In just a few days I will officially take office as president of AAUW of Georgia. With the work she has done for the past two years, outgoing president Lynn Fountain is leaving me with both a tremendous challenge and a great headstart. Lynn introduced us to the penguins of Our Iceberg is Melting (see http://www.ouricebergismelting.com/) and challenged us to find a new home, as the penguins did, for our AAUW values and energy.

The Association’s Strategic Process had already brought to light new directions that we need to take in order to fulfill our mission more effectively, and more change is in the air. Please make plans right away to attend the Summer Leadership meeting July 12, hosted by the Warner Robins branch, where you will hear more about the Association directions and the Georgia initiatives.

Earlier this year I came across another interesting observation about organizations: they can be like vines that have grown up on a wall, and to change, you may have to untangle them. But we don’t want to kill any of our vines! As we change, we will remember that AAUW friendships are extremely valuable, and that we need to build more interpersonal relationships with those outside AAUW who share our values. Sherry Schiller, the Association planning consultant, called on us to find the place where our values and our energies meet. Friendship can help fuel our mission-driven efforts, and the mission can also help us make new friends.

I look forward to seeing many friends at Summer Leadership and keeping in touch with all of you.

Pat DeWitt

President, AAUW of Georgia (as of 7/1/2008)