Teen Tote Stuffing - Fall Provisional Class Project

With the holiday season and cold weather upon us, the Fall 2011 Provisional Class members have been hard at work with this year’s annual Teen Totes project!

In 2004 the JLC became aware that teenagers were an often overlooked age group during the holiday gift-giving programs within the city. Thus we began our Teen Totes project to deliver tote bags filled with items such as personal hygiene products, food and entertainment certificates, toques and gloves to Calgary area teens.

Our goal this year is to fill another 300 totes! If you would like to donate items for these Teen Totes, please consider donating movie passes or gift cards to either Superstore or Wal-Mart in the amount of $10.00.

The Fall Provisional Class also invites all Active and Sustaining members to put on your Santa hats and join us for some holiday cheer while we assemble this year’s totes!

Contact the JLC office to make a donation or to volunteer to assemble the totes.

JLC Members at the 2011 Teen Tote Stuffing DIAD

Future Program Planning Update

The Junior League of Calgary (JLC) is entering an exciting phase of exploring future program directions by a review of feedback we received at our June, 2009 Forum (“Exploring Issues Impacting Calgary Youth”) when we brought representatives from 12 Calgary agencies together; by talking to key organizations to identify community needs; by asking our Community Advisory Panel for input; and by turning to one of our greatest resources—OUR MEMBERS!

Our JLC members have a great variety of experience and connections to Calgary and other communities.  We invite all JLC members (Actives, Sustainers and Provisionals) to take time to think about community needs in Calgary and offer any suggestions you have about future JLC program direction and delivery.

Please keep our FOCUS area of “Strengthening families through education and support” and our ISSUE area of “Healthy and Active Living” in mind as you brainstorm ideas.   Think about things you’ve read, places you’ve been in Calgary and any time the concept of “The JLC would be great at working in this area” has come to mind.

We welcome your thoughts and ideas. If you have suggestions please post a comment below.

JLC Receives Donation from Mackenzie Financial

In October the Junior League of Calgary received a $500 donation from the Mackenzie Financial Charitable Foundation through their Committed Volunteer Program. This donation was thanks to JLC Active Liz Walker, an employee with Mackenzie Financial, who submitted a funding request to her employer.

Thank you to Mackenzie Financial for supporting Canadian communities through their charitable giving and to Liz for making the request on our behalf. Many employers offer similar giving programs. Check your company’s website for more information.

Moms U Matter (MUM) Program at HIghbanks Society

JLC members (L to R): Sharyl  Madigan,

 Philippa Gear and Donna Fan 

The Junior League of Calgary partners with Highbanks Society to implement a program to help young mothers learn about “Healthy and Active Living” through the practice of good nutrition and physical activity.  These moms live at Highbanks, which provides a safe, stable and affordable place for them to stay while they complete their educations and outline plans for their specific educational, career and personal goals.

Moms prepare a meal as part of the 

MUM Program at Highbanks Society

The theme at the October session was “Fall Savoury Flavours.” The moms made Pinto Bean Tortilla Soup and baked oatmeal cookies for dessert. Philippa Gear pre-baked Cheddar Biscuits, which were served with the soup. The meal was delicious, and any leftovers were taken home by the moms.  We presented three main topics at this session:  “Adding Fibre to your diet ", Why and how to “deglaze" and the "Difference between Parchment and Wax paper". The gifts for this session were a Brown Sugar Bear Disc, a Pastry Blender and Parchment Paper.

Thank you to JLC members Donna Fan, Alice Gardner-Boreta, Philippa Gear and Sharyl Madigan for helping with the session.

The six future MUM sessions scheduled for this year will continue to be delivered at the newly remodelled kitchen at Highbanks Society.

JLC Sustainers - We Need Your Help With our Archives!

JLC Past Presidents and Sustainers Marlene Doherty (L)
and Jeri Sherban working on the JLC archives

The JLC is working to update and re-organize its archives – both what we have at the office and to update our archive file at the Glenbow Museum, which only contains items through 1986.

We will be delighted to receive anything you wish to pass on – issues of the Lasso, JLC rosters and/or Whitebooks, board and/or committee minutes, pictures or documents related to our various community projects, programs or events over the years, the Next-To-New Shop, etc., etc.!

In particular, our own archives appear to be lacking:

l Copies of JLC rosters for the years 1957-1958 and 1959 -1960

l Copies of all editions of the “Lasso” for the decade of the ‘90’s

So we encourage you to check your closets, attics and basements for any of these items and donate them back to the League.  All items can be delivered to our office during office hours.  If that is not possible, we will be more than happy to come by and pick them up!

Thank you in advance for your help!

Treasure Trunk Program at Brenda's House

Brenda’s House is a re-housing program with a sheltering component aimed at moving families toward independence and their own sustainable housing. The Treasure Trunk program presented by the JLC targets key issues of nutrition and healthy eating, literacy, music and movement and the arts.  We offer developmentally appropriate, themed activities for the various ages of children who may be in residence during our twice-monthly sessions.

Our second Treasure Trunk session of this season was delivered on October 12 with Babies in the Story (BITS), Kids in Motion & Music (KIMM), and Kids in the Arts (KARTS).

In Babies in the Story, the parents, babies and toddlers were engaged with reading books, singing songs, playing hand clapping games, and laughter within the shared delight of reading and discovery.  Each family left with a bag of reading materials and finger puppet books.

The Kids in Motion & Music component was led by JLC member Natalie Wynn-Dempsey, who had the young children dancing, moving with scarves, chasing bubbles and shrieking with laughter and delight at the various surprises she pulled out of her hat to engage and stimulate the children.

During the Kids in the Arts component, the children made masks with an ample supply of objects, feathers, jewels and glitter to stick on them.  Several of the children stated they would use the masks for their Halloween activities, as they planned on being animals, princesses and pirates!

On October 25 we delivered our third Treasure Trunk session with the Kids in the Story (KITS) and Kids in the Kitchen (KITK) components presented to a house full of children by our JLC members.

JLC President Alice Gardner-Boreta (L) and local author
Lisa Youns share Lisa's book at Treasure Trunk

Local Calgary author Lisa Young came as a guest and read her book, “Friendship of Magpie and Crow” to all the children present.  She sat on the floor with the children, engaged them with her delightful story- telling style and had the children acting out parts of the book.  Each child was given a signed copy of her book for their personal libraries.  Many, many thanks to Lisa for adding such an enriching component to our Treasure Trunk!

KITS then progressed to the children making their own Friendship Bracelets, which complimented the theme about friendship in Lisa’s book.

Kids in the Kitchen capped a great evening with the children creating “spider snacks” with cracker bodies, pretzel legs, raisin eyes and Cheese Whiz gluing the animals together. Each child left with their own apron to wear in future cooking fun.

The nine future sessions of Treasure Trunk for this year will be delivered at the Brenda’s House facility located in the SW neighbourhood of Killarney in Calgary

Junior League of Calgary Kicks Off Its Annual Campaign

With Canada's National Philanthropy Day fast approaching on November 15, the JLC is preparing to launch its 2011 - 2012 Annual Campaign.
With your help we can continue the League's wonderful programs like Moms U Matter at Highbanks Society and Treasure Trunk at Brenda's House, both of which have been highly successful.  Teen Totes continues to meet some of the needs of vulnerable young Calgarians, and Kids in the Kitchen continues to inspire children to make healthy food and lifestyle choices and raise the awareness of childhood obesity.     
Each year members are asked to help sustain the League's many activities with tax deductible donations. Alberta increased the tax credit to 21% for donations over $200 to eligible charities.  Combined with the Federal tax credit of 29%, it gives donors in Alberta a 50% tax credit – one of the highest in Canada!  And under the Alberta Community Spirit Program, charities can receive a grant based on the total eligible cash donations received from individual Albertans over a 12-month period, so your donations count twice!
Please watch for your Annual Campaign letter and please continue your generous support of the JLC!
Thank you! 

JLC Holds Annual General Meeting - "Women as Community and Civic Leaders"

JLC members chat with guest speaker
Bobbie Sparrow at the AGM

On the evening of Monday, October 17 the Junior League of Calgary held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Holiday Inn South.  The theme for the AGM, as well as for many of the upcoming 2011 – 2012 General Meetings, was “Junior League Women as Community and Civic Leaders”.  In this regard the meeting opened with a video of the History of the Junior League, a truly impressive depiction of the accomplishments of our 110 year old organization.

Guest Speaker

Our guest speaker was Barbara J. Sparrow, better known to us as Bobbie, an extraordinary example of Junior League women as community and civic leaders.   Bobbie’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive, and most of them occurred after she was President of the JLC in 1969!

Bobbie enthralled us all with accounts of her multi-faceted career in the political, business and non-profit arenas. She was a Member of Parliament from 1984 - 1993, serving under Prime Ministers Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell. During this time she was the Chair of two Standing Committees (Energy, Mines and Resources and Industry, Science and Technology), the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Natural Resources – Government of Canada.  Her contributions at the local level included serving as Director, Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of Calgary General Hospital, member of the Board of Governors of the University of Calgary and Director, Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons.  Bobbie also was and is an officer of several corporations and participates in numerous volunteer activities.

Governance

After approval by the Voting Members of the minutes of our September 19, 2011 General Meeting and a motion relating to minor revisions to Policies 3.1 and 3.2 (Membership), members of the Board of Directors gave a presentation on the 2011 – 2014 Strategic Plan and the 2011 – 2012 Annual Plan.  President Alice Gardner-Boreta, Vice President - Membership Lynne Christensen, Co-Vice President - Community Marilou Mitchell and Vice President - Finance Norma Westcott in turn reviewed their respective portions of the Strategic and Annual Plans.

Finance and Community Presentations

Vice President - Finance Norma Westcott presented a review of our Audited 2010 – 2011 Financials, summarizing the year’s revenue and expenses and highlighting operational trends over the recent past.  She also made a motion, approved by the Voting Members, to retain the accounting firm of Buchanan Barry LLP to perform the JLC’s 2011 - 2012 financial audit.

Co-Vice President - Community Marilou Mitchell concluded the evening with a special slide presentation on the Community Impact Programs the JLC will be delivering during the 2011 – 2012 year: Moms U Matter (MUM), Treasure Trunk at Brenda’s House, Teen Totes, Safety Expo and Kids in the Kitchen. 

Note: Both the current Strategic Plan and the Audited 2010-2011 Financials presentation are available in the Members’ Only section of the JLC website under the Governance and Finance tabs respectively. Information on our Community Impact Programs can be found in the Public Section of our website under the Current Projects tab.