EXECUCOM - Summer 2019

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

EXECUCOM SINCE 1938

SUMMER 2019

JACK AND JILL

We Can Do More

2019

Pictured from Left: NCS Consuella Guillory-Adams (SC), NPD Lisa Grant-Dawson (FW), NVP Tanya Hand (MW), NP Danielle Brown (E), NT Pamela D. Taylor (MA), NRS Michelle Gentry Anderson (C), and NE Gina Williams-Jackson (SE)

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

EXECUCOM

SUMMER 2019

PRESIDENT Danielle Brown VICE PRESIDENT Tanya Hand TREASURER Pamela D Taylor PROGRAM DIRECTOR Lisa Grant-Dawson RECORDING SECRETARY Michelle Gentry Anderson CORRESPONDING SECRETARY Consuella Guillory-Adams EDITOR Gina Williams-Jackson

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INC.

STAFF

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EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT Tiffany Rose MEMBERSHIP Natasha Johnstone ADMINISTRATIVE Shalieda Marquez

SPECIAL PROJECTS Kristjen Renard

dy•nam•ic

FINANCE Toni Washington

/di namik/

TO CONTACT JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA,INC:

(of a person) positive in attitutde and full of energy and new ideas.

“she’s dynamic and determined.” synonyms: energetic, spirited, lively, zestful, vital, vigorous, strong,

Email: admin@jack-and-jill.org Call: 1-202-667-7010 Write: Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated 1930 17th Street, Northwest, Washington, DC 20009 Web: http://jackandjillinc.org

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forceful, powerful, potent, positive, effective, effectual, high-powered, bold, enterprising

Mothers,

DANIELLE BROWN

we welcome you to our Execucom 2018-2019 year-end report. We are pleased to give you an overview of what the National Executive Board has accomplished and a summary of what we see on the horizon for our 2019-2020 year. There are so many exciting and new things happening with our partnerships, organizational structure and member engagement. We are thrilled to take Jack and Jill of America to new heights as we prepare our youth to be leaders like no others in our country, and abroad.

A major goal that we had for the 2018-19 year was to strengthen the partnerships that Jack and Jill has with several amazing organizations. We are continuously growing and opening ourselves to ways that we can strengthen the connections that we already have in place across the nation. The National Executive Board took a look at all of our partnerships and asked a few questions that enabled us to build even further with our affiliations. We acknowledge the importance of our mothers and families being clear about what our partnerships entail; the purpose and use of their contributions; and very importantly different ways that you can contribute. All of these points present lead to the relationships garnering a win-win on both sides. We are exploring more partnerships that offer jobs and internships for our youth as they grow and develop into their leadership roles.

March of Dimes What we do doesn’t just benefit people in other families and communities across the nation, it also helps mothers in our own Jack and Jill chapters. I guarantee if you were to ask how many mothers struggled or had challenges with their birth you’d be surprised at the number of responses. Black women are over three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy related causes. Our money supports research so that one in five mothers will not have pre mature births. Instead, five out of five mothers will have healthy babies. And what’s more is that our connection with the March of Dimes can be a good way to increase Jack and Jill’s advocacy by organizing March of Dimes’ activities for our age groups via community service. Some mothers and families may not choose to march but there are other ways to raise the number. Exciting ways for you to get involved year round are through March for Babies; Mission engagement Activities and Prematurity Awareness month. Providing meals for families; creating siblings activities; supporting book drives; gathering supplies for going home packages for moms and babies; and wearing purple for awareness month in November all help to contribute and to boost research. We truly hope that we can find a cure soon.

National President

PARTNERSHIPS

•• During the 2018-2019 program year Jack and Jill has raised $208,000.

•• Our goal for the 2019-2020 program year is to raise $225,000 to $250,000.

St. Jude We will continue our very strong relationship with St. Jude. It is an unusual organization, in an amazing way, because forty percent of their patients are African American. And there are very few places where you have absolutely no financial obligation from the time that you hit the door as a patient. St. Jude is what you want healthcare to be. There are no charges for anything – for a bed, for meals, for surgery – not one thing, ever. I love the quote from Danny Thomas: “I’d rather take one dollar from a million people than take a million dollars from one person.”

This shows how we can all give a little and make a huge impact.

2019 ON THE HILL SUMMIT Legislation is amazing and transformational. On The Hill is an amazing way to ground our youth in advocacy. Historically Jack and Jill is not set up to do advocacy, but we have an exciting vision to teach our youth how to be advocates so that it will rise up from a local level to a national level. And we will do a campaign to vote. There are so many exciting and transformational plans in store for our beloved Jack and Jill. And I, along with the National Executive Board, look forward to leading us into a grand future that will always produce African American leaders of tomorrow.

SUMMER 2019 / 1

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Jack and Jill of America is organized and led by some of the most talented and giving mothers in the country. They all dedicate their time and resources to making sure that we run smoothly and that we have all of the tools we need to produce leaders and to support families and mothers. For this reason we want to make sure that they continue to have all that they need to thrive. So while our member engagement is a top priority, we also want to make sure that we have the strongest leaders and that they have up to date techniques to run a solid organization.

So we are training our National Executive Board members so that they can continue to lead us and to make Jack and Jill the best organization possible.

MEMBER ENGAGEMENT

Last year our leadership started us on a road to see the best that each of us has to offer and to explore our future. One thing that will ground us in this endeavor is aid and study. Learn and study to be best parent that you can to give our children options for success and for leadership. Our families are participating in two amazing trips to Barcelona and to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We expect over 1,000 of our members will go to Barcelona on our Queens and Moors excursion, and visit Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2020.

ALUMNI

Hands down, Jack and Jill of American produces the majority of the African American talented tenth. And we are proud to share our success with the world so that other organizations will invest in our leadership building programs. From medicine to politics, there’s not an industry that Jack and Jill does not touch. You would never find a concentrated amount of talent anywhere like you have in Jack and Jill. The future of Jack & Jill is now, and we are exploring ways to utilize our alumni, so that organizations and companies will want to invest in their own ability to have top talent.

FATHERS

We are a premiere African American organization, and we are the only one of its kind that celebrates the black family. We know – without a doubt – that the nucleus of our black family is the father.

So it is important to focus on our fathers, as an integral segment of Jack and Jill, and bring light to them. This year we offered webinars that had 500 fathers on each call. We covered topics that are of interest to them such as how to raise leaders, how to address mental health issues with their children, and how to teach boys to be men in this new and challenging environment. We are very excited about giving fathers tools they need to keep us strong and to support their families, as well as time to bond and celebrate all that they do for us at our 2020 golf tour.

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“

Train up a child in the way he should go.”

2020 VISION

Proverbs 22:6

We raise leaders through our programming: the means in which we prepare and process our children to be in leadership roles. My mother used to say: This is not seeing if something works by chance… you throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks. Nor does becoming a leader happen by osmosis. No one ever became great without instruction, and it is imperative that our planning is intentional and focused on the best ideas that we have to offer. What our youth learn in Jack and Jill, such as philanthropy, should be what they would never have the opportunity to learn in school. Our leaders-in-residence are grounded in teen leadership; volunteer service; financial literacy; civic involvement; and legislative advocacy via cultural, educational, health, civic and social/recreational activities. In our eight-month program year, we will think about what we will do to prepare our children to be leaders, and we will look deeper and have real outcomes for what we want to attain.

ININCLOSING CLOSING

It’s been a great year, the best year, because I’ve had phenomenal national officers to work with. You always want to be in a room with people who are smarter than you. And I am surrounded by amazingly talented and intelligent women that are visionaries, and who are the top tier of their expertise. We try to continuously ask ourselves one quintessential question: How is this Jack and Jill experience going to impact our children in a positive way and put on them on a trajectory to be leaders? I want to inspire because leadership is about inspiration. I shout out anybody who has ever volunteered and never gets a “thank you” but goes dutifully along and makes sure that things not only get done but get accomplished well. You are the ones who have more impact than anyone on this National Executive Board. What you do is ongoing and makes a huge difference and impact. You make Jack and Jill spectacular. If it was not for you, I wouldn’t be here.

“Leadership is about inspiration.”

Sincerely, NP Danielle JACK AND STRUCT U R E JILL MOTHL I T E R AC Y ERS TEENS SERVICE C I V I C FAT H E R S I N V O LV E M E N T CHILDREN LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CHAPTERS MESSAGE PROSPERITY REGIONS MEMBERSHIP A S S O C I AT E S LEADERS E D U C AT I O N HEALTH COLV I S I O N LABORA T I V E COMMUNITY MISSION P A R - E N T - I N G POWER ENGAGES T R A - T E G I C OPERA- T I O N S MENT VOLSTRENGTH UNTEER L O N GEVITY SOC I A L PA R T N E R S INSIGHT FOUNDAT I O N PHILANFAMILIES LEGACY R E L T H R O P Y EVANCE VALUE EXTRAORTRANSFOR- D I N A R Y CONSTRUCMATIONAL T I V E RECREATIONAL PROGRAM- S O C I A L O R G A M I N G N I ZAT I O N

PRIORISUCCESS OBJECCIVIC INTIES IMPACT INTIVES PRIORITIES IMPACT VO LV E M E N T FORMATION EXECUTIVE INFORMATION EXECUTIVE L E G I S L AT I V E STEM MODULES ACTIVITY STEM MODULES ACTIVITY GOVADVOCACY MESGOVERNANCE RESPECT ACERNANCE RESPECT SAGE PROSPERITY COMPLISHED ACCOMPLISHED MEMBERSHIP ASSOW O R L D LY W O R L D LY JACK AND CIATES ED- UCATION JACK AND JILL MOTHERS TEENS H E A L T H C O L L A B JILL MOTHFAT H E R S CHILDREN O R A T I V E COMMUERS TEENS CHAPTERS R E G I O N S NITY PARENTING FAT H E R S LEADERS VISION MISSION P O W E R STRATEGIC CHILDREN ENGAGEMENT VOLUNTEER OPERAT I O N S CHAPTERS PARTNERS PHILANTHROPY STRENGTH LONGEVITY REGIONS TRANSFORSOCIAL INSIGHT FOUNDATION LEADERS MATIONAL FAMILIES LEGACY RELEVANCE VALUE VISION MISPROGRAMEXTRAORDINARY CONSTRUCTIVE SION ENGAGEMENT M I N G R E C R E AT I O N A L VOLUNTEER PARTNERS STRUCTURE SOCIAL ORGANIPHILANTHROPY TRANSLITERACY ZATION SUCCESS FORMATIONAL PROSERVICE OBJECT I V E S GRAM-

MING STRUCTURE LITERACY SERVICE CIVIC INVOLVEMENT LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY MESSAGE PROSPERITY MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATES EDUCATION HEALTH COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY PARENTING P O W E R STRATEGIC OPERATIONS STRENGTH L O N G E VITY SOCIAL INSIGHT

SUMMER 2019 / 3

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hank you members of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. for giving us the pleasure to serve you in 2018-2019. We have expanded the mission of our organization into ten additional communities. Congratulations to our newest chapters and to their sponsors. This could not be done without you!

Now as we execute a new year brimming with exciting programs and activities, the National Executive Board is committed to providing you and your families the best Jack and Jill experience.

TANYA HAND

National Vice President

As your National Vice President, ensuring that your membership journey is fulfilling is my number one priority. I have had the honor to work with the seven best Regional Membership Chairs. These women are hardworking and dedicated to you. Together, Claudia Curtis, Chair (MAR), Kim Dickerson (CR), Lisa Davis (SCR), Marvis Donalson (MWR), Nicole Lawson (SER), Sharon Hoskins (ER), and Tasha Penny (FWR) worked diligently to provide fall Area Work Day presentations to educate new and seasoned members in the area of membership. Thank you Chairs, you are the best!

Welcome

TO OUR

JACK AND JILL

FAMILY

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Additionally, I have had the privilege to work with dedicated mothers that have completed the membership journey and still have elected to remain active. Associatesville is a beautiful place to reside, but one only can live there after serving. This hardworking and hard-playing group of women are the shoulders that active mothers have the honor to stand on; because they have run the race and carved a path for us to follow.

Thank you, Brenda Kennedy, Chair (SCR), Angelica Anderson-Tasker (MWR); Jacquie Easley (CR); Paulette Motley (MAR), Rose Richardson (ER), Tracie Thompson (FWR), Vickie Williams-Wiley (SER); your hard work helps all Associates “Live their best life!�

“

Membership, membership, membership. Mothers, Jack and Jill of America, Inc. is all about helping us be the best mothers and to provide our children with the tools to be the leaders of tomorrow.�

TASKFORCE INVOLVEMENT

I am proud to serve as the liaison for three taskforces that are working enthusiastically in their designated areas of expertise.

The Growing Strategically taskforce ensures that our organization not only has a growth strategy that fits our strategic plan, but that we have intentional and collaborative growth across our regions and organization. Thank you, Chairs, for completing an amazing first year of work that has been extremely important to our success. Hats off to Nadine Gibson, Chair (MWR), Denesha Snell (CR), Naima Jefferson (ER) Kimberley Goode (FWR) Tracy Jenkins (MAR), Tamica Dillon (SCR) and Jessie Hood (SER).

Small Chapters can be MIGHTY Chapters! Our Small Chapter taskforce is positioned to help our organization know the difference between a small, but mighty, chapter and an at-risk chapter. This fantastic group of mothers, all from small chapters, help assess and assist chapters that need to grow and thrive.

Thank you Suzanne Ornealas, Co-Chair (CR), Keisha Lowther, Co-Chair (SER), Andrea Corpening (ER), Alisha Austin (FWR), Reisha Drumgold (MAR), Jacqueline George (MWR) and Duwana Johnson (SCR).

J&J University taskforce has three pillars: Leadership, New Membership and Chapter Establishment. The work of this taskforce focused on building and delivering a learning framework to enable and equip new officers, new members, and chapter establishment efforts to execute successfully in their first year of service. Thank you Chairs. We know that our organization will be wiser because of your work: Fran Dillard, Chair (SCR), Joanna Bowie-Pruit (CR). Shirell Gross (ER), Mildred Oliver (FWR), Deirdre Lindsey (MWR) and Tiffany Glover (SER).

Membership, membership, membership. Mothers, Jack and Jill of America, Inc. is all about helping us be the best mothers and to provide our children with the tools to be the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you for your dedication to our organization.

Together, we all make a difference.

Sincerely,

NVP Tanya

SAVE THE DATE ASSOCIATES GETAWAY

February 27-March 1, 2020 Cancun, MEXICO

SUMMER 2019 / 5

National Treasurer

PAMELA D TAYLOR

G

reetings Jack and Jill Mothers. It has been a pleasure to work with you and our talented and dedicated National Executive Board members this year. As I complete my third year as your National Treasurer, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our Board, Regional Leadership Teams and our Chapter Leadership for the continued push toward improving financial processes in our organization and for upholding a high standard of organizational operation.

A highlight of this past year was a National Webinar in June that covered: •• How to update treasurer info on Right Networks •• Maintaining the Chart of Accounts, Transfers •• How to Void Old Checks and Deposits •• Creating Items, Invoicing, Receiving PMTs, Making Deposits •• Recording Returned Items (Bounced Checks) •• Entering Budget & Create/Save Reports •• Creating an online payment system •• Purpose of maintaining Monthly Records I’m pleased with the continued commitment of our new and returning Regional Treasurers and look forward to forging productive partnerships after our Officer Transition Meeting in August 2019.

Though I am not new to this, serving as the National Treasurer this year has brought me so much joy. This is a demanding position, yet, with your love and continuous support, I have been able to utilize my experience and expertise as a Certified Public Accountant to ensure that Jack and Jill of America, Inc. has strong financial operations. I look forward to continuing in this role over the next year, as we continue to grow and impact change.

Sincerely,

NT Pamela

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MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE I am extremely proud to be the liaison to the MHTF these are seven amazing women with a wealth of knowledge, and I am very grateful for the work they have been doing. The task force is led by National Chair Kimberly Underdo, LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) with an expertise in trauma and foster care. She runs three group homes and a private practive in Georgia.

NAMI PARTNERSHIP

Just recently, Chair Underdo led us in an informative presentation about our continued partnership with the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI). She encouraged all Jack and Jill mothers to consider getting their families involved in mental health awareness programming on a state and local level, which can help us increase partnership opportunities with NAMI. Many of our families answered this call by participating in NAMI walks in their respective communities. You can establish a walking team with your teens, mothers, and children in your chapter. For nonwalking mothers you can pass out water and host a water station. If you’re interested in participating in a walk in your area, upcoming walks include: • Atlanta - October 5, 2019 • Los Angeles - October 5, 2019 • Charlotte - October 26, 2019 You can also volunteer to join your local NAMI Planning Committee or partner with a NAMI chapter in your area and host a NAMI Kickoff Celebration. These celebrations assist NAMI in recruiting other local teams for the walk each year.

MENTAL HEALTH WEEK

There are plenty of ways your chapters can become more active in mental health awareness. Let’s get creative!

Perhaps this year for Mental Health Week, which is the last week in October, you can make it a goal to host a symposium, whether traditional face-to-face or online via Zoom or Facebook Live. We encourage you to participate however you can.

Many of you have asked and the MHTF has the answers!

Here are some topics we hope to cover in depth as Mental Health week approaches and we transition into this next year: • Helping Young People Say Yes to Livng, Working and Playing • An Upcoming Suicide Prevention Webinar • What is Vaping? Is it Harmful: Fact or Fiction?

• Marijuana Madness: Why So Many Youth are Using Marijuana and the Implications

NAMI also hosts two trainings that your chapters can participate in throughout the year: Mental Health 101 and Mental Health First Aid.

MAKING SELF-CARE A PRIORITY As mothers, we cannot expect to properly take care of our children if we do not properly care for ourselves. The last MHTF made it a priority to focus on teen suicide prevention. It is my goal to broaden that scope to include mothers and preteens, alike.

As black women we tend to be very busy, high-goal oriented, and move at a really quick pace. We are used to caring for others and not ourselves. We are also predisposed to experiencing physical symptoms related to mental health problems, according to NAMI. As the MHTF expands upon our focus, we will be distributing a Self-Care Planning Tool Kit and some other resources relevant to us moms.

Taking better care of yourselves has been the number one topic that you have discussed with the MHTF over the past year.

Our new Self-Care Tool Kit will help you devise an individual self-care plan, provide tips on finding accountability partners that make sure you remain focused on your goals, and offer other activities that can assist in maintaining your goals. You will be tasked with developing a vision board to revisit throughout the year, establishing practical and achievable goals, like eating better; increasing your vegetable intake; participating in your 5k walk or run, and completing a 30-day “Happy Mom” challenge. There will also be a section that helps you create a family self-care plan, including prompts for a Family Table Talk that you can discuss over the family dinner table.

THE MHTF STRIVES TO ENSURE THAT THE MINDS, BODIES AND SPIRITS OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY ARE HEALTHY!

SUMMER 2019 / 7

National Program Director

LISA GRANT DAWSON

SCOPE We successfully released another edition of SCOPE this year. SCOPE was designed to highlight the richness of programming implemented by Jack and Jill, both on a national scale and those unique to chapter and region. As you all saw in this vivid compilation, every page highlighted Jack and Jillers executing programming excellence across all seven regions.

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reetings Remarkable Mothers of Jack and Jill,

It has been my pleasure serving as your National Program Director this year, overseeing all of the impactful initiatives that we, as a collective, so graciously carry out within our communities. As we gear up for this next year, I enjoy reflecting on all that we have accomplished and the many lives we have touched. As I look back on this year’s programming, I am amazed at the Jack and Jill Mother’s ability to continuously go above and beyond the call of excellence. I am excited for what is to come because I know there are no limits to what we are capable of.

CURRICULUM TASK FORCE I have had the pleasure of being the curriculum task force liaison this year. I want to give a heartfelt “thank you” to the seven phenomenal committee members, and our amazing chair hailing from the Eastern Region, LaKreisha Jean. We did something very exciting this year. When I was coming into office, our immediate past leadership shared the state of the task force and 55 other women were part of the national programming committee reading team.

This group assessed the Jack and Jill Program Handbooks, gained a thorough understanding of the organizational culture, and the current state of our programming. Now they can help drive the vision of the future of our curriculum.

I was very excited that we were able to connect with the national program committee and the JJOA Curriculum Task Force. Additionally, we forged relationships with the regional Member-at-Large team and the Emerging Leaders Task Force. You’ll hear more about this as the year continues!

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This edition, in particular, highlighted the true #JJExperience.

Not only did you see our children on the cover and throughout the colorful pages and read words of love and encouragement from our National President, Danielle Brown, your dedicated Regional Members-At-Large, and the phenomenal National Programming Committee, but you were also encouraged to listen to the lyrics of “Sailing” by Take 6, a song that truly embodies the spirit and purpose of Jack and Jill. As you listened and turned each page, it is my sincere hope that you were able to reflect on accomplishments made and regenerate motivation to Do More next year as we continue to embrace the programmatic thrusts of our beloved organization – Civic, Cultural, Educational, Health, and Social/Recreational, and Leadership.

SOUPER BOWL OF CARING This effort encourages Jack and Jill chapters to tackle hunger by supporting families and communities that are food insecure. We wanted an initiative that Jack and Jill could call our own for MLK Day of service. This initiative -- started in 2016 by the South Central Region -- was such a great fit because it’s close to the Super Bowl date and concludes that Sunday. We’re happy to say that forty-five chapters participated. And we celebrate the following numbers and notable chapters: Total Cash donations 23,383 (Raleigh-Wake Chapter=$7500) Total Food items donated 59,274 (Capital City Chapter=30,000) Total Pounds donated 11,000 lbs (South Belt Houston Chapter=5568 lbs)

THE

POWER

IN PROGRAMMING

JJSWIMS Another key initiative we are continuing to support nationally is #JJSWIMS. Thank you to the many chapters who developed programs in response to the call for our children to learn to swim and/or to become life guards. Our partnership with the American Red Cross will continue, in addition to new partnerships and programmatic options that are being developed to support our organizational efforts in this area. We look forward to reviewing the programs that chapters are continuing this year, but are asking all chapters to also determine how many children in your chapter know how to swim, their proficiency, and how many children are lifeguards? This data may become a key factor as an internal program need within your chapter or a grade group. This information is more than worth considering, it’s worth a life.

Our strategic partner, the American Red Cross, provides a tremendous amount of resources for Chapters to use in their aquatic program review and consideration. Please visit their website for information and options to consider. You can find your local Red Cross Aquatics Representative who can help you to plan and execute a phenomenal Jack and Jill Water Safety Day to include structured programs and CPR Training.

CHAPTER PROGRAM HANDBOOKS The 2019-20 Chapter Program Handbook is due to the National Program Director with a copy sent to your Regional Director, by November 1, 2019 11:59pm PST. The instructions on submission to the National Program Director is listed on the cover letter of the checklist and your Regional Director will advise on how to submit the PHB’s to her.

The Chapter Program Handbook checklist contains minor amendments from the prior year. We have added additional options for the required Leadership Development and Financial Literacy Modules. New options add new focus and flavor to your leadership development plan, which adds POWER to the programming experience for our children.We have also added clarifications in various sections based on questions we received or areas we saw as requiring additional support in understanding the intent of each section. contact nformation, which is imperative for your Chapter’s membership roster for mother’s, associates, and father’s to be able to contact each other and for your Chapter VP to ensure that your contact information in MIS is accurate.

#JJSwims

In addition to awareness of fire safety and emergency preparedness education, our mission continues with American Red Cross to teach our children water safety. We are thankful for the leadership of our chapters on this initiative and continue to honor the memory of our Augusta Chapter’s Princeton Ellis Meadors.

VOLUNTEER :: GET PREPARED :: GIVE BLOOD :: GET TRAINED :: DONATE

https://jackandjillinc.org/Member Portal/Member Central/ Programming to review the revised elements of our thrusts to help guide your chapter’s programming focus.

Thank you Chapter Program Directors and the Foundation Chairs for your role in ensuring that the experience of Jack and Jill programming is planned and executed and that our imprint of tangible service and support is evident. We look forward to doing more for and with you together. Please feel free to contact me or your Regional Program Chair if you have any questions, comments or feedback.

Travelling Up the Hill with You,

NPD Lisa

It is my goal to focus on the efficacy of your programming by not only reviewing what your chapter planned to do, but also the success and challenges in the execution of the plan. Please review the Programming Section of the website at: SUMMER 2019 / 9

National Recording Secretary

MICHELLE GENTRY ANDERSON

Greetings Ladies of Jack and Jill of America,

I

want to thank you again for the opportunity to serve you and this organization. This has been a high-speed voyage with your National Executive Board. As you can tell we have hit the ground running with visiting regional Area Workdays, installing new chapters, planning cruises to Barcelona and youth trips to Tulsa. We have been excited as we work on our uses of technology, plan for our next regional elections and make plans to involve our alumni. We hope that you have enjoyed our fall and winter seasons and look forward to all that is to come this spring and summer.

REGIONAL SECRETARIES Your regional secretaries have been very busy this year continuing to educate members on the 1-in-4 process. We hope that the 1-in-4 reminders assisted in the rise in Area Workday attendance this past fall, and the conferences this summer. The secretaries had informative monthly calls as they prepared for their retreat this past January. They have been spending time finalizing registrations, brainstorming and sharing best practices. They also hope to leave this term with an updated Secretary’s Handbook to assist future Regional Secretaries. I enjoyed our time together in fellowship and development.

TECHNOLOGY Your technology committee has been filled with the best and the brightest technological minds from your regions. These ladies have heard your requests and wishes for a greater use of technology in Jack and Jill. They have been continuing the work on improving MIS, developing more fillable e-forms, and making your Jack and Jill life easier. We hope you will be as excited with the improvements and advancements as we are.

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ALUMNI CONNECTION TASK FORCE The Alumni Connection Task Force is filled with ladies who understand that when our teens graduate from Jack and Jill they are not yet ready to leave their Jack and Jill family.

They still want opportunities to see their friends, regionally and nationally. They also want opportunities to provide community service. This task force is working on ways to provide these opportunities. We ask that if your chapter or region has activities for your alumni, please share this information with your regional Alumni Connection Task Force member. The task force members also want to remind you to use the National app. They want this to be a tool for our alumni to keep in touch with each other, and to find each other as they visit various college campuses. Additionally the National app is for us to be a resource to alumni with internship information, and professional and community service opportunities. Remind your senior teens to sign up on the Alumni section of the app this spring and summer.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE Your regional nominating committee members have been very focused this year preparing for the 2019 teen and mother elections. They have been reviewing our campaign guidelines and sharing them with our teens and members via webinars and conference calls. The Nominating Committee members are looking forward to working with the candidates and preparing profile books to distribute to you this spring.

We hope to see a lot of interest and participation in this year’s election process.

TULSA YOUTH TRIP I am so excited to share my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma with you in May 2020. We want you to visit us and learn more about Black Wall Street, All-Black Towns and our black cowboys. Plan to come and visit us here in Tulsa!

Ladies, your secretaries, committee members and task force members are using their power to make a difference in our organization for our children. We hope that you are as excited as we are to see what the future brings for Jack and Jill with our improved use of technology, our alumni involvement, our 2019 elections and our continued love our history. Again, I am honored to be able to serve and share this journey with you.

Love, Your National Recording Secretary, Michelle Gentry Anderson



2020 CHILDREN’S TRIP BLACK WALL STREET • TULSA, OKLAHOMA May 1-3, 2020

“I

am so excited to share my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma with you in May 2020.

We want you to visit us and learn more about Black Wall Street, All-Black Towns and our black cowboys. Plan to come and visit us here in Tulsa!”

SUMMER 2019 / 11

National Corresponding Secretary

CONSUELLA GUILLORY-ADAMS

It has been a great year Mothers!

J

ack and Jill of America continues to be a phenomenal organization that is governed by our long standing Policies & Procedures and By Laws. We have been committed to making sure that all of our governing documents are up to date and available for our chapters to reference and guide our families as we continue the mighty work of rearing a community of excellent leaders.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The National Policies and Procedures Committee is a standing committee that is comprised of mother members representing each of the seven regions. The purpose of our committee is to revise and maintain the National Policies and Procedures Manual, and all operational policies and procedures of the organization in accordance with our National Constitution and Bylaws.

Following Area Workdays, the focus of the National Policies and Procedures Committee has been three main objectives: 1. Developing a comprehensive Chapter Level Policies and Procedures Implementation Strategy to facilitate chapters’ understanding of the importance of policies and procedures, and to facilitate their ability to draft or revise a Chapter Level Manual.

2. Delivering a webinar series to roll out the Implementation Strategy and to introduce the Chapter Level Policies and Procedures Toolkit containing the framework, guidance documents, checklists, and other tools to facilitate successful implementation.

3. Completing revisions to the 2018-2020 National Policies and Procedures Manual.

We are happy to report that, as of March, all three of these objectives are complete.

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THE TIME IS

NOW!

2019

ON THE HILL

LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT

THE TIME IS NOW Gun Violence Prevention Virtual Rally

ON THE HILL TEEN LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT

In a few weeks, Jack and Jill of America and the National Legislative Committee will welcome more than 1,000 teen advocates from across the nation to our 7th Biennial On the Hill Summit (OTH) in Washington DC. “The Time is Now: Fired Up and Ready to Go!” is the 2019 OTH theme. There are new and exciting educational programs and interactive activities that will engage and empower our advocates in the advocacy process. This summit is a dynamic and empowering experience for the advocates to meet and discuss issues/concerns effecting their peers and communities with their respective congressional leaders on Capitol Hill. Such issues include, but are not limited to: equity in education; gun violence safety prevention; the 2020 National Elections; and voter registration and turnout.

ON

THE

HILL

OTH LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INC.

Wednesday, September 25 - Sunday, September 29, 2019 Washington Hilton • Washington, DC

SUMMER 2019 / 13

UPCOMING BYLAWS COMMITTEE WORK This upcoming year, our committee plans to work alongside the Policies and Procedures committee to develop an allinclusive template package, which will further expedite the annual planning process for chapters.

Our main goal is to educate and engage chapters so that they are always in the know and knowledgeable on what is required of them. In order to achieve this, we will have Bylaws Review and Governance workshops to discuss the need for and implications of a national by-laws revision, as well as educate members on how to propose amendments.

We want to make sure that in writing the amendment they consider all governing documents that the proposed

amendment may affect. We are confident that through these workshops each member will better understand the amendments process. It is our plan to conduct a call for bylaws changes and amendments in September, with a strict deadline for submissions set for November 1st.

Another new tool we are looking to implement is a Document Management System. This system will have the capacity to integrate all of our governance, manuals and guidelines into one database, simplifying the process of comparing the information and understanding how these documents work in tandem.

“I want you to know that it has been my absolute honor to have worked alongside you as your National Corresponding Secretary during 2019. I want you to know that working with you has been unquestionably empowering for me as it has shown me repeatedly what a group of creative, intelligent, black mothers accomplish when their energies coalesce.

NCS Connie

14 / EXECUCOM

TASK FORCES I am so pleased to have served as the NEB liaison for two task forces, “We Are One” and “Alternative Pathways to Prosperity”.

We Are One We Are One, was created by the 2016 to 2018 administration.

It is comprised of some of our most kind, compassionate and inclusive moms: • • • • • • •

Cassandra Steele, Chair, Central Region Danielle N. Williams, Eastern Region Renett Clough, Far West Region Fentress Gerald, Mid Atlantic Region Lori W. Taylor, Midwestern Region Jaishree Ellis, South Central Region Kimberly Fisher, Southeastern Region

Every one of these mothers has been committed to helping all of our children and teens have a full and engaging Jack and Jill experience. I am truly humbled to work with such a dynamic group of moms. Our very experienced and committed Chair is Cassandra Steele. The mission of this task force is to accomplish four key points: EMPOWER chapters with information to enhance the lives of every child in our organization.

EDUCATE members and chapters to bring awareness to our children who may be “differently-abled” or have special needs.

ENCOURAGE our families and children by providing inclusive programming ideas to Chapter Program Directors.

ADVOCATE for all families and children.

National Editor

t has been a wonderful time to serve as the National Editor of this illustrious oganization. Expressing and sharing our mission through our brand and vision is vital to the image and purpose of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and it has been an honor to be in leadership with the entire Executive Board.

GINA WILLIAMS-JACKSON

I

Alternative Pathways to Prosperity Our second task force is a brand new endeavor that was created by NP Danielle. Alternative Pathways To Prosperity seeks to explore and find nontraditional paths to success for our graduating teens. This committee, led by Chair Robin Black, is comprised of some very phenomenal STEMsavvy women who work for some of the leading high tech companies and are privy to many alternative paths that have not always been explored or available to our children.

Alternative Pathways to Prosperity revolves around us getting our children directly from high school into the tech world.

We are working with various companies, including Google and Microsoft, to enhance opportunities for our children to secure internships and summer jobs after they graduate from high school. It is also our hope that some of these companies offer collegiate scholarships. Jack and Jill would also like to offer a database of STEM camps and opportunities that we can endorse. So we have asked families to share their various experiences at these camps to see if we want to promote them in a “Best of” list for our youth.

The We Are One task force has made tremendous progress this year. They have a great newsletter and are committed to providing a robust Jack and Jill experience for all of our children regardless of their abilities. We are pleased to have resources in place to assist and guide families with a variety of topics. We ask that mothers to let us know what they need so that we can connect them with the proper tools and information. We have the results of our email survey and we are working on getting the pertinent information to the particular mothers and chapters that need it.

Mothers, the voices of the passionate We Are One champions are needed to ensure the sustainability of this vital initiative.

So if you have not responded yet, we truly hope that you consider joining us. In order to accurately assess the needs of all children and to help pinpoint specific opportunities within our organization, we need your feedback. In the coming year we will continue to gather and fulfill your requests.

SUMMER 2019 / 15

ONE BRAND ONE ORGANIZATION

“I

t has been my pursuit to have every region in Jack and Jill in brand alignment to ensure that our logo and our messages are in sync. I along with the NEB, would be happy to provide guidance to ensure that we are all in tandem. Taking advantage of the social media guidelines that are on the website as well as referring to the style guide keeps us in unison and allows us to represent our organization as one strong and phenomenal entity.�

16 / EXECUCOM

THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

We Can Do More

NATIONAL TEEN BOARD

NATIONAL TEEN BOARD

The National Teen Board continues to be a part of Jack and Jill that is an absolute joy to work with. We are ramping up and are very excited as we anticipate elections for our new teen leaders. The Eastern region has already had their teen conference, and in the coming weeks we will finalize the new national teen board and they will hit the ground running. We want to take this opportunity to thank our stellar immediate past teen board for all of their work and dedication.

NATIONAL TEEN BOARD They focused on resources that Jack and Jill members could use or share to help teens who might need assistance with mental wellness which includes managing stress and bullying, and managing their sexual identity. Overall mental wellness for our teens will continue to be the top priority for our incoming Teen Leaders. And we will support them in these areas and with their other visions and goals.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS And finally I am very excited about our partnerships with St. Jude’s, Essence, When We All Vote and The U.S. Open. These organizations are excited to offer Jack and Jill mothers and families the opportunities to support our communities on a national level and to have an amazing time enjoying each other at sports and festival events. I look forward to sharing more details, as they unfold, about each of these relationships in the coming months.

Sisterly,

Gina Williams-Jackson NE Gina

SUMMER 2019 / 17

CONNECT WITH US Visit Jack and Jill’s social media sites at Instagram @jackandjillinc Facebook @jackandjillinc Twitter @jackandjillinc Please use #jackandjillinc to share your successes, wins, and Jack and Jill Family Pride!

TO CONTACT JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA,INC: Email: admin@jack-and-jill.org Call: 1-202-667-7010 Write: Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated 1930 17th Street, Northwest, Washington, DC 20009 Web: http://jackandjillinc.org