Retired teacher Lorma Hill is a member of the American Association of University Women. She said the group's focus on women's issues matches her own wish to see women succeed.

Lorma Hill's mother was one of few women to earn a college degree in 1922 and inspired her daughter to join the American Association of University Women.

Hill, 71, of Butler joined the organization in the 1970s, and she has been doing volunteer work for it since then.

She said the group's focus on women's issues aligns with her own wish to see women reach equality and succeed in all walks of life.

"I believe in the purpose of AAUW, which centers on women's issues, and our mission statement says we advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research," Hill said.

Hill learned about the organization as a child when her mother graduated from Penn State University. She said the connections she has made in the organization have been as rewarding as the work itself.

"This group introduces you to women who are involved in various careers, and various backgrounds," Hill said. "Being a teacher, I enjoy being with people, women who had different backgrounds, and having conversations with them."

Hill retired from teaching in 1995. She worked from 1970 to 1994 at the Bonaire Elementary School, which is now a day care center, and also at Northwest Elementary School. She graduated from Butler High School in 1955.

Hill has volunteered on various levels of AAUW, serving as recording secretary for a number of years when the group held monthly meetings.

Today, due to the busy schedules of its members, the organization hosts networking sessions with other organizations such as the YWCA when it meets.

"I also believed in our fundraising project of the book sale, where we raise money, sometimes $5,000 or $6,000, and that money is given to women for scholarships at the graduate and postgraduate level," she said.

Hill is an avid reader herself, and pairing that hobby with her desire to see women succeed created her favorite yearly volunteering opportunity. The book sale is held each fall.

The group collects books by leaving barrels at supermarkets and taking donations from the community."The money is given to the Butler Library, scholarships for women at Butler County Community College, and it's given to a group that is called the Legal Advocacy Fund, where that money goes for lawyers who are fighting discrimination in higher education and work places," Hill said."It's a wonderful opportunity for us to raise money for all of those groups, and it's a community venture."Hill said the camaraderie among the women in the group is an aspect of her involvement that she treasures."We have developed close friendships through the years," she said. "The one thing that grew out of this organization is that we started a book discussion group and that has been one of my most meaningful experiences and has been in operation for 25 years."The group includes members of the AAUW and others. Hill said the book discussion group tends to focus on publications that deal with women's issues.In addition to the yearly book sale, AAUW also sponsors Lunafest, a film festival that shows movies portraying women in both serious and humorous situations."We host that, and it raises funds for women with breast cancer," Hill said. "It's a national group and they show short and long films about women's issues. It's been very successful and the money goes to cancer research."The group does not have regular business meetings, but holds regular programs and activities in the community instead.The AAUW is a national organization that conducts research on gender equality, whether in the work place or in schools. Local programming also includes sessions on self-esteem for girls.The organization's budget comes from a small percentage of the annual book sale, which usually raises about $5,000.Hill said the organization is working to develop a program that focuses on strengthening education for young girls in math and science.In November, a training session was held called "Let's read math," which provided volunteers with a class on teaching that subject."It's a tutoring program that would supplement what the public schools are doing," Hill said.In addition to volunteering with the AAUW, Hill is a Sunday school teacher at Hill United Presbyterian Church, and she also reads to people at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for an hour each week.

<B>President: </B>Mary McGinnis<B>Phone: </B>724-282-1459<B>Number of members: </B>45<B>Web site: </B>www.aauw.org<B>Who served:</B> A number of organizations in Butler County