Announcements

Dear Board Members: Here are the minutes of our previous meeting. Please offer any corrections or additions you may have, either by e-mail to me or at the coming meeting 1/26. Also, please let Dawn and Maudie know if you will be on hand for a post-State Party meeting, meeting of the board Sat. evening, and will stay for any or all of the weekend at Dawn's condo.
Thanks again, Dawn, for making it available!
Kay Matthews, Secy.

ARIZONA FEDERATION OF DEMOCRATIC WOMEN BOARD and GENERAL MEETINGS, OCT. 13, TUCSON, ARIZONA

A brief Board Meeting was convened by Pres. Maudie Bray just prior to the general meeting, for the express purpose of nominating a First Vice President. The position had become vacant with the resignation of Jo Henwood because of health and personal reasons. Jackie Burnett nominated Dawn Knight, with the nomination seconded by Fran Chadwick. Dawn agreed to serve until a permanent replacement can be found for this position.

The General Meeting was called to order by Pres. Maudie Bray, with the first order of business being the election of the new First Vice President. Nominations from the floor were opened; having none, Dawn Knight was unanimously elected.

Secretary's report: Minutes of the August 11 meeting had been distributed and read by those present; correction of Chris Tilley's (minutes originally said Kelly) name was made and the minutes were accepted pending that correction.

Treasurer's report: Fran Chadwick said that she's working on organizing our books but that there is about $750.00 in the treasury, but that "we need more." Note: Dee Hershberger will be working on fund-raising ideas, and Mary-Margaret Pursel will be looking into information about canvas tote bags with AFDW's and Women in Blue's logos, to sell.

County reports:
Cochise: Jackie Burnett gave this report, including information about the very successful Women's Equality Day luncheon with 13 women role-playing women who were instrumental either in the movement or as strong role models for us. The event netted $2500.00 for the County Democratic HQ. Proceeds from an upcoming garage sale (Oct. 20) will also be given to DHQ. Democratic Women of SouthEastern Arizona has presently 60-plus members. Gila: Democratic Women of Gila County are revising their by-laws, using the state by-laws as a model. Southern Gila County has an operating party HQ, and the northern county's HQ is in the organizing process. Maricopa: Also working on by-laws for the county organization. Elizabeth Brown, our 2nd VP, stated that they are also raising money to support an opposition candidate to Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the coming election. Pima: Bonnie Richards, Green Valley Democratic Women, reported that their tea at the Amado Territory Inn, with Jackie Jackson from Rep. Gabrielle Giffords's office was highly successful, and that their fashion show is upcoming for Feb. 2, 2008. It will be a luncheon at the Desert Diamond Center, and rumor has it that certain candidates, among others, will model! (Secy. note: call Nancy Yaw, 520-287-4217, or Joan Sellman, 520-399-3975, for tickets.)

Yavapai: Fran Chadwick reported that Western Yavapai's picnic was highly successful, with some 200 people present, and netted the county organization about $240. They had a donkey pinata, which someone noted "ought to have been an elephant since it got beaten up!" At the Sept. County Fair, 57 new Democrats were registered in 3 days. The City of Prescott elected a Democratic City Council!! Their biggest fund-raiser, the Truman-Clinton Banquet in Prescott's largest banquet room, and netted over $18,000.00!! They have about 100 members.

Coconino, Greenlee, LaPaz, Mohave, Navajo, Yuma: no reports.

Women in Blue: Carole Pearsall and Lori Stott, co-chairing the WiB at the State Capitol event. They reported that the date was not yet set (Secy note: it has now been scheduled for Thursday, March 6). Lori Scott reported that the plans are for the event to meet outside the legislative buildings, so our legislators can ALL be impressed that "Democrats are BIG in AZ." There will also be a luncheon and top-drawer speaker, further plans TBA. As they have been "dark" for the summer, there was little else to report, but they are working on groups lists, and invite all interested Democratic women to join them. The website is: Arizonawomeninblue.com. E-mail your ideas to: Carole (Carole.Pearsall@cox.net) and Lori: (LscottAz@aol.com). The conference call number is in process, not yet up and running. Apache, Graham, Greenlee and LaPaz counties need Women in Blue representatives.

Janice Brunson has been in Africa, and it was reported on her behalf by __________ that the project she's involved with is helping people to help themselves: for example, $60.00 buys two goats that then provide milk and offspring for more milk and meat, ongoing.

Old Business: Maudie reported that membership cards will be ready for 2008 dues-paying members of AFDW. Women in Blue members are exempted for 2008 from paying AFDW dues, but will be considered AFDW members for next year. From 2009, WiB members who wish to, may join AFDW by paying at-large dues of $10.00, or $3.00 as members of a Democratic women's club or group which elects to enter all of its members into AFDW membership.

New Business: Fran Chadwick and Dawn volunteered to work on the by-laws, using the National Federation's and state party by-laws as guidelines.

Dee Hershberger will be in charge of fund-raising projects, including a possible event to coincide with our annual convention in April or May 2008.(date/location TBA); she has asked for help with this (deehersh@npgcable.com). Ideas already offered: continue the "store" at quarterly party meetings, T-shirts, a picnic. Mary-Margaret Pursel agreed to check on canvas tote bags with AFDW and WiB logos that we could sell. These would be U.S. and union-made.

Other comments, announcements: Dawn Knight suggested that we need two or three issues for the AFDW members to carry to our legislators (state and federal) as individuals. We will revisit this suggestion next meeting.

Linda Bell Antoni, with EMERGE, announced training for Democratic women who are or want to be candidates and campaign managers or workers. This is part of EmergeAZ and would run one Saturday per month for six months, with work to be done between sessions. Cost: $325.00 with scholarships available. Respectfully submitted, Kay Matthews, Secy.

Contact us: azfeddemwomen.org
Pres. Maudie Bray: 520-459-8486, braym@earthlink.net If you would like to see your announcents posted here please send the information in an email addressed to the WebMaster