Need a good book on tape? Check out the library table at each general meeting. Your support and $5 donation benefits our local scholarships given each year. To discuss books, join our Reading and the Rainbow group.

The Book Cassette group is seeking new members to join in this fun and educating time to read. One of our three groups started more than 10 years ago and has just begun its ninth cycle of circulation. The CD group begins its third round-robin July 1st. Some 30 members rotate chosen books on a specific schedule every six weeks. At the conclusion, members meet to discuss the books and to choose their new cycle. Each member purchases a book-on-tape or CD and receives the book back at the end of the cycle. The member then keeps the book, or loans it to the AAUW book-on-tape rental table (with those funds going for scholarships), or donates the book to Smiley Library (for a possible tax write-off).

Nationally, AAUW has many programs and resources with an international focus. One is the “Women in the World” International Affairs Committee Reading List. This list of suggested books is an introduction to the stories and experiences of women around the globe. Another resource is One Shared World, a partner which connects American women to the many public and private efforts that help people in developing countries overcome poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease. For links to these items and a complete list of international resources from AAUW, go to www.aauw.org/international_corner.

Our branch has many types of groups in place for those interested in playing bridge. We meet daytimes and evenings, weekdays and Saturdays.

March 2009 special notice: Bridge Lessons: Part 2: alternate Monday evenings starting March 30 from 7pm to 10 pm for 6 sessions. Bridge is a game----have fun!---but practice is the key to improvement.

The classes on the basics of bridge are coming to a close! What a great group! So on to part 2. If you already have the basics (you can count your hand and know the rank of the suits, know the bidding "ladder", feel comfortable with opening bids and keyed responses, and know about scoring and game bids) but want assistance with bidding to game or slam, counting winners and losers, improving responses, opening leads, common conventions, and play strategies, Part 2 is for you. Each session will start with a short explanation of a particular strategy/convention, followed by practice with fixed hands where you can practice the technique, and finishing with general play. It will flow like a guided evening of party bridge where questions can be asked---and hopefully answered.

AAUW has many ways for women to learn more about what is going on in the world and to get involved, both on the local and national level. Locally, our branch has two interest groups which focus on becoming more informed citizens of the world: International Relations and Great Decisions. A great year of stimulating discussions. Great Decisions is the local chapter of the Foreign Policy Association and is a fascinating discussion group of AAUW. Every year the Foreign Policy Association publishes a study book of eight articles and also videos containing interviews. These are available at the end of January. Our discussion sessions meet every week starting the first week in February.

Great Decisions start their eight week series of fascinating discussions in February. Topics will be: 1. The Role of Special Envoys, 2. Kenya, 3. Organized Crime, 4. China, 5. Global Financial Crisis. 6. Eastern Europe and Russia, 7. Persian Gulf, 8. Peace Building and Conflict Resolution.