This year’s theme of “Get Local!” had its first event on August 7 in Raleigh, and all are encouraged to find ways to bring a few more people into the AAUW conversation with face-to-face events.
Here are some ideas:
Lunch, coffee or drinks
Find a friendly venue, invite a few “like-minded” folks and enjoy!
If there’s a nearby AAUW fellow who could attend, so much the better.
Movies
DVD’s are, of course, normally sold/rented for “private, non-commercial” use. If you want to do a public showing, there are other factors to consider — but perhaps someone on a campus could help you make this a larger event than one that fits in your living room.
Iron Jawed Angels (Nancy has the DVD to share)
Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority (AAUW NC has shown this and may still have the DVD)
A Sense of Wonder: The Rachel Carson Story (Sandy Slates has the DVD and the rights to show it for a nonprofit group)
Show Up, Speak Out: The Public Life of Betty Ann Knudsen (first woman Wake County commissioner; also a story of the League of Women Voters. Nancy has the DVD to share)
Under the Same Moon (recommended by Mari Pino del Rosario who has volunteered to write discussion topics for the showing)
Waiting for Superman (Nancy has the DVD to share)
Miss Representation (this was shown at the AAUW convention and their website is still looking for partners to sponsor showings around the country).
AAUW Program in a Box
http://aauw.org/member_center/programs/PIAB.cfm
The AAUW Programs in a Box are events tested by local branches, big and small. A few may be appropriate for our branch — or in partnership with another organization you may belong to or a nearby community-based branch.
Check out, in particular:
Meeting with a Public Official — In District Meetings
Public Policy Brunch
The Princeton Review SCORE Program – this offers free workshops/sample tests for the SAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT and more. Branch member Jennifer Ingram has first hand experience with this in Maryland.
Attend another local event
Is one of your other organizations sponsoring an event that might be of interest to AAUW members? Do check the roster for members near you and invite them to come along.
How can the branch help?
If you arrange one of these informal gatherings, the branch can help with brochures and other resources. Just let us know what your focus might be — telling people about AAUW in general, letting them know about AAUW’s public policy program, making sure students know about fellowships and grants, raising money for an AAUW priority (perhaps best with a group of those who are already members), or another focus that’s meaningful to you!
There’s a small amount of money in the budget to cover meeting expenses (e.g. mailing DVDs, contributing to the hospitality budget), but if your plans grow beyond a simple gathering, we can look at an AAUW NC minigrant or other sources of support.
AAUW Tar Heel Branch 
See http://tarheel.aauwnc.org/2011/08/13/do-you-carry-membership-forms/ for more information on membership brochures — and there are several other forms that can be ordered with that national “supply order form”.