MESSAGES September 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Upcoming UWC Events
Membership Coffee at Viele Lake — Tuesday, September 15 at 10:30 a.m.
Greetings UWC members and welcome to an exciting NEW YEAR.
We begin with our annual complimentary Membership Coffee on Tuesday, September 15, 10:30 a.m., outside in the fresh air at The Shelter at Viele Lake South Boulder, Harlow Platts Park, 1360 Gillaspie Drive.
Enjoy coffee and finger food, information, and sign-ups for our 20+ Interest Groups, a schedule of our exciting lectures for 2026-2027, ample parking, and best of all, we will see each other again after a long summer holiday!
No registration needed! Just come at 10:30 a.m., bring a camp chair or two, and relax and enjoy.
See you September 15!
President’s Message
“The noun of self becomes a verb. This flashpoint of creation in the present moment is where work and play merge.”— Stephen Nachmanovitch
As your incoming President for 2026–27, I wholeheartedly welcome you to what promises to be another terrific year of friendship, service, and personal growth.
Has it really been six years since the Covid pandemic forced us to rapidly rethink how our organization would operate during the quarantine—a challenge that could have shut us down right on the cusp of our centennial? Since then, each successive UWC Board has reorganized, innovated, and expanded how we bring our shared mission to life.
Today, thanks to the dedication of past leaders and the active participation of our members, the UWC is more vibrant than ever. We have truly stepped up our game: our membership has reached an all-time high of 381, our scholarship awards continue to grow, our interest groups have multiplied, and our digital connection tools are more fine-tuned. We remain a vital community presence—empowering non-traditional University students through scholarships and honoring extraordinary community service with the Margaret Willard Award.
In preparation for my first message to you, I wandered through the archives of past presidential messages. I was struck by our organization’s deep consistency and resilience. Far from a staid group plodding down a predictable path, we cultivate a dynamic, welcoming atmosphere that reflects the warmth and confidence of our members. Here, everyone is empowered to engage in meaningful activities, foster lifelong friendships, and gather at that sweet spot where work and play intersect to advance our goals of Service and Sisterhood (to borrow a wonderful phrase from my immediate predecessor, Andie Kutinsky).
I encourage you to visit our website regularly at boulderuwc.org. As we launch the year with our annual Membership Coffee on September 15th, the site will be your central hub for event registration, quick answers, photo galleries, lecture archives, and inspiring profiles. It is simply the easiest way to stay connected throughout the year.
See you at Viele Park for our Membership Coffee!
Cheers,
Berry Todd
UWC Notes
Membership
Time to Renew!
UWC membership is still just $35 a year, with $5 of every membership going directly to scholarships that support women’s education. In a time when prices seem to be rising everywhere, it’s one of the few things that hasn’t gone up, and it remains one of the best values around.
For less than the cost of a nice dinner out, members enjoy a full year of activities, interest groups, friendships, and opportunities to make a meaningful difference. It’s an easy, affordable way to stay connected and support a mission that matters.
Renewing is easy, just follow this link. And don’t forget to invite your friends to join the fun.
Carol Etges
Membership Chair
Lecture Luncheons
We are excited to share our 2026-2027 lectures that will cover a wide variety of topics presented by exceptionally knowledgeable speakers. The location of all five lectures will be in the University Memorial Center, located at 1669 Euclid Avenue at the corner of Broadway and Euclid on the CU campus in Boulder.
Lecture Luncheon #1: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 – 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; UMC Room 235
Janet Ward Schofield, Award-winning Professor Emerita
Discovering Bhutan: Land of Gross National Happiness
Journey into the mystical Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, where gods live atop mountains, mermaids inhabit sacred lakes, and spirits dwell in rocks, cliffs, and trees. Through captivating stories of encounters with everyone from the King and child monks to remote yak herders, discover the extraordinary culture, traditions, and legends of this fascinating and reclusive land.
Janet provides an enthralling portrait of Bhutan, a tiny, remote country that has won international admiration for its remarkable environmental policies as well as for originating the ground-breaking philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Join her as she examines what is being lost—and gained—as Bhutan, largely unchanged for 500 years, transitions to democracy and confronts the challenges of the digital age. Explore the challenges these dramatic changes bring while Bhutan continues its pursuit of Gross National Happiness.
Janet Ward Schofield is an award-winning professor emerita of social psychology. Her research was featured on the Discovery Channel as well as on radio and TV in Europe and Asia. She has given presentations on five continents, including at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford in the US. The most recent of her four books, Discovering Bhutan: Land of Gross National Happiness, is a travelogue and memoir introducing readers to this reclusive and fascinating Himalayan kingdom where she and her husband lived for over a decade as part of a 5-member team that established and developed Royal Thimphu College. With over 2,000 students in 10 areas of study, it is the only Bhutanese college to have twice received the highest possible accreditation mark, A+.
Lecture Luncheon #2
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 – 10:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.; UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom
Sarah Kozloff, Retired Vassar Film Professor
They’re Writing Big Studio Contracts, But Not for Me – Women Independent Directors
Sarah will explore both the promise and the challenges of independent filmmaking for women directors. Beginning with a historical perspective, she will show clips from the work of pioneering and influential filmmakers including Ida Lupino, Claudia Weill, Susan Seidelman, and Debra Granik. She will contrast their careers with those of male counterparts such as Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, and Paul Thomas Anderson, examining why talented women directors have often faced greater obstacles in achieving sustained success.
Special attention will be given to the Sundance Film Festival and its role as one of the most consistent institutions in supporting and nurturing women filmmakers. Sarah will conclude by looking at encouraging developments and hopeful signs for women directors in the present and future.
Sarah Kozloff holds a BA from Dartmouth College and a PhD from Stanford University. She served as Professor of Film at Vassar College for more than thirty years, specializing in American film. As an academic, she wrote five books and numerous shorter pieces; as a novelist, she published a 4-book epic fantasy series. After moving from New York to Arvada, she has enjoyed teaching adult education courses through OLLI at Colorado State University.
Lecture Luncheon #3
Monday, February 15, 2027 – 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; UWC Room 235
Please note change from usual day of the week.
Thomas G. Andrews, Professor of History, Director of the Center for the American West at CU Boulder
The Great Horse Flu: A Forgotten Contagion and the Face of Reconstruction America
Imagine a world without cars, trucks, trains, or tractors—a world in which nearly everything depended on horses, donkeys, and mules. Then, in the fall of 1872, those animals began falling mysteriously ill. Over the next fifteen months, a remarkably contagious strain of influenza sickened as many as 90% of the equines across Canada, the United States, and parts of Cuba, Mexico, and Central America. The consequences were staggering.
Drawing on his 2026 book, The Great Horse Flu of 1872, Thomas Andrews will take us back to a moment when an animal epidemic brought transportation and commerce to a standstill, disrupted daily life, intensified social conflict, and even threatened the fragile progress of Reconstruction after the Civil War.
Andrews will explore the outbreak’s devastating effects and reveal how the Great Horse Flu paralyzed the American economy, intensified social conflict, and undermined the viability of Radical Reconstruction. This fascinating and largely forgotten episode offers a striking reminder of just how profoundly an epidemic can reshape a society, and how dependent nineteenth-century America was on the animals that powered it.
Thomas G. Andrews is Professor of History and Director of the Center for the American West at CU Boulder. A specialist in environmental and environmental history, he is the author of Killing for Coal: America’s Deadliest Labor War, which won the Bancroft Prize and Coyote Valley: Deep History in the High Rockies, which won a Colorado Book Award. One of just a handful of second-generation CU Boulder faculty members, he is the son of longtime UWC member Martha Andrews, who passed away in 2024.
Lecture Luncheon #4
Tuesday, March 16, 2027 – 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; UWC Glenn Miller Ballroom
Gail M. Beaton, Historian, Author, Retired Teacher
“We Just Did It”: Colorado Women in World War II
Four months before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Mildred McClellan Melville, a member of the Denver Woman’s Press Club, predicted that war would come for the United States and that its long arm would reach into the lives of all Americans. And reach it did. Colorado women from every corner of the state enlisted in the military, joined the workforce, and volunteered on the home front.
As military women, they served as nurses and in hundreds of other noncombat positions. In defense plants, they riveted steel, manufactured bullets, inspected bombs, operated massive cranes, and handled and stored dangerous projectiles – taking on dangerous jobs traditionally reserved for men. They staffed USO canteens, nursed patients in civilian hospitals, donated blood, drove Red Cross vehicles, and organized scrap drives. They processed hundreds of thousands of forms and reports. Colorado women wholeheartedly participated in a kaleidoscope of activities to support the war effort.
Gail M. Beaton is a historian, author, retired teacher, and Chautauqua presenter who brings Colorado women’s history to life. She holds a BA in Education from the University of Colorado Boulder and master’s degrees in U.S. History and Public History from the University of Colorado Denver. She is the author of Colorado Women: A History, Colorado Women in World War II and Colorado Women Homesteaders, and coauthor of The Women’s Bank: A Denver Success Story. A past president of the Denver Woman’s Press Club, Gail is active in several Western history and writing organizations. Her work has received numerous honors, including two WILLA Award finalist recognitions and a Colorado Book Award finalist designation.
Lecture Luncheon #5
Tuesday, May 11, 2027 – 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; UWC Glenn Miller Ballroom
Speaker and topic to be announced soon
In Pictures: May Lecture Luncheon and Margaret Willard Award
Scholarships
Message from the Chair
The University Women’s Club is pleased to welcome Becky Batizy as the chair of the Scholarship Committee.
Becky is a proud University of Colorado alumna and the parent of a CU alum, giving her a deeply personal connection to the University and its community. Her commitment to scholarship work is rooted in a lifelong belief that education has the power to transform lives, families, and communities.
That belief began with her own family story. Becky is the child of two nontraditional students who returned to pursue higher education after she was born. Becky brings this perspective to her work with the Scholarship Committee, along with a deep passion for empowering women. She has spent years mentoring students at the University and coaching and mentoring high school students, experiences that have reinforced her belief in the importance of encouragement, advocacy, and support at pivotal moments in a student’s life. In her professional life, her work centers on helping people plan thoughtfully for their futures and navigate important decisions with care and intention. Her service with the University Women’s Club is a natural extension of that purpose. Giving back is central to who she is because she understands that opportunity often begins when someone else chooses to believe, invest, and open a door.
As Scholarship Committee chair, Becky is honored to support the University Women’s Club’s tradition of investing in education, resilience, and possibility for women in the CU community.
Thank you,
Becky Batizy
Donations to the Scholarship Fund
Scholarship Donations (April thru July 2026)
Francine Blum
Susan Campagna
Barbara Christoffersen
Catherine Ertz
Audrey Fishman Franklin
Janet Freeman
Helen Goldman
Barbara Goodman
Mary Ann Hartigan
Michelle Hofmeister
Anne Hudson
Sandra Johnson
Mimi Ladenburger
Jean Manifesto
Jane Massie
Ann McBryan
Judy Minger
Audrey Nelson
Linda Ortiz
Susan Rapp
Jean Rohrschneider
Rebecca Roser
Kathleen Salzberg
Barbara Steffin
Kathryn Wardell
Sherry Woodruff
Sally Yerger
Support Scholarships Through Grocery Shopping!
If you shop at King Soopers, Safeway, or Albertsons, you can easily participate in their community award programs where 5% of your purchases will be donated to UWC to support our scholarships AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU! You can really make a difference.
With the King Soopers Community Rewards program, you can go online one time and link your King Soopers Loyalty Card to the UWC Account. UWC will automatically get 5% without your having to do anything else. Directions for signing up can be found here at https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards.
If you shop at Safeway and/or Albertsons, you can use a Safeway Community Giving Card when making your purchases and UWC will earn 5% every time you reload your card. To request a Safeway Card be mailed to you or to seek assistance to register for this program, contact Board Member, Norma Portnoy at normaporrtnoy1112 at gmail dot com.
Please click here for instructions regarding both programs.
Thank you for participating in these programs to support our scholarships!
Tell Me More About…Mail-in Voting in Boulder County
As we are all aware, there has been a great deal of misinformation and disinformation about the integrity of voting in the USA, particularly about mail-in ballots. Beth Karpf, one of the co-chairs of the popular interest group, On the Road Again, arranged for a very informative tour of the Boulder County Ballot Processing Center.
The processing of mail-in ballots is an interesting combination of hi-tech automation and low-tech manual processing by actual human beings. Any part of the process which requires human decision making is done by bipartisan teams with a Republican and Democrat representative. Every step of the ballot’s journey is private and secure.
These are the steps of the journey:
- The ballot is mailed to every Colorado voter about three weeks before the election day.
- The ballots are collected from drop boxes by bipartisan courier teams. Ballots can also be mailed or dropped off at vote centers.
- Ballots are weighed as part of chain-of-command custody.
- Ballot envelopes are sorted by machine. The envelope has a unique bar code which is scanned into the statewide database to confirm receipt, ensure that the individual cannot also vote in person, and to verify signature.
- Parascript software (the same that banks use) or an election judge looks to see if the signature matches the historical signature on file. (There is often a record of several acceptable signatures – perhaps some with initials, some with full name.) If the signature is questionable, a bipartisan team reviews it. If no match can be made, the envelope remains unopened and the voter is notified to “cure” their signature. See more about “curing” below.
- The voters whose signatures are accepted are marked in the statewide database as having voted. Only then is the envelope opened (by machine) and the ballot separated from the envelope so the ballot selections cannot be matched to a particular voter.
- Ballots are scanned by machine and the selections are captured.
- Any ballots which for any reason cannot be read by machine are reviewed by a bipartisan team.
- On election day the results report is transferred to a clean flash drive and uploaded into the Election Night Reporting system.
Curing a signature:
Every ballot must belong to a registered voter, and every ballot must be counted, which makes the “curing” of a questionable signature very important. If the bipartisan team can’t confirm that the signature on the envelope matches a signature on file for that voter, the voter is notified by mail (and possibly by email and/or text) and the voter has until eight days after the election to “cure” (or fix) the issue in order to have their ballot counted. Even if the eight-day deadline has passed, voters who have been notified of a signature mismatch should still respond to the notice, to confirm that they were indeed the person who submitted the ballot. Responding is important because unconfirmed signatures that are not cured are turned over to the District Attorney for investigation into possible fraud.
If you use the mail-in voting system, you can sign up to be notified when your ballot is sent out, received, and accepted. The service is called Ballottrax and notification is by email, text, or phone, depending on your preference. If you are not already receiving this information, sign up for Ballottrax here: https://bouldercounty.gov/elections/register/ballottrax/
If you might be interested in a temporary position helping with the voting process during the election season, see information here: https://bouldercounty.gov/elections/information/election-positions/
Find lots more information about voting in Boulder County here: BoulderCountyVotes.gov
Call for Nominations
Elected UWC Board Positions
The UWC Nominating Committee is tasked with recommending nominees for President-elect, Secretary-elect, and Treasurer-elect to serve on the UWC Board next year (2027-2028). The elected persons attend board meetings for one year as “elect officers,” to become familiar with the tasks of the executive positions, and to be available as back-up. They then serve the following year (2028-2029) as President, Secretary, or Treasurer.
Here is a brief description of each position:
- President: Serves as the UWC figurehead and provides overall executive leadership. chairs the Executive Board, and provides supportive leadership to Board decisions and Board members.
- Secretary: Attends and takes minutes at all Executive Board Meetings and General Membership Meetings.
- Treasurer: Responsible for the oversight, management, and reporting of UWC finances including bank account maintenance, financial transaction oversight, budget development, monthly financial reporting, and all tax filings. The treasurer does not need to be a CPA for this role; however, good bookkeeping skills, and skill with Excel and QuickBooks are ideal.
If you would like to be considered for one of the “elect” positions or would like to recommend someone, please contact any member of the Nominating Committee which consists of Janet Brewer, General Membership Representative and Andie Kutinsky as Board Representative. If you would like more information, please contact Kathy Randall at katherineran at gmail.com
Margaret Willard Award
Margaret Willard was the first president of the Faculty Wives’ Club, which became our University Women’s Club. Each year we present the Margaret Willard Award to someone who exercises initiative in her endeavors, and in doing so, brings honor to all women and/or to the University of Colorado.
Please submit a nomination by March 1, 2027. Nominations consist of the nominee’s name and a brief description of why they are deserving of the award. The form can be accessed here.
Questions? Contact Andie Kutinsky, Chair, Margaret Willard Award (719-492-7967)
What’s Happening at CU and Beyond?
Cultural Events on the CU Campus
CU Presents
For information about upcoming events in the Artist Series, Takacs Quartet, College of Music, and the Department of Theatre and Dance, click on the link below. There you will find information about future performances, have the ability to purchase tickets and learn about livestream performances.
Fiske Planetarium
If star gazing or learning about our galaxy and beyond, the Fiske Planetarium on the CU campus may be hold the perfect answer to your intrigue. Click this link to discover what the Fiske has to offer. You won’t be disappointed!
CU by the Numbers
The University of Colorado Boulder, the largest campus in the system, enrolls nearly 39,000 students. This includes roughly 33,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students. The broader University of Colorado system, which also includes CU Denver and CU Anschutz, has a total enrollment exceeding 66,000 students. At CU Boulder, the overall student body leans slightly male, with a guy-to-girl ratio of roughly 53% men to 47% women (or about 1.1 men for every 1 woman.)
At the flagship University of Colorado Boulder, undergraduate tuition and fees per year are roughly $15,014 for in-state residents and $46,058 for out-of-state students. Total estimated annual costs—including housing, meals, and books—range from $35,456 (in-state) to over $66,000 (out-of-state), depending on your specific major and campus.
(Information provided by Google search.)
Member Acknowledgements
Membership Courtesy
If you know of a member who would appreciate a card, note, or any personal contact due to illness, death, or other reasons for support, please inform UWC at boulderuwc@gmail.com with “Acknowledgements Chair” in the subject line.
Members In Memoriam
As information to members, and to remember those who have passed away, UWC includes an ‘In Memoriam’ section on the website. This section honors those UWC members that we know about who have died since 2020.
If you are aware of UWC members who have left us, please let Joyce Spencer, webmaster (jjandbobs at msn dot com) and Tam Van Spriell (tamvanspriell at gmail dot com) know the member’s name for prompt inclusion on our website and in future MESSAGES.
Interest Groups
Interest Groups Information
- Book Group – Afternoon – Fourth Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. mostly at members’ homes or on ZOOM. Chairs: Mary Anna Dunn 720-355-8174; Mary Clough 303-522-8692.
- Book Group – Biographies – Third Friday at 3:00 p.m., in person. Chair: Susan Planck 303-499-3916.
- Book Group – Mysteries – Third Monday of every month, except December, at 2 p.m. in the East Age Well Center. Chair: Betty Barnes 512-657-6584.
- Book Group – The Original Book Group – Formerly Evening – Second Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Meetings held in members’ homes. Chairs: Beth Rauch 303-746-2983; Kathleen Salzberg 303-499-3128. This group has been meeting continuously since the 1950’s.
- Bridge Group – First Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Chair: Karen Neff 303-494-0467.
- Crafting Group – This group meets monthly to socialize while working on our own projects or teaching each other new skills. Chair: Katy Ginger 303-827-6710.
- French Conversation 2 – More Members Needed! Chair: Zdenka Smith 303-330-2856.
- Games Group – It’s Anyone’s Game – Board and card games. First Tuesday from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at home of Chair in Louisville. Chair: Kathleen Newton 720-548-8661.
- Garden Group – Third Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Chairs: Jyotsna Raj 303-447-8831; Jean Rohrschneider 720-542-9788.
- Golfing – For the Casual Golfer – 1:00 p.m. every Thursday at various golf courses, new members welcome. Chair: Susan Planck 303-499-3916.
- Hiking Group – Every Friday 9:00 a.m., September to May; 8:30 a.m., June to August. Meet at the north end of the east side of the main (new location) garage at 29th Street Mall, Chairs: Frieda Holley 303-499-3733; Joan (Joanie) Cardone 303-263-7823. Note: Dogs are not allowed on UWC hikes.
- Hiking Group – Slower Hikers – Every Friday 9:00 a.m. Meet either at the north end of the east side of the main garage at 29th Street Mall or at trailhead. This group usually hikes on irregular terrain for 1-1/2 to 2 hours in the Boulder area. Chair: Lois Linsky 720-939-5845. Note: Dogs are not allowed on UWC hikes.
- Italian Conversation – Wednesday, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Zoom. Chair: Maxene Wilson 303-530-4619.
- Music – Second Monday afternoon of most months in members’ homes, providing a venue for musical performers to meet and share their love of music in an intimate setting. Chairs: Berry Todd 303-442-9083; Tula Roberge 303-443-2509.
- On the Road Again – This popular group hits the road 4-6 times per year to enjoy activities, exhibits, and events that are located in Boulder County or surrounding communities. Co-Chairs: Norma Portnoy 303-908-9371; Beth Karpf 720-326-5093; Barbara Steffin 310-892-9966.
- Out to Lunch – Usually Fourth Wednesday, at noon at various local restaurants. Chairs: Jean Rohrschneider 720-542-9788; Jyotsna Raj 303-447-8831.
- Readers’ Theatre 2 – Third or fourth Monday at the Boulder Library. Chairs: Patty Ludke 303-817-1020; Kathy Randall 303-746-4528.
- Spanish Conversation – Contact chair for details. Chairs: Diana King 303-803-4583; Arlene Gerwin 303-349-8959.
- Sunday Afternoon at the Movies – Meeting once a month, early afternoon at the Cinemark Century Theater in Boulder. Chair: Sarah Kozloff 845-709-0025 (text please).
- Theater Goers – Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company matinees. Acting Chair: Cindy Meyer 713-256-9185.
- Walking Group – Thursdays at 10 a.m. Walking for one hour on level trails in the Boulder County area. Chair: Marilyn Moses 303-775-9069.
Groups That Are at Capacity
- Book Group – The Bookies – Kathy Randall 303-746-4528.
- Book Group Small – Fiction and Non-Fiction, Joyce Bograd 303-250-7706.
- Book Group – Mysteries, Betty Barnes 512-657-6584.
- Book Group – Second Monday, Janet Evans 303-818-1530.
- French Conversation (Original group) – Dot Thompson 303-499-4423.
- Games Group – Kathleen Newton 720-548-8661.
New Chair Needed! Contact Lois Linsky, Interest Group Coordinator, 303-499-2689, if interested.
- Biking Group
Want to Start a New Group?
Starting a new interest group requires at least five members in addition to the leader.
- If you are interested in starting a new group, please contact the Interest Group Coordinator for more information: Lois Linsky, Interest Group Coordinator, 303-499-2689.
- To form a new book group, contact Kathy Randall, 303-746-4528.
Sunday Afternoon at the Movies
Meeting time: Once a month, early afternoon at the Cinemark Century Theater in Boulder
Chair: Sarah Kozloff; 845-709-0025 (text please). To learn more, contact the group Chair.
If you enjoy watching and discussing movies, this group is for you!
Sunday Afternoon at the Movies meets monthly, usually in the early afternoon at Cinemark Century Boulder Theater. About a week beforehand, the chair chooses a film and emails the group with the title and showtime. Members RSVP by email so the Chair has an approximate headcount.
We meet in the lobby 10 minutes before the screening to greet one another and sit together, if desired.
Afterward, anyone interested in a snack and conversation chooses a nearby restaurant, such as Cantina Laredo, California Pizza Kitchen, BJ’s, or Panera Bread.
On the Road Again: Exploring Local Treasures Together
Are you looking for a way to get out, learn something new, and enjoy the company of others? Consider joining On the Road Again, a popular interest group that explores cultural, historical, and entertaining destinations in Boulder County and beyond.
The group schedules six to eight outings each year, traveling to nearby communities to take in a wide variety of activities and events. A highlight each year is the Holiday English Afternoon Tea in December, a festive tradition that brings members together to celebrate the season.
Each outing offers opportunities to learn, laugh, and connect. After each event, members often gather for coffee, snacks, or a light meal to share impressions of the day, turning each trip into a shared experience that is as social as it is entertaining.
Scheduled Tours:
9/29/26 Tour of Capital in Denver; Lunch Location TBD
10/3/26 Noon “Meet the Spirits”; 3:30 p.m. Happy Hour West End Tavern
2nd week Holiday Tea (Time and Location TBD)
December
Go to https://boulderuwc.org/interest-groups/interest-group-sign-up-sheet/ to join On The Road Again and receive email notifications about upcoming events.
Let’s Go See a Play Together!
The Theater Goers group will see Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC) plays together in 2026-27. Please join us for these Sunday 2:00 p.m. matinees followed by conversation and reflection at the Dairy (and in March at The Nomad Playhouse). You and a friend/partner may purchase individual tickets from the BETC website, or you may schedule your season subscription for these dates:
October 18: The Weir (Tickets available, but it is in the smaller Carsen Theater at the Dairy, so is likely to sell out before October.)
December 6: Fair Maid of the West (Tickets available, but likely to sell out in advance.)
February 21: Once Upon a Bridge (SOLD OUT)
March 21: Liberation (at the Nomad Theater in North Boulder. Tickets available, but don’t wait! SPECIAL NOTE: Liberation is the winner of the 2026 Tony Award on Broadway for BEST PLAY!)
April 18: The Effect (Tickets available)
Please refer to the BETC website at betc.org for information about each play so that you can find which plays fit your specific interests. (If you want to purchase tickets on our dates, you can get a single ticket discount of $5 by using the code UWC26.)
After each play, we will meet in the lobby to discuss the performance.
For additional details, please contact interim chair Cindy Meyer to be added to the email list or if you would be willing to help organize additional plays for the fall. Contact information: 713-256-9185 or cfmeyer at sbcglobal dot net.
Happy Hour/Tea Time Conversations via Zoom
We invite anyone and everyone to join us each month for our Happy Hour/Tea Time (HHTT). These Zoom meetings occur 4:00-5:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. We each have time to talk to the group about a topic in our personal lives or within our philosophies. It’s an opportunity to get to know fascinating women on a much deeper level.
Contact Andie Kutinsky (drandie305 at gmail dot com) to get on the mailing list.
| Date | Topic |
| 15 Sep-26 | Who in your family would make the worst secret agent and why? |
| 13-Oct-26 | What’s something small that made you happy this week? |
| 10-Nov-26 | What’s something that comes easily to you that others seem to struggle with? |
| 8-Dec-26 | Do you prefer to walk in the mountains or on the beach. Describe good experiences you have had in the mountains or on a beach or both? |
| 12-Jan-27 | What’s a skill you learned when you were younger that you still use today? |
| 9-Feb-27 | What’s something you did as a kid that people that knew you love to tell others about? |
| 9-Mar-27 | Describe the world you live in now and how it differs from the world you’d see as ideal. |
| 13-Apr-27 | If you wrote an autobiography, what event would be the most exciting chapter? |
| 11-May-27 | This meeting will be held in person at my home at 702 Sundance Circle, Erie, CO 80516 |
Interest Group News
Games Group
Clockwise: Kathleen Newton on the end, Elaine Leass, Norma Portnoy, Diana Mapes (with her dog Kumar), Regina Macy, and Marge Riddle.
Hiking Group
The group hiked around Long Lake at Brainard Lake on July 10th.
Left to right, from back to front: Char Rasmussen, Rosanne Kolodenko, Anita Hueftle, Jean Nelson, Frieda Holley, Joyce Friel, Linda Conlin, Joanie Cardone, and Kathleen Salzberg. Another hiker, Linda Hansen took the picture.
Slower Hikers
Slower hikers at Ceran Saint Vrain
From left to right: Barbara Miller, Beth Karpf, Rosanne Kobdenko, Susan Labovitz and Lois Linsky, Janet Evans photographer.
Happy Hour Tea Time (HHTT)
Normally held over Zoom, in May the group held the gathering at Andie Kutinsky’s house.
On the Road Again
Photos from our trip to the Boulder County Elections Office Ballot Processing Tour, followed by lunch at Ironwood Grill outdoors on the golf course overlooking the Flatiron.
Send your photos for MESSAGES!
Send your interest group photos and/or photos you have taken of Boulder and surrounds for inclusion in MESSAGES. Send photos with description and members attending to MESSAGES editor Tamera Van Spriell at boulderuwc@gmail.com
Executive Board
Transition in Leadership
The 2026-2027 UWC Officers assumed office at the Tri-Board Meeting in May, held at the home of Andie Kutinsky. Their positions are: Berry Todd, President; Andie Kutinsky, Past-President; Carol Etges, President-Elect; Betty Johnson, Secretary; and Frieda Holley, Treasurer. They all are extremely skilled and sure to represent UWC well!
We are grateful to those who have previously served in these positions and welcome our new leadership to UWC.
{Click on pictures to enlarge}
Welcome to our newest members to the UWC Board!
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Officers
President – Berry Todd
Past President – Andie Kutinsky
President-elect – Carol Etges
Secretary – Betty Johnson
Treasurer – Frieda Holley
Board Members
Acknowledgements – Kathleen Salzberg
Advisory/Parliamentarian – Frieda Holley
Copy Editor – Kathleen Salzberg
Interest Groups Chair – Lois Linsky
Margaret Willard Award Chair – Andie Kutinsky
Membership Chair – Carol Etges
Membership Coffee – Lynne Barnett
MESSAGES Co-Chairs
Editor – Tam Van Spriell
Copy Editor – Kathleen Salzberg
Technical Editor – Carol Etges
New Member Event – Shirley Harkess
Opera Brunch – Sandy Johnson
Programs
Chair – Norma Portnoy
UMC Liaison – Tam Van Spriell
Registration – Lynne Barnett
Scholarship Committee – Becky Batizy
Scholarship Luncheon – Ina Nenninger
Website – Joyce Spencer
Non-Board Positions
Document Repository – Diana King
Email Communications – Berry Todd
Historian/Yearbook – Karen Neff
Nominating – TBD
Photographer – Sydney Hoerler
Calendar
UWC Calendar for 2026-2027
September
Tuesday 15 — Membership Coffee — 10:30 a.m., Viele Lake and Harlow Platts Park, South Boulder.
October
Tuesday 6 — Lecture Luncheon #1, 10:30-1:00, UMC 235.
November
Tuesday 10 — Lecture Luncheon #2, 10:30-1:00, UMC 235.
December
No scheduled events. Happy Holidays!
January 2027
No scheduled events.
February
Monday 15 — Lecture Luncheon #3, 10:30-1:00, UMC 235.
March
Sunday 7 — Opera Brunch, The Marriage of Figaro.
Tuesday 16 — Lecture Luncheon #4, 10:30-1:00, UMC 235. Honoring service of Past Presidents and Group Chairs.
April
Tuesday 20 — Scholarship Luncheon 11:00-2:00, Boulder Country Club.
May
Tuesday 11 — Lecture Luncheon #5, 10:30-1:00, UMC 235. Margaret Willard Award and President’s Award.
