| FALL 2012 | First General Meeting - Corpus Christi

4050 Weber
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
361.884.3000 | www.jlcc.org
|
FALL 2012 |
First General Meeting
Inside this Issue:
President’s Perspective
2
Sustainer’s Tea
3
New Member Retreat
4—5
Run Amuck
6—7
Kids in the Kitchen
8—9
Helping Hands
10
Action Learning Team
11
Upcoming Events:
Fairy Tale Ball
12
Upcoming Events:
Rummage
13
Governance Board & Management Team 2012-2013
14
Announcements
15
Volume XX | Issue I
New members, sustainers and active members alike were entertained by Katherine
Childers, as she addressed the league. The theme of her presentation was ‘Doing It
Scared’. She supported her theme as she regaled the league with stories of her early career protecting the Kennedy’s as a bodyguard. Mrs. Childers then shared stories
about her career as a local news anchor. Her ability to recreate herself, successfully,
in several professions was an inspiration to the league. Her youngest son and husband were in attendance to show their support.
New members and their advisors were introduced to the league and several committees shared their upcoming events. Among the committee that shared were the Run
Amuck committee. They explained that this year the race would include a costume
contest and runners were encouraged to dress to fit the theme of “Monster Mash
Mud Dash”.
~Rosalynn Rowan, Publishing Chair
| President’s Perspective
|
A message
from Katherine Dain
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
The Junior League of Corpus Christi, Inc., is
an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential
of women, and improving the community
through the effective action and leadership
of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclu-
The empowerment of women in our league continues to amaze
me. The ability, authority and inspiration that our league members embody allows us to accomplish many great things each
year. Every time I attend a Junior League function, I am filled with
pride at how well planned and organized it is.
In October, we heard from Chief Simpson on Leadership and I
realize we have many women in this league that are great leaders. I am grateful that the women in our league are devoted to
using their leadership ability to develop the leadership and other
important skills in our fellow league members.
The empowerment of women in our league is not limited to
league members. I have seen how many members of our league
devote their time and ability to improving the lives of community
members as well. Members of our community benefit from the
skills and dedication of our league sisters through the many community projects and fundraisers we work on throughout the year.
In just the past year, we have improved the children’s playroom,
library and sleeping areas in the Women’s Shelter. We also improved the outside play area of the Women’s Shelter. We have
brought family events to the community through Helping Hands
with the Christmas Tree Forest event and through Kids in the
Kitchen with the numerous cooking events. Fundraisers like Run
Amuck, Fairy Tale Ball, and Rummage get our community more
involved in improving not only their lives, but the lives of others
as well.
As we begin a new league year, I’d like for us to take the message that Katherine Childers shared at our first general meeting
to heart. Though we may find ourselves in a new or unfamiliar
position in the league, and in our lives, we have the ability to inspire others through our success. Our hard work and dedication
to improving the community can be truly inspiring to others.
In gratitude,
Katherine
Page 2 | Junior League of Corpus Christi
sively educational and charitable.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Katherine Dain | President
Lillian Riojas | President-Elect
Wendy Batek | Nominating
Roetta Rock| Planning and Research
Alissa Worley | Funding Development
Vanessa Ramirez | Recording Secretary and
Bylaws
Jacqueline Rhoades | Public Relations
Veronica Maxwell | Treasurer
Trisha Del Bosque | Member at Large
Claudette Garcia | Member at Large
Stefany Schade | President’s Assistant
COMMUNITY ADVISORS
Brent Chesney
Troy Riggs
Dr. Robert Garcia
Margie C. Rose
Lorette Williams
Grete McBath
Gloria VanZante
Josie Kudlicki
Donna Hurley
Mary McQueen
Publishing Chairman
Rosalynn Rowan
Publishing Committee
Julia Meyer
Veronica Adams
Mary Vance
| Membership |
Sustainers Tea
On a Tuesday evening in early August sustainers and new members alike gathered in the home of Lisa
Dibble. Junior League sisters gathered to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages with one another
and get know each other better. The new members were given an opportunity to meet the sustainers
of our league and were able to socialize as well. Our league president, Katherine Dain, welcomed the
group and introduced several past presidents of the league including: Pat Eldridge and Barbara Milfelt.
Ladies spent the evening chatting, snacking and bonding with each other. What a great way to begin a
new year!
~Rosalynn Rowan, Publishing Chair
Volume XX | Issue I
Page 3
| Membership |
New Members Retreat
The New Member Class of 2012-2013, the Junior League Gems, kicked off a great year with their all day retreat on
August 8th held at L&F Distributing. The purpose of the retreat was for the New Members to get to know one another
and to learn more about the Junior League.
It was an action packed day that began with breakfast and the Colors presentation by Education Training. It was a
great opportunity for the New Members to get to know a little about themselves before learning more about our
League. The group consisted of all colors, red, green, blue, and yellow. However, the largest group by far was the
greens.
The day continued with more Education and Training modules about our organizational structure and the history of
the Junior League. The JLCC website was shown in great detail and members were taught how to update their profiles. We also discussed the Digital Cheetah App which always comes in handy.
After lunch the learning and experience continued with an obstacle course. The obstacle course was designed as a
fun and engaging way for the New Members to learn about JLCC’s Community Projects and Fundraisers. One obstacle was a sorting and pricing game of random items, which was designed to mirror the Rummage Sale fundraiser. At
another obstacle the New Members raced to see who could put on a formal dress along with accessories the fastest,
Cinderella’s Closet. And, yet another obstacle had the women making a cute, healthy snack and eating it as fast as
they could, Kids in the Kitchen. The New Members had a great time completing the obstacle course and also learned
much about the League along the way.
Page 4 | Junior League of Corpus Christi
| Membership |
Retreat (con’t)
The highlight of the retreat was a lyrics game in
which each advisor group’s members changed the
lyrics to a song and performed it. The New Member
Committee gave the first performance singing a
variation of Katy Perry’s “Firework” with lines written for the New Member class such as, “Just own
the night like a Gem in the sky” and “Make them
say GEM, GEM, GEM.” Other songs included
Milkshake, Oops I did it Again, Girls Just Want to
have Fun, All the Single Ladies, She Works Hard for
the Money and I love Rock and Roll. Here is a highlight of lines changed from the songs:
“My spirit brings y’all to the League”
“I’m volunteering again”
“I saw you standing their by the cash machine”
“Don’t you know the League’s priority one”
All in all, the day was a success! The New Members had a great time getting to know themselves,
getting to know a little about the League and getting to know each other very well. This is an amazing group of New Members. It is going to be a
great year!
~Jennifer Henderson, Placement Chairperson
Volume XX | Issue I
Page 5
| Funding |
Run Amuck “Monster Mash Mud Dash”
Mud slinging and lots of it – all for a good cause. The Junior League of Corpus Christi’s Run Amuck committee dug deep this year and came out on
top. On Saturday October 27th, 2012, the JLCC hosted Run Amuck 5K at
Gulf Coast Racing. The 2012 committee presented a festive theme,
“Monster Mash Mud Dash.” In only its second year, the event raised a
gross total of $70,110.00.
This year, event co-chairs Amanda Kocurek and Loren Rock challenged
nearly 1,000 participants to muck their way through 13 obstacles. Runners had to crawl through a haunted cave, climb over walls, swing across
monster bars, slide down a slippery slope, and come face-to-face with zombies before crawling through 100 feet of knee deep mud to the finish line.
Did we mention the last minute obstacle sponsored by Mother Nature?
The cold front blew in early morning and added an extra challenge to race
participants; soaking wet racers had to run through 50° weather with high winds.
The top three individuals in each age division received a medal of recognition for their speedy efforts. Race participants’ age ranged from 12 to 67 years old. For those not so fast, JLCC members awarded those with the best costumes; which included best overall being a man dressed as a woman; best couple dressed as a bride and groom
(which were the Junior League of Corpus Christi’s Jacqueline and Ryan Rhodes); and best group who dressed as a
bunch of oompa loompas. Every participant was awarded a participation medal, recognizing that they defeated
their goal of making it past the finish line.
The event co-chairs could not have made it happen without their solid committee. They began meeting weekly back
in May to plan the mud run. Committee members included Barbi Leo-Salgado, Christie Batey, Lisa Wunderlich,
Stephanie Hall, Stephanie Kusy and Thelma Nieto. The Junior League members supported this committee by promoting the event the prior months, securing sponsors, volunteering at packet pickup, and the day of the race.
Page 6 | Junior League of Corpus Christi
| Funding |
Run Amuck (con’t)
Sponsors also helped make the event be the best it could be. Monetary donations, which covered majority of the expenses
totaled $15,500, in-kind donations totaled around $24,000, and advertising/media sponsorships totaled around $20,000.
We would like to thank Gulf Coast Racing, L & F Distributors, Kocurek Land Improvement, and H-E-B for being our top sponsors. Other sponsors who helped make the event a success can be seen on the JLCC website, www.jlcc.org
This year’s Run Amuck committee had a goal to not only raise funds for the Junior League of Corpus Christi, but to also raise
awareness on how the league fulfills their mission statement. The day of the race, JL President, Katherine Dain and President Elect, Lillian Riojas presented a $1,000 check to buy bicycles for the organization Bikes for Kids, a local charity that
gives bikes to disadvantaged children during the Christmas season. Run Amuck was not only a fundraiser, but a community
project in itself.
~Stephanie Kusy, Run Amuck Committee Member and Loren Rock, Run Amuck Co-Chairman
Run for your life. Run for your hopes. Run for your dreams. Run for your community. Run Amuck.
Volume XX | Issue I
Page 7
| Community |
Kids in the Kitchen –Boys and Girls Club Event
This year, Kids in the Kitchen has launched some new partnerships
in an effort to teach healthier life skills to kids in our area. We
teamed up with the Art Walk who introduced a kid’s area this year
at their monthly Art Walk Event.
In September and in October, JLCC volunteers and committee members painted pumpkins, passed out healthy low sugar pumpkin muffins and painted using vegetables. Over 300 children participated
at both Art Walk Events. In support of our efforts, H-E-B graciously
donated H E B Buddy Bags and Healthy Eating booklets for us to
distribute to children who participated.
Kids in the Kitchen continues to introduce healthier eating options
by teaching children how to prepare nutritious meals. We partnered with the local Boys and Girls Club and spent a couple of Tuesday afternoons teaching kids how to cook healthier foods. Committee Members came up with awesome recipes for creative healthy foods. Some of the things that they taught the kids were how to make turkey burgers, whole
wheat pizzas, Indian corn and fruit k-bobs. Each child is given recipes, created by the committee members, of what is
demonstrated along with some ingredients to make it at home. The committee provides the foods with funds provided
by grants from Stripes and Coastal Bend Foundation. The kids are encouraged to try new foods and share what they
have learned with their family. In addition to teaching them how to cook healthier meals, they are also taught basic table manners and etiquette.
Page 8 | Junior League of Corpus Christi
| Community |
Kids in the Kitchen (con’t)
Four more cooking classes are planned for the Spring of 2013,
along with two more Art Walks.
Kids in the Kitchen plans to end the year with a final new project, a Mother-Daughter Luncheon on Saturday, May 11th at the
United Methodist Hall. Sign up for shifts, as all of the upcoming
events will be posted soon.
Cooking class began Wednesday, February 12, with the generous support of Stripes. The class was held at the Boys and Girls
Club. Children learned how to create healthy dishes and snacks.
Aislynn Campbell from Freedom Harvest Farms taught children
how to grow their own salad gardens. Victor Betancourt from Vfit got the kids moving with Zumba. Children left the class with
ingredients and recipes to make snacks and seeds to plant.
The next Kids in the Kitchen classes will be held on the following Tuesdays, March 19th, April 9th, and April 23rd. Look
for shifts for these events as volunteers will be needed soon.
~Yvette Lara, Kids in the Kitchen Co-Chair
Gulf Coast Racing
5302 Leopard Street
Corpus Christi, Texas 78408
361-289-9333
Volume XX | Issue I
Page 9
| Community |
Helping Hands-CPS Make-Over
Extreme Makeover: CPS Edition
The Helping Hands Committee renovated six Child Protective Services visitation
rooms over the course of two days and organized two additional visitation rooms.
On the evening of Friday, September 28th, around 20 eager volunteers helped to
give the six visitation rooms fresh coats of paint which would be the backdrops for
fun, festive murals. Saturday saw a turnout of approximately 35 enthusiastic volunteers that helped to complete the project. The volunteers were able to use their
creativity and painted themed-murals on the freshly painted walls. Themes includeed were: outer space, friendship, garden, forest, ABC 123, and a festive banquet
room. The volunteers also cleaned out the rooms and furnished them with new toys and family-interactive games.
The rooms are used for supervised visitations for parents and their children. Families schedule visits in the rooms daily,
spending 1-2 hours per visit. Approximately 20 families utilize the rooms each day. The visitation rooms provide a safe place
for families to interact while receiving services from CPS.
The goal of this project was to make the rooms fun and family friendly. Local CPS workers toured the rooms when the project was complete and were very excited to have bright, vibrant rooms with new toys for the children. The Junior League of
Corpus Christi, Inc. in conjunction with CPS held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the visitation rooms.
~Samantha Mendoza and Adriana Molina
Helping Hands Committee
Page 10 | Junior League of Corpus Christi
| Membership |
Action Leadership Team
Action Learning Team
The Action Learning Team has been well underway since January of 2011 and actively learning is
exactly what we are doing! Our team was tasked with separating our current board structure into
a Governance Board and a Management Team and restructuring the Nominating process. In
order to do this we needed to take a look at how our league currently functions and improve the
systems we already have in place. Not only are we improving our league and moving forward, we
are laying the ground work and template for the rest of the leagues throughout the country.
At our October General Meeting, our Diva’s Dish asked the membership if they had any questions
about ALT. They did. We would like to address a few of those questions now.
How does ALT affect each member? ALT will establish a set of systems and procedures for each
area within the league to aid the member with a better understanding of what is expected of them, a clear path of training
to help identify strengths and weaknesses. ALT’s purpose is to separate the Board of Directors into a Governance Board
and a Management Team. In doing this Governance board can concentrate on the Strategic plan and fiduciary responsibilities that move our league forward. This will allow Management team to carry out the day-to-day operations that align
with the strategic plan.
How does a member help with it? Through the transition year we ask that you keep an open mind and remember the big
picture. In a sense we are striping our league down to identify our weaknesses and improve on the successes we have
achieved. Feedback is the key to identifying where we need to make improvements.
Why are we complicating things? Transition can be complicated; we are in the process of developing and presenting packets that outline the procedures of each committee. The packets that are almost finalized are the Leadership Packet,
Nominating Packet, Funding Development, Volunteer Guidelines and Public Relations Guidelines. We have started the
process to develop the Placement Packet and Sustainer Council.
When will changes be made to alter the program? Now. Everyday work is being done to progress our systems and procedures. You will quickly see many packets of info being posted on the website. Keep your eye on Newsday Tuesday for ALT
training moments.
~Brooke Montes, ALT Rep
Jill Jacobs
Robin Johnson
Volume XX | Issue I
Page 11
| Junior League of Corpus Christi |
Upcoming Events
Page 12 | Junior League of Corpus Christi
| Junior League of Corpus Christi |
Upcoming Events
Each spring, active and new members of the Junior League of Corpus Christi, and quite a few sustaining members, get together for hard work, camaraderie, and service to the community. The Rummage Sale is one of the largest annual fundraisers for the Junior League of Corpus Christi. JLCC active,
new and sustaining members, friends, family, community members and local retailers donate items that are sold at very reasonable prices. The JLCC
Rummage Sale will be held at Sunrise Mall. Approximately 20,000 square
feet of space which houses more than 20 departments of clothing, shoes,
books, house wares, antiques and much more. This is truly a community
event. Many of our customers tell us that they have been coming to the sale
for 10 or more years!
Volume XX | Issue I
Page 13
| Junior League of Corpus Christi |
Governance & Management Boards 2012-2013
Governance Board
President—Katherine Dain
President Elect—Lillian Riojas
Planning & Research—Roetta Rock
Nominating—Wendy Batek
Bylaws/Recording Secretary—Vanessa Ramirez
Funding Development—Alissa Worley
At Large Member (2nd year active) - Claudette Garcia
Treasurer—Veronica Maxwell
At Large Member - Tess Gonzalez
President Elect—Lillian Riojas
Membership VP—Katia McCabe
Placement—Dyan Lopez Garza
Treasurer Elect—Carrie Gilley
Community VP—Jill Jacobs
Bylaws/Recording Secretary—Vanessa Ramirez
VP’s, Chairs and Appointed Committees 2012-2013
Community
Placement
Community VP—Jill Jacobs
Placement Chair—Dyan Lopez Garza
Kids in the Kitchen Co-Chairs—Meredith Delano & Yvette Lara
Placement Committee Members—Jennifer Riley, BJ Johnson, Paula
Ryan, Lisa Jasek, Tess Gonzales, Jennifer Staiger,
Helping Hands Co-Chairs—Michelle Markert & Mari Palmatier
Cinderella’a Closet Chair—Katherine Barrera
Stacey Manning & Julie Dye
Funding
Membership
Membership VP—Katia McCabe
Publishing Chair—Rosalynn Rowan
Education/Training Chair—Adriana Martinez
H.U.G.S. Chair—Sunshine Moore
Funding VP—Bebe Bellfield
Funding Development Chair—Alissa Worley
Fairy Tale Ball Co-Chairs—Jordan Michael & Katie Triplett
Rummage Co-Chairs—Emily Campbell & Michelle Ramirez
Run Amuck Co-Chairs– Loren Rock & Amanda Kocurek
Membership
Numbers
Actives
Non-resident Actives
New Members
Sustainers
Non-resident Sustainers
Total
Advertise Your Business !
112
8
45
239
24
428
TIDES is the League’s annual magazine. The
magazine is distributed to approximately 1,000
house-holds across the Coastal Bend, various
community leaders and organizations, and local
businesses.
Ad Sizes Available
1/4 Page—$150
1/2 Page—$200
Full Page—$300
Contact Publishing Chair—Rosalynn Rowan for
more nformation: [email protected].
Volume XX | Issue I
Page 14
| Junior League of Corpus Christi |
Announcements
Congratulations to….
…..these Proud Parents!
Amanda and Steven
Marissa Gutierrez
Her son, Gabriel Luis
Gutierrez, was born August 6,
2012.
Liz and Mike Schmidt
Kocurek
Their daughter, Jenna
Lynn, was born August 9,
2012.
Their daughter, Bailey
Maire, was born December
10, 2012.
Congratulations to….
…..the newlyweds!
Shannon Steel married Stuart White
Jacqueline Replogle married Ryan Rhoades
on July 21st
on September 28
Do you have an announcement you would
like to share with the league?
Email your announcements and photos to Sunshine Moore:
[email protected]
Page 15 | Junior League of Corpus Christi