Book Review

Four Queens

Nancy Goldstone; 2007

This history of four sisters from Provence in France is fascinating. They lived during the 13th century. They were not royalty. They lived in a structured environment with loving and caring parents. Their world was filled with culture, education, music, family, and beautiful surroundings. The sisters were close to each other, were goal driven, and very beautiful.

Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia and Beatrice were the daughters of Beatrice and Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence. All four daughters were married by the ages of twelve to fifteen. But their parents with the help of family members made sure they married well.

The sisters found themselves in royal courts with intrigues, wars, problem family members, crusades, debts, and the Catholic Church! Thus they were intimately involved in all aspects of European history at the time.

Marguerite married Louis IX of France. She accompanied him to Egypt on his Crusade. When he was captured she was able to win his release. Eleanor married Henry III of England. He fought with everyone over everything. She constantly bailed him out but sometimes could not stop his wars. Sanchia married Henry's brother Richard. With Richard becoming King of the Romans, their marriage deteriorated further. Sanchia focused her life on her son. Beatrice married Louis' brother Charles. Together they conquered Sicily -a huge kingdom at that time.

If you want an exciting historical read, this is the book! It has been used by AAUW Book Groups for discussion.

Penney

Oregon Woman's Suffrage Celebration Kick Off February 1st

150 people packed into the Collins Gallery at the Multnomah County Central Library in Portland to celebrate the opening of the exhibit Votes for Women! The Oregon Story. This exhibit highlights more than a century of action by courageous women, and runs until March 6.

2012 marks the centennial of woman suffrage in Oregon, earlier than most women in the U.S. achieved suffrage. The exhibit explores the courageous moves made by both women and men who wanted equal access to voting. Visitors to the exhibit will see how the success of the woman suffrage movement propelled women into civic and political roles that we take for granted today.

The exhibit is presented by Century of Action, celebrating 100 years of Oregon women's right to vote and advancing the understanding of women's citizenship in Oregon's history.

Collins Gallery; 3rd floor, Central Library, 301 SW 10th Ave. Portland.

Monday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tuesday & Wednesday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Thursday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday: noon-5 p.m.

Mardy Stevens

AAUW Leadership Corps

Online Branch January 30th Meeting Notes

The Online Branch held its quarterly meeting on January 30, 2012. The branch has $60.00 in the treasury. The branch has 6 members. Our newest member is Maggie, a long time AAUW member. Welcome Maggie! Please invite you friends and colleagues to join the branch. Half-price membership dues runs through March 15.

Under Old Business the AAUW By-Laws staff indicated we need a "note-taker" and some one to archive the meeting minutes. Penney volunteered to do both.

Marketing efforts to date were presented. 45 newspapers were sent information in January. Libraries will no longer be sent flyers as it is too expensive and the response has been poor. Bookmarks are being given out to friends and at meetings. Facebook has produced several “like” posts. The website blog continues.

Penney will do a book review for February. Sunny will do one for April. We still need someone to do one in March. The focus of the book should be women. The review will be posted on our blog and Facebook page.

The branch is still exploring the idea of a partnership with a group. One idea being reviewed is a partnership with the Oregon Commission for Women.

There was no New Business.

Announcements

Oregon Woman’s Suffrage Centennial Celebration opens on January 25 at the Multnomah County Central Library in the Collins Gallery

Elect Her workshop in Salem at Willamette University on February 26

Legislature Convenes February 1st

AAUW of Oregon Lobby Corps - marciakelley@gmail.com;

"Virtual" branches survey by AAUW - this spring

Legislative Day February 7th - reservations at lwvor@lwvor.org by January 31

Holly Kearl from AAUW at PSU - February 13th

AAUW of Oregon Convention - April 20-22 in Pendleton

Penney Hoodenpyle

President

Online Branch

AAUW of Oregon

leehoody@frontier.com

Dues Increase Proposal

Well, I hope it is cold enough for you! I froze Sunday walking with my granddaughters. But it was fun to see how they enjoyed the snow.

By now you have received the information on the dues increase proposal that will be voted on at state convention in April. Susan Gilstrap, AAUW of Oregon Finance Vice President discussion is pertinent as to why we need to raise the state dues from $11.00 to $16.00 per year. We are a member-based organization and when membership numbers declines, revenue does also.

One thing not discussed was the threshold of finances and member numbers we could drop to and still be solvent. Although that seems like a mute point, I do think we need to have a dollar and number figure past which we can not go and continue to function.

It is difficult for me to look at all this as I was state Membership Vice President from 2007 to 2011. The membership numbers did decrease during my "watch". But I do know that branch Membership Vice Presidents made a concerted effort to recruit and retain members. I traveled the state to consult, did a bi-monthly newsletter with R&R ideas and watched how hard each branch MVP worked.

We have to make a choice regarding our organization - raise the dues or increase member numbers. Recruiting and especially retaining members is very difficult. It involves changing how we do things, trying new ideas, and reaching out to our communities in new ways. If each of us recruited one new member every year that would certainly help solve our member and financial problem.

I do believe we need to raise our state dues. I plan to vote for the increase but do not see it as a panacea.

Penney Hoodenpyle

President

Online Branch

AAUW of Oregon

Rights of Women

Greetings!

It is 2012. This will be a great year!

Doing this blog is good for me because it makes me keep up with ideas and events. One of my graduate school professors said that you needed to read the newspaper every day. And so I go through the Oregonian, front to back, each morning while I eat breakfast.

On Sunday, January 1st the Oregonian had an excellent editorial on Hillary Clinton by David Sarasohn. I know she is a lightning rod for some but I have been a fan of hers for years. She is a woman I truly admire.

The commentary focuses on her accomplishments as US Secretary of State. It also discusses her years of pursuit for the rights of women globally. And more importantly on a woman's right to be safe and free from violence. Rape is, of course, the ultimate "tool" used to control us - Egypt, Somalia, Cambodia, etc., etc. Clinton has used her position as US Secretary of State to bring violence against women to the forefront internationally. This hasn't necessarily made her popular, particularly in Muslim countries.

But she is correct. A woman's right to be safe and free from all types of violence is a human right. Clinton believes that no country has the right to savage its women or to waste women in any way. Hopefully 2012 will be the year that nations realize the value of each person and treat each of us with respect and dignity.

Penney Hoodenpyle

President

Online Branch

AAUW's Mission
AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

Book Review

No Excuses, by Gloria Feldt, 2010

–9 ways women can change how we think about power–

Tools for Leading an Unlimited Life

Gloria Feldt outlines in definitive detail how each of us can gain power...not the power-over but the power-to. Personal stories of friends and colleagues, experiences, and research give the reader oodles of content upon which to build the understanding that power is a relationship and that we want everyone to have power. Power-to is leadership, and it is a shift from a culture of oppression (power-over) to a culture of positive intention. Power-to can be developed in professional, organizational, political, and personal lives. Feldt explains that, “...we have no valid excuses for failing to keep on moving forward – ” to be a sister, have courage, and act together to insure more rights for all women and equality for men and women.

Terms such as: passion, intention, courage, opportunity, share, network, and persistence permeate the text, suggesting how to take truth to power. Feldt relates stumbling blocks from the past and highlights, with details, that now is the time to reach the 30% tipping point. (The proportion of women needed on decision-making bodies to make a qualitative difference.)

No Excuses and the 9 ways women can change how we think about power will be a dynamic training ground or study for every group of leaders. You can connect with Gloria Feldt at www.GloriaFeldt.com.

The specific 9 ways women can change how we think about power: 1) Know your history. 2) Define your own terms. 3) Use what you’ve got. 4) Embrace controversy. 5) Carpe the chaos. 6) Wear the shirt. 7) Create a movement. 8) Employ every medium. 9) Tell your story.

This book review was done by Mardy Stevens. Mardy is a member of the Online branch, Gresham Area branch, and serves as a Leadership Corps member.