My Dear Friends,
We are approaching April already! What a glorious time of year! I am not so sure that we will fully appreciate it as we have had some unusual April-like weather throughout the winter. Not many of us are complaining, however. Lenore Hetrick (1926-1994) commemorated April for us in her poem,
“Life Begins Again In April”
Life begins again — in April!
How this dead earth comes to flower!
How the dry boughs wake and quicken
In this blooming, springtime hour!
Life begins again — in April!
And the bird is on the wing,
Books are flowing, breezes tender
In a rhapsody of spring.
April is National Poetry Month. We enjoyed the poems of Ada Limón, United States Poet Laureate, in January of this year in Joy Davis’s Literature Seminar. We are proud to have so many strong women leaders. Ada Limón has been named one of Time magazine’s 12 Women of the Year for 2024. Limón and the other 11 women are being celebrated for being “extraordinary leaders who are working toward a more equal world.”
We are looking forward to hearing our own members share their poetry with us on April 9. It is always a fun day! Please come and listen and better yet, be a part of the readings!
We have strong ties to promoting and protecting women both in our St. Paul Branch and nationally. Our own amazing women of AAUW are working hard to make a difference for all women by supporting the Equal Rights Amendment. Members from our Branch attended the rally in February, and we are very proud of them. Together, we can reach gender equality in education, economic security, and leadership. Our mission is: Equity for All. A big thank-you to those who participated!
Our Leadership Team has very diligently tried to make your year a wonderful one. Our programs speak for themselves! There is something for everyone! When we recruit people for the Leadership Team, we look for you! Please take some time to explore what you can do to make our Branch even stronger! There are many areas that need some extra hands. YOU can help!
Thank you for your continued generosity! Your donations of books and donations to Community Outreach make an impact. We are thrilled to be able to help our community members and scholarship recipients pursue their educations. We are a “take charge and take care” group of women. We are about 305 of 170,000 AAUW members in the nation and we are making differences every day.
Enjoy the spring,
My best to all,
Carol Hanson, AAUW President 2022-24
Carolehanson6@gmail.com or 612.210.6677
Posted: 3/6/24