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PARADISE AAUW BRANCH HISTORY
1980-2005
HISTORY
OF THE PARADISE BRANCH AAUW
by Historian LaVere Aulie
Written in 1980
For many years the AAUW members living in Paradise belonged to the Chico Branch.
Many of these women would not drive to Chico for night meetings, so they could
not be participating, active members of that group. In late 1979, Wini
Steiner and LaVere Aulie talked about organizing a Paradise Branch. Since
LaVere had previously organized a Branch at South Lake Tahoe, she agreed to
serve as chairman for the organizing committee. Members of the committee
included Wini Steiner, Carol Gorden, Peggy Arms, Mabel Balen Joffre, Carol May
and LaVere Aulie.
With the help and guidance of the California State Division officers, the long
process leading to
chartering was begun. In March of 1980 the By-laws had been approved by
the AAUW Association
so a meeting was called to introduce AAUW to the women of Paradise, elect
officers and vote on the
By-Laws. This first meeting was held on March 18, 1980 at the Odd-Fellow
Hall. Lynn Harris,
president-elect of the California State Division, explained the history,
purposes, and activities of
AAUW to 45 enthusiastic women.
On April 29, 1980 the following officers were elected to lead the Paradise
Branch:
Carol Gorden, president
Wini Steiner, First Vice-president, Program
Peggy Arms, Second Vice-president, membership
Charlotte Hodges, Secretary
Carol May, Treasurer
Charter membership was kept open throughout the first year and 74 women composed
the base for the continuing growth of the Paradise Branch of American
Association of University Women.
TEN
YEARS OF GROWTH, ACCOMPLISHMENT AND FUN
A History of Our 1st Ten Years of Paradise AAUW 1980-1990
By Kristi Youngdahl
Published in 1990
Prior to the chartering of the Paradise Branch of AAUW in 1980, women from the
Ridge who wished to be part of the organization joined the Chico Branch.
Often the commute to Chico for evening meetings was difficult and members found
that they were not as active as they wanted to be. Recognizing the
problems of belonging to a group in one community while living in another,
LaVere Aulie and Wini Steiner decided the time was right to form a Paradise
Branch.
In late 1979 the two started the long process needed to charter a new branch.
LaVere, who had helped organize the South Lake Tahoe AAUW, agreed to be chairman
of the organizational committee. Other members of the committee were Wini,
Carol Gordon, Peggy Arms, Mabel Balen Joffre, and Carol May. With guidance of
the California State Division (CSD), the committee wrote the by-laws.
These were approved by the Association in March of 1980 and Paradise became
California’s 177th branch. Through newspaper articles the public became
aware of the organizational efforts and on March 18, 1980, forty-five women
arrived at the Oddfellows Hall to learn more. Lynn Harris, then
President-Elect of the CSD, was there to explain the history, purposes and
activities of AAUW. On April 29, another meeting was held and officers
elected to guide the fledgling Paradise Branch. Leaders that first year
were: Carol Gordon, President; Wini Steiner, 1st Vice President-Program; Peggy
Arms, 2nd Vice-President-Membership; Charlotte Hodges, Secretary and Carol
May, Treasurer. Charter membership was kept open throughout the first year
and 74 women joined. Of those 74 charter members, 24 were still on the
active roster in 1990.
The first year we had minimal funds for operation, but that did not stop the
group from becoming an active and visible part of the community. A variety
of interesting programs drew other eligible community members to the group.
A smorgasbord of special interest groups - potluck, dining out, contemporary
books, bridge and gourmet-offered members a chance to become acquainted.
One of our first steps into the community was taken by the Parenting Study
Group, first organized in the fall of 1980 by Wini Steiner, Eleanor Zahnd and
Kristi Youngdahl. In August of 1981 the group invited others from the
community to join them and the Community Coalition for Responsible Parenting was
formed. Public awareness of the need for Family Life Education was created by
the Coalition and they successfully petitioned the school board to appoint a
Community Family Life Advisory Committee. Their efforts eventually led to
community support for peer counseling programs at the Intermediate School and
High School and to the funding of a counseling position at the Intermediate
School. Coalition members went on to serve on district and curriculum
advisory committees and eventually a district-wide health curriculum
encompassing many of the Coalition’s original concerns was implemented.
In the fall of 1981 we launched our first fund raising effort for the
Educational Foundation Program (EFP) with a "Trinkets, Trash and Treasure
Sale" chaired by Marilyn Fairchild and Alice Price. Proceeds from the
sale enabled us to send $500 to EFP and select Rub Schwartzlow (posthumously) as
our first EFP Named Honoree. Since the first effort we have raised $7500
for EFP and named fifteen of our hardworking members as Honorees.
Not only have we worked hard to raise money for EFP but we have benefited from
those funds- nearly $2700 in EFP grants have been awarded to members. In
1983 Charlott Hodges received a public service grant of $850 for "Families
in Conflict", a workshop on child abuse and domestic violence. In
1985 Kristi Youngdahl received $920 for an individual research and projects
grant to prepare a manuscript on women’s roles during WW II. In 1988
Ronda Hoffman received a public service grant of $800 for "Stress
Inoculation Day" a workshop designed to teach youngsters how to cope with
stress.
In the spring of 1983 we took another major step into the community when Lora
Schiffner organized the first Math-Science Workshop for 8th Grade girls.
The seminar was such a success it became an annual event. Over the years
it gradually changed shape and focus. In 1988, in response to community
request, the workshop was revised to include boys and was renamed Career Day.
That year we worked with parent members from the Intermediate School to organize
the event. In 1989 Career Day was turned over to the Intermediate School
Parent Organization and it continues under their guidance.
As we grew our original focus on community involvement never wavered. We
provided garbage containers along the parade route for several Gold Nugget
Parades, we painted playground equipment at two local parks, and Wini Steiner
and France Pence started networking with eight other community women’s groups
to support each other and coordinate efforts on common goals. Our
continued concern for the youth of our community was addressed in 1984 when Wini
Steiner and Marilyn Walsh formed a committee which conducted a survey to
determine if there was adequate, affordable child care available on the ridge.
Their efforts brought public attention to the problem of latch key children.
In 1985 Frances Pence implemented the first "Real Women’s Essay
Contest" for local students. The popular event continues to be
supported by our branch. In the fall of 1989 Frances organized a job
shadowing program for ninth grade girls to expose them to local professional
women.
Always, we have kept education a high priority. Speakers from the
educational community and our own representatives to school board meetings have
kept us abreast of progress with the district. Several of our members hold
positions on a variety of school district advisory boards. In 1989 Gina
Morgan spearheaded a committee to raise funds and award a re-entry scholarship
to a local woman attending Butte College. The first scholarship was given
to Jan Eaton, a young Paradise widow with three children. In March the
board voted to name the scholarship fund the Frances Pence Memorial Scholarship
Fund in memory of Francie whose dynamic leadership helped shape our branch
during its first ten years.
We’ve also maintained an interest in providing cultural events for our
community. In 1986 Madge Ebright planned an Opera Workshop which performed
at the Elementary and Intermediate schools. Two art shows many theater
parties and two Opera Galas have served the dual purpose of providing cultural
events and raising EFP funds.
Never did our interests stop at the borders of our ridge community. An
active International Relations Group has helped to focus our attention on world
events. In 1983 our volunteer efforts extended far beyond Paradise when
the board elected to host ten West Germans in celebration of the Tri-Centennial
of German settlement in America. As we grew we expanded our knowledge of
AAUW by sending members to District meetings, State Division Fall Conferences
and Spring Conventions. Frances Pence became our first member to serve at
the CSD level. She held offices on the CSD until her death in February
1990.
As we face our second decade we can certainly look back with pride. We
have made a visible impact on our community, we have provided our membership
with intellectual stimulation and opportunities for personal growth, on-going
interest groups have provided social outlets for members and spouses and we have
formed special friendships, many of which are inter-generational. We have
worked hard to further AAUW’s mission, but we have had lots of fun along the
way!
THE
SECOND TEN YEARS OF GROWTH, ACCOMPLISHMENT & FUN
A History of Our Second Ten Years of Paradise AAUW
1990-2000
By Dianne Lorenz and
Marygrace Colby Published September, 2001
As Paradise Branch entered its second decade, we counted among our membership 24
women who were charter members ten years earlier.
Always a dynamic group as a whole, we paused to acknowledge the recognition
granted to individual members. In observance of the D-Day anniversary the
Enterprise Record published a series of articles from Kristi Youngdahl’s
unpublished book, "Forever Changed: The Women Behind the American War
Effort 1941-46". Kristi’s book was supported by a research grant from the
AAUW, and several of the women whose stories Kristi told were members of the
Paradise Branch AAUW. Kristi’s dedication to research and writing
culminated with the publication of her book, The Arams of Idaho, in
January, 1996, by the University of Idaho Press and is available in bookstores
nation wide.
In the early 90’s, when our Butte County’s Library system struggled to keep
going, volunteer help often made the difference between reference services, or
no service. Branch member Margaret Finch was dubbed " our
outreach program" by assistant Librarian Eleanor Gordon for her tireless
efforts and dedication. Soroptimist International of the Americans, Inc.
recognized Branch President Helen Foster for "advancing the status of
women" with a certificate of appreciation and merit.
A very special recognition was granted in memoriam to charter and activist
member, Frances Pence, who died in March, 1990. On April 26, 1991, the
most distinguished award given by the California State Division of AAUW, the
Education Foundation Named Honoree Gift was awarded in honor of Frances
Pence and was presented to her daughter at the State Convention in Costa Mesa.
Grand Marshall’s of the 1993 Gold Nugget Celebration were Lois and
Archie McDonald, selected by the committee for their community service and
dedicated efforts to preserve the history of the Ridge. Archie joined the branch
in 1989, and he spent many years as our sole male member. His
outstanding work on behalf of the Legal Advocacy Fund continued throughout the
1990’s.
In 1992 Ronda Hoffman was honored as the "Citizen of the Year" by the
Elks Club, while Shirley Sait- Huneven received recognition by the National AARP
for "outstanding volunteer work on behalf of the AARP’s Health Advocacy
Services Program. In 1999 Lois McDonald was honored as "Citizen of
the Year" in Paradise. Her research on the history of Paradise has
continued for many years.
In December, 1997, Barbara Roberts, who along with her spouse had run a
successful law firm in Paradise for 15 years. She was appointed by the
Governor, as a Judge to the Butte County Consolidated Court. Barbara’s
appointment made her the second woman judge in the County’s history.
Paradise Branch continued to contribute to the community in a variety of ways.
The Branch co-sponsored a special music concert for area wide school children
which continued through the 1990’s. In 1999 the first live concert in
the new Paradise Performing Arts Center was a youth concert, for which the
Branch provided women to assist in supervision of students in attendance.
Jane Lesko has spearheaded this project for many years.
Interest groups such as bridge, books, potluck, international relations, gourmet
dining and dining out have remained as popular events along with the yearly Soup
Suppers and Holiday events. Outstanding speakers have made presentations
at Branch Meetings, keeping up with current events and various programs on the
national and local levels.
Joining the fun of the time-honored Ridge celebration of Johnny Appleseed Days,
our branch held a cheesecake sale during the event for several years.
Besides increasing our visibility in the community, the proceeds of the sale
benefited the Education Foundation Fund . Another fun and gala event was
the AAUW Theater On The Ridge Party. Champagne, desserts and a production
staged by TOTR were enjoyed by all who attended, while the proceeds went going
to the Education Foundation and the branch.
In 1994, under the guidance of the Education Committee and spearheaded by Lora
Schiffner, Claudean McAlexander, and Gina Morgan, a math-science seminar for
girls was re-introduced as a branch project. The project evolved into a career
exploration experience that allowed young girls a hands-on experience with
jobs that utilized math and science. In May of 1998, Station 35 of the CDF,
and Companion Animal Hospital (owned and operated by member Valerie Caruso) were
among the sites visited. Also, the Butte College Career Center allowed girls and
their parents to visit the campus, with the focus being an orientation to
introduce college and career opportunities. In June electronics and
physical therapy careers programs were offered. Involvement with local
girl scouts in career programs continued; and in 1998 the Branch took over
Paradise Charter Middle School for an entire day, offering eleven different
career presentations to both boys and girls. Branch members assisted
yearly in the CSU, Chico "Expanding Your Horizons" conference
which involved over 300 girls from the Northstate area.
In 1998 California AAUW started a new unique Math-Science summer camp program at
Stanford
for girls going into the eighth grade. Lora Schiffner undertook the
selection of campers and the Branch began fun raising so that at least one
girl would be presented with a scholarship each summer. Girls from the Ridge
first attended Tech Trek Camp in 1999 and continue to do so. The interview
process has proved to be an educational experience for all involved, whether or
not the girls were selected to attend camp. Campers have made special
presentations to the Branch each year. Branch member Marygrace Colby has
served on the Stanford Camp staff as Physical Education Director.
The celebration of National Women’s History Month continue the tradition of
sponsoring an essay contest for local elementary school children, in which they
recognized notable women, both national and locally. In 1991 another
dimension was added, as the children included creative programs in addition to
the essays. Never a group "to rest on it’s laurels", the Branch
created a new project for it’s celebration of Women‘s History. In
1995, under the direction of Joan Dresser, Branch women researched notable
women in history. Dressed in period costumes, they told the stories of the
women. A presentation was made to Ridge Elementary School children
during the day, and then the program was presented for members and the public.
The project met with tremendous success, and was continued on a yearly basis.
Carol Braun took over as organizer/director, under her guidance, the
presentations grew to be a much anticipated event. Ridge teachers designed
history visits around curriculum. In 1997 Women’s History traditions
were combined with student participation, with six high school girls who
depicted the famous women. As our second ten years ended, this
program was still going strong with Branch members active in portraying famous
women in school and Branch events.
Throughout the second decade, the Branch continued its commitment to the Frances
Pence Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provided scholarships for local re-entry
women. By 1997, the Branch commitment to fostering education for women
resulted in the awarding of not just one, but two re-entry scholarships.
Rummage sales were held rain or shine in the Branch efforts to continue this
program into 2000.
Another popular Fundraiser was Bunco night , the proceeds supporting the
Educational Foundation fund. The fundraiser began in 1996 and was held
annually until 1998. When speaking of fund-raisers, the various
bridge-playing interest groups must be noted. Besides making grand slams,
socializing and dining, the groups have contributed funds to the
Educational Foundation and Frances Pence Scholarship.
In the summer of 1998, our branch increased its visibility in the community and
had a fund-raiser at the same time by participating in the 1st Annual Farmer’s
Market and Street Faire in Paradise. We have sold super spuds and
lemonade. Carol Braun spearheaded a fund raising project with the
publication of "Soups cum Laude" in 1999, which was a collection
of favorite soups made by members for the Annual Soup Supper.
Yearly recognition continued with local branch members being recognized for
their commitment to AAUW and its mission through the Educational Foundation
Named Honoree program. The Presidential award for dedication and service
to the local branch and the Winnie Steiner Service Award continue to be given
each year.
Recognition of our branch did not go unnoticed by our States Division.
We received letters of congratulations and certificates for our 10th, 15th, and
20th anniversaries, a newsletter achievement award in 1993, and an International
Interest Star. In 1996 our branch was recognized for having the highest
percentage of returning members in the medium size branch category.
Recognition continued on a yearly basis with National AAUW 5 Star being granted
to the Branch in 1999, for which much credit was due to President Karen Hilleman's
efforts. Educational Foundation and Membership Stars were presented at the
Spring Luncheon, along with Sierra-Cascade Girl Scout recognition for our
service programs for youth.
The Branch is proud of its artists Gina Morgan, and writers Kristi
Youngdahl, Shirley Bailey and Lois McDonald. These dynamic women continue
to be well recognized in our community.
The varied experience in the Paradise Branch has produced many members on the
move in positions of prominence in the community. School district
officials on local, county, state level boards, authors, a lawyer and judge,
Town Council, Park and Recreation and water and various community boards,
Presidents of Community Concerts, Gold Nugget Museum (3), Historical Society,
Soroptimist, Rotary, Ridge Women’s Clubs, Feather River Hospital
Auxiliary (3) along with Environmentalists, tutors and mentors, and just plain
volunteers make up the Branch membership.
Each year the Branch closed its program year with a recognition luncheon and the
installation of new officers. In 1999 a celebration for our many members,
age 75 years and older, was called "The Way They Were". Pictures
Boards, Family History and memories were outstanding. Celebrating
our 20th year in May 2000, the Branch took a trip through 20 years of
Paradise Branch history, with a program with pictures and recognition of charter
members and past presidents. The "traditional" Hat day, which
was a special event at the tenth year celebration, was revived with awards being
given for the best hats.
The mission statement of the Branch is: "AAUW Paradise Branch is committed
to advancing lifelong educational opportunities and equity for girls and women.
We do this while providing growth opportunities and support for our members and
establishing a positive visible presence on the Paradise Ridge". The
original Branch focus was on community involvement and that has certainly
never wavered. Members continue to be provided with intellectual
stimulation and opportunities for personal growth. Social outlets for
members and their friends and spouses have been evident. The branch is to
be congratulated on their efforts to further the mission of AAUW. They
have had fun along the way and the special friendships made during the many
hours spent together will last forever.
The ending quote from the twentieth 20th year celebration luncheon was entitled
"Women Facing Change- The River of Change flows on relentless and women are
always in the thrust of the current."
THE
FIRST FIVE YEARS OF GROWTH, ACCOMPLISHMENT AND FUN
A
FIVE-YEAR HISTORY OF PARADISE
AAUW
AFTER THE MILLENNIUM 200l-2005
By
Kay Hinerman
Published May, 2005
After a year of many worthwhile
community and social activities in our Paradise branch, we closed a decade
with our annual holiday celebration at the Gold Nugget Museum.
2001
– The January meeting kicked off a new year and a new decade with a brown-bag
lunch.
The guest speaker, Dr.Gregory Davis, addressed women’s current health
issues.
A series of monologues were
given by four of our members in celebration of National Women’s History
month. These monologues were
presented in classrooms at four local schools that had studied the background
and experiences of famous women in history.
Our performers, dressed in costumes of the time these women lived,
generated many questions and interest from the young audiences.
Our
members, Carol Braun and Connie Rogers, accepted an award for the Gold Nugget
Museum for outstanding service from the Parks and Recreation Department on
behalf of the community.
Outreach
activities included the Public Relations booth at the Farmers’ Market during
the summer as well as sponsoring two 8th grade girls from the
community to Tech Trek Camp at Stanford.
Re-entry
scholarships were given two well-deserving women who continued their education
at Butte Community College. Presenting
the scholarships at an awards assembly at the college in late August has been
an event our branch has participated in for several years.
The
year drew to a close with many members designing and distributing colorful
collection barrels. These flashy
receptacles were placed at various businesses around town to collect coats –
used, outgrown, or new – which were then distributed to deserving children.
We all felt good helping “Recycle America” while cleaning out our
closets.
2002—InterestGroups
expanded this year with the addition of Armchair Travelers, Gadabouts, and
Past President’ Club. The
potluck group divided into four groups, dining out had a surge of new members,
and the Gourmet Group added another section to accommodate the membership.
A casual observer might say, “That branch certainly enjoys getting
together to eat!”
2003—In April Danielle
Warren, a former Tech Trek Camper (1999) and Junior Counselor for Tech Trek
(2001), was chosen for the queen’s court for Gold Nugget Days.
A total of 22 books were donated to
the Paradise and Sterling City libraries and Pine Elementary School.
These books were given in memory of recently deceased members.
Mountain Ridge Middle School students attended an in-depth career day
at Feather River Hospital. Medical
careers were the focus of this day, and were presented by members of the
hospital staff. Many girls
returned to their schools inspired by all the career possibilities they
learned about in medicine.
2004—Dr. Diana van der
Ploeg, the new president of Butte Community College, was the guest speaker for
the first branch meeting in 2004. She
gave an overview of the current college programs and addressed member’s
questions.
A women’s history program this
year spotlighted five prominent local women from Paradise and Magalia from
1850-1993. Prior to the school
performances, each school class where the presentation was made was given a
detailed story board of the famous women.
Molly Earl, Year 2000 Tech Trek
participant sent by our branch to Stanford, was crowned Gold Nugget Queen.
Like other contestants, Molly sewed her winning outfit.
2005—The annual soup
supper broke attendance records this year.
Over 80 guests were served a wonderful meal.
In addition, Judge Barbara Roberts gave the audience a detailed account
of the Butte County Juvenile Court System.
Judge Roberts, a former member of our branch, is a dynamic speaker. Her talk generated many good questions.
The women’s history program this
year was a huge departure from past years.
Much preliminary work went into the final presentation.
A partnership was formed with Paradise Unified School District’s
fourth grade teachers and the Women’s’ History Committee.
All fourth graders studied the five famous women in history in the
classroom before our members supplemented the students’ curriculum with our
performer’s presentation. Detailed storyboards were completed and placed in
the libraries of the different schools. They
were rotated to different school libraries throughout the school year.
The five performers gave a presentation to our membership at the March
general meeting similar to the one they gave in the classrooms.
These past five years our
membership has leveled out somewhere close to 80 members.
As new residents have moved into the area, our membership has expanded;
yet death has taken fourteen members over the past five years.
We continue to support our community with scholarships to the local
community college. Assistance is
given to Paradise High School in any way we can.
On the national level of our organization, we contribute annually to
the Educational Foundation and the Legal Advocacy Fund.
To respond to the ending quote
from the 20th Year Celebration – Women Facing Change – we can
heartily say: “The relentless
‘River of Change’ flows on, and our branch is doing very well in the
current!”
In Memoriam
2000-2005
2000: Violet
Clifford
Rosamund
Plummer
Lois Matlock
Mary
Underhill
2001: Linda
Jones
Midge Kenyon
Archie McDonald
Majorie Nielsen
Clara Barton
Vironda
2002: Carol
Braun
Henrietta
Henderson
2003: Jean Hine
Jane Josselyn
Roma Jean Ropp
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