President’s Report – AAUW Owensboro 2025
This AAUW year that began in July 2024, has been a very special one in which we continued throughout the year to honor the 70th Anniversary of our Owensboro Branch founded in 1954. New events were added to the established program to celebrate and to provide opportunities to bring members together to become better acquainted. As our membership continues to grow our Branch is infused with fresh ideas and energy to help guide us forward.
Likewise, we see renewed energy in the AAUW Kentucky Board that has regrouped following disruptions of the COVID Pandemic and loss of past leaders. Going forward, we are proud to announce that our own Jen Vogel will join the state board beginning in July 2025 as Vice-President and President Elect. Already, our branch has gained much from Jen’s leadership as Treasurer and contributions to all aspects of your Board’s work. We are proud of Jen and know that, likewise, her leadership statewide will energize the work of AAUW across the state of Kentucky.
At this time, we will revisit the events of our year with photos collected and collated by Judy Adams.
Our annual participation in the Multicultural Festival in August was again a great time for members to interact with the community at large and to share our history and efforts to provide equal opportunities for women and girls. Members signed up for two hour shifts and had a beautiful summer day to enjoy the camaraderie.
As always in August, we celebrated Women’s Equality Day with our wearing of white clothing and purple banners in honor of those Suffragists who fought long and hard for Women’s Right to Vote. The program began with the presentation of the American flag by the all female honor guard from Owensboro High School Girls and the pledge of allegiance led by Girls Inc. Our Featured Speaker, Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Payne Jones, told of her inspiring journey from her first childhood decision to be a lawyer to achieving the major position of sitting on the Kentucky Court of Appeal.
Books read in July, August & September. One exception to our usual choice of books by women was The Coal Tattoo by KY poet laureate, Silas House, that is a fictionalize story of two important women in his life, his Mother and Aunt.
In anticipation of the important issues in our upcoming election, we joined in the Campaign To Protect Public Schools, a grassroots effort to educate Kentuckians on an attempt to fundamentally change our state constitution and allow public funds be awarded to private schools. The proposed Amendment was solidly defeated.
October brought our always lively and fun birthday party for Eleanor Roosevelt at Girls, Inc with activities designed to educate the girls about Ms Roosevelt’s important work and, of course the party ended with cake and ice cream! Katie Kolonich again organized all aspects of the party and was assisted by several other AAUW members.
Book Group continued with an eclectic selection of reading in October, November & January
Then in November, we held our first “FRIENDSGIVING” Potluck that featured a perfectly grilled beef tenderloin donated and prepared by Chris Vogel and accompanied by many special side dishes prepared by members. Banned Book Bingo was a light-hearted reminder of the importance of our work to support our local Daviess County Library in keeping books available for all.
JOKABOKAFLUT at Girls Inc. follows an Icelandic tradition in which each person is gifted a book to read on Christmas Eve. It is a highlight of our December activities each year when we gift each girl their very own gift wrapped age-appropriate book to enjoy on Christmas Eve.
Owensboro AAUW became a founding member of the Coalition for an Inclusive Daviess County and participated in the CONNECTIONS RALLY in January. In this slide we see member Rev. Rhondalyn Randolph addressing the crowd.
Our book group selections for the next three months follows our focus on stories about women, written by women. All three were powerful historically-based stories of three remarkable women who advanced the rights of women by their bravery and persistence.
We were delighted to co-sponsor, along with the H.L. Neblett Center, Dr. Kathy Bullock of the Kentucky Humanities Council, who used words and songs to relay the struggles of black women for freedom and their civil rights. This was a well attended event, including our KY AAUW President Gae Broadwater and friend from Frankfort.
Our member luncheon in March was held at the Briar Patch Restaurant. Our own Historian, Aloma Dew, was our speaker and emphasized to us that the Equal Rights Amendment was still not an official amendment to the US Constitution even though it has been approved by the requisite number of states. Our work for equality is indeed a work in progress!
The Athena Awards were a highlight in March and AAUW had two very special reasons to be delighted. Not only was our member, Jen Vogel, a nominee for the award but also Mary Hale Dean, who was the driving force in establishing the public library in Owensboro, was awarded the Legacy Award. Dean’s Granddaughter, Marilyn Swinford came from Lexington to accept the award for the family and joined us at our AAUW table to share the event. After the ceremony, Marilyn visited the library to see in person the legacy of her ancestor.
March is Women’s History Month and the time when AAUW members honor some of the local women who worked for the rights we now enjoy by placing flags at their gravestones, in several local cemeteries, including the one shown at Mt. St Joseph.
In April we conducted our Annual Elmwood Historical Tour of Local Women Who Broke Barriers in gaining women’s suffrage and other civil rights. AAUW members were available at designated gravesites to provide a narrative of that person’s life and achievements to tour guests.
Book Selections for the next two meetings Book Group Meetings of our AAUW calendar. Our May Book Group meeting is Friday, May 30 at 6 pm at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 720 Ford Avenue. LeDonna Rae will host.
We are called to action once again as strong efforts are being made to move control of our Kentucky public schools from appropriate educators to politicians. AAUW OWENSBORO and AAUW KY supports the work of the grass-roots organization “PROTECT OUR SCHOOLS KY” in the effort to keep educational decisions in the hands of EDUCATORS.
YES, COLLABORATION IS THE KEY TO HAVING AN OWENSBORO, STATE AND NATION THAT IS EQUAL FOR ALL
This is the last official event of my tenure as President and so I want to recognize the talents and efforts that all the board members have contributed to our many events and tasks. Each member came to our monthly board meetings prepared to engage and assist in making your Owensboro AAUW Branch one in which you could take pride.
There is one member, however, that I especially want to highlight for her many years and the diverse ways in which she has kept our Branch relevant even when membership diminished and Branch activities were reduced to the popular monthly book group. As many of you probably know, Judy Adams has been a part of AAUW since she joined as a young mother in Maine 54 years ago in1971. As her family moved over time, she continued to be active in AAUW and brought her exceptional energy and commitment with her to Owensboro when moving here in 1986. Judy’s work over the years is visible in the success of the Owensboro AAUW Branch and the many community groups she serves as an active participant. I would like us to show her our deep appreciation with a standing round of applause.
-submitted by President Mary Cupp, May 8, 2025