March 2016 • Issue 6
In This Issue: • Regional Training • ODI Florida • Sustainer Update • Sectionals Update • Community Collaborations • STEM Expo • January GMM Recap • Community Council Update • Chadwick House Thank You • Dues Renewal • KUDOS
JLS TO HOST REGIONAL TRAINING On Saturday, March 19th, the JLS is hosting a Regional Training for our surrounding Leagues. We are welcoming Anne Tishcoff from AJLI to facilitate a training on Membership. This training will focus on how to recruit, retain and sustain members. The presentation will follow AJLI’s Membership Model, one of their new initiatives to help engage members and create a strong and lasting League. The Junior Leagues of Binghamton, Elmira, Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady and Saratoga Counties, Troy and Albany are all looking forward to participating in this special training opportunity. As a special treat, during the lunch session attendees will be hearing from Michele Jones-Galvin, a Junior League of Syracuse Sustainer, ancestor of Harriet Tubman and co-author of Beyond the Underground: Aunt Harriet, Moses of Her People.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS March 6: JLS Women on the Move • 3:00 p.m. • Contact Jackie Popkess for more information. March 8: GMM • Social 6 p.m.; Meeting 6:30 p.m. • JLS Ballroom March 15: Board Meeting • Social 5:30 p.m.; Meeting 6 p.m. • JLS Office March 19: Regional Training • 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. • JLS Ballroom March 23: Sustainer R&R • 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. • The Genesee Grande Hotel • Contact Barb Stratton for more information. April 29: Sustainer Annual Cocktail Reception • Time and location TBD • Contact Barb Stratton for more information.
Anne will also be presenting on the two other initiatives AJLI is currently rolling out; the Community Impact and Governance/Management Split Rollouts. The Friday night training will be hosted for the current and incoming JLS leadership teams. The JLS has a restricted training fund, titled the Jerri Wilson Fund, in honor of late Past President Jerri Wilson. The money in the fund is used for special training events like this, as well as to send members to AJLI conferences and trainings.
Contact the President: Jenny Jackson Donahoe: jljack06@syr.edu The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • March 2016 | 1
ODI FLORIDA What an amazing, eye-opening, and inspirational weekend trip! Little did I know that when Lindsay LaRocque and I boarded the flight to attend the Organizational Development Institute 2016 in Miami, Florida, I would leave the weekend filled with new experiences, friendships, and an even greater desire to make a meaningful impact in the community. While I left with an overwhelming amount of information and ideas, I’d like to share some of the main points that stuck with me the most. During one of our whole group sessions, we listened to an inspiring talk by Vicki Clark, discussing the need for diversity and inclusion within our League. She reminded us that in the past, people may have said, “When you have seen one Junior League member, you’ve seen them all.” This is no longer the case anywhere in our society, especially within the Junior League. Everyone is welcome to be a part of the League and we need to encourage a diverse membership. This was apparent during the conference, as I met women from across the country from a variety of League sizes, family backgrounds, and professional experiences, among other aspects. The Junior League must appeal to the next generation of women, and she challenges us to remember this as we plan events, recruit members, and live out the mission and vision. As part of the “Membership Development” track, Naomi Chavez Peters led many discussions about the membership experience. The way in which we recruit members is an essential part of sustaining the Junior League. We practiced telling a story about an experience we have had within the League, rather than simply telling others what we do. Making a personal connection to the League will help inspire other to be a part of the organization. This story could include a meaningful relationship you have formed because of the League, professional skills you have learned with the help of the training from the League, or a memorable experience you had while volunteering within the community. Next time someone asks you what the Junior League is, try telling a story about your experience! “Storytelling” helps present the League in a way that truly describes the mission and vision. As I left my final session, I realized how empowering it was to be a part of this organization with so many influential women, and because of this experience, I have a deeper understanding of how we are all connected within the Junior League - working toward the mission and vision.
Contact the Secretary: Katie Corbishley: katie.corbishley@gmail.com
SUSTAINER UPDATE As a reminder, the Sustainer of the Year nomination deadline is April 1st. That form, instructions, etc., may be obtained by calling the office at 315-423-9773, or by contacting Barb Stratton. This year we are requesting that the submissions be mailed to Barb at: 6729 Kinne Rd., DeWitt, NY 13214. Also check out the Sustainer-related items noted in the Mark Your Calendar section of this newsletter. Lindsay and Katie with members from The Junior League of Waco. 2 | The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • March 2016
Contact the Sustainer VP: Barb Stratton: bjstratton1@verizon.net
SECTIONALS UPDATE Thank you to everyone who attended our first two Sectionals! Early February brought two exciting Sectionals - “How to Navigate the JLS Website” and “Women & Heart Health”. How to Navigate the JLS Website: On February 8th, the “JLS Tech Team” demonstrated how to use our member website and the Seeing Spot app. The app is a great way to quickly check the JLS calendar and directory. Need to sign up for book club? Use the app! Need to call a committee member? Use the app! Accessing the website on a computer is a great way to add detail to your profile, check your member obligations, and access JLS resources and documents. Women & Heart Health: On February 9th, the JLS partnered with the Spirit of Women organization from Crouse Hospital to bring in two guest speakers. The presenters from Crouse Hospital - Cathy Wolf, RN Cardiac Care Educator and Nicole Miller, LMT, MS Integrative Medicine Coordinator - shared with us the importance of managing stress to prevent both short-term ailments and chronic illnesses. An Evening at Dorothy Day House: On February 22, the JLS partnered with the Gifford Foundation. Members started the evening by providing dinner for the residents of the house. Sheena Solomon of the Gifford Foundation also spoke to members about needs within our community and how area organizations meet those needs. Members ended the evening by setting up and leading an after-dinner draft activity for the children of the house aged 2-15. All the Sectionals were informative, engaging and fun! Thank you to the members for participating!
Contact the Education & Training Chair : Lauren Knisely: laurenknisely@gmail.com
The above photos are from the How to Navigate the JLS Website and the Women & Heart Health Sectionals and were posted to The Junior League of Syracuse’s Instagram (@juniorleaguesyr). The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • March 2016 | 3
COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS At the end of January JLS volunteers were humbled to serve 142 hot meals at the Catholic Charities Emergency Shelter for Men. In addition, 150 pairs of socks were donated, which will come in handy during this winter season! As part of Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order, the facility now operates 24 hours a day. This has created a shortage of food for the clientele, so the JLS’s support was greatly appreciated! Thanks to Sue Shubmehl and Cheryl Saidel and all our members for their support at this event! By serving dinner, we are reminded first hand that men are a part of the community and family, which fulfills the JLS’s mission of supporting women, children and their families.
children have run low or out of school supplies. The bags were filled with writing utensils, paper, tissues, erasers and of course, candy! Thank you to Betsy McLane for organizing the collaboration. April is a big month for the Community Collaborations Committee. We will be participating in “National Volunteer Week” AND our STEM Expo. Both of these events are exciting for many reasons!
“National Volunteer Week” is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. Activism is always the goal of the JLS; and between April 10th-16th that is exactly what we will be doing! Some events include a creation of a library and “reading nook” at the West Side Family Resource Center. Members are asked to donate any new or used children’s books (all age ranges) at the March GMM. Please contact Courtney Bintz if you’d like to be involved in planning this exciting week of volunteer opportunities Be on the lookout for more community collaborations to participate in.
On February 13th, members participated in a Valentine’s Day celebration and card making event at The Westside Family Resource Center. The JLS provided the card making essentials and volunteers, so that the children could make cards for their loved ones. Each child was given a JLS red shopping bag, filled with school supplies. By the midway point in the school year,
4 | The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • March 2016
Contact the Community Collaborations Committee Members (L to R): Lindsey Yonko: yonko.gardner@gmail.com Courtney Bintz: courtneyakers24@gmail.com Cheryl Saidel: cheryl.saidel@stylesolutionsteam.com
DANFORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL STEM EXPO 2016 The Annual STEM EXPO at Danforth Middle School is planned for Friday April 22, at 8:00 am. This year, we will host 6th grade girls only, supporting both the Mission of Danforth and the JLS. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Women remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce, which JLS hopes to combat through this STEM EXPO event. Our most exciting addition to the 2016 STEM event is Astronaut Jeanette Epps, who will serve as our main presenter! Dr. Epps is a STEM role model for the Danforth girls. A native of Syracuse, she graduated from Thomas J. Corcoran High School, received her B.A. from Lemoyne College and her Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. She was selected in July 2009 as one of 14 members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. Dr. Epps began her working career as a Technical Specialist at Ford Motor Company. Prior to being selected for NASA, Dr. Epps joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where she spent more than seven years working as a Technical Intelligence Officer. Since we have been lucky enough to secure Dr. Epps, we are following a “space/weather” theme as much as possible. The girls will participate in four smaller experiments hosted by local companies. One confirmed company will be the Channel 3 Weather team! This year we will be impacting 60-70 6th grade girls. The goal is to provide them with a unique experience that will advance their interest in STEM fields. The STEM committee has been working hard and are proud of the fact that this has become an annual event. We have formed a true collaboration with the Syracuse City school District. PLEASE join us in our excitement and attend if possible!
JANUARY GMM RECAP ANNUAL APPEAL •
Annual appeal will going out with dues notice. Donate online, by mail, or calling Dawn.
REGIONAL TRAINING •
Philadelphia regional training coming up in February; looking for volunteers.
SECTIONALS •
Sectionals sign-ups are online - be sure to register.
COMMUNITY • • • • • •
Reviewed the activities of packing bags and making Valentine’s Day cards with the kids at The Westside Family Resource Center. 25 kids, approximately 7-13 years old. Saturday, Feb 13th 10 at a.m. Sign-ups online. Asked membership about an interest in doing a fashion show with My Sister’s Closet. We are still able to donate clothing up until Friday at the office. Spoke about the Men’s shelters and upcoming event in February
PRESENTERS: Mike Sullivan and Rick Patrick from the Catholic Charities Emergency Shelter for Men. • • • • • •
Spoke of history and started in 1979 and how they have evolved over the years and since Catholic Charities has become involved with them. They have downsized and have new facilities. They have counselors and case managers on site. Spoke about the changes in licensure due to health codes, food requirements, sq ft per bed, recreation and dining spots. County to support updating of facilities. Organizations coming in and serving meals. 8 people limit to volunteer.
Barb won the chili cook off! Contact the Secretary: Katie Corbishley: katie.corbishley@gmail.com The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • March 2016 | 5
COMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL UPDATE Communications: (n) the imparting or exchanging of information or news (n) in the Junior League of Syracuse, the internal and external promotion of activities through the work of The NOTES Editor and Assistant, Public Relations Committee, and Online Engagement team The Communications Council is excited to partner with JLS committees to raise awareness of the JLS’s community impact, membership recruitment and development, and fundraising initiatives throughout this League year. The PR Committee is bringing JLS news and events to the attention of the local media, often using contacts cultivated by our members. This year, our member recruitment events and 95th anniversary community service blitz received placements in local media. Our recruitment open house during Women’s Day in the Fair was featured on CNY Central and Time Warner Cable and helped spread the word about our recruiting efforts. “95 for 95” was covered by CNY Central and showed the meaningful way in which we chose to celebrate a signature milestone. The Holiday Shoppes team arranged for full coverage of our signature fundraiser, resulting in coverage in print, radio, television, social media, and more – Holiday Shoppes was truly everywhere! Looking beyond traditional media, the Online Engagement team is working with social media platforms – including Facebook, Instagram and more – to raise awareness of our organization to online audiences. During this year’s “95 for 95” initiative, a social media campaign developed by the team was widely shared by JLS members, which brought news of “95 for 95” to a 50% larger audience and demonstrated the work we do to build a better Syracuse community. Additionally, social media outreach during Holiday Shoppes resulted in the acquisition of over 100 new Facebook fans, and engagement of those followers with timely and relevant Holiday Shoppes content helped contribute to the success of this year’s event. Liking, commenting, and sharing really does make an impact! This League year is not yet over - we encourage you 6 | The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • March 2016
to check out all of the JLS’ communications for some exciting projects coming to the membership in the months ahead! - JLS Communications Council The NOTES, Public Relations Committee and Online Engagement Team
Contact the Communications VP: Jessica Murray: jessicamurray@me.com
CHADWICK HOUSE THANK YOU In December 2016, we visited the women and children of the Chadwick Residence, making gingerbread houses, decorating cookies and donating gift bags with quick meal supplies. The JLS recently received this lovely thank you note from Chadwick!
DUES RENEWAL REMINDER
ADVERTISE WITH JLS! Contact the NOTES Editor Carrie Ryder at carrieryder77@gmail.com for more information.
THE NOTES BY MAIL Any member who would prefer to receive a copy of The NOTES via USPS can notify the office at office@jlsyracuse.com. Many thanks in advance!
READ THE NOTES ONLINE You can now read The NOTES online on the JLS website: www.JLSyracuse.org or on Issuu at: issuu.com/jlsyracuse
Thank you for your continued membership in the Junior League of Syracuse! We could not continue to move our Mission and Vision forward without the support of our members. Membership renewal forms have been mailed out for the 2016-2017 year. If you have not yet received your forms, please contact Dawn at office@jlsyracuse.org or (315) 423-9773. Or you can renew your membership online by visiting the Member page at www. jlsyracuse.org. You may pay in full or choose to pay in installments.
KUDOS! Barb Tresness recently published a memoir, titled “Beyond a Charmed Life”. Anna O’Neil has recently started a new job at Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP! ___________ If you would like to submit a Kudos, please e-mail the NOTES Editor Carrie Ryder at carrieryder77@gmail.com
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431 E Fayette Street, Suite 225 Syracuse, NY 13202 O: 315-423-9773 F: 315-471-1464 office@jlsyracuse.org www.jlsyracuse.org MISSION The Junior League of Syracuse is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. VISION The Junior League of Syracuse will be an organization of diverse women committed to enriching the quality of life for women, children and their families in the Central New York Community.
Find the Junior League of Syracuse Online! Visit www.jlsyracuse.org