AAUW convention (quilt included)

The 94th annual convention of AAUW-Illinois was Friday and Saturday in the western suburb of Lisle, about 65 miles from home.  I picked up Erika mid-morning Friday, a good time to avoid rush hour traffic, and we arrived at the Hyatt in time for lunch with the Gender Equity Fund board. (GEF is an AAUW-IL affiliate.)   Once the GEF board had its meeting, neither Erika nor I had any obligations until the reception and dinner, so we went shopping. (I bought two jars of jam.)

Gloria Blackwell, AAUW's senior v.p. of fellowships and programs, gave the after-dinner speech.  The Association is revamping the strategic plan and bold changes are coming.

(Gloria is in the center with Waukegan Area Branch members Helen, Erika, me, and Jo-An.)

Saturday sessions were held at Benedictine University, also in Lisle.  In the morning:
*  being an informed and involved advocate for public policy issues -- in Illinois, the Equal Rights Amendment is at the top of the list
*  "What Title IX and the Legal History of Women's Sports Tell Us About the Regulation of Campus Sexual Misconduct Today" -- that's a very long title but, wow, what an information-packed presentation! Katharine Baker, professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law.  She reminded us that racial misconduct is not tolerated on campuses (if it happens, it's called out--by the administration, by the media) but sexual misconduct too often gets dismissed as "boys will be boys."
In the afternoon I went to two small-group sessions
* Pay Equity in Illinois  (AAUW is committed to ending the gender pay gap)
* How branches (=local AAUW chapters) can incorporate the AAUW mission in their programming

 This is the 15th year I've donated a quilt to raise funds for AAUW.  "Forest Paths" raised $460!  The winner won the quilt in 2010. (Coincidentally, that one was batik, too.)

The two tote bags I showed last week were in a silent auction for the Gender Equity Fund.  Each brought more than $50.