Programs

Branch Programs 2023-2024

All programs begin at 7 pm and are held
on the first Wednesday of the month
at the Elmhurst Public Library unless otherwise noted.
Guests are welcome at all our programs.

September 6. 6 pm
September Supper: Progressive Dinner
Five of members have agreed to host our branch for one of three courses at their homes. Each guest (that’s you) will contribute either an appetizer, salad, or dessert of your choice. (Yes, you read it correctly. The salad will be our main course.) Here’s how it will progress:

  • You decide that you would love to attend.
  • Call Carolyn Heiney at 630-674-1426 or email her that you will attend. If you absolutely know what dish you prefer to bring, tell Carolyn your choice; otherwise, you will be assigned a dish as needed. (This is the most helpful choice.) Reservations should be made by August 30th .
  • Once the reservations are completed, you will be contacted and told if you are scheduled to bring an appetizer, salad, or dessert and the homes at which you will dine. Please make sure that your dish portions are adequate to feed at least 8-10.
  • All members who have their reservations in on time will be divided into two groups for the appetizer and salad sections. You will not necessarily be in the same group for the first two courses. All our members will gather together for dessert.
  • Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available with appetizers. A monetary donation for wine would be most appreciated.

You might be interested in why we are trying this new format for our September Supper. First, some of our members have been concerned with the rising cost of restaurant meals. Second, this idea makes it easier to invite guests who are not currently AAUW members. It’s an easy way for them to meet us and enjoy our company in a relaxed atmosphere. Think about inviting a guest who is interested in AAUW membership. Please join us for a delightful evening of good food and wonderful conversation.

Make your reservation NOW!!!

October 4
Citizen Hearst: Phoebe Apperson Hearst and the Life Behind Her Library
Branch member Amy Lippert’s presentation identifies Phoebe Apperson Hearst as a signal figure in the history of the coeducational university in the United States during the Progressive Era. Hearst’s story illuminates the ways in which wealth empowered some women, particularly widows, to at least partially transcend the gendered barriers to social, political, and educational institutions in America.

November 1
Banning Books! Oh No!
Joyce McIntosh, the Assistant Program Director for the Freedom to Read Foundation, will share information about our public and school libraries and the ways our use of the library is protected by the First Amendment. In addition, she will cover information about the current landscape of censorship and how it has changed over the last few years.

December 6
Annual Holiday Party
Marcia Goltermann’s Home
Join together to celebrate the holidays at the lovely home of Marcia Goltermann. Members with last names A-L will bring desserts; members M-Z bring an appetizer. A $10 fee collected that evening covers beverages and incidentals.

January 3
Annual All Branch Book Read
Our annual opportunity to read and discuss a book with fellow branch members will highlight the book, The Forgotten Girls: A Memoir of Friendship and Lost Promise in Rural America by Monica Potts. This New York Times Best Seller enlightens the reader about the lives of women in rural America and the challenges they face.

February 7
Fair Pay and Economic Equity for Women in Illinois with Susana Mendoza,
Illinois Comptroller
Join us in person or online to hear current Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza address the status of Fair Pay and Economic Equity for women in the state of Illinois.

March 6
Women’s History Month
The Elmhurst Public Library cosponsors this program to celebrate National Women’s History Month. Speaker to be announced.

April 3
Local Campaigns 101
Learn how to educate yourself and others to become better local citizens. Diane Lans-Kautz will teach us more than the basics about how successful local elections are planned and implemented. Have things changed? Oh yes!

May 11
Elmhurst Area AAUW’s 85th Birthday Party
River Forest Country Club 15W468 Grand Ave, Elmhurst, 12 noon
Join your fellow branch members for a delicious lunch and even a surprise or two as we celebrate 85 years of branch accomplishments. Meet and greet our 2024 scholarship winners too.