Annual Reportor what is done or learned by one class of women becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood, the property of all women.”

-Elizabeth BlackwellThe first woman to become a physician in the U.S.

The Junior Leagueof Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc.

“F

2008-2009 League Year

Invitation

If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...

If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.

Come in! Come in!

-Shel Siverstein “Where The Sidewalk Ends”

If you are reading this message, then you are most likely a Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc. member, community partner, generous supporter or a friend or relative of a JLNVB member. Some of you may fit into several of these categories!

Whatever your connection to the JLNVB may be, I hope you will enjoy reading this summary of the activities in which the members of the JLNVB have been engaged during the course of the 2008-2009 League year. Each person who has made an investment in the JLNVB, whether through the contribution of volunteer time, funding, or both, has been an integral part of the successes we celebrate today.

Speaking of success, ours is measured in several ways: adherence to our mission and vision, critical collaborations with the community around us, increased public awareness of the JLNVB and strong organizational stewardship. As you read this report, I hope you gain an enhanced perspective of what JLNVB members and our partners have done to realize the preceding benchmarks this year. The JLNVB has been a positive force in our community for over eighty years, and it is an honor to be part of continuing that tradition.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish to thank each of you for what you have meant to the JLNVB this year. Thanks to your efforts, the JLNVB has indeed created, thrived and changed.

Sincerely,

Cinda C. Ayers2008-2009 President

The Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc.

1 MISSION POSSIBLE: EVALUATING PROGRESS ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN

The 2006 – 2007 JLNVB Board of Directors developed the “Mission Possible 2010” strategic plan to serve as a roadmap to achieve our administrative, communication, com-munity, finance and membership goals, which all support our mission.

ADMINISTRATIVE GOAL

To provide effective administrative support for JL activities and manage all aspects of the headquarters location.

COMMUNICATION GOAL

To improve and enhance internal communication, to develop and implement tools as well as strategies for external communication and to raise the profile of the League in

the community.

COMMUNITY GOAL

To identify needs in the community and based on those needs develop, implement and measure meaningful programs under the framework of our signature project / issue as

well as DIADs to benefit children and women in S. Hampton Roads.

FINANCE GOAL

To enable the League to have a means to carry out its mission and realize its vision as well as to meet and exceed its goals while at the same time ensuring the short and long-

term financial health of the League.

MEMBERSHIP GOAL

To foster a positive environment to recruit and retain members as well as train them to become lifelong leaders and make valuable contributions in the community.

Mission: Possible!

2

MissionThe Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, 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.

As we approach 2010, we are evaluating how the Junior League is progressing along its strategic plan. At the start of the year, we met with each Council Vice President to identify measurable objectives for the 2008 – 2009 year. In October, more than 70 members participated in an online survey with a variety of questions related to each of the goals in the strategic plan. Key findings included:

• MembersoverwhelminglyagreedthattheJuniorLeagueadherestoitsmissionandthat the mission resonates with them

• MemberswanttocontributetotheJuniorLeague’smissionbyvolunteeringinthecommunity, particularly at Done in a Day events

• Almost all survey participants said that theywould encourage a friend or familymember to join the Junior League

We conducted three focus groups throughout March to delve deeper and identify areas to explore in future quantitative research. Provisionals, Actives and Sustainers provided valuable input that will be compiled to help adjust our strategic plan for 2009 – 2010.

3

Our Impact

The Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc. annually focuses its support on a variety of community projects, committing financial support and hundreds of volunteer hours in an effort to fulfill our mission of improving the community through action. Ev-ery year, the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach raises and invests over $50,000 in our community through League-sponsored community projects, Kids in the Kitchen events, and Community Response Fund grants.

Many activities are currently underway in Hampton Roads to prevent or reduce child-hood obesity, but more work needs to be done. Beginning in June 2008, the JLNVB begandedicating its communityprojects to improving thehealthofHamptonRoads’children by inspiring parents and children to make healthy eating and exercise a regular part of their lives. Over the next three years, the Healthy Kids Initiative will help expand existing programs to develop the diets, bodies and minds of children through multiple projects and Done-in-a-Day events. In order to accomplish this goal, the League has partnered with many worthwhile agencies to address childhood health at its root.

To kick off our signature issue, we committed $10,000 to the CHKD Virginia Beach SurgeryCenter’scapitalcampaignasourlegacyprojectandprovidedvolunteersupportfor their open house.

New PartnershipsWAVY 10 OPERATION SCHOOL SUPPLIES We were one of three partners this year to help collect school supplies from 25 drop-off sites and participated in four ‘Stuff theBus’events.SchoolsuppliesaredonatedtolocalschoolsinHamptonRoads.

We hosted a Health Day for the clients of CHIP HEALTHY FAMILIES OF CHESA-PEAkE at the Norfolk Zoo. Parents attended a presentation on eating healthy on a budget and the children participated in various exercise activities. The mission of CHIP/Healthy Families is to promote the health, education and well-being of Chesapeake children, ages 0 through 6, by connecting them to medical and community services and providing parenting support through intensive home visitations. Our goals to improve the health of children, reduce child abuse and neglect, and prepare children for school readiness are critical to the development of children and the strength of our community.

4The JLNVB assisted in FOODBANk’S kID’S CAFE program and facilitated “Ener-gize with Exercise” lesson at four locations. JL also purchased 2,000 jump ropes: one foreachchildservedbytheKid’sCaféprogram.

GIRLS ON THE RUN is a nationally successful life-changing character development program. The local 12-week non-competitive program combines physical activity (run-ning/walking) and experiential learning through a nationally recognized psychology-based curriculum. At the end of the 12-week program, all local girls join together to participate in a 5K event. JL provided volunteer support for the Girls on the Run race on November 22. In the spring, we sponsored a middle school team and providing running attire for students that are unable to afford these items.

CHkD PEDIATRIC HEALTHY YOU WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM We have provided scholarship funding and are launching a 10-week mentoring pro-gram with elementary and middle school aged students beginning in February. Healthy You is the only program of its kind in Hampton Roads and offers an approach to better living that incorporates diet, exercise, and psychosocial intervention. Mentoring these children will be challenging. Some of them still do not want to admit that they are not in control of their weight problem. Our League mentors, however, will be making a direct impactonachild’sdecisiontoimprovetheirlife.

In over 40 states from coast to coast, thousands of cyclists will be pedaling to fight against diabetes with the AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION TOUR DE CURE. JL-NVB provided volunteer support at the finish line & manned a JLNVB sponsored rest stop. In the Wellness Village at the event, Community, Membership & Golf Commit-tees worked collaboratively to disseminate information about Junior League.

In April, JLNVB volunteers were represented in Norfolk & Virginia Beach at various informational booths interacting with local children and families as part of the YMCA HEALTHY kIDS DAY. This program focuses on how fitness can be fun and intro-duces kids to an array of YMCA programs that teach them healthy behaviors.

5In The Community

kids In The kitchenIn its third year, our Kids in the Kitchen event was hosted at the Mt. Trashmore YMCA on March 28th from 9 am-1 pm. Students visited over twenty exercise and nutrition stations; participated in special classes and aquatic events; and were entered to win various raffle prizes. This event was free and open to the public and attracted over 200 attendees.

Almost three hundred kids from across Virginia Beach show up wearing their gym shoes forthethirdannualJuniorLeagues’KidsintheKitchenhealthandfitnessexpo.Theevent, designed to get your mind and body pumping, was held at the YMCA of South Hampton Roads in Virginia Beach on Saturday, March 28, 2009. The Kids in the Kitchen initiative is to bring awareness to the issues surrounding childhood obesity and poor nutrition.

For one day the YMCA facility was transformed into an interactive and educational hub wherekidscouldlearnaboutfunfitnessactivitiesthatdon’tbreakyourbankaccountand the basics of forming healthy eating habits. The Kids in the Kitchen Committee Chairwoman Melissa Polizos spearhead the event and says that its planning began last September, “Everyone worked so hard to pull everything together and the end result wasjustfantastic!Icouldseeitinthekids’faces;theywerehavingfunandlearningthatfitness can be fun, and that alone is reason enough to do this.” Polizos says the Kids in the Kitchen programs provide children with the necessary tools for staying active and making nutritious eating choices.

Children were greeted at the door with a Passport and gym bag with instructions to visit all 20 stations. Along one corridor was a station that taught you how to read a nutrition label.Therewasanotherbooththatgaveyouacloserlookatthegovernment’spyramidonthefivefoodgroups.EachoftheJuniorLeagues’communitypartnershadabooththat highlighted a unique approach to exercise or nutrition. Also the Junior League Pro-visional class set up a booth that gave tips on how “Going Green” can be both healthy and economical. At every station, the children received a punch on their Passport for completing the activity or taking part in a short lesson.

6YMCA VP of Development Mita Vail, who is also a Junior League Sustainer, says the YMCA’spartnershipwith theLeague isanaturalalliance, “Webothwant to reachdeep into the community and give families the power to take hold of the process to live a better,longer,andhealthierlife.”Vail’sfacelitupasshecontinuedtosay,“Takealookaround. This is fabulous; the energy is contagious.”

In the gymnasium a DJ was playing different beats that flowed throughout the entire room. Next to him was a station that demonstrated CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. There was a Nintendo Wii station where kids eagerly waited in line for a chance to box their digital contender. And for kids wanting a physical challenge there was an elaborate obstacle course that took them through a journey of leaping over various obstructions, bouncing and rolling on to padded mats, swinging from a rope, and finally crawling through a tunnel to reach the course finish line.

Junior League Provisional member Dawn McCloud was in charge of the hula hoop station. McCloud is an avid competitor in marathons and triathlons and says her active lifestyle began in her youth, “I hear the statistics and I see that child obesity continues to rise.It’ssoimportanttoreachkidsatayoungagesotheybeginthosehealthyhabitsearlyand they take it with them throughout their life.” Junior League President Cinda Ayers and her two year old daughter Taryn Margaret stopped by the expo. Ayers says, “This is truly a magnificent event and it ties in with the National Kids in the Kitchen initiative.” The League President says the initiative was first launched in 2006 by the Association of Junior Leagues International where its global network conducted awareness activities in over 225 communities.

TheLeague’sCommitteeChairsays that for thepast twoyears the localKids in theKitchen initiative was conducted as an after school program, “This is the first year we opened it up to the general public. We invited nine area elementary and middle schools toparticipate,eachyearthenumbersgrow.”Polizossayssheexpectsnextyear’seventtogetbiggerandbetterand“grabthepublic’sattention.”Shesays,“We’llcontinuetoillustrate the power of volunteerism by making a real difference on a grassroots level.” Saturday’seventwasoneoftheKidsintheKitchen’smanyongoinghealthandfitnessactivities happening throughout the year.

7 To date nationally, media coverage has reached over 120 million people with messages abouttheissuessurroundingchildhoodobesityandtheJuniorLeague’sinitiativetoad-dress these.Kids in theKitchenaddressesagrowingproblemfacingtoday’schildren.Since the early 1970s the number of overweight children in our countries has increased dramatically,substantiallyincreasingchildren’srisksforhealthproblemssuchastype2diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Community ProjectsThroughout this League year we have fostered existing relationships by participating in the United Way Day of Caring with the Norfolk Senior Center; sponsoring the Excel-lenceGirls’ClubCareerFair;andconductingaHolidayToyDrivefortheclientsofForKids (collecting over $975 in toys and gift cards as well as providing 20 volunteer hours for the holiday shop). In the spring, we helped renovate the Ronald McDon-ald House dining room, painted Suffolk House and hosted two baby supply drives for ForKids.

Our Public Advocacy committee is developing a Community Partner Network com-prised of influential leaders in education, health care and government. This network will help our League determine how to best support community agencies and publicize the mission of our League. Currently we have 35 committed members and we hosted a formation meeting in February.

This year the Community Response Fund Committee reviewed a record 58 applica-tions and 10 organizations were chosen for a total of over $8,000.00 in grants. The organizations are Cancer Care Foundation of Tidewater, The Elijah Foundation, ForKids,GirlScoutCouncilofColonialCoast,Lee’sFriends,NewBeginningsDevel-opment Services, St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries, Tidewater Arts Outreach, The Up Center- Department of Children and Family, and Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocates.

During the 2008-2009 League year, we have given over $19,000 to the community and completed over 1,000 volunteer hours.

8Past ProjectsFor over 80 years the JLNVB has helped hone the hearts and minds of women in our community providing them with training, leadership skills, and the opportunities to make a difference in the lives of citizens throughout South Hampton Roads. These women have gone on to volunteer and lead in every non-profit area from the arts to education to a myriad of social welfare and human service causes. One would be hard pressed to find a non-profit organization in any of these areas not touched in a positive way by a League member. Our legacy to the community is our members.

ExCELLENCE GIRLS’ CLUB, INCORPORATED www.excellencegirlsclub.org ThemissionofExcellenceGirls’ClubInc.(EGC)istoempoweryoungwomenbyex-posing them to positive experiences while developing leadership skills that will enhance their ability to become future leaders in the community. JLNVB supported Excellence Girls’Clubweeklyeducational sessions, anannualbonding retreat,mother/daughtersessions and field trips, book discussions, and community service projects. Our legacy to ExcellenceGirls’Clubwasthedevelopmentandfundingofawebsitetosupporttheirorganization. We continue to work with EGC hosting their annual Career Fair and members from both organizations work together to support Kids In the Kitchen.

EDMARC www.edmarc.org The mission of Edmarc Hospice for Children is to ease thetraumaofachild’sillnessordeathandtoreducethedisablingeffectsofpediatricillness, loss and bereavement on families. Edmarc was founded in 1978 by a Suf-folk Presbyterian minister, Edward Page, and a young boy in his congregation, Marcus Hogge who were both dying from terminal illnesses. Rather than let their tragedies defeat them, the two families joined together to create something positive--and Edmarc was the result.

F.O.R.kIDS, INC. www.homesforkids.org This five step program based in Norfolk, VA was designed to help homeless families gain permanent independence and genera-tional stability for their children. The JLVNB has committed to three years of a close partnership with F.O.R.kids, Inc. and their dedicated staff to aid them in this successful and rewarding program. Check out their web site!

9THE VIRGINIA ZOO PROJECT www.virginiazoo.org The JLNVB donated $60,000 to the Virginia Zoological Park for the construction of an Educational Center that is now the focal point of their educational programs. Other contributions included thousands of volunteer hours and the creation of a docent-training manual.

GROWING UP GREAT Since 1992, the JLNVB has hosted immunization fairs, dis-tributed over 30,000 to the Healthy Beginning books, 300,000 brochures, conducted parenting seminars, established a telephone information system, and developed public service announcements and television specials.

WAVY-TV OPERATION SCHOOL SUPPLIES School supplies were collected from all area Farm Fresh locations, Langley Federal Credit Union branches, select Jackson Hewitt locations, and at the WAVY-TV 10 studio. Items were also collected during the “Stuff The Bus” events, where JLNVB members helped collect items brought by WAVY-10 viewers to “stuff” a school bus with school supply donations. Thousands of children in the Hampton Roads area received items to help them have a successful school year.

CAREER CLOSET JLNVB members collected clothing to provide underprivileged women with business attire. This program aids women by preparing them for successful career interviews, building confidence and helping them to transcend their challenges of poverty, single motherhood, and lack of education.

PARk PLACE SCHOOL Aided the school with the purchase of computers and pro-jectors to assist with an academic intervention program for academically at-risk, low-income elementary students.

CEREBRAL PALSY OF VIRGINIA Aided the organization with providing children and adults with disabilities a summer enrichment program of social recreation activities such as field trips to museums which encourage inclusion in our community.

VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Contributed to presenting “Music in the Schools“ program. A music enrichment education program to selected Norfolk schools

10to provide the predominately African American students in-depth exposure to classical musical instruments.

BE A READER (BEAR) LITERACY PROGRAM OF UNITED JEWISH FEDERA-TION OF TIDEWATER Aided with the purchase of books/supplies for young chil-dren participating in this program to improve their reading skills in grades 1-3 in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach schools.

THE FRANCES C. MCINTYRE EDUCATION FOUNDATION Provided materi-als for emergency Ready-Packs containing supplies like diapers, baby bottles, food, and formula for children three years and under removed from unsafe environments by Nor-folk’sChildProtectiveServices.

Other Past ProjectsOther past projects include Touch Tanks at the Virginia Aquarium, the PALS Project at ODU,thed’ArtCenter,theChryslerMuseum,theAmericanRedCross,theSt.Mary’sHome for Disabled Children, and many more.

11CHkD Virginia Beach Health and Surgery Center

In recognition of JLNVB’s $10,000 capital campaign donation, a radiology room atthe CHKD Virginia Beach Health and Surgery Center has been named in our honor. CHKD celebrates a new Virginia Beach Health Center with a blow-out bash! Kids of all ages gathered for what seemed like a childhood wonderland. Under a cloud-covered sky, kids had colorful characters painted on their cheeks. There were steamy hot pret-zels to eat and an array of other wholesome treats. The Corporate Woods Drive Band, a local youth group, played rock-n-roll tunes that proved to be an instant sensation. Zumba, a type of Latin dance, was performed along with other presentations of Karate and boxing; it was a workout just watching them. Even a marching band strutted by with their steady tread and corresponding beats. This wonderland was actually a kick-off cel-ebrationfortheChildren’sHospitalofTheKing’sDaughters’brandnew$21.6millionHealth and Surgery Center located in Virginia Beach on Concert Drive. On Saturday, October25,thepublicwasinvitedtotakeabackstagetouroftheBeach’sfirstambula-tory surgery center built exclusively for children. Several Junior League members and CHKD supporters showed up to help facilitate the event and watch months of planning play out before their eyes. When a slight drizzle fell from the sky, little was affected but some people sought refuge under a large white tent and got to visit educational displays, chat with health experts or munch on a nutritious snack. Other party goers strolled to CHKD’sgrandbuildingadornedwithalargecanvasofwindowsthatseemedtodisap-pear up into the sky. Inside it had colorful tile on the floor and brightly painted walls. And within each room a new surprise opened up. Kids were getting their finger casted, or exploring the Virginia Marine Science touch tank and the Safari bug display. They visited the surgery suite for some Slurpee samples and recorded their voices to enter a singingcontest.ChristinaAndersoncametoCHKD’sopenhousepartywithherfourboyssincetheyliverightdownthestreet.They’vecalledVirginiaBeachtheirhomeforthepastelevenyears.ChristinasaysshecanseetheCenter’sappeal,“Myoldestboygoes to LandstownHigh School so it’s definitely convenient.” And for eleven yearsChristina has driven her boys back and forth to Portsmouth every time one of them needs medical attention or a regular check-up. And with four active boys she says, “The drive can really eat up my gas money.”

12This year Mara Vorachek- Warren was chosen for the Community Impact Award.

Mara has played an integral part in the project development of Healthy kids Ini-

tiative. Namely, she has organized projects with American Diabetes Association

and Girls on the Run. Mara was recently asked to be a part of next year’s Girls

on the Run race committee.

Mara has been vital part of JLNVB’s Community Committees over recent years

to include involvement with Excellence Girls Club. She is always ready to tackle

a new project. A natural leader, she rises to the occasion, whether it is begin-

ning a new community project, working on the logistics of an existing project or

providing feedback from completed project. No task is too small. Mara is never

asked, when she sees a need she volunteers. We are excited to have Mara serv-

ing as the Signature Issue co-chair next year.

Mara earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas, then went on to

earn a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Duke University. She teaches AP Biology at

Norfolk Academy, where she also coaches softball. She sings in the Opera and

performed in Virginia Opera’s productions of Puccini’s Tosca and Tchaikovsky’s

Eugene Onegin. Amazingly, for the latter, she learned to sing in Russian, which

is no small feat.

Mara is from North Dakota, but now lives in Norfolk with her husband, Trey,

and their 2 dogs Abby, a Beagle, and kasey, a German Shepherd.

Congratulations Mara!

Mara Voachek-Warren2008-2009 Recipient

Community Impact Award

Community Impact Award

13

Provisional Update

The 2008-2009 Provisional Class experienced an outstanding year of community ser-vice, learning about the Junior League, and forging new relationships. The year began with a full-day Provisional Retreat hosted at the new FOR Kids location, one of our long-standing community partners. Cinda Ayers, President; Connie Hedrick, Treasurer; and Melissa Steadman, Membership Vice President were some of our speakers introducing the new class to the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach. The year continued with monthly Provisional Meetings at the Ronald McDonald House covering the functions of the League, placement and training opportunities, and team building. The Provisional Class participated in four Done-in-a-Day events throughout the year. The first was in October at the Town Point Park Wine Festival where the Provisionals worked at the beverage tent in support of Fest Events. To share their holiday spirit and in support of providing their house for our Provisional Meetings, the Provisionals part-nered with the Ronald McDonald House to host and entertain resident families at their December Holiday Party. In January, the Provisionals planned the annual Provisional Class Blood Drive held at Pembroke Mall. The Blood Drive was the most successful in JLNVB history receiving over 100 pints of blood, enough to save over 300 lives. To wrap up the year, the Provisional Class sponsored the “Going Green” activity booth at Kids in the Kitchen to teach fitness with items available around the house. In addition to their Provisional Class projects, this class was the first to be placed on Fi-nance Council committees throughout the year. Countless hours were spent supporting the Shopping Event, the Gala, the Golf Tournament, and Ways and Means. These efforts provided valuable workhours to these committees and gave the Provisionals first-hand opportunities to interact with Active members and learn League operations. The Provisional Class also made time for social events along the way. In the Fall, the Provisional Class and Transfers enjoyed a wine and dessert social at the Taylor-Whittle House. They rang in the New Year with a relaxed gathering at the Gordon Biersch restaurant at Virginia Beach Town Center. At the April General Membership Meeting, the Active members welcomed 24 Provi-sionals to the JLNVB by voting them in as Active members. We look forward to the

14leadership, skills, and talents they will bring to the League and the community in the years to come. Our Provisional Leadership team - Provisional Advisors Brenda Christy and Mary Beth Charon and Admissions Coordinator Laura Bangor - supported them all the way, and we offer great thanks for their support.

Provisional of the YearExtremely enthusiastic, professional, dedicate, friendly, exemplary Junior Leagu-

er. When asked by Junior League members to describe this year’s Provisional of

the Year, these were just some of the adjectives we heard over and over again.

Beatrice “Bea” Clendenin was chosen as this year’s award recipient not just

for her hard work and dedication she put into multiple JLNVB projects, but for

how she also went about doing them. “I watched Bea go after new cookbook

accounts with vigor. She did the best of getting new accounts for us because

she gets the vendors excited about JLNVB,” shared one member. She did the

same for the Provisional blood drive, not only recruiting sponsors but took on

even more calls after her responsibilities were complete. Her positive attitude,

dedication to learning about the League, and professionalism has made her a

role model to all JLNVB members. With these attributes and dedication to lead-

ership and voluntarism, we are extremely honored to name Beatrice Clendenin

the 2009 Provisional of the Year. Congratulations Bea!

Beatrice “Bea” Clendenin2008-2009

Provisional of the Year

Provisional Class

Emily Budlong Beatrice Clendinin Annie Coombes Brittany Herring

Rachel Smith Kim Walker Tara Welch Jonida Hendricks

Katherine Gribble Ashley Mason Dawn McCloud Abigail Richer

15

Heather Johnson Angela Jones Theo Kleinschnittger Michelle Smith

Doris Salem Allison Templeton Jessica Chen Marci Ellis

Leah Roberts Jenny Skahen Sarah Snow Lee Van de Water

16

17The Junior League of Norfolk – Virginia Beach, Inc. has decided to participate in the Junior League Surf Challenge to reap all the benefits it has to offer!

As part of the new AJLI.org website launch, AJLI has announced an official challenge to get as many League members enrolled for the new site as possible. The Junior League Surf Challenge is a contest that will encourage all AJLI members to join the websiteandincreasewebexposure.Youcanaccesswww.ajli.orgonthemembers’only section of our website.

The contest is running through June 15, 2009. We will be competing against all 292 Leagues, and the three Leagues with the most effective enrollment drive, in each of three categories, wins a $500 stipend, courtesy of Digital Cheetah, the firm that devel-oped the news site. Winners will also be featured in a cover story in the summer 2009 issue of Connected.

AJLIwillmeasureparticipatingLeagues’enrollmentnumbersoverthewebreportingperiod from February 1 – June 15, and the League that has the most effective enroll-ment in each of the three categories wins.

The categories are:

1. The largest % change

2. The largest number League members enrolled on the site

3. The highest % total League members enrolled

So JLNVB, let’s go surfing!About the new AJLI.org: The new AJLI.org was designed from the ground up to network and engage the entire Association, whether you are a League President, Com-munications Chair, Sustainer or Active member. The goal of the redesign was to fa-cilitate greater dialogue among Leagues and between League members and the Asso-ciation. Each League now has its own page to advertise and archive current and past commu¬nity projects, fundraisers, newsletters, awards, and much more. Additionally each League will have the ability to host an internal blog addressed to its members, and pictures and videos you upload to your League pages will have an option to feed directly to the Members homepage.

Surf ’s Up

18Conferences for 2008-2009 were fabulous, and followed the theme Create Thrive Change. The quality of the training continues to exceed our expectations. Fall Leader-ship, Winter Leadership and Annual Conference were attended by League representa-tives including Cinda Ayers, President, and Dawn Provost, President-elect, and Kimberly Thompson, Incoming President-elect. Traditional sessions such as Strategic Leadership, Exploring Community Leadership and Servant Leadership were offered. Then there were sessions more pertinent to the current environment, such as Leading in Economic Times, and Model Programs: Programs that Engage Members. The AJLI Conferences continuetobegreatinvestmentsfortodayandtomorrow’sJLNVBleaders.

The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) has partnered with Global Business Network to conduct scenario planning for the organization. GBN led several sessions at AJLI conferences to gather information and to involve League representa-tives about the various directions Leagues and AJLI can take to fulfill its mission. The firstrolloutisanimprovementinAJLI’svisionstatement.

Existing Vision Statement

Through the power of our association, Junior Leagues strengthen communities

by embracing diverse perspectives, building partnerships and inspiring shared solutions.

New Vision Statement

The Junior League: Women around the world as catalysts for lasting community change.

We are pleased to embrace the new vision statement as it recognizes that our individual League is part of something bigger . . . and part of something lasting!

Achieve A Richer Culture...“If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of

human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse gift will find a

fitting place.”

-Margaret Mead

19

Communications

The Communication Council has been working very hard this year to break new ground. This year we partnered with several media outlets and received great exposure in the community. Channel 13, WVEC – TV, the ABC affiliate was our major media partner for our gala, Oscar Night® America, “Hollywood Meets Hampton Roads”. Cinda Ay-ersandJessica(Wilburn)Antelwerefeaturedon“Dialougue”,WVEC’scommunityAffairs program and “night of” coverage was provided. They also provided technical support for the live feed viewing of the Oscars. We will be working toward a more encompassed partnership with WVEC in the 2009 – 2010 league year.

CW27 partnered with the League to bring awareness to the event through a series ofTVadswhichranrightupuntil theevent.What’smore, theygaveusaboothatthe CW27 Health & Fitness Expo. We were on hand to promote the Oscar Night® AmericaeventaswellasHealthyKidsInitiative.AmyTalleyofGold’sGyminGhentteamed up with us on this for fitness demonstrations during the expo. Party-goers were greeted on the red carpet by the CW “It Girl” Jenn Naigel.

The Virginian – Pilot covered both the gala and Kids in the Kitchen with great stories in the Beacon. Members interviewed for those stories included: Cinda Ayers, Jessica (Wilburn) Antel, Melissa Polizos, Cara Dibbs, and Jenn Morelen. Susan Mayo, our Marquee Honoree was on hand to answers some questions for the story as well as local fashion expert Kim Wadsworth, editor of SKIRT! Magazine.

Tidewater Women featured the gala in the February edition and SKIRT! Magazine featured Susan Mayo in March.

I Must Speak!“Do you not know that I am a woman? When I think, I must speak!”

-William Shakespeare

As You Like It

20Each year “Inside Business” selects the best young business people involved in helping the community in Hampton Roads. This year four women of the Junior League were recognized by Inside Business as “Top 40 Under 40”. Those that were recognized included:

• BrooksLively-(Treasurer-Elect)Owner,CarrotTopClothes

• EmilySpruill-(Sustainer)Director,CulturalAffairs,CityofVirginiaBeach

• HeatherMantz-(NominatingChair)Director,EnvironmentalAffairs,VirginiaPortAuthority

• KellyMcMahonWillette(HeadquartersChair-Elect)Owner,WilletteDesigns,LLC

Thiswasatruehonortohave10%ofthisyear’shonoreestobeJLNVBmembers.Thewomen of the JLNVB continue to demonstrate their leadership skills and their ability to make an impact both in the business world and in the Junior League.Without these partnerships, we cannot be successful. We thank them for their continued support.

As times change, it is important for us to continue to keep our valued members of the League informed about current activities. To accomplish this, we use our monthly newsletter, TIDEings. In keeping with the economic times and a constant focus on con-serving the environment, starting in September 2009, we will “go green” with TIDEings, sending an electronic version to all Provisional and Active members. We would like to extend the option to our valued Sustaining members to receive an electronic version as well. You will have received a letter in the mail asking you to supply either your email address or a response requesting to continue receiving a hard copy of TIDEings. If you haven’tdoneso,pleasetakeamomenttocompletethis.

We appreciate your continued support of the Junior League of Norfolk – Virginia Beach, Inc. and look forward to another exciting and successful year!

21Fundraisers

Oscar Night® AmericaThe First Oscar Night America was held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott February 22, 2009 sponsored by our Partners in Positive Change Farm Fresh Charitable Founda-tion and David Sokol.

The event was also supported by DACS, Inc.; Chesapeake Regional Health Founda-tion; Wolcott, Rivers and Gates; Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc.; Kelly Avery; Trout-man Sanders, Dr. Pam Morgan and 3 Leos Public Relations, LLC.

On Sunday evening, February 22, 2009, Hampton Roads came alive as The Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach Incorporated (JLNVB) hosted Oscar Night® Ameri-ca, Hollywood Meets Hampton Roads, a gala of unparalleled glamour and excitement! The night included a live digital telecast of the Oscars® direct from Los Angeles, Cali-fornia,andentertainmentfromoneofHamptonRoads’premierbands–Butter.Attend-ees participated in a Silent Auction, a Predict the Winners Contest, and enjoyed tasty treats provided by the Marriott Norfolk Waterside Hotel. Emcees Vanessa Coria and KimWadsworthalongwith2009’sMarqueeHonoree,SusanMayo,aVicePresidentofFarmFreshSupermarkets,representedthelocal‘celebrity’presence–creatingoneoftheseason’smostglamorousandenjoyableeventsinHamptonRoads.

TheJLNVB’sOscarNight®America,HollywoodMeetsHamptonRoads,was theonly official party in Southeastern Virginia sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. With over 250 people in attendance, guests were dazzled on the red carpet by ppaparazzi, flashing cameras, and giant Oscar statues. Each guest contrib-uted to sustaining the mission and vision of the JLNVB by helping to raise more than $15,000fortheLeague’sHealthyKidsInitiativeandJuniorLeagueprojects.Allmoniesraised in February remain in Hampton Roads and benefit local women and children.

Dressed Out In All Her Finery...“They may talk of a comet, or a burning mountain, or some such bagatelle; but to me a modest woman,

dressed out in all her finery, is the most tremendous object of the whole creation.”

-Oliver Goldsmith

22

All The Money In The World...“If women didn’t exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.”

-Aristotle Onassis

Silver Bells & Sea ShellsThe first Silver Bells and Sea Shells Shopping Event was held at the Sandler Cen-ter in Virginia Beach Town Center October 3-4, 2008. The event was sponsored by past presidents: Ingrid McGowan, Helen Withers, Shelly Gram, Dawn Peters, Debbie Russell, Emily Filer, Adelaide Snyder, Joann Berkley, Linda Palmer, Kirkland Clarkson Donna Bortell, Lee Curtis Avery, Debra Griggs, Emily Mills Margaret Beale, Virginia Hitch and Jackie Peters, and also by board members Connie Hedrick, Brooks Lively, Kim Blake, Melissa Steadman, Heather Mantz, Dawn Provost, Cinda Ayers, Sally Dud-ley Lori Collins ,Shelly Gram, Courtney Davio and Kelly Avery.

Annual Golf Tournament The 5th Annual Golf Tournament (May 2008) was supported by 3 time sponsor Mal-colmPirnie.Carraba’swas19thholesponsor.Holesponsor’sEmersonCigars,Gray-bar Electric, Kerneos, Mark Prock, Norma Price, Sevac Corporation, SunTrust, The Appraisal Network, DACS, Inc., Tidewater Staffing, UBS.

23Cookbooks

The Cookbook Committee had a very successful year with a variety of tastings, training sessions and cookbook sales. We kicked off the year with a training event for all Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach members in August. Bob Johnson of Favorite Recipes Press shared creative ways to market our cookbooks. Our members left the training with a renewed sense of enthusiasm for our two books Toast to Tidewater and Tidewater on the Half Shell. This training came in handy as we asked all members to provide leads for new cookbook wholesale accounts!

This year our league reached out to cookbook committees across the country. We part-nered with the Junior Leagues of Cincinnati, Pine Bluff, Sarasota and Annapolis to offer our members a wide selection of books from which to choose. This was such a hit, we plan to offer new books next year through this swap program.

In November 2008, the committee had a variety of tastings in advance of the holiday season.Weheld events atA.Dodson’s in Suffolk, the newOldDominionUniver-sity Bookstore and the Fresh Market in Virginia Beach. In addition to representing the league, members shared their favorite recipes with shoppers. Our “Fabulous Feta Pesto Spread” was such a hit that we sold out and were invited to host another tasting this past April...but only if we brought equally as delicious food!

Women Go Right On Cooking...“When men reach their sixties and retire, they go to pieces. Women go right on cooking.”

-Gail Sheehy

24

Barbara Sutelan2008-2009

Sustainer of the Year

Sustainer of the YearBarbara Sutelan long ago earned the nickname “JLNVB rock star.” This is no

small compliment in an organization of female leaders! Barbara’s commitment to

the League is limitless. Whether serving in chair roles or volunteering for com-

munity or fundraising hours, she gives 100%. Barbara coordinated our transi-

tion to the website a few short years ago and has trained hundreds of members

on how to navigate the website and manage the data. The trainings she offered

to groups or to an individual at 9:00 at night have always been clear, thorough

and always tinged with great patience. Although she sustained, she continues to

be a valuable resource and guide for the League. Her past placements included

Provisional Co-Planner, webmaster, a member of the Edmarc Committee, JL-

NVB board member and Administrative Vice President. If her involvement in the

League weren’t enough, Barbara is also the Brownie Troop 444 Leader and a

member of the Susan G. komen Race for the Cure Race Committee.

Congratulations Barbara!

Set No Limits!“I think the key is for women not to set any limits.”

-Martina Navratilova

25Sustaining Members

Passion Into ActionOur award winning Passion Into Action luncheon series continued with another year of great Sustainers ready to share their passions and how they took action to create positive change in our community! For the first time this year, this valuable training opportunity was available to Provisionals at no cost.

In November we heard from Past President Marty Raiss about her great Passion, the World Changers program. The program brings together youth and adults from around the country to cities across the U.S. to work on week-long projects that benefit the host community. In Norfolk, World Changers works to improve housing conditions in several neighborhoods. Participants learn the benefits of servant leadership while at the same time learning a skill.

In March, Sustainer Clay Barr shared her Passion for the arts as she spoke about the growth of the Virginia Arts Festival and her part in the growth of that organization. Her speech culminated in her description of the Clay and Jay Barr Education Center as the new, permanent home of the festival. This new center will not only provide for the Festival offices, it will also provide valuable space for arts performances, training, and education.

We had 55 League Members attend the luncheons this year, and of that number 8 were Provisionals. Passion Lunches were also included as part of the official training for the year and members were given credit for a training session for attending.

The Passion into Action Luncheon series along with the new Leadership Institute are perfect examples of how Sustainers continue to contribute their many talents to our League. We thank them all and look forward to many more years of their sharing of their valuable knowledge to all our members.

26Sustainer of the Year

As a Sustainer, Heather Mantz stepped up to not only be part of the Nominating

Committee but was the Chair. This was a significant time commitment as she

attended Board Meetings, GMM’s, and the Nominating Committee Meetings

– not to mention the marathon day of Board Interviews. As impressive as the

interviewees were, Heather was equally impressive with how she conducted the

interviews. Her professionalism was credited with how organized and efficient

the day was run. She contributed these same qualities to Placement while as-

sisting them as well. Heather is highly accomplished in her professional life. She

holds several degrees - 2 Graduate and 1 Undergraduate, and was named Top

Forty Under 40 working for the Virginia Port Authority. Heather also pres-

ently serves as the VPA’s representative to the American Association of Port

Authorities – Harbors Navigation and Environment Committee, and the Vir-

ginia Maritime Association - Environmental Awareness Committee. Ms. Mantz

is a member of the Board of Lead Hampton Roads and serves on the Board of

Governors of St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock, Virginia. She has also

served as a member of the Board for the Virginia Ballet. She is truly a role model

and is an example of how being part of the JLNVB is a lifetime membership.

Congratulations Heather!

Heather Mantz2008-2009

Sustainer of the Year

27Training

In 2008, JLNVB won the coveted AJLI/Anheuser-Busch Award for our work on the Passion into Action Luncheons and the development of the Leadership Institute. Based on the success of the Sustainer-driven Passion into Action initiative, JLNVB Active members wanted to further our mission by drawing upon the talent and expertise of our Sustainer base to train the next generation of community leaders. The Leadership Institute goal is to: “Develop the leadership potential of members through diverse train-ing by JLNVB Sustainers” and our 2008-2009 theme was: “Communication: The Key to Effective Leadership”. The Leadership Institute team developed four training mod-ules, focusing on topics such as Leading Effective Meetings, Leadership Communica-tion Styles, Conflict Resolution / Dealing with Difficult People, and Communicating for Professional and Personal Growth.

In addition to the Leadership Institute training component, our funding allowed for the creation of a JLNVB Leadership Library. Through purchases and donations, the JL-NVB now offers many excellent leadership reading selections and resources for mem-bers. Key titles available, many of which are well-known leadership classics, include Good to Great by Jim Collins, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell, Leading Change by John Kotter, Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen Covey, The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, Manag-ing the Non-Profit Organization: Principles and Practices by Peter Drucker, Leading from the Front by Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch, The Way of the Shepherd: 7 Ancient Secrets to Managing Productive People by Kevin Leman and William Pentak, and Women and the Leadership Q: Revealing the Four Paths to Influence and Power by Shoya Zichy.

We were pleased with the successful launch of this initiative and look forward to ex-panding our program in the 2009-2010 League year.

You Have Knowledge“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.”

-Margaret Fuller

28LEADERSHIP INSTITUTEWe started the 2008 – 2009 League year in August with a Chair Training at Towne Bank. Incoming Chairs received information from President Cinda Ayers, Council VPs, the Webmaster, and others to help educate and guide the Chairs through the upcoming year.

After a year of planning and thanks to a $10,000 AJLI grant, we kick off the JLNVB Leadership Institute. The Institute fulfilled its goalof furthering theJuniorLeague’smission of developing the potential of women by offering membership diverse and ex-panded training opportunities while capitalizing on the talent and experience of JLNVB Sustainers. Topics selected for the Leadership Institute were modules specific to the JLNVB mission and our Strategic Plan. The topics were Leading Effective Meetings, Leadership Communicating Styles, Conflict Resolution/Dealing with Difficult People, and Communicating for Career Advancement.

The Institute utilized JLNVB Sustainers as trainers for the sessions. Thank you to Dawn Peters, Debbie Russell, Kristan Burch, and Kathy Shelton for conducting the sessions for Leadership Institute. At the Annual Dinner, several Actives and Provisionals were pre-sented with a certificate of completion for the Leadership Institute. Way to go ladies!!

The Leadership Institute Lending Library offers additional information pertaining to Leadership. Members are encouraged to utilize the resources in the library for all as-pects of their lives.

We encouraged members to attend the Passion into Action Luncheon series. Members that attended a PIA received training credit. Both Provisionals and Actives attended the luncheons and really enjoyed themselves.

In lieu of a November GMM, Cluster Meetings were hosted in Sustainers homes lo-cated throughout Hampton Roads. The agenda focused on the education of members on the Nominating Process. The Clusters were thoroughly enjoyed by members and

29Sustainers alike. Again, thank you to Sustainers, Shelly Gram, Bobbie Gribble, Debbie Russell, Kathy Shelton, Ginger Van De Water, and Terri Yates for opening up your homes to the League and for your continued support.

Additionally, we offered 15 minute “Time Out for Training” at monthly GMMs. The speakers included:Dr.LucyGibneywhospokeaboutherson’s foodallergieswhichmotivated her to start her own cookie business. AJLI trainer, Vicki Clark spoke to the members about how to be a servant leader. She reminded members to believe in our mission and to sell the dream. Ms. Clark spoke separately with the BOD about being a mission-driven Board at a breakfast meeting at the TWH. Darby Beckman, Dietician, spoke at the February GMM about healthy food choices and a healthy lifestyle. At the April GMM, Financial Planner, Ashley Dorroh, offered advice to help our members cope with their finances and investments during these difficult economic times.

Additional training hours we offered through partnerships with the Community Council, Finance Council, and Membership Council.

30

Placement

The 2008-2009 League year began with the placement of actives and sustainers in im-portant positions throughout the League. Use of TidewaterNet for obligation manage-ment and member updates continues to be refined. With the advice of Communications Council it was decided that the 2009-2010 year would bring a paid consultant to work on the website with a web liaison placement to better manage the intricacies of manag-ing the website and compiling reports. The placement management tool was used this year for members to select their top three choices for placement next year. Members continue to be encouraged to use the website to better track obligations, workshifts, personal contact information and change of status requests. Use of the change of status form located under JLNVB resources continues to be a critical tool in tracking members requests for LOA, non resident active status and resignations.

The Placement Fair was brought back in March of this year with very positive feedback and participation from members. The only suggestion for next year would be to move the fair up one month to February to coincide with the placement interview and place-ment of chairs.

The Placement Guide was also updated this year with feedback from chair and council VP’sondescription,committeenumbersneededandestimatedhoursoftimerequired.Two new positions for the 2009-2010 year were added, Communications Assistant VPandProvisionalRecruitingChair,tobetterservetheJuniorLeague’severchangingneeds. Both of these positions were added to the placement guide and members were chosen by the nominating committee based on an individual application process.

The 2008-2009 year brought an economic downturn that has brought some challenges to the Junior League membership. The Placement Committee along with the assistance ofcouncilVP’sandchairscontinuestoassistmembersinanywaypossibletoensureobligations are met within the individual needs of the members and ensure member retention.

The Placement Committee strives to consistently improve member satisfaction and re-tention. We look forward to continuing to make positive changes within our placement process and grow our membership to better serve our community.

Trust a Woman’s Instinct.“I would rather trust a woman’s instinct than a man’s reason.”

-Stanley Baldwin

31 Risk ManagementAt the beginning of this League year, the HQ team identified and implemented three key risk management practices. First, we scanned and electronically archived critical League historical, legal, financial, and administrative documents. In addition to electronic copies being stored on the League computer, these archives will also reside with the Admin-istrative Vice President and the Contracts Chair in the event of a disaster or accidental damage to our paper copies. Second, in order to protect our valuable and sensitive League information, we contracted with a computer services company for increased system security, hardware and software repairs, virus prevention and removal, and data backups. Finally, we developed an emergency checklist for the Taylor-Whittle House providing details on the alarm system procedures, locations of all phones to call emer-gency services if necessary, and locations of flashlights, candles, matches, batteries, the fire extinguisher, the first aid kit, and the circuit breaker box.

Taylor-Whittle House RentalsWe are very proud to have use of the Taylor-Whittle House as our Headquarters. In addition to its use in managing League operations and hosting numerous League meet-ings, the Taylor-Whittle House is available to rent for private functions or external par-ties. This year, we enhanced our advertising efforts in hopes to increase the number of rentals, including securing a professional photographer who will use the House for a photo shoot and allow the JLNVB use of the photos for future advertisements. One notable rental in November of 2008 was by the League of Women Voters who hosted a welcoming ceremony for a delegation from Azerbaijan. The delegation was visiting the United States to learn about and observe our governmental and election processes. Our Headquarters Chair, Laura Bangor, also took this opportunity to speak with them abouttheJuniorLeagueorganization,theTaylor-WhittleHouse,ourLeague’shistory,and the role we fill in the social culture of the United States by helping to address needs that are underserved by government institutions.

Headquarters

32Newsletter Series: “Get to know Your Headquarters”Throughout the 2008-2009 League year, the Headquarters Committee ran an interest-ing and informative series in TIDEings entitled “Get to Know Your Headquarters”. The articles provided facts on the history of the Taylor-Whittle House, information about the original occupants, and detailed descriptions and accompanying photos that high-lighted the unique architectural elements that make our Headquarters one of the most distinctive historical buildings in Virginia.

Taylor-Whittle House Community Events One of the biggest responsibilities of the Headquarters Committee is to host events at the Taylor-Whittle House. This League year, the team surpassed all expectations and hosted three amazing events, a Progressive Tea, the Freemason Holiday Home Tour, and the Home for the Holidays Tour (formerly the Cannonball Trail Homes Tour).

Progressive Tea: Our Hearts Beat True for the Red, White, and Blue

The JLNVB joined the Hunter House Victorian Museum and the Moses-Myers House in hosting a progressive tea on Sunday, October 5, 2008. The theme of the tea was, “Our Hearts Ring True for the Red, White, and Blue” and proceeds from the ticket sales went to support military charities for women and children. The tea began at the Moses-Myers House with tea and scones, and then moved to the Taylor-Whittle House for tea and sandwiches. The day ended at the Hunter House Victorian Mu-seum with tea and sweets. It was a beautiful day and the Taylor-Whittle House was the perfect setting for the event. Sustainer Shelly Gram provided themed arrangements of red, white, and blue and League members provided tea sandwiches using recipes from ouraward-winningcookbook,TidewaterontheHalfShell.ChristinaMorton’sviolinstudents, Lindsey and Kristen Crook, of the Academy of Music, provided entertainment for our guests and their music greatly added to the atmosphere of the event. We were very pleased with the success of the progressive tea and hope to be able to participate again in the future. Special thanks to Shelly Gram, Laura Bangor, Xan Hunter, and Cameron Meals for their help in making the tea a success!

33Norfolk Holiday Tours

Continuing our winter tradition, the Taylor-Whittle House was again a feature on the annualareaholidaytours.Ican’tthinkofanythingbettertogetvisitorsintheholidayspirit than the smell of hot cider, fresh greens, and a friendly Junior League welcome to the Taylor-Whittle House. We are always pleased to have opportunities to invite the public to see our beautiful headquarters and we sincerely appreciate all the help that we receive from members through decorating and serving as docents to help make the tours a success! Additionally, so many thanks go to Laura Bangor, Cameron Meals, Shelly Gram, Ashley Hall, Xan Hunter, Kirsten Raeber, Kelly Willette and the many others for making it a successful event again this year; the authentic decorations looked incredible!

Freemason Holiday Homes TourRecord numbers braved the cold on a beautiful, sunny Sunday in order to attend the Freemason Holiday Homes Tour, including the circa 1790 Taylor-Whittle House, on Sunday, December 7, 2008. As people entered into the Taylor-Whittle House, they were greeted by a JLNVB docent who pointed out key historical and architectural ele-ments.VisitorsenjoyedmusicperformedbytheParkViewSchool’sstudentviolistsandsteamy hot cider was served as people sampled tasty bites from our cookbooks. Guests also enjoyed the atmosphere created by the distinctive, natural decorations made by Junior League members to “deck the halls” of the Taylor-Whittle House. Members spent countless hours the days prior to the tour creating festive, natural, period decora-tions from materials that were native and common to the area during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These decorations included magnolia leaves, holly, ivy, cedar, boxwood, acuba, nandina, oyster shells, pheasant feathers, and much more. In addition to the Taylor-Whittle House, Hunter House, and Epworth United Methodist Church, there were five other residences on the Freemason Holiday Homes Tour.

34Home for the Holidays Tour (formerly the Cannonball Trail Homes Tour)

On Sunday, December 14, 2008, the JLNVB participated in a second holiday tour. The Home for the Holidays Tour, formerly the Cannonball Trails Tour, was free andincludedseveralofNorfolk’shistoricsites,suchastheMoses-MyersHouse,Hunt-erHouseVictorianMuseum,St.Paul’sEpiscopalChurch,FreemasonStreetBaptistChurch, Willoughby-Baylor House, Epworth Methodist Church, and the Taylor-Whittle House. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and everyone enjoyed the oppor-tunitytostrollandvisitthehistoricsitesgarneringaglimpseintoNorfolk’scolorfulpast.The JLNVB again offered hot cider and refreshments from our two cookbooks. One of the highlights of the Home for the Holiday Tour was League members putting on their ‘storytellerhats’byreadingperiodholidaytalesandpoemstovisitors.

A Picture-Perfect DonationIn March of 2009, we received a call from Mr. Hume Taylor asking if he could donate a portrait to the JLNVB. Mr. Taylor is a descendant of the Taylor family who originally occupied our Headquarters, the Taylor-Whittle House. The portrait is of Margaret Walke, who was married to the first Richard Taylor and is also a descendent of Adam Thoroughgood. This important piece of Norfolk and JLNVB history will be placed in a prominent location on the first floor of the Taylor-Whittle House for the enjoyment of both Junior League members as well as the many visitors to the House. Special thanks goestoAmyHarman,ContractsChair,whodraftedtheLeague’snewdonationlegalagreement.

Never Doubt!“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens

can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

-Margaret Mead

35Done In A Day Projects

In May 2009, the Headquarters Committee coordinated two DIAD projects to further ongoing efforts to organize and improve the use of space at the Taylor-Whittle House. Thisyear’sfocusisonthethirdfloorstorageareas.Ourgoalistoprovidespecificstor-age space for Committees and to purge and catalog our historical archives. This is an ongoing effort that requires the aid and cooperation of all JLNVB Councils; we would like to thank each of them for their assistance and continued diligence in maintaining the newly designated and organized storage rooms.

And With Appreciation...Finally, we continue to be grateful for the efforts of our wonderful Office Manager, Linda Piper. With her dedication and can-do spirit, the League Office continues to function like a well-oiled machine!

Thank you, Linda!

36Arrangements worked diligently to streamline processes and activities at the monthly General Membership Meetings (GMMs) and Board of Directors Meetings. Special thanks to Tina Brady, Arrangements Chair, who helped make sure everything was in or-der for our General Membership Meetings and was key in arranging our complimentary meeting space with Norfolk Collegiate – our host for almost all of our General Member-ship Meetings this year! Norfolk Collegiate could not have been a more gracious host; fromroomandaudio/visualsetuptocleanup,their‘customerservice’wassecondtonone. Finally, we provided our members with dinner during the Merry Minutes portion oftheGMMsandwe’dberemissifwedidn’tthankFarmFreshCateringforhelpingusselect healthy, fresh, and delicious food.

In closing out the 2008-2009 League year, Arrangements worked behind the scenes to prepare our Annual Celebration Dinner, held in May of 2009 at Princess Anne Country Club. Annual Dinner is a special event celebrating the successes of the League year. We strive to make our Annual Dinner a merry and memorable evening by honoring our Council’sachievements,votingourProvisionalstoActiveJLNVBmembers,honoringspecial guests who have positively impacted the JLNVB, and announcing the winners of the League Light Award, Provisional of the Year Award, Sustainer of the Year Award, and Community Impact Award. The Annual Dinner is also a forum to commemorate the transition of leadership from our current President, Cinda Ayers, to our incoming President, Dawn Provost.

Norfolk Collegiate is deserving of a giant thank you from the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc. For the second year in a row, Norfolk Collegiate has not only provided us with the space in which to hold our meetings, but has set up the tables and provided the AV equipment we use every month. In addition, they have been unfail-ingly gracious and accommodating of our needs. Without the assistance of community partners like Norfolk Collegiate, our League would be unable to continue in its mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communi-ties through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Again, on behalf of the Administrative Council and the entire League...

Thank You Norfolk Collegiate!

Administration

37kelly Reynolds transferred to JLNVB in September. Her 8 months with JLNVB

has certainly had an impressive impact. During her short tenure, she has served

on the Cookbooks Committee, Community Response Fund Committee, Gala

Committee and is the TIDEings Editor.

It is difficult to be placed in multiple roles and still be effective, however, kelly’s

list of accomplishments across the League are frequently touted. kelly volun-

teered to write the monthly column for Cookbooks and Gala to be placed in

TIDEings. She developed all of the event collateral for the Gala. She is rede-

signing the JLNVB website, and has developed an event brand for the shopping

event to include the logo and tagline. She attended ODI and brought back great

ideas to implement in the 2009-2010 League year and will Chair the Gala Event

for 2009-2010.

Outside of the League, she is the Zone Captain of Willoughby Beach for Clean

the Bay Day for Chesapeake Bay Foundation and is on the Board of Moderators

for Norfolk Freecycle. If that weren’t impressive enough, she manages a suc-

cessful public relations agency while managing to keep up with her very busy one

and a half year old son, Jake.

kelly is originally from Durham, NC but now lives on the beach in Willougby Spit

with her son Jake and their cat Jasmine.

Congratulations Kelly!

League Light Award

Kelly Reynolds2008-2009 RecipientLeague Light Award

38

The Junior Leagueof Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc.

President Cinda AyersPresident-Elect Dawn Provost

MEMBERSHIP COUNCILMembership V.P. Melissa SteadmanLeadership Initiatives Director Nicole PowellNominating Chair Heather MantzAt-Large Director Lori CollinsAdmissions Coordinator Laura BangorProvisional Co-Chairs Ashley Gentry & Julie HellerTransfer Co-Chairs Jennifer McDonald & Jessica MartynSpecial Events Chair NeShondra JohnsonPlacement Chair kirsten Brown RaeberPlacement Chair-Elect Shannon Wright

COMMUNITY COUNCILCommunity V.P. Courtney DavioSignature Issue Chair Denise kellam & Heather LangknechtCommunity Response Fund Chair Valerie AsbellPublic Affairs Chair Susie Wentworthkids In The kitchen Chair Melissa Polizos

COMMUNICATIONS COUNCILCommunications V.P. Julie PaulinaTIDEings Editor kelly ReynoldsTIDEings Assistant Editor Hanan MitryWebmaster Sarah MilamWebmaster-Elect kerry Robinette

FINANCE COUNCILTreasurer Connie HedrickTreasurer-Elect Brooks LivelyWays & Means Chair kelly AveryWays & Means Chair-Elect Najwa knoxFund Development Chair Sherri SteinGrantsmanship Chair kim HadenCookbook Co-Chairs Susan Malandrino & Christine HollandGala Event Chair Jessica WilburnGala Event Chair-Elect kelly ReynoldsTIDEings Business Manager kelly ReynoldsGolf Tournament Co-Chairs Ann Berling & Lori RobertsFestEvents & Merchandise Coordinator Stacy LongShopping Event Co-Chairs Najwa knox & Braden Lindberg

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILAdministrative V.P. / Secretary kimberly ThompsonParliamentarian Sally DudleyStrategic Planning Director kim BlakeArrangements Chair Tina BradyHeadquarters Chair Laura BangorHeadquarters Chair-Elect / Historian kelly WilletteContracts Chair Amy HarmanSustainer Advisor kristan Burch

2008 - 2009 JLNVB Board & Councils

The Junior Leagueof Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc.

The Taylor-Whittle House227 West Freemason StreetNorfolk, Virginia 23510

757.623.7270 Office757.623.3932 Fax

www.jlnvb.orginfo@jlnvb.org