Northern Virginia branches hosted a terrific convention April 23-25. Co-Chairs Ercell Binns and Bea Malone, left, infused the entire convention with their energy.

At Friday's reception, attendees sang a 1894 song "When the Dear Girls Get the Vote" led by "President Woodrow Wilson”.   Five women, dressed in spectacular period outfits, assumed names of suffragists who had been imprisoned at the Occoquan Work House on November. 15, 1917  - known as the "Night of Terror".  Jane Barker, wife of state Senator George Barker, noted that AAUW is a partner of the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial.

At Saturday's business session, Caroline Pickens was elected president;  Anita Aymer, vice president for program; Dianne Blais and Laura Wimmer, co-vice presidents for public policy, and Patricia Quick, vice president for communications.   Jill Birdwhistell, AAUW Chief of Strategic, Advancement, discussed recent AAUW changes and efforts. 

After Saturday morning workshops presented by AAUW staff, state Senator Mary Margaret Whipple spoke at the luncheon, and was presented the first AAUW of Virginia Achievement Award (right,between co presidents Wimmer and Blais).
After the second set of workshops, a bus took some of the attendees to the Workhouse Art Center.  

 At the banquet, Martha Kantor, Undersecretary of Education, spoke about needs and hopes for improving education in the United States.

At Sunday's business session the bylaws were changed to facilitate one-member one-vote implementation by 2012. New district representatives were announced.  They are:  Northern – Nancy D. Joyner and Sandra Lawrence; Northwest – Suzan Herskowitz, and Southeast – Deanne Lineberry.  Toni Seidelman continues to represent the Southwest District.

Representatives of the Wytheville Branch invited everyone to attend the 2011 Conference in Wytheville.

Co-presidents Laura Wimmer and Dianne Blais expressed their appreciation of everyone who helped with and attended the events, and welcomed Caroline Pickens as the new state president.  They will be sending letters to the branches who have not updated their bylaws. Branches need to update their bylaws to avoid any adverse impact to AAUW.

Dianne Blais, co-president