Meetings

APMC General Meetings

The APMC organizes General Meetings throughout the program year, approximately September 1st to May 31st. These are all-club events, and offer moms the opportunity to play, learn and explore topics of interest to the membership. Each year the General Meeting topics and formats vary, but usually include a brief welcome, club announcements, visitor welcome and one of two formats.

• Mom & Me – Programs designed to engage both moms and kids in activities highlighting themes or just having fun.
• Mom Time – These meetings have a childcare option for those moms who wish to use it, and feature speakers presenting topics of special interest to Austin moms of babies, toddlers and preschool-age kids.

Next General Meeting – Wednesday, November 12th
9:30-11:30am
At First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin
4700 Grover Avenue

It will be the “Mom’s Time” format with the club business starting at 10am, the speaker immediately after. We’ll feature a topic we can ALL relate to…

Mommy Self-Care
Guest Speaker: Alyson Stone
An Overview to The Mother’s Guide for Self-Renewal, by Renee Trudeau
Alyson Stone, a psychologist in private practice here in Austin, and owner of Life Balance Incorporated, will lead a discussion based on Renee Trudeau’s book and interactive workshops. Renee describes the book as “a jumping-off point [for mothers] to begin their personal journey to a life of balance, joy, meaning and connection.” As a Personal Renewal Group facilitator AND past member of the APMC, Alyson will bring her personal experience, professional insights and the dynamic approach of The Mother’s Guide for Self-Renewal to our group. Her time with us promises to provide opportunities for reflection and action to ensure we’re all tending to our own emotional, physical and spiritual needs so we can be the moms we want to be!
Find out more about Renee Trudeau (who lives here in Austin!) and the book at: www.reneetrudeau.com

APMC Monthly General Meetings Plan – Mark Your Calendars!
With the start of the new APMC year comes the start of a new format for our General Meetings, where all our membership is invited to gather to socialize, learn and play! This year TWO is the number to remember, as we will offer 2 meeting days (Tuesday and Wednesday), 2 locations (central and north) and 2 formats (w/kids and without).
Our goals in this approach are to:

• Allow for various mom and kid schedules and commitments through the year
• Alternate programs that offer speakers and similar info to moms, with those that provide fun opportunities to interact with our little ones in a group setting
• Account for the broad geography of our club

In summary, our meeting dates, formats and locations will be:

Mom’s Time Meetings
Format: A speaker or similar program offering helpful info for moms
Childcare: Onsite childcare offered during the time of the meeting, see childcare details below.
Dates: ALL Wednesdays -- September 10th, November 12th, January 14th, March 11th, May 13th
Times: ALL 9:30-11:30am
Location: First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin
4700 Grover Avenue
Between Burnet and Lamar, just off 49th street
That’s in north Austin, not far from Central Market and The Triangle, behind the Omlettry on Burnet, and behind the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired on 45th.
Link to driving directions
http://www.austinuu.org/site/index.php?page=driving-directions
For the first meeting we’ll meet in Howson Hall, located in the center of the building. If you go straight (not left) coming in the church’s main entrance, following the building/parking lot around to the right, you’ll see a sign for Howson Hall, and a patio with multiple entrances to the building. We’ll also have APMC signs up, an easily-visible check-in table, and a ready-and-waiting Welcome Team to make it easy to find us!
While the club is not church affiliated – we are an independent, Austin group of moms! – it has called several churches home through the years, especially given that they can offer childcare space as well as meeting rooms at economical rates for community-oriented groups like the APMC.

Mom & Me Meetings
An interactive program for moms and kids to play and learn together, hosted by a local organization/business OR one of our members.
Childcare: Kids 0-6 invited to join you for the fun. No childcare offered.
Dates: ALL Tuesdays – October 7th, December 9th, February 10th, April 7th
Times: ALL 9:30-11:30
Location: TownLake YMCA’s Multipurpose Room, on the first floor of the section located to the far right of the building (as you face it).
1100 W. Cesar Chavez (near the intersection of Cesar Chavez and Lamar, close to the TownLake Animal Shelter)

Childcare Offered at all “Mom’s Time” APMC Meetings
As a service to our member (and visitor) moms, the APMC subsidizes childcare that is offered during the time of our General Meetings scheduled with the “Mom’s Time” format, ie September, November, January, March and May.

• We will have two childcare rooms – for infants/toddlers and toddlers/preschoolers – are located just down the hall from our meeting room, and include an outdoor play area.
• Nannies from the Heart will once again be providing childcare for our kids during the meetings where childcare is offered.
• Cost to members and visitors is $10 for the first child, $5 for the second.
• For the September meeting, please RSVP for childcare to Kelly Salas-McIntyre at kelly@austinmothers.org, including the name, age, potty training status and any allergies of your child(ren).
• Cash or checks to APMC due when you sign your child in.
• Snacks will be provided, but please bring a sippy cup, diapers, wipes and a change of clothes (if needed).
• Thanks in advance for making sure to pick up your child(ren) no later than 11:30, so we don’t incur additional paid time for the nannies.
• Starting in November, we will have a 24-hour cancellation policy; no-shows or cancellations for childcare given with less than 24 hours notice will still need to pay for the reserved space(s), since the club will still owe the nannies that payment.

Contact Kelly@austinmothers.org or lane@austinmothers.org for more information.

Help Wanted!
As our monthly General Meetings are held for and by our members, we ask that member moms volunteer to:

• Bring refreshments to the meeting – at least twice a year
• Help with setup or cleanup for a meeting – at least once a year

We’ll have signup info at the meetings and send out email requests and reminders ahead of time, but THANK YOU to all our mom-members in advance for pitching in!

Community Service: Food Collections Happen Every Month at our General Meeting
This year, the APMC is partnering with the Capital Area Food Bank to sponsor a non-perishable food and coin donation drive at each of our meetings. Since we all have stocked pantries and coins rolling around, this is an easy way for us to give back to the community and help families in need. Moreover, our children will enjoy an active role in the donation effort, as they add coins to the Food Bank's piggy bank and watch it grow from September through May. More details to follow – watch your email or contact Sarah@austinmothers.org with ideas or for more info.

Don’t Worry – We’ll Remind You!
Specific speaker information and/or mom-child interactive programming, plus date, time and location info will be distributed to members ahead of each General Meeting, as well as information about childcare, community service collections at each meeting, and request for member assistance with hospitality, setup and clean-up. Thanks to all our members for helping make our General Meetings a great experience for everyone!

Contact Lane at Lane@austinmothers.org with ideas for meeting you would like to see, or if you are a speaker/presenter who would be interested in leading a session at one of the APMC’s upcoming meetings.