Brunch celebrates 50th anniversary of group

The 50th anniversary of the Batavia-Geneva-St. Charles branch of the American Association of University Women was recently marked at a brunch held at the Dunham Woods Riding Club in Wayne.

Branch charter members Pat Kozik and Joanne Olson were honored with corsages. Kozik spoke about the branch's origins when it was chartered in April 1965 as a spinoff of the Aurora AAUW.

"We were recent college grads then," Kozik recalled. "Our group began by meeting in members' homes."

While there were many challenges involved with a startup branch, Kozik said her prime motivator was to "be a part of a group of bright, energetic women" - an inspiration that still holds true today.

Kozik noted that early branch members, who were often juggling careers and young children, still found the time and energy to support AAUW's goals such as advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research.

A popular current effort is AAUW's STEM program encouraging girls to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

The branch also holds an annual student writing contest open to middle-school students in the Tri-City area.

Today the Tri-City branch membership stands at 60 women and meets monthly, usually at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of St. Charles.

AAUW is open to all women who hold an associate degree, baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university.

For more information, contact membershipaauw@yahoo.com.