ISSUE
04 723 Brooklyn Avenue San Antonio, TX 78215 210.225.1861 ph 210.225.6832 fax www.jlsa.org
May 2 0 11
scrawls
a publication of the junior league of san antonio, inc.
Welcome The 2011-2012 New Member Class Congratulations to the approximately 100 New Members who are becoming Active members in the JLSA! These bright new leaders will do an outstanding job representing JLSA. More importantly, these women are ready to go out into the San Antonio community and make a difference. The New Member program has prepared these new actives to professionally and compassionately serve those who need help.
The Junior League of San Antonio, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and
improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
With each class of New Members who successfully complete their training, the JLSA is always excited to welcome the next class waiting in the wings. The New Member Reception, held on March 24, 2011 at the Bright Shawl, was an exciting evening. Admissions Chair Mitra Woody and 2011-2012 New Member Chair Mireya Villarreal Gideon welcomed 100+ ladies as they began their journey through the New Member Program. New Members were also introduced to their mentors for the first time and had the opportunity to meet in their cluster groups. The New Member program is designed to teach New Members all about the different facets of JLSA. The ultimate goal is to take intelligent, caring women and turn them into intelligent, caring community volunteers.
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junior league of san antonio
Corresponding Secretary Report
2010-11 board of directors Cathy Scanlon President Gretchen Garceau-Kragh President Elect Debbie Callihan Treasurer
as of April 2011
President’s Perspective Catherine Scanlon President 2010-2011
Catherine Bell Treasurer Elect Syndi Phillips Board Secretary Lesley Vernor Membership Development Council Chair Lisa Ebrom Community Council Chair Misty Kelley Planning Council Chair Angela Spanley Fund Development Council Chair Jennifer Flores Communications Chair Lis Krimbill Research & Development Chair Celina Montoya Bylaws Chair Debbie Strus Nominating Chair Lucy Peveto Property Planning Chair Melissa Unsell Member At Large Chris Green Assistant to the President Rhonda Kolm Calvert Sustaining Advisor Denise Reams White Managing Director
jlsa staff Denise Reams White Managing Director 210-225-z1861 ext. 302 denise@jlsa.org Shannon Grabill Financial Administrator 210-225-1861 ext. 301 shannon@jlsa.org Megan Gallaway Membership Program Administrator 210-225-18621 ext. 300 megan@jlsa.org
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I can’t believe a year has already flown by and only because of all the AMAZING Volunteers like you. This year we have had many accomplishments that I would like to briefly highlight. • Beginning on July 1 the Junior League of San Antonio will regain all the operations of the Bright Shawl. Under the leadership of our new General Manager Victor Cervantes we will take back the day to day operations of the Bright Shawl. Look for future information about the upcoming events that will be planned. • We continued with our Branding Efforts this year with the launch of our online store “Retail Therapy”. This gives you an opportunity to purchase various items to wear or use and promote JLSA to your friends and family. • We voted in February on our 2nd Signature Fundraiser which will be a wine auction called Fête de Cuvée. This fundraiser will debut in the spring of 2012. The committee for next year has already been hard at work planning and preparing for that special event. • I would also like to celebrate all of our efforts within the community. This year through our work lives have been changed and we have made a huge difference for the over 450,000 people we serviced. We have invested 7,600 hours in community service and over $500,000 towards our mission.
No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude. ~Author Unknown In just a few short weeks your leadership will change and a new team lead by Gretchen Garceau-Kragh will lead you to be a stronger and more successful organization. There is still much work to be done and I know that the future is bright.
Transfer-In Veronica Bartosh (A) Susan Close (A) Nicole Eidson (A) Meredith Hargrove (A) Trianna Johnson (A) Perry Jordan (S) Bianca LaCombe (A) Ruth Morris (A) Whitney Ormond (A) Janet Peavy (A) Melanie Thomas (A) Lauren Vielock (A) Teri Wenglein-Callen (S) Transfer-Out Lindsay Berg (A) Jill Botten (A) Anna Dean(NM) Susan Ehrman (S)
Veronica Hernandez (A) Valerie Hunter (S) Cynthia Martin-Hajmasy (A) Melissa Mayfield (A) Michele McCullough (NM) Katy McKinney (NM) Ellen Murphy (A) Melissa Ann Norton (A) Kristen Vigue (NM)
Kristi Ingram (A) Franki Jenkins (A) Sara Knopf (NM) Rebecca Long (S) Tanya Oberle (NM) Marcia Patton (S) Jennifer Plummer (NM) Jody Stafne (A) Jennifer Zupo (A)
Reinstatement Melissa Ann Norton (A)
Deceased Alice Ruth Walthall Joan Brown Winter Frances Carty
Resigned Erin Angell (NM) Carolyne Baker (S) Amanda Conine (A) Donna Dancer (A) Beverly Flannery (S) Susan Hall (S) Jennifer Ibarra (NM)
Thank you for allowing me this year to have served as the 2010-2011 President of the Junior League of San Antonio. I have been truly blessed, and I am so honored to have worked alongside of so many incredible women!
JLSA Important Dates
Much Love
May 19th Book Club - Two Brothers Barbeque
May 17th JLSA Joint Board of Directors Meeting
Cathy No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Thank you. ~Author Unknown
Right Images AD
May 21st Super Saturday May 30th Memorial Day - JLSA Office Closed May 31st JLSA Office Summer Hours Begin M-Thr. 9:00 am - 3:00pm. Fri. 9:00am - Noon June 16th JLSA Book Club June 28th JLSA Board of Directors Meeting September 13th Sustainer Luncheon - 12:00pm.
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Incoming JLSA Board Gets to Work with a Bang!! The incoming JLSA board held their board retreat the weekend of March 5 & 6 at the Historic Hotel Menger. The weekend was a combination of trainings, work sessions and overall fun. On Saturday, Joyce Penland of Bacon & Lee Associates discussed various tactics the incoming board can use to run effective board meetings. Katy David, with the law firm of Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison and Tate informed the board of their legal responsibilities of being board members. Later that afternoon, sustainer Kathy MacNaughton helped the board make the shift from activities to results with a fun, interactive presentation. The board wrapped up Saturday with dinner at the Plaza Club at the Frost Bank Building. Thank you to the Plaza Club for donating dinner on Saturday night. Sunday morning started bright and early as the board was awoken by the Alamo battle re-enactment festivities! Sunday’s sessions centered on the “nuts and bolts” of being a JLSA board member. The incoming board developed the upcoming JLSA calendar, discussed “board norms” and began their goals and objectives for the upcoming year. The weekend ended with the incoming board being energized and ready to get to work on June 1st!
THANK YOU TO THE PLAZA CLUB FOR HOSTING THE 2011-2012 BOARD RETREAT DINNER!
For information, contact Julie Golla at 210-239-2315
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100 West Houston Frost Bank Tower 21st Floor San Antonio, TX 78205
A Message from the In-Coming President Gretchen Garceau-Kragh President 2011-2012
As I sat down at my computer to write this, I was overwhelmed with the realization that the time had finally arrived for me to become the next President of the Junior League of San Antonio. I was asked by the Nominating Committee to serve in this capacity almost two years ago and it seemed as if this day would never arrive. But alas, it has arrived and I am truly honored and humbled to be leading this wonderful organization for the next year. When I was interviewed by the Nominating Committee, they asked me what I would like to accomplish as President. My response to them was this: I would like for our members to push themselves past boundaries they never thought possible. Perhaps take a leadership position they might never have seen themselves doing or to sign up for a Done-In-A-Day project at an agency in an unfamiliar part of San Antonio. My response led to my theme for the year: “Know No Boundaries.” Throughout the year, I will be honoring league members who go above and beyond, who push themselves beyond their set boundaries, not just in their Junior League lives but in their lives outside of the league. With all of us working together, we can make San Antonio a better place to live for all of its residents. The Nominating Committee also blessed me with a Board of Directors consisting of an amazing group of women. We got together for the first time in March at our board retreat and have been formulating our plan for the upcoming year throughout the spring. When we met, I asked them what it would look like if we were “wildly” successful at the end of our
term and the responses I received let me know that this group of women was ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. In the next few months, we will be unveiling a new, more user-friendly web site, will return to self-management of the Bright Shawl and implement a marketing strategy for the facility to enhance its appeal in the community and will begin investigating the impact area for our next Signature Project. This is just a glimpse of what you can expect from your Board of Directors. In conclusion, I serve you, the members of the Junior League of San Antonio. You are welcome at any time to honestly tell me what you like, and what you don’t like, about your Junior League experience. Hearing from you will provide the Board with the information we need to make your Junior League experience truly exceptional. I look forward to working with you over the next year and to representing you well in the community. Yours in Service, Gretchen Garceau-Kragh President, 2011-2012
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JLSA-Goodwill “Rummage Around” 2011 JLSA-Goodwill “Rummage Around” 2011 What a special day February 26th was. It was the JLSA Goodwill “Rummage Around” San Antonio Sale. Fashionistas and bargain hunters alike enjoyed the day for a variety of reasons. The Julia’s Attic “department” included fabulous high-end inventory… not just limited to brand name clothing but also included home goods and electronics such as a 50” HD television set. WOW!
2011- 2012 Community Grants Awarded By Kristal Thomson
The Junior League San Antonio has recently completed our annual Community Assistance grant process. Each year JLSA awards cash grants to our community partners to fund events or activities consistent with the JLSA mission. For the first time community partners were able to submit their grants through the JLSA web site. The new online application has helped JLSA save time and “green up” our application process! The grant requests were reviewed in April, and those community partners who were selected received their awards at the May Community Reception, prior to the May General Membership Meeting. The 2011 – 2012 Junior League of San Antonio grant recipients are:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas - $2,600
The Children’s’ Bereavement Center of South Texas - $2,750
Christian Senior Services - $2,500
Family Service Association - $3,600
Humane Society of San Antonio - $6,125
Kendall County Women’s Shelter - $8,328
• Grandparents shopped for clothes for their families. They found a special pink skirt for one of their youngest grandchildren. She beamed while showing it off!
Roy Maas Youth Alternatives, Inc. - $5,000
SA Youth - $4,500
• The state hospital used its gift cards to help their residents. They spent the day transporting residents to the stores in vans and also shopped for those not able to come to the store. They found much needed clothing and household goods for everyone!
Sunshine Cottage - $7,800
Unicorn Centers, Inc. - $3,000
As a result of these Goodwill donations and many others, the league was able to give $15,000 in gift cards to our community partners for their clients to spend at Goodwill stores across the city:
One of the fastest cashiers in town working with our volunteers Rochelle Acevedo and Kendra Roller.
• A group of JLSA volunteers and residents of the Fairweather Family Lodge meet at the South Park Mall location for a fun shopping day – one found a computer, another found a special pair of jeans, yet another an armful of clothes that will help her & her family through the spring!
Community Agencies were situated at three Goodwill locations to increase awareness and offer services to Goodwill shoppers. These services varied by store and included a wide variety of programs such as health care, banking, dental care, government services, and more.
SA Works Impact This Year Bexar County Grandparents raising children go shopping with Goodwill Giftcards.
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I could spend pages talking about the wonderful volunteers we had this year and all the work they’ve done to impact San Antonio. But instead – I’ll let our community agencies tell you in their own words.
The collaboration of dedicated Goodwill employees and JLSA volunteers made the day possible. Goodwill led the organizational efforts with a creative plan that spanned the city with print, television, and radio messages. Store managers planned for the day considering store layout, inventory, and logistics and of course coordinated with volunteers and more to ensure that the day was a huge success. The stores festivities included balloon decorations and even balloons given to children. Junior League volunteers added hospitality by greeting the shoppers and helping manage the stores. Drawings were held every 30 minutes for special prizes such as gift cards and discounts on merchandise. Special thanks to League members and supporters that donated gently used goods to Goodwill. We are still totaling the contributions but as of the day of the sale, they exceeded $58,000. This year some new events were unveiled, such as the Sustainer Coffee and Drive and a friendly competition between new member clusters to see who could donate the most to Goodwill. We are hopeful that these will continue and grow in future years.
By Mireya Villarreal-Gideon
“We appreciate all that your organization has done for Boysville and look forward to working with you again in the future!” – Eric Davis, Boysville (New Member Project and New Member Make-up Project) “Our residents really enjoyed working with the Junior League volunteers and the murals that they painted look wonderful!” – Lauren Weiss, Seton Home (March 2011 event) “The JLSA ladies helped make the 2010 Donor Quilt Dedication Ceremony an overwhelming success to the over 300 family members who attended!” – Simera Nichols, San Antonio Eye Bank (August 2010 event) “We have been so blessed to have the participation of JLSA on Main Plaza and look forward to your support of other events during 2011 and future years. “ – Jane Pauley-Flores, Main Plaza Conservancy (August/November 2010 events) League volunteers, Teri Cardenas, Anna-Melissa Cavazos, and Ariana Barbour meet a Family Endeavors resident and her daughter for a shopping day.
“I just wanted to thank you for all your efforts and to the JL for supporting CAMP’s PNO program. The ladies did a great job!” – Sarah Coulombe, Children’s Association for Maximum Potential (March 2011 event) “Again, we thank you for investing in the future of homeless, pregnant, and parenting teen moms who want to learn the skills they need to provide for a better future for themselves and their children.” Margret Starkey, Seton Home (February 2011 event)
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