******************************************
Mission: To advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy.
The AAUW-Midland (MI) Branch, Inc. was established in 1934. It is comprised of approximately 70 members from Midland and the surrounding area who come together to address issues that focus on leadership, equity for women and girls, education, and economic security. General Meetings that are open to the public.
AAUW – Midland Branch, Inc. is on Facebook!
AAUW – Midland Branch is now on Twitter and Instagram!
Check us out! @aauwmidlandmi
***************************************
Join us as we continue to Empower Women.
Application & contact info:
Our next sale will be May 2,3 & 4, 2025.
AAUW Midland (MI) Branch, Inc. Used Book Sales
Find great bargains at the next AAUW Midland Branch at the Midland Mall!
The Used Book Sale hours are 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday is “bag day”!
Books are sorted into many categories including suspense, romance, westerns, fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, collectibles and children’s books.
• Most hardcover books are priced at $2
• Most paperbacks are $1 to $2
• Others are priced as marked
Donate your books! Sale proceeds from your generous book donations help to fund our Scholarships! Collection barrels are located at Family Fare, Kroger and at the Midland Mall (at the two main entrances: Food Court entrance and the entrance next to Alex’s Restaurant.
Barrels will be out during the month of April 2025.
Please, no encyclopedias, magazines or recent textbooks.
************ ____________________________________________________________________
College classmates, Olivia Getzinger & Kaitlyn Wilson attended NCCWSL 2023 together.
*********************************************************
The Conference will help students develop leadership & Networking Skills. It is presented by AAUW & NASPA’s Center for Scholarship, Research, & Professional Development for Women. More than 1,000 women from around the United States attended last year. AAUW promotes equity, education, & development of opportunity for women & girls that enable them to realize their full potential.
*********************************************************
It is now time to apply for your NCCWSL Adventure!
Complete the application and send it in for
a wonderful weekend of learning, networking and so much more!
2025 nccwsl FINAL APP
https://midland-mi.aauw.net/files/2024/09/2025-nccwsl-FINAL-APP.docx
___________________________________________________________________
Make Friends and Make a Difference with AAUW!
Consider joining the Midland Branch of AAUW! If you join at a public event (such as one of our general meetings or at our Used Book Sale) you will receive 50 percent off our national dues. Enjoy this nice incentive as you become part of an organization that supports women and provides many opportunities for personal growth and camaraderie.
********************************************************************************
Become a Two-Minute Activist
Do take five minutes to go to the AAUW.org site and follow the 4 steps listed below to nudge our elected officials to take action on a topic of interest to you. Affirming the Equal Rights Amendment
would be a good choice, but maybe the “pass the Paycheck Fairness Act” is of interest to you. Or ending the Student Debt Crisis. Or any of the other seven topics.
4 Steps to Become a Two-Minute Activist
(1) Go to AAUW.org
(2) Click on the “Take Action” option in the banner at the top of the home page
(3) Choose “Two-Minute Activist” from the options list
(4) Pick one of the above topics and you’re on your way
Try it! The response may take 5 minutes the first
time, but thereafter it should take only 2. You will
have the satisfaction of letting our elected officials
know what you care about.
**************************************************
NCCWSL – AAUW : Empowering Women Since 1881
AAUW – Midland branch has two $1,500 scholarships to be given to two candidates to attend the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL).
If you or someone you know would like to attend this amazing conference, please complete the application form below.
Deadline for applications is January 27, 2024.
2024 NCC info & Application
************************************
Branch Interest Groups
The Book Lovers
Join these passionate readers who tell it as they see it
about books and authors. Fun is the game, and hearing what
others have to say about a book you may love or hate invites a lively discussion. Each member puts a book into the rotation usually a current fiction or nonfiction choice. Books are passed on a regular schedule. In
addition, a few times a year we choose a book we all read at the
same time. New members are welcome.
Reading for Fun
Members read recent edition hard cover books, fiction and non-fiction.
Books are passed every 3 weeks.
Matinees and More
This group enjoys quality films and meets in the afternoon.
Members gather based on interest and availability of
movies. A discussion may follow the movie over coffee. New
members and guests are always welcome.
Shelterhouse Birthdays
Members take turns providing birthday gifts for mothers and
their children who are in residence at Shelterhouse. We believe these small gestures provide a great deal of comfort to women in a stressful
situation. Funds are provided by the Branch Board and gift cards
from members. New members are welcome.
Exclusive Museum Member Newsletter / FROM THE ARCHIVES: JUNE 2024
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN (AAUW) MIDLAND, MI BRANCH RECORDS –
NINETY YEARS OF WOMEN’S HISTORY AND ACTIVISM IN MIDLAND
BY CRYSTAL LAUDEMAN
“On Tuesday afternoon, May 8, 1934, a group of college women interested in organizing a Midland Branch of the American Association of University Women met at the home of Mrs. W.M. Murch to meet Mrs. Steinhilbir of Jackson, Michigan – first Vice-President of the Michigan Branch.”
Organized May 8, 1934, the Midland Branch of the AAUW is one of the oldest and longest running active Women’s organizations in Midland. The first meeting to establish the Midland Branch was held in the home of Bertha Murch (Mrs. W.M. Murch). The first public meeting held one week later included fifty local women interested in the formation of a local AAUW branch. The purpose of the group was to unite alumna of colleges and universities for practical education work, develop programs, engage with social and civic activities, and promote policies and programs of the American Association of University Women.
Handwritten meeting minutes from the first meeting to establish the Midland Branch of the AAUW. AAUW (MI) Branch Records.
Handwritten meeting minutes from the first official meeting of the Midland AAUW, including the election of officers. AAUW (MI) Branch Records.
The Midland AAUW has a long history of activism in the community – including participating in the establishment of Delta College (Tri-City College), the creation of the Voluntary Action Bureau, and the establishment of the School Board Candidate Forum, currently hosted as a joint project with the Midland Area League of Women Voters. Historically the organization has participated in addressing policy and community issues including The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), nuclear power issues, and education.
The Midland AAUW published the HELPS Booklet, (Higher Education, Loans, Plans and Scholarships), first created in 1954 as “Start Now! – And You Can Go to College” for students and parents to create an awareness of various resources for funding assistance for higher education. The organization has included various study or interest groups, hosted workshops, seminars, and conferences, and participated in various community committees and studies. The popular spring and fall annual Used Book Sales support scholarships and educational activities of the organization.
List of the Charter Members of the Midland AAUW. AAUW (MI) Branch Records.
The “Start Now!” Booklet encouraged high school students to think about college opportunities and funding resources. The publication continues as the “HELPS” Booklet. AAUW (MI) Branch Records.
Historical records of organizations provide a vital resource for understanding the impact of community activism and evidence for understanding the history of organizations, people, issues, and events. The Midland Branch of the AAUW is just one such organization to have a lasting and marked impact on the community. It is through the preservation of the Midland AAUW historical records that now, ninety years later, we can share their history and understand not only how the organization was formed, but the years of service and the history and impact Women’s activism had in shaping our community through active engagement with Women’s clubs and organizations including the AAUW and others.
The history of the Midland AAUW Branch is available for anyone with an interest in the group or Women’s activities in Midland. First transferred to the Midland County Historical Society in 2005, the AAUW is one of four active organizations working with the Midland County Historical Society to preserve their organization’s records in the Archive.
You can find a list of Women’s History resources available here.
We appreciate your readership and museum membership! Continue exploring the Midland County Historical Society Online Archive here.
To contribute to the archive contact us: History@midlandcenter.org