Joplin AAUW Celebrates Over 90 Years
Below is a note from our Board President, Joplin AAUW 2022-2023
Welcome to the 96th year of the Joplin branch of AAUW. This year (2022-2023) we have so much for which to be grateful and celebrate. We are grateful to once again meet face to face. Your support of our second No-Show Auction allowed the Dorothea B. Hoover Foundation to provide a scholarship to an MSSU female student through the MSSU Foundation. The third No-Show Auction invitations have been sent. I thank each of you for your suggestions at our meetings and for attendance at the planning sessions. As a result, the Membership Committee will begin sponsoring a table at Third Thursday. We have also implemented new meeting times. Our business meeting is open to all members and will be held the first Tuesday of the month at the Joplin Public Library. Our programs will be presented on the second Tuesday of the month with lunch at Club 1201. Our programs this year celebrate empowerment through education, DEI through programs, heritage of Joplin, expansion of dental school and cultural opportunities. Thank you to each member for your continued support and dedication. I celebrate each of you.
Kindest regards,
Marilyn Dishman-Horst, Board President
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2023 Guest Speakers and Programs
CELEBRATE JOPLIN!
Our February 2023 speaker was Dr. Linda Niessen, the Vice Provost for Oral Health and Founding Dean, College of Dental Medicine- Kansas City University in Joplin.
Dr. Niessen gave us an update on the new dental college program. It is a four year DMD program that accepts eighty students who have been specially interviewed and selected. The grand opening is set for the end of June 2023.
Dr. Niessen explains that the new program is future proof. She added, “Part of the reason that we’ve invested in this technology is we’re training our students to practice dentistry in the future. They’re going to graduate in 2027 and we want them practicing through 2027!”
Data shows evidence that the four state area has fewer dentists per capita than most areas of the country. “There’s a shortage of dentists in the four states, ” said Dr. Niessen, “By putting the school here, we hope to recruit from the four state area and we’re really focusing on recruiting individuals who grew up in small towns because if you grew up in a rural area, you’re comfortable there and you’re more likely to go back there.”
Once fully enrolled, the KCU College of Dental Medicine expects to provide an additional 40,000-50,000 patient visits for the Joplin region.
Our March 2023 meeting was a presentation by Christopher Dumm, Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney in Joplin, MO. Chris is licensed in MO, AR, KS and TX. His practice is limited to business and estate planning, elder law and wealth protection.
Chris was born and raised on a farm in the Joplin area. He has a unique perspective on planning the complexity of handing down a family business from generation to generation.
He prides himself on being very well informed of options for the elderly in the area. Many of his clients are concerned about the expense of long term care costs. This is where the “Elder Law” component of his practice comes in. He helps families concentrate on taking care of their loved ones, rather than stressing over losing the family home, business, farm and how they will be able to pay for the long term care.
Celebrate Our City
Our September meeting was a presentation by Doug Lawson, Mayor of Joplin since April 2022. Doug Lawson, who won reelection to his general seat for a second term in the April 2022 election, was tabbed by a majority vote of the council to be the new mayor. Lawson pointed out that how to pay for increased wages for police and what to do about the fate of the historic Memorial Hall is his priority as Mayor.
Lawson discussed upcoming plans for Joplin such as replacing the Ewert Park swimming pool with a splash park surrounded by an ice ring for seasonal ice skating which as Lawson pointed out is an exciting feature for the city of Joplin to bring in new families to the area.
2022 Guest Speakers and Programs
NALA Executive Director Guest Speaker Grace Clouse
Grace Clouse, Executive Director of Joplin NALA was a recent speaker. Under Grace’s leadership, Joplin NALA begin offering a computer literacy program in July 2019, followed by the opening later that fall of a computer lab with more than a dozen computers. Area businesses and sponsors donated the technology and the time to provide students with access to digital resources.
NALA is a not-for-profit literacy organization at 123 S. Main St. that teaches adults how to improve their reading, math or English. The mission of Joplin NALA is to provide tuition- free programs to improve the self-sufficiency of families by supporting adult learners in their efforts to increase skills, giving them access to a better life.
Please visit joplinnala.org to learn more about their mission.
September 13, 2022 Meeting – CELEBRATE EDUCATION
Eddie Gonzalez and Cara Gebre spoke at the AAUW meeting. RAISE is a not-for-profit group
founded by Cara, that assists refugees relocating to the United States. RAISE is very active in
Joplin. The local churches have been very supportive and involved in helping the refugees settle into a new home. RAISE helps refugees locate housing and tries to place them in communities where they can integrate with local residents. The group works at getting the men retrained in a vocation or means of to earning living. Education is also a big part of their work.
Please visit raisecommunity.org to learn more about the different programs and services that are offered to clients.
October 11, 2022 Meeting – CELEBRATE OUR PAST
Diane Reid-Adams, Joplin’s ‘Iris Lady’ was scheduled to speak to AAUW members at the October meeting. Due to illness, Marilyn Dishman-Horst gave Diane’s presentation.
On March 23, 2023 the City of Joplin will celebrate its 150th or sesquicentennial birthday.
The iris is Joplin’s official city flower and as such will play a role in the celebration. Diane made
the Iris Lady historical dress shown in the picture, which she wears for special events. The city of Joplin is working on setting up a garden tour in the area featuring the irises.
Several other events are being planned to take place throughout the summer of 2023.
You can find more information and upcoming activities by visiting celebratejoplin.com or on the Celebrate Joplin Facebook page. Fun celebratory activities are headed our way summer 2023!
November 15, 2022 Meeting ‘CELEBRATE WOMEN’
Noi Welch, founder of Next Gen Asia, shared her amazing story with us at the November AAUW meeting. Noi is a native of Laos and was called to help women in the poorest mountain region. Noi lived under communist rule where women in the area of Laos, are treated as ‘nothing’. They exist to serve men and bare children at a very young age. Noi began her ministry there by trying to help these women.
She suffered many hard ships such as surviving by eating snakes, bugs or whatever she could find. Gradually she did start to change things for the women, but unfortunately the government did not want her there. Her efforts grew until Laos put Noi on a ‘black list’ forcing her to leave her family, friends and homeland behind. Noi recalled how two of her male friends who helped her flee Laos were brutally murdered.
Noi is still very active helping the women and men she trained who have stepped up to become leaders of the movement. The current project is to build a new building in Laos to house boys and girls who escape from the communist dictatorship in the area.
Please visit the website nextgenasia.org for photos and goals of Noi’s ministry.
December 13, 2022 meeting- Celebrate the holiday season with Special Music by Heather McBride and Candle Lighting Ceremony
Local AAUW member Heather McBride entertained us by singing various Christmas selections at our December meeting. Heather sang three solo selections and two duets with her guest, Isaiah Wilson. Heather has performed most of her life in choirs, churches, weddings, praise bands and was a virtual contestant on The Voice earlier this year and will have her second audition in February 2023. She also has a YouTube channel where she has many of her performances posted. To subscribe to her channel, visit youtube.com/@heatherlea85.
At our annual December branch meeting, a candle lighting ceremony is conducted to recognize all the colleges/universities in which our local members have graduated. A candle is lit with the reading of each college/university where degrees have been earned.
A Seasonal Choral Flourish presented by Missouri Southern State University
Lorraine Whittington and Dorothy Iwan attended the 13th annual Choral Flourish in December presented by Missouri Southern Chamber Singers and Concert Chorale. The performance was held in the beautiful St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. These ladies enjoyed the festive contemplation and celebration of the Christmas season.
2019 Programs
Christmas Candle Lighting Ceremony 2019
Each December at our branch meeting, a candle lighting ceremony is conducted to recognize all the colleges/universities in which our local members have graduated. During this year’s ceremony 27 candles were lit. As a college’s/university’s name is recognized, a candle is lit. The degrees earned at these various colleges/universities range from associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate.
Amazing how much education has been bestowed on our wonderful members!
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The Ellis Sisters Present a Program on 18th Century Woman In Joplin
At our Branch meeting on October 19, 2019, the Ellis sisters gave a great presentation on the women in Joplin around 1870. The attached picture illustrates how Joplin women dressed. The fancy green dress on the left represents local women who were of a higher class in society. This dress would have been worn at special functions and most likely would have been worn by the wife of a lawyer or doctor. The dress on the right represents a typical lower class working women. This dress would have been worn by the wife of a farmer or mine worker.
The sisters personally make all of their dresses and do extensive research in the various periods of time in which they speak.