! She is still active in AAUW and IFUW. When you come to a state meeting, please say hello to the lady in the hat – it will be Maryhelen. My hope is that the membership will work to complete this fellowship as soon as possible.

The Foundation needs all your help. Last year over $3.5 million was given out in fellowships and grants. Our hope is to increase the amount by 5% each year. I know, not more fundraising! You may not have thought about giving a donation to the Foundation to honor the birth, anniversary, wedding, promotion, etc. of a friend or family member. Indiana is starting an Honored Fund, which will become a Foundation grant when we reach the $5,000 mark. A few donations have already come in and more information will be forthcoming.

What if you don’t want to have a big fundraiser and you have no fresh ideas? Try having an unbirthday party. Instead of a gift, you donate the cost of the party to the Foundation; or have a lunch and have members donate the cost; instead of paying the neighbor to do chores, you do them and pay the Foundation every time you cut your own grass or shovel your snow. This is a win-win situation because you get the exercise your doctor keeps telling you to get and the Foundation gets funds to help women and girls. The Foundation office has many ideas for fundraising that have been collected from branches around the country. Contact them via email at foundation@aauw.org or call the office, 202-728-7602.

Recently I received the following email and thought it demonstrated the need for the Foundation’s work. If we could shrink the earth’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like the following:
 

There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world’s wealth and all would be from the U.S.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 would have a college education
1 would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding, and education becomes glaringly apparent.****

Remember, our Girls Can and Boys Can t-shirts are available. Contact me or visit our website for more information.

**** Webmaster's note: I have seen this list appear for several years, in various ways, and I was sort of wondering how old it is. Luckily, since I never throw anything away, today [3-28-2002] while I was sorting through old AAUW files, I found a copy of the list, with an actual citation!! attached. According to this rather 'used' photocopy, it comes "from an ERIC search of United Nations Demographic Data, September 1, 1985. These statistics were compiled by a Chicago Public Schools administrator and were taken from the Association for Retired Citizens Newsletter, vol. 16, issue 6, June 1990." This list did not include the 51 female/49 male; 1 would be near death/1 near life; only 1 would have a college education; no one would own a computer items. So, my academic question: is this citation the "real thing"? was the original list truly accurate? and if more than 15 years old, who added the new items, where did they get them from and how accurate is the whole listing now? Part of me worries that it certainly makes a point, but may be some sort of 'urban folklore'. I'm sure people everywhere quote it as truth. If I track down the answer, I'll let you know.

Even before he won his 1994 congressional bid, Representative Mark Souder was thinking about what his staff would be like – and already knew he wanted women represented in the top jobs.

Since he was challenging a female incumbent, his stance on discrimination had come up in the campaign.

Today, Souder is the only member of the Indiana delegation with a female chief of staff. And he has the largest proportion of his top policy positions filled by women. Of his seven top staffers and policy aides, four are women, according to congressional employment data.

"I believe that members who don’t have females in their top staffs miss a wholly different dynamic," Souder said. "I think women sometimes bring a slightly different angle to every issue."

But Souder’s office is atypical.

The most current payroll data show that half of Indiana’s 10 House members had no female chiefs of staff, legislative directors, district directors or press secretaries – the jobs that typically carry the most responsibility and the highest pay. The other five House members have no more than two women in those top jobs.

Rep. Mike Pence, R-Edinburgh, has no women in those four jobs and no female legislative assistants – the aides who track bills and give policy advice.

Pence said job titles don’t reflect the responsibilities he gives his female aides. Pence said that his assistant district director is a "co-equal" of the district director and essentially runs his office in Muncie, the largest city in the district.

"I truly believe that there is a great value in having the diversity on your staff," Pence said. "My only lament is right now we don’t have any ethnic diversity in our office."

Indianapolis native Cathy Noe, who worked for years on the Hill, remembered her first political job. She walked into a Marion County Democratic Party meeting at age 19 and was told to make coffee. But she didn’t know how to work the machine and broke it. The coffee she served to the men had grounds floating on top. Noe was promoted to door-to-door campaigner.

"Where would I be today if I knew how to make coffee?" Noe says three decades later. She worked in Congress for 16 years, including serving as former Rep. Andy Jacobs’ legislative director and his aide on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Noe said talking sports helped her fit into Capitol Hill’s male-dominated culture. The only impediment to her progress, she says, was herself. When Jacobs first approached her about the committee job, Noe turned him down. She wasn’t sure she was up for that big of an assignment. But Jacobs persisted, even offering Noe more money until she accepted.

"Women tend to have less self-confidence, and it was true for me," said Noe, who now works for the Internal Revenue Service.

While lawmakers are conscious of the need to have both men and women on staff, Washington sex scandals involving male politicians and young female aids have raised another concern. Souder said many of his colleagues worry rumors will start if they are seen working closely with a female aide, especially since the top jobs often require working late hours and traveling with the lawmaker.

Pence solves that problem by requiring that the aide who works late be a man. Pence said that practice doesn’t discriminate against female staffers because the aide isn’t there to give policy advice.

Souder’s top aide, Angela Flood, said she believes opportunities for women on Capitol Hill will continue to expand.

"As long as there are opportunities for women, and they’re not actively being denied opportunities, then I don’t think we need to set any quotas," she said. "There’s probably never going to be 100 percent parity because of the choices women are free to make."

Diversity is much more on our minds now that we have experienced the September 11 attacks and I’m very pleased to say that several branches are planning programs on diversity.

I sent some suggestions from Association to each branch – either to the diversity chair or the president. At the time, I did not know that most branches did not meet in the summer as the one to which I belonged did have summer activities. Hopefully, the resumption of meetings in the fall meant that each branch got some discussion of the questions as a program or portion of a meeting.

The questions on hometown and family may help us to understand why and how we developed our opinions and ideas about diversity. There are many differences among people in our own small circles of friends and co-workers. Expand this to encompass a town, a state, or the country and we have a vast array of differences. Some we can understand, some we can’t, and we should try to accept all of those that do not cause harm no matter how odd or impossible they seem.
 
 
 

When she attends meetings with other top aids on Capitol Hill, Angela Flood, chief of staff to Indiana Rep. Mark Souder, is one of the few women in the room. Sometimes she’s the only one.

But Flood, who worked her way up form an entry-level position to the top job after 12 years in Congress, said being a woman has never been an impediment for her. "You can’t help but notice it’s there," she said. "But it’s not really an issue." Women have had more success breaking through the glass ceiling in congressional offices than in other federal workplaces and top firms, according to surveys conducted by the Congressional Management Foundation.

But they’re still over-represented in the less-prestigious, lower-paying jobs on Capitol Hill and less likely to be hired for executive or policy-making positions. That’s especially true in Indiana’s delegation.

On the whole, women employed by the 12-member delegation earn three-fourths of what the men are paid, mostly because there are few women in the top jobs.

Women make up half of all the Indiana staff in the U.S. House but only 30 percent of the policy positions and 18 percent of each office’s top four jobs, according to an Indianapolis Star analysis of September 2001 payroll records.

That’s better than Fortune 500 companies, in which women hold 12 percent of the executive positions. But it’s not as good as the entire House, where women hold 41 percent of the policy jobs and 38 percent of the executive positions.

In the offices of Sens. Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar, women made up 33 percent of the top jobs. That’s just slightly below the Senate average of 37 percent, although the gender pay gap in Indiana’s offices is more pronounced than in the rest of the Senate overall.

"Even though women are entering the work force in greater numbers, they’re graduating from universities in greater numbers with higher levels of education…we’re still seeing this gap," said Jane E. Smith, CEO of Business and Professional Women USA. "There’s definitely an employment ghetto."
 

You are encouraged to come to our nation’s capital to attend the Women’s Equality Summit and Congressional Action Day on April 8^th and 9^th. The National Council of Women’s Organizations is sponsoring this event. Join other women’s advocates and leaders of the women’s movement from communities across the nation.

The need for increased economic security for women and families both in our country and around the world will be highlighted. At a time when Congress plans to cut back our programs because of a budget deficit, it is essential that our Members of Congress hear from us. They need to know cutting back on funding will undermine our access to health care and that many families are in or teeter at the edge of poverty.

Discuss international women’s rights issues, Social Security, judicial nominations, family planning and welfare and hear from former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder. All this on Monday. Attend a Congressional breakfast with Members of Congress and a strategizing session on women’s issues and voting on Tuesday.

A virtual brochure and registration form are at http://www.feminist.org/summit.

The fee is on a sliding scale of $0-$50 and reduced-rate hotel rooms are available. Or call 202-393-7122 for distribution copies of the brochure or for more information.
 
 

Join your friends in celebrating Women’s Equality Day on Wednesday, May 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the enclosed courtyard/atrium of the Marriott Hotel at 2625 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis. The Gender Fairness Coalition is sponsoring this event. The cost will be approximately $20 per person. More information will be available on our website at http://web.indstate.edu/aauw-in.
 
 

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