Suzanne Kirkpatrick

I gave up being department chair of the English department at a high school. I gave up leading the school-side of a school/ university partnership. Both were wonderful experiences where I was prepared for what I was doing, but I vowed when I retired that they would be my last leadership positions.

After being Hospitality Chair for many years, doing my part, I was asked to be AAUW’s president. Instead, I suggested Kathy Wagenknecht. I knew she would be great —and I was right. When she made it known that she was stepping down, I was encouraged again to take on the presidency, but I demurred and stuck with my vow. Then someone who will remain nameless, someone who I admire very much, waxed poetic about her belief that when she is part of a group, she feels that it is her responsibility to take a turn in leadership for the good of the organization. She was much more eloquent in her speaking than I have been here, but the message resonated with me.

I agreed to be president of AAUW. However, I am going to need the help of all of you if I’m going to do a better-than-average job, one that entails more than calling three meetings and introducing speakers (which was the job description recited to me by more than one person.) I’m not as creative as many former presidents have been. I am certainly not good at delegating tasks. I’m not as knowledgeable about technology as Kathy and Dawn are. I stopped learning in that area in the year 2000 when I retired from teaching. I’m not as good at understanding the implications of policy as Cathy McClure was as President. Ruth Botzow was more diligent in going through our rules and straightening things out things that had been overlooked earlier. I don’t think I could have done that.

But I realize that I’m already getting help. Thea is a refreshing change as the hospitality chair. She has everything set up for our opening pot luck lunch at Willow Park. She is organized and thinks carefully about details that I might have missed. Berta has proved to be a great point person for the Program Committee. Thanks to her the committee has good plans for meetings for the coming year with the first semester sessions already planned in great detail. Kathy has stepped down as president, but she has created a job for herself and will continue to save us all with her computer skills. Dawn has once again agreed to be in charge of the newsletter, not only putting the articles together but suggesting topics for articles or new ideas the for newsletter. (Get ready Scribble Sisters, she would like some entries from us for each issue.) Jan Day has done a wonderful job as treasurer and has let us know we’re in good shape financially. She had help at the beginning from Norma McShane who has continued to be there for AAUW. And Norma, who deserves some rest, once again stepped into the role when our Membership Chair became unable to continue.

It’s comforting to know there are others of you who will help as needed!

As the Beatles sang, “I’ll get by with a little help from my friends.”