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January 18, 2017 The Bath Branch

______________________________ President’s Corner:

The High Tea committee is formed! It has already made great progress after just one meeting. I am

very excited. We have schedule Saturday, April 29, at 2:00, to hold our Suffragette High Tea. The location is

still being finalized. We are also applying for a Vision Grant that may include brainstorming, researching, and

professional development for organizations working collaboratively to develop new ideas and program

strategies. In addition, requests related to the Women's Suffrage Centennial special initiative are welcome. This

grant should be able to cover our fall Suffragette play that Peg Inglis has been writing.

'Turbulence, back-stabbing, bravery and brilliance' … a

Suffragette protest as recreated for the London 2012

Olympic Games opening ceremony Photograph: Phil Noble

/Reuters

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--Suzanne Scott, President

______________________________ Corrections and additions to addresses: Alise O. Irwin has moved to: 130 Water St., Apt. 208, Penn Yan, NY 14527-1675 Phone 315 – 694 –

7859 airwin@empacc.net

______________________________

Legal Advocacy:

Helping Workers by Ending On-Call Scheduling

Many U.S. employees do not find out their daily or weekly work schedule until shortly before they report to

work for the day. Others must be on-call to be ready to work or physically at their place of employment, without

knowing whether they will actually be provided with shifts. These scenarios result in stress, work-family

conflicts, and pay instability. Many states, municipalities, and private employers are tackling the issue head on.

A number of retail employers recently committed to ending on-call shift scheduling, while others promised to

give out their workers’ schedules at least one week in advance. A municipality in California requires schedules

to come out two weeks in advance, with extra compensation for last-minute scheduling changes, and to offer

any extra hours to existing employees before hiring new people to cover those shifts. At least eight states, as

well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico also have innovative requirements on the books to combat the issues

of instability and inequality that results from such practices. (From: advocacy=aauw.org@mail.salsalabs.net;

on behalf of; AAUW in the Statehouse advocacy@aauw.org )

--Wendy Lee Gould, LAF Chair

______________________________Book Club:

Next meeting: Thursday Feb. 16, 2017 at 12:30 p.m. at Restaurant 209 Bath, NY

This month’s book: Not for Ourselves Alone: The story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony by Geoffrey C.

Ward

Please let Bonnie Taggart know by 2/14/17 if you plan to attend by contacting her at ken9673@aol.com or 868-5315.

We welcome any of you to join us! Please feel free to join us! Call Mary Lee Crosby, (292-3590) if you have any

questions.

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______________________________

Fund raiser: Hi there Ladies & Happy New Year!

Here is your Suffrage Update for Feb. (I'm reading furiously, taking tons of notes!)

This is the Cast of Characters L-large S-small N-non-speaking

Narrator Largest (but reads it)

Susan B Anthony L

Elizabeth Cady Stanton L

Lucretia Mott L

Lucy Stone L

Carrie C. Catt S

Matilda Gage S

Victoria Woodhull S

Abigail Adams S

Amelia Bloomer N

Alice Stone Blackwell N

Harriet Beecher Stowe N

Anna Howard Shaw

2 songs for group numbers-

It's a Hard Knocked Life (Annie)

Suffragette Sisters (Mary Poppins)

I'm hoping to have on stage-

Judy, Wendy, Jerine, Suzanne, Becka, Amanda,

Elfie, Mary Beth Clark, Donna (3 not members- Kathy, Victoria, Cynthia)

I have not heard from several gals- including Jane,

Tara, Alise, Marion, and more...I'm in AZ but always available on my cell and my e-mail -hope to hear from

some more...

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Take care of yourselves and stay warm (and keep reading up on nifty things to include on SUFFRAGE!

Fondly, Peg

--Submitted by Peg Inglis

______________________________

Secretary’s Minutes:

Tuesday, January 3, 2017 - 6:00pm

Dormann Library (Bath) –

Program - Sara Love was the guest speaker. She shared the history of women’s issues in theater and there was a

question/answer segment.

President's Report –

Suzanne mentioned that January 29th was the anniversary of President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act,

which restored the protection against pay discrimination that was stripped away by the Supreme Court’s decision in

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

Suzanne reminded us that we need to vote for this year’s emerging leader. A list of past recipients was posted.

Members attended a high tea last month. Planning will be starting soon for our own tea. We can apply for grants from

the Arts Council. Both the tea and the Fall event will be fundraisers.

Mary-Ann announced that Shirley H. will be taking over her call list while she is away for the winter.

An informal discussion and poll was taken asking who may have a dollhouse. At one point in our nation’s history, a doll

house was the only house a woman could own. Dollhouses may be used in an upcoming fundraiser for those wishing to

lend. It was announced that the opening number for the Fall fundraiser would likely be “It’s a Hard Knock Life” from the

musical “Annie”.

Martha Bigelow is selling calendars to raise money for the old Dana Lyons School. She had some available for purchase.

Secretary's Report – Becka presented the minutes for the December meeting also published in the newsletter - hard

copies also available. No corrections were noted.

Mary Beth C. made a motion to approve, Shirley H. second, all approved.

Treasurer’s Report – Shirley H. reported the bank balance as of 01/01/2017 was $1,401.19.

- The treasurer’s report was approved for audit.

- Wendy G. and Jan M. will audit the books.

Public Policy/Diversity – No Report

LAF – Wendy had nothing to report. Suzanne thanked Wendy for her great work on the branch newsletter.

Membership – The Facebook page is almost ready – be looking for it soon.

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Program Report –Next month, there will be a presentation on dying natural fibers. Possibly a professor will join us in

March to discuss suffrage. The February meeting will be at the Dormann Library and the March meeting will be at the

Hammondsport Library.

Charity Basket – The basket was passed.

EF – $1,500.00 was sent to National.

Write-ups need to be completed for our three posthumous honorees - Barb Stewart, Eileen Filkins, and Barbara Welles.

Sunshine Lady - Please be sure to let Bonnie W. know of any illness/issue. Bonnie sent cards to Mary Hoffman and Anne

Leach to say hello and wish them Happy New Year.

Becka K. offered to buy the “Breast Cancer” stamps for Bonnie to use when she sends cards.

Debbi D. mentioned that it is very expensive to buy stamps at UPS because they can upcharge. Thanks for the tip Debbi.

Fundraiser Committee – a committee consisting of Amanda C., Jerine G., Bonnie T., Ruth B., and Suzanne was formed to

organize both the Spring High Tea and the Fall Fundraiser.

Old Business- Nothing noted.

New Business –

Tara D. announced that there are some wonderful events coming up at the Dormann Library. Check out their website. -

http://dormannlibrary.org/events-at-the-dormann-library/calendar/

Becka K. mentioned that the L. Caroline Underwood Museum in Penn Yan is having an exhibit on women’s suffrage and

it will kick off on 01/07/17. The website is - http://www.yatespast.org/articles/suffrage.html

REMINDER – Newsletter articles are DUE by 1/15/17.

2017 State Convention - April 21-23 at the Doubletree in Syracuse!

2017 National Convention - June 14-17 in Washington, D. C.

The next meeting is 02/07/17 at the Dormann Library in Bath.

Shirley H. made a motion to adjourn the meeting Amanda C. seconded the motion, all approved.

Meeting adjourned.

Following the meeting, there was a presentation by Suzanne S. explaining how Google Docs work.

--Respectfully submitted by Rebecca Kirch

______________________________ Program Bath Branch

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Tentative line-up for 2016 – 2017

Feb 7 - Stamps & Coins depicting women maybe some hats or clothing - no location yet (Dormann library)

March 7 - Clothing Styles over the years - Hammondsport Library

April 4 - Business Meeting - Book Series (Tara) location maybe Linda Carl B&B (not confirmed)

May - bus trip to Seneca Falls and Rochester to see voting history, several stops, and Susan B (committee to

plan) (Peg Inglis house for pre-fundraiser meeting)

June 6 - Scholarship Dinner - 25 people for 209 Liberty Street, Bath

* Next year Tech and STEM Theme

______________________________ Did you know?:

New books that mention Suffragettes Suffragette Sally by Gertrude Colmore

The novel mainly follows three women, Sally Simmonds, Edith Carstairs, and Geraldine

Hill, and their involvement with the WSPU. Sally, a working class girl, attends a

meeting where she hears Lady Hill speak and becomes entranced. Her quick conversion

is contrasted to Edith Carstairs who undergoes a conversion from a polite Suffragist to a

militant Suffragette. During the course of the novel Sally Simmonds risks everything

she has: job, relationship, and life, enduring the hunger strike and subsequent abuse in

prison. Edith navigates the social ramifications with outwardly charming Cyril Race, a

deceptive politician. Lady Geraldine Hill does her part as an upperclass woman of title,

disguising herself as a working class woman in order to participate in the hunger strike

(having been released due to her title when she was previously incarcerated). The novel

follows many historical events such as the hunger strike, Conciliation Bill, and Black

Friday.

The Judge By Rebecca West

Ellen Melville is a beautiful suffragette who, at seventeen, wants passionately to

experience all that life can give her. From her abandoned, impoverished mother she inherits only

a capacity for love and this she freely gives when she meets Richard Yaverland, charming,

experienced, a man of the world. But Richard is the illegitamate son of a powerful and frustrated

woman. Marion Yaverland uses her own betrayal by Richard's father to imprison her son,

creating a murderous bond which destroys everything it touches. The strugges of Ellen and

Richard to survive the sins of their fathers takes its inevitable course: giving freely to her

passionate lover, Ellen commences a re-enactment of all that has gone before.

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The Whole Town's Talking By Fannie Flagg

From the beloved author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe comes another

unforgettable, laugh-out-loud, and moving novel about what it means to be truly alive.

Elmwood Springs, Missouri, is a small town like any other, but something strange is happening

out at the cemetery. “Still Meadows,” as it’s called, is anything but still. Funny and profound,

--Submitted by Suzanne Scott, President

______________________________

Diversity:

It’s a very special year for WOMEN! We begin our active participation with rallies and marches in the

nation’s capital and in major cities across the US on the day after our new President is inaugurated. We here in

the birthplace of the Women’s Suffrage movement have a glorious opportunity to join our sisters and brothers

for a rally at the Women’s National Memorial Park in Seneca Falls on SATURDAY MORNING JANUARY

21, beginning at 10:00.

Other special events for 2017 include a season of plays by and about women at Bristol Valley

Playhouse; historical re-enactments of area women’s contributions to the progress toward Women’s rights; and

of course the special presentation next Fall of our own Branch production featuring influential women from the

pages of our history. It’s going to be a GREAT YEAR for WOMEN!!

--Submitted by Alise Irwin, Diversity Chair

______________________________NYS AAUW Convention 2017:

MATILDA JOSLYN GAGE

At the AAUW-NYS Convention

Eleanor Aronstein, President, Schenectady AAUW

AAUW-NYS Convention will be held in Syracuse on April 21-23.

A highlight of Friday will be a tour and high tea at the Matilda Gage Foundation followed by a

tour of the Stickley Museum. We will recognize the efforts and achievements of Gage by focusing

on her life and her work.

Matilda Joslyn Gage was born in Cicero, NY in 1826. Gage received a liberal education and

became a prolific writer in the cause of both abolition and women's rights. She co-authored with Elizabeth Cady Stanton

and Susan B. Anthony the first three volumes of A History of Woman Suffrage. She also addressed her own concerns

about male dominance within Christianity with the publication in 1893 of Woman, Church and State. Her efforts to

document the historical 1848 Seneca Falls Convention resulted in her publication in her newspaper (The National Citizen

and Ballot Box) of portions of A History of Woman Suffrage..as recorded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

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Gage was a hands-on activist, frequently attempting to vote, defending the rights of other intrepid women who dared

approach the ballot box! And she is primarily responsible for securing women the right to vote in school board

elections!!! In 1880, she became the first woman to vote in Fayetteville under that law.

While it would be several decades before women's voting rights became secure, progress is measured incrementally -

and we would be remiss if we didn't offer our homage and respect to this intrepid woman. Her lifelong motto - which is

engraved on her cemetery grave stone is: There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven, that word is Liberty.

Registration available at www.aauw-nys.org

______________________________Suffrage resource list:

Attached to the Newsletter email is a PDF file listing books, articles and websites on Women’s Suffrage. I was

unable to copy it to post it here.

--Submitted by Bonnie Taggart

______________________________Next meeting:

February 7th at 5:30 p.m. at Dormann Library; Topic—Women’s stamps, coins and clothing

______________________________

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“One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but

that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man.”

--Marlo Thomas

The Branch

The Newsletter of Bath AAUW

--Published by Wendy Lee Gould