The Yates County Branch is a long-standing community of women, retired and working, who share common interests and promote educational opportunities for women and girls. We currently have around 35 members, with three new members joining us just this past year. We are a fairly small rural chapter from central New York in the Finger Lakes region. We normally meet monthly at one of the member’s homes. Our meetings are advertised in the local weekly newspapers and are open to anyone who is interested in the program of the month. We start the year off with a “Build-a-Salad” get-together in the Fall and end the year with a Pot Luck Dinner in the Spring. Our total annual dues are $66.00 ($45.00 to national, $10.00 to state and $11.00 to our local branch).

Each year the Yates County Branch raises money to award a local woman with an Interrupted Studies Grant. We also contribute a matching amount to the National AAUW Educational Foundation as a named gift to honor one of our members. This past year, Helen Alexander was honored in memoriam for her enthusiasm, friendship, hard work, and volunteering spirit that she brought to our Branch from day one of her membership.

To raise funds we hold a yearly Used Book Sale in the summer that the community looks forward to and supports. We’ve had House Tours, Yard Sales, Silent Auctions, 50-50s and most recently Community Dinners catered by Steve Owens.  

This year we will also be continuing to promote our relationship with Keuka College and its Women’s Center. There are young women there who are very interested in the AAUW initiative on sexual harassment on campuses. Carlie Chilson, our interrupted studies grant recipient for the last two years, also works with Keuka College students who are Fairy Godmothers to our young girls at the Penn Yan Elementary School and Middle School. Thirty college women are mentoring, planning and providing activities once a week for the younger girls through clubs at each of the schools. Our AAUW branch donates toiletries to the girls and provides refreshments for some of their meetings.

If you live in beautiful, scenic Yates County, permanently or seasonally, we’d love to have you join us.

2007-08 Branch Officers

• President – Mary Anne Wilson
• Program Vice-Presidents – Karen Morris and Sharon Pinckney
• Membership Vice-President – Ann Mathewson
• Secretary – Sherry Lawn
• Treasurer – Gail Eyer
• Newsletter/Communications – Mary Geo Tomion
• Educational Foundation – Joan Rubin
• Legal Advocacy – Corinne Stork
• Archives – Jackie DeBolt
• Interrupted Studies Grant – Mary Geo Tomion
• Book Group – Gail Eyer and Ann Mathewson

Yates County Branch Programs, 2007-2008

• 9/24 Cardiac Health - “Build a Salad” - Corry Stork’s
• 10/22 Peach Corps - “AIDS in Africa” - Marcia Dugan’s
• 11/26 Organ Donation - “Heart/Lung Recipient” - Sonja Simpson’s
• 1/26 Alternative Energy - “Brunch” - Lyons National Bank
• 2/23 Surprise - “Brunch” - TBA
• 3/24 Harry Potter - “Dr. Trista Merrill” - Helen Stewart’s
• 4/28 Annual Meeting - “Silent Auction” - Jean MacAlpine’s
• 5/19 Family Planning - “Yates County” - TBA
• 6/23 Annual Picnic - “Fairy Godmothers” - Cobblestone House
  

For more information please contact Mary Geo Tomion for a newsletter or Ann Matthewson (Membership VP) at 315-536-4052.

The American Association of University Women advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research. The Legal Advocacy Fund provides funding and a support system for women seeking judicial redress for sex discrimination.

Links to Other Sites

• New York State AAUW
  
• National AAUW
  
• Branches across the nation