Julia Previto
NYS Cultural Interests Director

Every Year can be a Party!

Celebrate Eleanor Roosevelt’s Birthday

Eleanor Roosevelt, “First Lady of the World” is a mentor and role model for AAUW. A year long birthday party is a wonderful way to celebrate this legacy through branch programs and projects. Eleanor communicated with clarity, simplicity and sincerity! Keep these three little words in mind as you design your own unique Eleanor Roosevelt birthday party in your branch. Here are some suggestions to get you started!

• Begin each branch meeting with a quote by Eleanor.
• Encourage your book groups to select one of the many books about Eleanor for reading and discussion this year.
• View and discuss “Soul of Iron” with Jean Stapleton as Eleanor at your October branch meetings.
• Serve a fabulous birthday cake to all members on her actual birthday, October 11.
• Give a monetary gift to the Education Foundation’s Eleanor Roosevelt Fund to honor Eleanor on her special day.
• Plan a “night at the movies” to show and discuss an ER biography or a film about Franklin and Eleanor - Don’t forget the popcorn!
• Plan a special event to raise money for our Education Foundation’s Eleanor Roosevelt Fund. These events could be a walk, tea party, bus trip or gala.
• Use “Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way” by Robin Gerber as a year-long study to improve our leadership skills. Robin is a friend of The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill. You can contact her at www.robingerber.com for keynote presentations, workshops or book club phone consultations.
• Present Lisa Blau’s reader’s theater script entitled: Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady of the World at a branch meeting.
• Plan a visit to Val-Kill in Hyde Park, New York. Become a friend of Val-Kill.
• Explore www.ervk.org to learn more about the life and times of this extraordinary woman.
• Plan an “Eleanor Everywhere” event (tea/picnic/potluck) and have members dress as ER.
• Use ER as a model for thinking and doing by posing the question – What would Eleanor do?
• Visit the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee. The Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee is building a new generation of Democratic women candidates, informed voters, and political activists throughout New York State.
• Combine a number of these party elements and create an Eleanor Roosevelt Birthday Bash.
• Invite your daughters, grand daughters, Girl Scouts or other youth groups to make this celebration intergenerational and share this amazing woman with the next generation.