The Junior League Annual Dinner was Wednesday, June 10th at 6:00 pm at the Lancaster Country Club. This was a very special evening as we officially welcomed the Spring New Member Class, recognized and thanked our Members who are going Sustaining, and bid farewell to our President, Kristen Masengarb, as she passed the Junior League Torch of Leadership to Jamie Burgess. Below are highlights from Kristen and Jamie's speeches that they presented to the League members at the Annual Dinner:
"Tonight marks the closing of one door and the opening of another. We are finishing up one year of activities for the JL but seamlessly work has already started on next year’s activities. We made tremendous strides in all areas of the league: Fiscal, Community, Membership and Communications . . .
. . . Our membership and leadership were extremely proactive in tackling issues this year and creating change in our organization so that we can thrive for years to come. I know that countless hours, thousands of emails and phone calls occurred this year. . .
. . .I am thankful for their continued effort, valuable input and unwavering commitment to the JLL. You were fantastic leaders this year and it was a pleasure working with you in helping our organization reach and exceed our established goals.
. . .I would also like to thank our membership for their time and effort to the JLL this year. We helped lower the rate of childhood obesity with our KITK program and we worked to prevent school violence and bullying with HANFH. We contributed time and resources to a dozen community agencies through our DIADs. We awarded $3500 in awards this year, and $15,500 in grants to community agencies.
. . . I witnessed our membership living out the JLL mission in all our activities. Our House Program, Nominating and Placement committees made sure we were being trained and developing our leadership skills. Project Development, Task Forces and Project Committees all ensured that we were improving the community; Fund Development, Communications and our Fundraisers all made sure we were promoting voluntarism in Lancaster County. It was a successful year and a wonderful 85th anniversary!
. . .Last year at the Annual Dinner I spoke about the JL being "bridge builders" in the community. For 85 years our members have built bridges of safety, respite and education for women, children and families in Lancaster County.This 85th year of our organization was no different. We built bridges to healthier lifestyles, safer schools, better lives for women and children. We extended the bridge of friendship to new members and renewed the bridge of friendship with our sustainers. We created bridges of partnership with community agencies and area businesses and bridged the financial gap for community agencies and individuals with our grants and awards. I thank you, the membership for the incredible opportunity and challenge of serving as the President of this phenomenal organization. I look forward to the upcoming year under the leadership of Jamie Burgess and the incoming Governing Council. It is sure to be another outstanding year in the history of the JLL."
(Jamie)
"I remember thinking at the end of last Summer that June seemed so far away. I figured I would have all year to learn parliamentary procedure, Robert’s Rules...learn everything that I needed from Kristen, how to get in the league rooms without setting off the alarm...and now here we are in the middle of June. And while I am at the league rooms almost daily, I feel like I haven’t quite learned all the “stuff” I needed to learn before becoming President.
Luckily, all of the great projects and fundraisers that Kristen spoke about from this year are continuing into next year. Not to mention that I have a terrific Govering Council and wonderful committee chairs. I’m figuring I may not have to do any work at all!
Since the purpose of this night is really to celebrate our achievement of the past year, I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge the person who has really been the driving force behind most of the work we’ve done…that person is of course Kristen.
I was flipping through the photo book that we put together at the end of the year, and it is incredible that Kristen was virtually at every project and fundraiser. She attended both of fundraisers-Author’s luncheon and Run for Luck…she actively participated in our projects, she spoke at our sustainer luncheon, attended the community breakfast that we held, attended the new member class project, went to advocacy day at the capital, met with our grant winners from last year and toured their facilities…I started wondering when she even had time to sleep. And that’s not even counting all of the “behind the scenes work” that she did…and I know she did it all of that because I got a lot of emails and phone calls from her.
Given all of the work she did, one would think that Kristen would be content fading into the sunset, or at least taking a much deserved break. But I have no doubt that she will continue to be an active part of this organization. Whether she is President, a regular active member or a sustainer, Kristen will continue to give her time to the Junior League.
On a personal note, aside from the incredible job Kristen has done as President, she has become a great friend to me. She has been my travel companion, sounding board, mentor, and just someone to talk to. She is truly a great leader, and we were lucky to have her as our President. "
New JL Members standing with Suzanne Woodard, Membership Development Chair
A Junior League Legacy
Sustainers: Kit Slaugh, with her daughters Abby Bash Messick and Travis Bash
2009 Junior League Sustainers
JLL Red Rose Award 2009
[written and read by Katie Pearson, Nominating Chair]
There were more nominations for the Red Rose award this year than in my three years of being "in the know"…I think there are a number of reasons for this:
* Jill Fanning’s rock star Friday eUpdates that kept the request for award nominations front and center. *A greater awareness of the members and their input by both committee chairs and advisors.
*The Governing Council’s push to have members reach new goals, live up to their potential and strive to create, fulfill and achieve more than ever before in an effort to better the League.
*And an increase in the number of individuals who rose to meet that challenge.
Before I name this year’s recipient, I do want to acknowledge joint nominations that were made but could not be awarded (committee chairs are ineligible), but warrant honorable mention. The Karens: Garber and Bernhardt for, as one nominator put it so eloquently, ". . .their grace and optimism with all of the changes that have happened with the 85th event. I don’t even know the details but they must be consistently problem solving and readjusting. Kudos for adaptability and stress tolerance." Thank you for all you did to help us commemorate our 85th year serving the Lancaster community!
So…who is it? The member above all members? The woman who exemplifies the spirit and value of volunteer service? Service to both league and community? Who enhances the League’s relationship with and standing in the community? Who has shown initiative and extended extra effort worthy of recognition? Who deserves free dues for a year?!?!?
Outside of League …she has been very involved in many things at St John Neumann from being a Safe Sitter to working in their Health Ministries. She has her Literacy Coach Certification and worked in Preschool Literacy Professional Development. She is a classroom helper at St. Peter's Preschool, has worked on Lancaster Day Care Center-Night on the Town Committee and still finds time to raise 3 boys and be very involved with us!
Inside the League…she has made a splash with both actives and sustainers with her activities this year…blogging, writing sustainer spotlights, relationship building, tech-training…calligraphy-ing all of the 85th table seatings with only two days notice! She recently attended the Junior League MAC conference and writing up a comprehensive summary of seminars with suggestions for implementation, proposing Fund Development ideas for next year and she already did the research on them…oh, and did I mention that she volunteered to be TRIPLE placed?
The Red Rose Award for the 2008-09 League Year goes to the very deserving and very lovely Stacey Wilson!