General Membership Meeting Minutes for October 16, 2008
A Small Group Meeting of the Junior League of the Oranges and Short Hills was called to order by President Sandy Loprete at approximately 9:30 a.m., at the home of Amy Richardson in Short Hills. There were 15 active members present. Two additional small group meetings were held on Oct. 15.
Topic of Discussion: Where do you see JLOSH in five years when we celebrate our 100th anniversary? Members’ response, which is highlighted below, followed two common threads: fit our capabilities to our community work; interpersonal relationships and emotional tie-in are important
We are a small league with big ideas. A lot of what we are doing can put us on the map. We have wonderful heart
We need to take a community needs assessment and match a community project to our membership numbers as well as the time members are willing to devote to it
Interpersonal relationships/personal connections are key to happy JLOSH members. Our next partnership must have that component
We must play to our strengths. In the case of our work with foster children, perhaps advocacy is the best way to help
We need to reconsider how we select projects. Members are swayed by the “sell” of the project instead of selecting the project that is the best fit for us. We need to present a needs versus our capabilities
Once we select a project we need to plan the details BEFORE we launch
Perhaps we could use Done in a Day to “date” a project before we commit to it
Stay focused on one community project for two years, then change to accommodate the diverse interests of our members
Shift Children’s Best Interest to advocacy and keep The Littlest Volunteers for one more year while we work toward building a new community project. Then, have everyone work on the same project
Junior’s Closet and The Littlest Volunteers are projects that have made our small league stand out in a big way. These are projects that our members love. Let’s not let them fade away. Example of Tillmes House was given: We stopped work on Tillmes House a few years ago when it burned down, but members went back on their own time to see its reopening last month. We need to build that same emotional buy-in
Announcements:
Tie-a-Ribbon DIAD was held on Saturday, Oct. 11. Volunteers tied pink ribbons, donated by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, on main streets in Short Hills and Springfield to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to show support for JLOSH member Tracy Beveridge
Annual Handbook will be mailed soon
The financial audit is complete. We are in a good financial position; our PNC advisor made some moves before market decline
Please get expense reports in ASAP so we can keep close track of our expenditures
New View deadline is the 15th of each month
Antiques Roadshow fundraiser is Thursday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m., at Short Hills Club. $25 donation to JLOSH includes admission to event and appraisal of one item by JLOSH sustainer Kathy Nye, owner of Dawson and Nye Auction House. Appraisal can be used for official insurance purposes. Event sponsored by Bollinger Insurance and will include information on insuring valuables/antiques. RSVP must be made in advance
Whole Foods will be providing tours of its new Maplewood store on Nov. 9 and 10 for JLOSH members. Tickets are $20, all to benefit JLOSH. Guests will receive goody bag with $10 store coupon
Women of Vision Community Service Awards Luncheon will be held on April 3, 2009, at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston
East Orange Presbyterian Church is new site of our annual Thanksgiving Basket DIAD on Saturday, Nov. 22. Area residents supported by the church’s food and clothing pantry will be the recipients of this year’s baskets. Volunteers should bring cake mix and icing and/or cornbread mix. The sustainer’s annual mitten tree event will be donated to the EOPC pantry
SPAC has a new website HYPERLINK "http://www.jlnjspac.org" www.jlnjspac.org. Site hosted by a women-owned firm that provides a non-profit discounted price of $3.95 per month. Working to mandate recess in all NJ schools. To keep up with the No Child Left Behind Act, some schools are working through recess. Other schools don’t have adult monitors to run a recess program. SPAC is also working on an immunization choice bill to allow parents to consciously object to some of the mandated vaccines. NJ has the highest level of required mandated vaccinations
Advisor meetings are on-going
The new provisional class starts on Nov. 11 and will run one year instead of introducing two classes per year
The next General Membership Meeting will be held on November 19, 2008, at 7:30 p.m., in the Women’s Club of Maplewood.
The meeting was adjourned by Sandy Loprete at 11 a.m.
Respectfully submitted by:
Joy Kalfus
Recording Secretary