AAUW Interest Groups—Durango Branch

AAUW Edouard Book Club – Our book club season runs from June to May and (under normal circumstances) meets the last Wednesday of each month, except for December, from 2 – 4 p.m. at a member’s house (or, during COVID per Zoom @ 2 pm) and discuss a pre-selected book.  The name Edouard for the book club came from the character in a novel we all read the first year of existence: 1997.  We were all annoyed by one ostentatiously named character.  We did not like him OR his fancy name.  How perfect, we agreed, to name our group after a character full of himself and annoyingly named, as a-tongue-in-cheek jab at ever considering ourselves “highbrow ” or “superior”, and as a reminder to be open to a variety of ideas and never stuffy.  

A schedule of this year’s readings and guidelines on suggesting books can be found HERE .  All are invited to join.  For information contact Sharon Powers.

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Birthday Luncheons – On the third Wednesday of every month, members get together at a local restaurant to honor all Branch members whose birthdays fall within that month. For more information contact Katherine Burgess.

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Walk-and-Talk – Walk and Talk is an interest group that could also be called Stroll and Share. We explore different venues around Durango in an effort to expand our learning experience. We have strolled along the Animas River identifying wild flowers, toured the traveling Bicycle Exhibit at the Powerhouse, explored the botanical gardens at the library, discovered the Victorian Architecture in downtown Durango, took tours of the Animas Museum, the library and the Aztec Ruins, and emphasized the concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by touring the student exhibits at the Center for Southwest Studies and the marvelous Southern Ute Cultural Center.

Times and days vary. There is no participation limit unless a tour has group number restrictions.  A non-member may attend two Walk and Talks before he/she is required to be an AAUW member before continuing.  For more information, contact one of the committee members: Jean Olsen, Sharon Powers, or Faye Schrater.

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LAF (Legal Advocacy Fund) MAHJONG – Members have enjoyed gathering at Durango Joe’s on the first and third Tuesdays of every month to play mahjong.  Each member pays $1 to join the fun and those funds, along with some of the winnings, are donated to the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund.  Come join the fun!  If you’re new to the game, call Katherine Burgess at 970-903-9250 and she’ll arrange a tutorial.

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OMG-AAUW – We all have family stories. On that basis members of AAUW-Durango have formed a new interest group, Our Memories Group (OMG). For the past three months we have been encouraging each other to remember the stories that have been handed down in our families. We either read versions written for our descendants or tell them to the group for our own reminiscences. We meet once a month for two hours, listening to each others’ stories and providing suggestions if requested, as well as general encouragement. Our group is evolving. We will keep updating in the SAGE newsletter.