Activities

Branch Program Theme for 2024-2025: Women Lead the Way

Branch event in September 2024

Branch meetings will be held at the McLean Community Center, unless otherwise noted. Please check our home page and newsletter for updates on these meetings. Guests are always welcome!

During the Covid pandemic, we continued many of our programs and special activities via Zoom. To promote our branch goals of greater inclusivity in member participation and public outreach, we are now implementing the technology for a hybrid approach to meetings and some events that will make it possible for more people to join us, whether in person or online. See the full list of our programs and speakers here.

Special-Interest Groups

In addition to our monthly meetings, McLean AAUW has a number of special-interest groups and projects. We welcome ideas for new groups and activities that reflect our members’ interests and support AAUW’s mission. To date, our special-interest programs include the following:

Arena Stagers

For years, our members have arranged group outings to productions of the acclaimed Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. We usually attend matinees and arrange for carpooling. Selections have included many award-winning plays. If interested, contact coordinator Elaine Lailas (cell: 305-281-5787; Elailas at aol.com).

Bridge Club

Bridge playersFor years a group of our bridge-playing member has met once a month, usually on the second Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members volunteer to host, but don’t need to recruit players or even fix lunch, as players bring their own sandwiches while the hostess supplies beverages and maybe dessert.

The players use Chicago scoring and move after four hands. Each player antes $2, and the bulk of the kitty is donated to AAUW Funds and scholarships. All skill levels are welcome. For more information or to join our bridge group, contact us.

Current Events Group

Our Current Events Group meets monthly to discuss topics of interest. Each participant circulates a newspaper, magazine, or online article for wider discussion. The group usually meets the second Tuesday of the month at 9:30 a.m., at a cafe in downtown McLean.

To join the group or indicate your plans to attend, please email the coordinator, Mary Lou Melley (maryloumelley at gmail.com). Until recently, the group was meeting via Zoom because of Covid-related precautions, so check in with Mary Lou for the latest plans.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

In the 2021-22 program year we established a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I ) Committee to promote DE&I objectives throughout our activities.The committee has developed a broad program of activities, which you can read about here.

The committee plans to meet quarterly on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 2:00; all meetings will be held by Zoom. The committee welcomes participation to discuss ideas on how to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in throughout our branch.

Great Decisions Group

The Great Decisions discussion group attracts members interested in gaining deeper insight into subjects of U.S. and world interest. Each session focuses on a selected topic from the Foreign Policy Association’s annual publication. Participants read a related article and watch a short video highlighting the material to be covered. The meetings are guided by suggested questions at the end of each chapter in the publication. The books are ordered in bulk in October to take advantage of a group discount.

Recent and upcoming topics include global supply chains; Brexit and the EU; China in Africa; Persian Gulf security; the Arctic, and the two Koreas

The group meets from February through September on the third Tuesday of the month, staring at 9:30 a.m. To join the group, please contact coordinator Angela Ehemann, whose contact information is available in the AAUW McLean members’ directory. At this time, the group is meeting via Zoom; participants will receive an advance email notice with the Zoom link.

Literature Groups

Our branch hosts both morning and evening literature discussion groups for our members. The morning group meets on the second Friday of the month at 10:00 a.m.; the evening group on the third Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. We met by Zoom during the Covid pandemic and will continue doing so when circumstances make it advisable, though we are returning to in-person meetings.

The Lit Groups have a tradition of including  books that help us understand the lives of people from cultures or circumstances outside our own typical experience. Visit the Lit Group page for more about some of the books we’re reading, and for information on how to join either group or both by contacting the coordinators, Betsy Reddaway and Betsy Schroeder.

Public Policy and Advocacy Committee

Members of the McLean Area Branch advocate energetically for issues at the local, state, and national levels. Our efforts are consistent with public policy priorities established by the national and state AAUW organizations every two years.

See our more detailed information on:

STEM Activities

McLean AAUW has a special interest in encouraging young women and girls to pursue educational opportunities related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). We provide public recognition for students’ accomplishments related to STEM and enhance awareness of the inventions and achievements of women who often have not received recognition for their STEM contributions.

Our primary STEM activities are:

For more information about our STEM activities, contact coordinator Judy Page, STEM Chair, at mcleanaauw@gmail.com.