And we are actually losing it NOW!
Click here for a great video: What AAUW does Be proud!
The gender pay gap won’t close until 2119 at the current rate of change.
AAUW is doing something about it. Take action now!
Empowering women since 1881
November, 2025
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ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE
From Celia:
Another wonderful meeting and how proud we should be of the now young women we sponsored to attend Tech Trek from 2017 through 2022. Of those 16, then rising eighth-grade girls, Edna and I were able to contact ten, of whom eight provided the requested information about how attending Tech Trek has influenced their education choices and their future goals. Two of the alumnae told us about their journey in person. The other six sent written updates since where they are now in college prevented them from attending in person. Their words were read aloud at the meeting by branch members who had served on the selection committee over the years. Everyone at the meeting was extremely impressed with all the past accomplishments of the Trekker alumnae and what they are doing now. It was very clear that we made great choices.
Plan to attend our next meeting on November 20 when the speaker will tell us about the current state of book banning in our country. (see separate article)
Happy November birthday to Faith.
💐🪻🌷
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MEETING & PROGRAM
Thursday, November 20
Social – 6:30 pm
Meeting – 7:00 pm
Cabrillo Lane Adult School
Facilitated by: Faith
Leslie Criswell will be speaking to us on the topic: Book Banning.
Leslie is a retired trial attorney who spent 35 years trying civil jury cases. She volunteered as an L.A. Superior Court mediator and Small Claims Court judge for several years, and is an active member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. After retiring from her law practice, Leslie taught Law as an elective at Narbonne High School for seven years and was able to weave mock trial experiences into the curriculum. She is an active coach and judge in competitive high school, college, and law school mock trial programs here in Southern California. Leslie is a member of the Palos Verdes and Beach Cities AAUW branches and has been a dorm mom at several Tech Trek summer camps in the last few years.
Place: Cabrillo Lane Adult School Auditorium
20122 Cabrillo Lane, Cerritos
Select HERE for map
AAUW Fund
Thank you to those members who participated in the fundraiser day at California Fish Grill. We earned over $100 Just for having fun dining with our friends!
More restaurant fundraisers will be scheduled this year. They are an easy and fun way to share good food with friends and make some money for AAUW Fund.
Please try to participate in our restaurant fundraisers. You will have a tasty lunch or dinner out with friends and while you pay the normal price, we get 20-25% back for AAUW Fund . What could be easier?!
Public Policy, Sondra
Check HERE for the latest Public Policy News
Check out our Public Policy Page on the AAUW California Website. You can read our current 2023-2025 Public Policy Priorities which can be viewed here: 2023 – 2025 Public Policy Priorities (PPP) – AAUW California. Find information on the Legislative Agenda, Lobby Days, Legislative Calendar and Coalitions with other organizations. You can also learn the latest about the School Board Project!
Academic Achievement Awards, Joan P
ACADEMIC ACHEIVEMENT AWARD
AS WE BEGIN OUR 54th year as the La Palma – Cerritos Branch 0f AAUW, I will continue to Chair the Academic Achievement Award Committee. Through this committee, the Branch selects two (2) women students to receive this award. They are attending Cerritos College and have applied for scholarships through the Cerritos College Foundation. They will be transferring to a college or university to complete their bachelor’s degree. The Branch has been awarding this scholarship for over 30 years. Current awardee, Lisamarie Lara, has verified her enrollment and received her award.
The scholarship funding is provided by you, the Branch membership. After awarding payments to the 2025 recipients, the fund will have only $1280 in it. We need your support to continue to support these outstanding women on their educational journey. Without your donation to the scholarship fund, this outreach project will no longer exist. I’m asking each one of you to donate a minimum of $50 to AAA fund. Payable in increments of $10 per month, October – March (no payment in December.) If ALL 32 members pledge $50 that gives the fund $1600. Your donation is tax deductible!
Please consider volunteering for the AAA selection committee. It is a short-term commitment starting in February 2026. Your role is reading the applications, scoring them, and meeting with the other committee members to make the award selections. As part of the AAA committee, you will contact local political office holders for recognition scrolls to be given out at the reveal meeting in May.
Welcome back to an interesting and productive 2025-2026.
Joan Pylman, Chair
Academic Achievement Award
Women Supporting Women. It is a beautiful thing.
Cerritos College is a College/University Partner Member of AAUW. As the AAUW College University (C/U) Liaison for Cerritos College, Tobi Balma keeps in touch with the AAUW Cerritos College C/U Representatives.
Falcon’s Nest, Joan Pylman
Our local support is now directed to the Cerritos College Falcon’s Nest, with donations of personal items and sundries, large and small for students in need. Find out more about it HERE.
Gourmet Group, Joan F
Gourmet Group is continuing for next year. We are currently full and will be accepting substitute members only. If you are interested, as a couple, or in joining us as a sub please let me know and I will put you on the list. We will be meeting 4 times this year: October, January, and March, the third Saturday of the month, except May which will be a brunch for the entire Gourmet Group. The date is to be determined.
(562) 860-0642- home
(562) 965-7902- cell
jmflax@aol.com
READERS’ THEATER, Esther
Reader’s Theater has been enjoying the art of the theater for over two decades. We have enjoyed many famous plays together and many not so well known–historical, action, drama, comedy, etc. etc. etc. For many early years, there were many participants, and we had to share the 10 play books that we were sent from the San Clemente AAUW Drama Exchange. With all of us aging and some having physical limitations, difficulty with vision or no longer driving at night our numbers have dwindled. Our group now includes: Celia, Marilyn, Christine and me and we are welcoming Joan Flax this year who has probably seen more live theater than the rest of us combined. We miss Alberta and Jackie, and we miss all of you that have participated in the past and hope that some of you who have never been involved might wish to try a new activity.
We meet on the first Monday evening of the month (October to June), and this year we have some flexibility to come together on the first Thursday if some of you might consider joining us and cannot join us on Monday’s. We meet at my home. Please feel free to reach out to me (Esther: 562-425-8141), if you have questions or would like more information or if you live near one of us and might need transportation. The more the merrier!
We are not “acting”, just reading the play, whose characters are divided among those of us who have committed to being at that month’s play reading. So, it is not necessary to feel that you must commit to be with us every month.
There is a fee for joining the group, as we pay San Clemente $60.00 for the plays and have postage/insurance fees as well to send them on to the next group. The fees are divided among those that will be participating at the beginning of each season.
The list of plays that we’ll be reading during the coming 2025-26 Season are:
Ruined by Lynn Nottage (October)
Rose’s Dilemma by Neil Simon (November)
The Unvarnished Truth by Royce Ryton
Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Diary of Anne Frank
Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose
Don’t Dress for Dinner by Camoletti and Hawdon
Plague of Angels by Mark St. Germaine
Sign up to join us at any meeting.
Esther Aronson
GREAT DECISIONS, Dorothy
Great Decisions is the oldest and largest grass-roots world affairs education program in the country. It encourages debate and discussion of important global issues. The program is centered on the Great Decisions Briefing Book. We meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month for a lively discussion at 3:00 PM. Contact Dorothy Edwards. 714-995-1148
COVER to COVER, Thea
Our book group meets to discuss a new book every month. Book schedule is posted HERE. Please contact Thea and join us at any time.
Membership, Saurabh
We are looking forward to taking care of services for current membership. In order to increase membership for our branch, we request all members to bring one friend to our meetings.
Download AAUW Membership Application
International Issues
…through its global focus and reach, empowers all women and girls to create a secure and just world built on education, advocacy, friendship and mutual respect.
WG-USA is an online organization based in the United States focusing on global issues *Support and Advocacy for Refugee and Migrant Women and Girls
*Safe Access to Education
*Human Trafficking Advocacy and Action
*Women, Peace and Security
Join WG-USA at www.wg-usa.org
In 2019, Graduate Women International celebrated its 100th anniversary with a Centennial Celebration in Geneva, July 25-28. GWI was founded in 1919, by representatives of AAUW, and other international women’s groups. It used to be known as the IFUW, International Federation of University Women. Currently, Women Graduates-USA is the organization representing American women at GWI.
Link HERE to the Academic Awards for picture and more information
Please check out the LAF News page for current case updates. Tobi