A history of supporting of women

The Petaluma branch of the American Association of University Women celebrates 50 years of promoting equity, lifelong education and positive societal change for women and girls

August 3, 2005

By MEGAN STEFFEN
ARGUS-COURIER INTERN

When Rory Keller came to Petaluma in 1996, she wanted to connect with the community.

She remembers looking for different groups to join and finding the Petaluma branch of the American Association of University Women, with its commitment to promoting equity, lifelong education and positive societal change for women and girls.

Already familiar with the AAUW's political stances on a national level, Keller realized that the Petaluma branch was "the right place to be."

It's been nine years since Keller joined the local branch, 17 years since she joined on a national level and 50 years since the Petaluma branch was founded.

Keller is the current president of the Petaluma branch, overseeing the activities of more than 200 members and the 50th anniversary celebration held recently to honor the accomplishments of the organization and its founding members.

All of the founding members were awarded the Named Gift Honoree Award for outstanding service to the branch.

"It was an opportunity to look back and see what we had done these past 50 years," said Theresa Haire, a co-chair of the event and a past president and member of the AAUW since 1987. "It was a chance to see some long-standing friends and an opportunity to decide where we want to go in the future."

Since its inception, the Petaluma AAUW has done everything from running candidates nights during election years to sending informative books to Korea, from sponsoring a softball team to sponsoring a delegate from Egypt for the International Federation of University Women Conference.

According to Keller, the accomplishments of the past 50 years are easily visible in the number of events that were started by AAUW members and eventually taken over by a community that realized their importance.

Discovery Days, a summer learning program for children, was founded by the AAUW and taken over by the Petaluma Boys and Girls Club.

The AAUW was also responsible for an all-city art show that the Petaluma School District began to organize after about 15 years. Before the AAUW started providing such programs, there was no college information night or career counseling at either of the local high schools.

"Eventually," said Keller, "the schools decided that yes, it was something they needed."

Haire observed that "over the years, AAUW has done an awful lot with Petaluma schools."

Members of the AAUW helped write the Petaluma School District's sexual harassment policy and have been giving a scholarship to a graduating high school senior since 1960.

Currently, the Petaluma AAUW runs the Sister-to-Sister program, a one-day summit run by senior high school girls to help junior high school girls make the transition to high school.

The group also provides scholarships for girls who want to go to Tech Trek, a week-long math and science camp at Mills College or Stanford University, and scholarships for re-entry women who are going back to college at Sonoma State University.

There are also groups within the AAUW that go out to lunch, plays and wine tastings.

"We do fun stuff like that too," said Laurie Leary, who is also a past president and co-chair of the 50th anniversary celebration, "but the goal is to get girls educated -- and women, too, if they haven't had the opportunity yet."

Most members of the organization say that they have benefited the most through the friendships the AAUW has allowed them to make.

"For me," said Nancy Sutton, a past president and 20-year member, "it's been the best group I ever joined."

(Contact Megan Steffen at argus@arguscourier.com)