Highlights from the November General Meeting

By Marcie Brown, Endowment Fund Committee Member

The November General Meeting had everything! There was a yummy dinner, loads of information about our Community Projects, a discourse with Sustainers and outfits from The Shop, adorable children in a Home Tour video, and more!

Sprinkles, a big League supporter, will again donate the proceeds of a special Home Tour cupcake. Last year their donation exceeded $2,500. I know many League members will be stopping by Sprinkles the week before the Home Tour as the special cupcake (Peppermint-Vanilla) is only available for a week. I hope they freeze well because I'll be buying a lot!

The Home Tour Committee also showed an adorable video featuring “Toddlers & Tiaras” – who knew we had a rival to Imelda Marcos in our League? They also talked about their “refer a friend” promotion and all their other events, emphasizing that the Cocktail Party would have college football on television for those who cannot bear to miss one moment of the game.

Catherine Carlton, 2010-11 Sr. SPAC Delegate, shared about how the month of May became perinatal depression awareness month. She added that Radio Disney had picked it up and that it was becoming a nationwide movement. The League isn’t often associated with advocacy, but there it is in action!

Susan Herman, Executive Director of Help One Child, made an enlightening presentation about foster children. Help One Child partners with Fostering Families, a League project. The statistics she shared were extremely sad, but it was clear that the League project is making a positive impact.

Nominating Chair Tara Roussel presented the President Elect Elect, Joy Peacock, via photo and words since Joy couldn‘t make the meeting. Besides giving great reasons for choosing a leadership role, Tara encouraged people to self-submit. The ever fabulous Naomi Chavez-Peters facilitated a discussion with uber-accomplished Sustainers Susan Martin, Jean Limbach and Sarah Rosendahl about taking their League learned skills and putting them to work in the community.

Many wonderful finds from The Shop were strutted across the stage by members of The Shop committee. The outfits were great!

And Meaux got us out on time! Our heads were filled with a lot of good information and feeling good about being a League member!

The Provisional Class's First Meeting and Social

By Alison Hart, Provisional PR

The provisional class had two very exciting events last month including our first meeting on October 18th at the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto and a Provisional Class Social at the Dutch Goose on October 27th. The overall theme of the Provisional Meeting was how the Junior League and its members make an impact in our community.

We listened to a number of excellent speakers including Vanessa Roach, Special Projects/Community MAL, who gave us a brief introduction to The Strategic Continuum. Vanessa spoke about six aspects of our Strategic Continuum: Impact Community, Increase Visibility, Recruit & Retain Members, Train Volunteers, Raise and Manage Funds, and Develop Projects and Make Grants.

After Vanessa’s speech, we were introduced to Polly Neumann, Senior SPAC Delegate, and Catherine Carlton, SPAC State Chair. During the introduction to SPAC, the provisionals were educated on successful SPAC sponsored legislation and how the Junior League supports and sponsors bills. Cat also told the provisionals about the many ways we can become involved with SPAC including the “There Ought to be a Law” contest, Day at the Capitol event on May 6th, and the Public Affairs Special Interest Group that will hopefully be launched in 2012.

Provisional Member Kristin Barker especially enjoyed learning about SPAC and said, "I really enjoyed listening to Polly Neumann and Catherine Carlton speak about SPAC. I think it's great that Junior League helps to create and sponsor legislation regarding important issues in our community and state." Lisa Hammon, also a Provisional, commented about SPAC, "I enjoyed learning about the Junior League State Public Affairs Committee, how the League has taken action on important state and national issues and the legislation they have drafted, like the children's bicycle helmet law. Their work is very inspiring."

Finally, the Provisional Meeting closed with a speech by our League President, Meaux Costello, on the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI). Julia Alshvang commented on the first Provisional Meeting, "I really enjoyed learning about different opportunities in Junior League during the first Provisional Class Meeting. I'm excited to participate in different activities in the future!"

The members of the Provisional Class enjoyed mingling on a more casual level at the Dutch Goose at the end of the month, and look forward to the next Provisional Meeting!

Riding Into Fall With RAFT

By Beth Ann Brown, Communications Team

This was my second year volunteering with the League at Resource Area For Teaching (or RAFT) and, I have to say, they're as impressive as I remember. I really admire them for all they do to make supplies affordable for teachers. We were at the store site in San Jose (as opposed to the Sunnyvale office where the previous DIAD projects were) and actually able to see what they had for sale -- it was quite impressive. 

This year, Valerie Dennis was the DIAD member in charge. The turnout was a total of ten members with four provisionals, four actives, one sustainer and one non-League member. Mary was the RAFT employee helping us and the one who instructed us on our projects for the day. 

We completed four projects: 

• Bagging pipets
• Pricing books
• Bagging buttons
• Pricing stickers 

Unlike previous years, we all got to work together on each project!

Provisional Christine Gibson said she really likes the idea of DIAD projects because it gives her a taste of the community service component of the League. Kristin Barker, also a provisional, thought it was a nice volunteer opportunity for the weekend; it was fun and let her feel like she'd accomplished something. Meaux Costello, our League President, was glad to see the energetic members of the Junior League helping at RAFT and thought it was a great place with fabulous resources. She had a blast her first time volunteering. 

Overall, it wasn't too long of a day but we managed to get a lot accomplished. Everyone left RAFT feeling good about what we'd done to help and happy that the League had chosen to continue with this DIAD project. It was a really fun afternoon and I look forward to going again next year.

An Intimate Gathering at the Neighborhood Meeting

By Beth Ann Brown, Communications Team

Last week I attended a neighborhood meeting at the lovely home of Polly Neumann. It was an intimate affair of perhaps a dozen members (including one baby) where we shared delicious finger foods and pomegranate martinis. 

After perhaps a half hour of socializing, Naomi Chavez-Peters called us together to discuss the topic of the meeting: outreach. We began by sharing how we got involved with the League, what we thought the League was doing well and where it could improve. With one transfer, four provisionals and a handful of actives in attendance, the discussion was lively and ideas flowed freely. Naomi also spotlighted the AJLI website and its features, particularly the new Webinar Wednesdays. 

Afterward, we socialized a bit more and everyone seemed happy they'd attended-- I know I was! So if you haven't had a chance to go to one of the neighborhood meetings, I'd advise you to try! They're quite fun.

Home Tour Committee Hard at Work

By Jillian Shenk, Home Tour Committee

Jillian Shenk with her son

Ladies, are you getting ready to find that special unique gift for your best friend or a little something for someone in your family? I know I am! I am on Home Tour and I wanted to give you a little insight into what it's like on the Home Tour Committee...

Yes, the our committee has been working very hard to make this year a tour and boutique NOT to be missed! We are very fortunate to have all of our meetings at the Swanky Rosewood Sand Hill. We usually start off the evenings catching up in the Library and then head down for an efficient working meeting. Last night we were faced with a challenge by our leaders – for us each to bring in one advertiser for the Special Edition Piper. We all grouped around our tables and started brainstorming. Initially thinking of ad sales can be daunting, but the chairs made it easier by giving examples of how some recent sales came about. Because of this brainstorm session, it brought each table together working as a team...this is just one great way to make us all feel like we are participating and making a difference for Home Tour and for our League.

After being led by our fabulous leaders and assistant chairs, many of us stick around after in the Library to get to know one another and plan out the coming months. I have really enjoyed getting to know the fantastic women on this committee. I look forward to each meeting to be able to have a nice dinner at the Rosewood and adult conversation, all while making a difference for our community.

Home Tour Tickets are now available! To purchase, click here.