JLSS Schenexus August-September 2011

August 2011

SCHENEXUS

2011-2012 JLSS OfficersPresident: Julie White Eklund

Treasurer:Patty Christensen

Secretary: Paula Ohlhous Committee Chairs

Communications:Leesa Perazzo

Community:Shannon KellyStephanie Russell

Membership:Traci Koppenhafer

Ways & Means: Mary Catherine White

Nominating:Sarah Stotz

Supporting Roles

Schenexus Editor: Deanna Fox

Sustainer Advisors:Barbara Landon

NYSPAC Delegate:Kathy Van Allen

September GMM Offers Unique Volunteer and Social Experience

On September 17, 2011, JLSS will be holding its General Membership meeting at Peaceful Acres Horses, Inc. In 2010, it was chosen as the small not for profit of the year by the TechValley Non Profit Council. Peaceful Acres Horses, Inc. is a “Sanctuary for Horses and People.” The horses at Peaceful Acres are rescued from abandonment, neglect and abuse or are retired by their owners to come live in sanctuary at Peaceful Acres. The horses are rehabilitated emotionally and physically to become partners in equine assisted learning and psychotherapy programs for youth, adults, couples and families. The horses become people’s guides to healing emotionally, psychologically, physically and spiritually.

This meeting is a very special event where members, friends, and family are strongly encouraged to attend. The meeting will commence at 3:00 pm with a talk from Nanci Beyerl, executive director and founder of Peaceful Acres Horses. At 3:30 pm, we will participate in a volunteer event on the farm. The day will wrap up with a barbeque, beverages, and dessert. (Roast beef, barbequed chicken, hot dogs, tossed salad, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and rolls.) While we are eating, the board will take suggestions and thoughts on the upcoming year. Peaceful Acres is located at 3740 Rynex Corners Road, Pattersonville. Cost for the barbeque is $25 for adults, $15 for children under the age of 15, and free for children under 6. Please send payment to Junior League of Schenectady and Saratoga Counties, PO Box 857, Schenectady, NY 12301, and RSVP to Shannon Kelly at (518) 377-0591 or [email protected] by September 9th. Feel free to contact Shannon with questions, as well.

WESTERN WEAR IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED FOR THIS EVENT!!!

SCHENEXUS JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011

A member of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc.

A Message from our PresidentWhen I was a child, I remember my mother talking occasionally about how her cousin William Moore had died as a Freedom Rider in the South. I did some research as an adult and found that he was in fact one of the earliest civil rights martyrs, murdered one night in Alabama in 1963 while he was marching to take a letter in support of civil rights to the governor of Mississippi. No one was ever charged in his death. My parents worked hard to teach my sisters and me that we had an obligation to respect our family’s tradition of service and try to make the world a better place, whether that meant picking up garbage in the neighborhood as a 9-year-old, marching against apartheid as a 19-year-old or serving on an AIDS Care Team as a 29-year-old.

I’ve been thinking about this recently in part because I’ve been reading The Help, a novel about a group of women, black and white, living in Jackson, Mississippi in 1963. Our League will be going to see the film, which comes out on August 12. Many of the white characters – including both the heroine and the villain - are members of the Junior League. It made me think about how things have changed, and how we are all to some extent products of our time. But it also made me reflect on how for over 100 years, the League has been a positive force on our culture in so many ways.

You can start with founder Mary Harriman, a 19-year-old debutante who, driven by social conscience, recruited her friends to go into the slums of New York City to improve the living conditions of new immigrants. More than a hundred years later, Junior Leagues in 292 communities and four counties continue to provide opportunities for women who are committed to developing their leadership skills and tackling the issues that confront their community. League initiatives resulted in the first school lunch programs, the development of educational television, and the first federal legislation on domestic violence. Junior Leaguers have been in the forefront on the environmental movement, treatment of disability and mental health issues and juvenile justice. AJLI and NYSPAC were just honored by the U.N. for what various Leagues are doing to address the thorny issue of human trafficking.

Looking back at 1963, William Moore’s “impossible” vision doesn’t seem so shocking, but how will our children and grandchildren view the things we do today? It was my family’s tradition of social advocacy that brought me to the League, and I have never been happier about my choice. My sisters and I had bracelets made up with a quote from William Moore’s undelivered letter to the governor. It says, “Be gracious and do more than is demanded.” He was talking about civil rights, but I know an awful lot of Junior Leaguers who behave as if it is their own, personal motto.

JLSS PresidentJulie White Eklund

SCHENEXUS


JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011

Community Engagement Plants Seeds of

VoluntarismCommunity co-chairs Shannon Kelly and Stephanie Russell teamed up to have the League participate in the 14th annual Schenectady Kid’s Arts Festival. The event took place on June 4th from 12-4 along Jay Street. About 40 non-profit organizations had a craft project for young children to make and take home from their organization. The day was also filled with Disney Radio, the Zucchini Brothers, and various other talents for the children to watch. Thanks to Jennifer Hanson, Amy Carhide, Mary Catherine White, Stephanie Hunter, and Julie White Eklund for helping the young participants make tissue paper flowers with their own take home flower pot. “Green Thumb with League Ladies” was a huge

Palmateer and Julie for bringing us water, and Shop Rite for donating healthy snacks, tissue paper, and other give aways to make our table an even greater success. Shop Rite also provided smiling volunteers to help staff our table.

The “Green Thumb with League Ladies” continued as a success at the 31rst annual Saratoga Race Course Open House on July 17th. Thousands of people attended the open house with events ranging from mascot races to Islip Horseman’s Association Long Island Drill Team demonstration. The weather could not have been better for Stephanie Russell, Shannon Kelly, Karoline Trela, Erika Browne (provisional), Molly MacElroy, and Katelyn Gal-braith who helped out at the League’s tent. It definitely put them all in the spirit for League’s event at the track on August 21rst.

success with both the parents and children. A special thank you to Amy Carhide for the use of her table, Neil Eklund and the Greenmarket for loaning us a tent to avoid the warm summer sun, Deneen

SCHENEXUS

May Your

Wishes

Come True!

August

Margaret SchadlerCynthia RiveraBarbara PiperMary Ellen RinaldiRosemary FaulknerBeth McCulloughCatherine LewisMichelle GabrielMegan HaessigJennifer CenzanoLois VesselsShirley McGrathSusan ZeltmannMargaret GormanChrista WilaryPatricia RoslundDiana Gelfand

September

Ann DiSarroElizabeth VeederStacey MidgeBelinda WagnerAnne YunickSusan ArmeniaMeredith OakesCynthia PhillippeTamara BeasleyTeresa LittleJennifer HummerKatelyn GalbraithCharlotte GreenwoodLissa StempekBeth FrearJoan IpsenSarah Simson

Happy Birthday!


JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011

Eager-Leaguer Recognition


Stephanie Hunter is this newsletter’s Eager Leaguer. Stephanie joined JLSS last fall and has been an active participant ever since. Last year, she was instrumental on Ways and Means creating our first ever Holi-day Bazaar. She has continued helping out with this year’s Holiday House Tour and Boutique. Stephanie is using her videography talent to help produce snippets from sustainers about their fondest League memories for our 80th anniversary. Stephanie is thorough, thoughtful and always willing to help. Continue to look for Stephanie at upcom-ing Junior League events!

Stephanie Hunter

Member News Traci Koppenhafer has taken a new position as an HR Specialist at Global Foundries. Congratulations, Traci! Please contact her [email protected]

Welcome to our new provisional members, Lisa Stratton andErika Browne!


SCHENEXUS JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011

Spotlight On: Barbara Piper


JLSS President Julie White Eklund recently interviewed Sustainer Member Barbara Piper about her tenure in the League. This story is the result of that converation.

Barbara Piper is an emeritus member who has served our League as Corresponding Secretary, provisional chair, Next-to-New shop chair and sustainer advisor. She was the recipient of this year’s President’s Award. I have often enjoyed speaking with her at various events and was pleased to have the chance to interview her.

Barbara speaks eloquently about the value she found in the League, particularly the training programs and the ability to connect with various non-profit, business and government groups in the city. She made many friends among our League members and still reaches out even to our newest provisionals.

Barbara had been very active in Panhellenic in her college years for Kappa Kappa Gamma and through that, she was invited to a Red Cross luncheon. She asked the woman on her right, “What do you do with the Red Cross?” She was a little surprised to hear that the answer was, “Nothing, actually,” and VERY surprised when the woman on her left answered the same way! As it happens, the luncheon was actually a Junior League of Schenectady recruitment event and Barbara was subsequently invited to join.

As fate would have it, though, the League DID eventually lead her to the Red Cross. As a result of her JLS training and experience, Barbara was asked to serve on the Red Cross board. When the board was discussing the need for a Red Cross youth director, Barbara offered to take on the role as long as she was allowed to make some changes in the position. When she started, there were five children working in the program. She visited every school in Schenectady County regularly and by the time she retired, 11 years later, she had 600 children working every week. During her tenure she was chosen as the Red Cross Youth Director for the U.S. and was sent to Japan for three weeks along with some of her young volunteers to represent the organization. Her favorite program there was “Adopt a Grandparent.”

Barbara has fond memories of her time as a provisional and a provisional chair, when the class would meet every Tuesday and visit every area non-profit. When she was corresponding secretary, her entire attic was full of League material, and she and Helen George once updated our scrapbooks, doing such a thorough job that they are still being used today. She worked on many wonderful community programs but she still has a soft spot for her provisional project, which focused on mental health. Her biggest disappointment, perhaps, was closing the Next-to-New shop, which was a major focus of hers for many years. She is still happy to serve the League and the community, so many years after that first “Red Cross” luncheon.

Member News

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A member of the Association of Junior Leagues International,

JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011

News From the Community CommitteeThe community committee is looking forward to having a lot more participatory events for our membership this year. One of our goals is to create activities for members of all ages including sustainers and family. We are hoping that in combination with various activity days and times this will engage our membership in participating in upcoming projects and done in a days. Since our 80th anniversary will be celebrated this year, we are are planning events in conjunction with community partners from the past including Project S.A.F.E.; Family and Child Services; and Environment Clearinghouse (ECOS). We are also looking forward to planning events with new partners both in Saratoga and Schenectady. Lastly, we would like to put together a community-training event this March with help from our members and friends. But most of all, we are looking forward to input from our membership and the community as to what direction the League should take for future endeavors. Speaking of community input, JLSS would like to bring back a Community Advisory Board. (CAB) The board is a diverse group of leaders whose purpose is to assist and advise the League by serving as a vehicle for effective community input. The role of the Community Advisory Board is solely advisory in nature and is designed to help achieve the JLSS’s community service objectives. The CAB is instrumental in JLSS’s strategic planning by assessing community needs, ensuring mission achievement, advising the League on fundraising opportunities, and identifying the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and potential threats. By providing an outside view of JLSS’s community impact, the CAB helps ensure efficient use of the organization’s resources. Their collaborative insight ensures the integrity of JLSS’s appraisal process, critical to the organization’s community relevance. If you know anyone who might be interested in serving on the CAB, please contact Shannon Kelly 377-0591 ([email protected]) or Stephanie Russell 495-7080 ([email protected]) by August 20th. Please contact Shannon if you would like to participate in the following events: Serving at Bethesda House - Saturday, September 24: Calling all general members!!! Come join the Spring 2011 Provisional Class as they help prepare and serve a meal at the Bethesda House in Schenectady on Saturday, September 24th. The first part of their provisional project included hosting a clothing and basic needs drive which totaled over $10,000 in donations! To complete their project, they wanted to spend a day volunteering at the Bethesda House. We hope you can join us!! More details to come (time, location, etc.). Operation Back to School Backpack PREP – Tuesday, August 2: It is people’s least or most favorite time of year (depending on how you look at it.) For the Junior League of Schenectady and Saratoga Counties, Back-to-School season is our most favorite time of year! We are getting ready to support 150 ninth grade and 85 tenth grade students on their trip to college. Starting at 5:30pm on August 2nd, we will be stuffing backpacks with school supplies for Schenectady High school students attending classes at Schenectady

ready to support 150 ninth grade and 85 tenth grade stu-dents on their trip to college. Starting at 5:30pm on August 2nd, we will be stuffing backpacks with school supplies for Schenectady High school students attending classes at Sche-nectady County Community College. We’ll be thereuntil we stuff all 235 backpacks. Please note a follow-up letter will let you know the exact location at SCCC.

AJLI Announces New Discounts for Members

JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011

SCHENEXUS


Teleflora DiscountJunior League members, as well as their families and friends, are eligible for a 10% discount on beautiful flowers from Teleflora, the world's leading floral services and products company. Flowers may be ordered on www.ajli.flowerclub.com or 1-800-278-7219. (All orders placed or for delivery outside of North America must be made on the 800 number.) For every purchase, The Flower Club will provide a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Association of Junior Leagues International for its work supporting the Junior Leagues in their fulfillment of the Mission.

Lierac DiscountFounded by a physician specializing in corrective cosmetic medicine, LIERAC Laboratories have been pioneers in skin repair and correction-oriented phyto-cosmetics since 1975. All Lierac products are formulated to deliver effectiveness, safety and pleasure of use. Incorporating leading-edge technologies, Lierac products derive their effectiveness from the field of phyto-therapy, using the most active resources of plants combined with the latest innovations in biotechnology. As a special offer to all Junior League members, AJLI sponsor, Lierac is offering a 15% discount site-wide beginning January 3, 2011. Just use coupon code JL2011 when you check out.

Rent the Runway DiscountsWhat do you do when get the coveted invitation to the black-tie of the season but haven’t got the time to lose the 20 pounds you need to fit into last year’s “it” dress? And how do you handle your best friend from childhood, who, upon becoming engaged, morphs into Bridezilla and demands you purchase an outrageously priced taffeta-and-tulle monstrosity that looks more like a Lady Gaga cast-off?

Problem solved.

Beginning, February 1, 2011 AJLI will be partnering with Rent the Runway, the premier online destination for special-occasion dress and accessory rentals. Rent the Runway is extending a special 15% discount to

AJLI members and their friends and family on the designs of a revolving roster of more than 120 top designers, 15,000 of the season’s hottest dresses, and 4,000 accessories. All you have to do is enter this code-AJLI15OFF-during checkout and click “apply to order.” Plus, 10% of each first-time purchase will go to AJLI.

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JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011


This fall ALJI is launching a Webinar series, Webinar Wednesdays, as one of many methods to help Junior League women develop as community and civic leaders. These sessions, typically one-hour in duration, are designed to appeal to every Junior League member, regardless of age or current engage-ment in her community, as an easy way to increase her knowledge of and interest in community and civic leadership.

Webinar Wednesdays will begin in September 2011 and run through May 2012, being offered on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 1pm (Eastern Time Zone). We have already lined up some great speakers and content for the fall and with the help of Junior League members across the Associa-tion who participated in crowdsourcing additional topics through our Idea Marketplace, we are busy booking additional speakers on topics that you found to be most interesting. Be sure to keep checking back as our schedule fills-out.

Registration will go live 2 weeks in advance of each session and will be announced on Facebook, Twitter and email. Mark your calendars now for our fall line up:

September 7th: Featuring: Heather McLeod Grant, co-author of Forces for Good, The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits

September 21st: Featuring: Dee Dickinson, Sustaining Member of the JL of Seattle and Founder of New Horizons for Learning

October 5th: Featuring: John Bridgeland, President & CEO of Civic Enterprises and the first Direc-tor of the USA Freedom Corps

October 19th: Featuring: Sandra Timmons, President, A Better Chance

November 16th: Featuring: Linda Tarr-Whelan, author of Women Lead the Way: Your Guide to Stepping Up to Leadership and Changing the World

AJLI Announces Webinar Wednesdays

Upcoming Changes to SchenexusAs indicated in previous correspondence, JLSS will soon be distributing the Schenexus via

email as a digital copy. This means the League will be able to better archive information, host issues and information online, save time, money and resources, and allow us to reach a larger audience. The digital version will be interactive and easily read on computers, smartphones and tablet PCs. Print copies will still be distributed to those who request them. If you prefer

to receive your Schenexus in the mail, please email [email protected] or call Deanna Fox at 518-527-8448 with your name and address. You will only need to submit your

information once, and can choose to receive your Schenexus via email or post at anytime.

SCHENEXUS

JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011


Come join fellow League members, their families and friends for a fun day at the Saratoga Race Track on Sundaym August 21! This is a great way to network and get to know one another while experiencing one of the premier summertime events in our area. This year, we hope to be open the event up to members of the Albany and Troy Leagues as well. Our event will take place at the Carousel, located on the second floor of the Clubhouse and overlooking the picturesque picnic area of Saratoga Racecourse. There will be a hot and cold buffet served. The Carousel Restaurant features betting windows and numerous television monitors. Dress code is business casual. No jeans,

4th Annual JLSS Day At The Races

shorts or other abbreviated wear is permitted. Men must wear collared shirts. The $40 cost of atten-dance includes Clubhouse admission, the Post Parade Program and the buffet. Note that drinks are not included in this price. Gates open at 10:30 a.m., with post time scheduled for 1 p.m. The giveaway that day will be a Saratoga Sports Bag All giveaways are free with each paid admission, while supplies last. Want more than one giveaway? Head to the multiple admissions booth, which is located inside the gates near the NYRA Store (Saratoga Skills) on the first floor grandstand. Here you can purchase up to 5 additional admission coupons at $3 each, which can be redeemed for additional giveaways. Please RSVP by sending your check made payable to “The Junior League of Schenectady and Saratoga Coun-ties” to PO Box 857, Schenectady, NY 12301. If you have any questions, please contact Julie White Eklund at [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> or 275-5833.

The Sustainer party at Kingsway Arms was an elegant event and it was wonderful to see so many sus-tainers in attendance. My sincere thanks to Deneen Palmateer, Barbara Piper, and their committee and to Bob Doig and staff for the great arrangements. The flowers will decorate my room for a long time, they are so beautiful and everything was greatly appreciated. My very best, Helen George

A Special Thank You


JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011

Remember WhenSue Renna and Kathy Messitt are featured in an image from The Junior League of Schenectady’s Follies program, circa 1982. A quote reads, “Welcome to the Schenectady Junior League’s presentation of “We’ve Come a Long Way Baby!” Our show has been created for you in celebra-tion of our 50th Anniversary. It has been great fun putting together and we are glad you are here this evening to celebrate along with us. We appre-ciate your support in all of our community efforts and we look forward to at least another 50 years of service to Schenectady. So sit back,relax, and have fun as you join us in“We’ve Come A Long Way Baby.”

Stories were exchanged and the past revisited as old friends gathered at the Kingsway Arms Nursing Center for a Sustainer Cocktail Hour on June 23, 2011. Having just recently graduated from provisional status, I found myself mesmerized while listening to the tales.

The get-together provided an opportunity to delve into the history of the JLSS through the eyes of many sustainers as they told anecdotes of their Junior League service. There were fond reminiscences of working at the second hand shop, sitting on boards for the community, and fabulous social events on the tip of the tongue for many Leaguers - just a few of the memories shared in that hour. The more I heard, the more I realized that, while so much has changed over the years, the core values of the JLSS have remained the same.

The Sustainer Cocktail Hour marks the beginning of a project that will capture these stories of our Junior League’s early years. Through the project, we will create a collection of videos that chronicle the past and create a living history of the JLSS. As the team’s videographer, I began by interviewing one of our most beloved members, Helen George, and continued through the stories and the years amid smiles and laughter as each woman told her story.

The narratives will be compiled into a video documentary to help us share our 80 years of rich history. The living history video will be displayed for Junior Leaguers at our upcoming Anniversary Gala. The JLSS has also been extended the opportunity to showcase our history at the Schenectady Museum, which will allow the community a chance to peek into the amazing work we have done and the resourceful women who have accomplished so much over the years.

We would love to have your input, memories, photos, articles, videos and so much more! The history of the JLSS is the story of brilliant women and their extraordinary accomplishments. Please help us share our story! If you would like to contribute, please contact Stephanie Hunter at [email protected] or 894-9034.

JLSS History A Focus For Our 80th YearBy Stephanie Hunter


SCHENEXUS

JLSS ~ AUGUST 2011

Upcoming Social Events

JLSS Social Mixer And Movie Screening: Friday, August 12thWe will be at the Van Dyck in Schenectady (237 Union Street) on Friday, August 12th, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. This will be a great time to catch up with fellow members and also to introduce friends, relatives or co-workers who may be interested in joining the League. This will be a low-key opportunity to mix and mingle. We also expect to be heading over to Bowtie Cinemas to enjoy a screening of The Help, which premieres that night and which features a protagonist and other characters who are Junior League members. http://thehelpmovie.com/#/trailer More details to come! If possible, please RSVP (yes only) to Traci Koppenhafer at [email protected] by Monday, August 8th.

JLSS Sunday Coffee: Sunday, August 28thAntioxidants anyone? JLSS will be at the Starbucks in Niskayuna (St. James Square, 2321-1 Nott Street East) on Sunday, August 28th from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM. Stop by for a coffee or tea and take advantage of a relaxing Sunday morning. Bring a friend or two and introduce them to other JLSS members If possible, please RSVP (yes only) to Traci Koppen-hafer at [email protected] by Thursday, August 24th.

The League has adopted a Saturday evey month to provide desserts to the City Mission. Sustainer Member Joanne Coppola has kindly offered to deliver the desserts. All we need are four volunteers to offer to bake 25 individual items. Items can consist of brownies, cookies, cupcakes, etc., but they must be individually wrapped so that they can be handed to each of those who arrive for a meal that day. Please contact Joanna Coppola at [email protected] or 346-9019 if you would like to volun-teer to bake. During these tough economic times, it is important that we assist other organizations in helping those less fortunate, so please volunteer.

Baking Continues for City Mission

Saturday afternoon, October 8 – JLSS General Member Meeting and volunteer event at the Regional Food Bank

Tuesday evening, November 8 – JLSS hosts a Tri-league meeting with AJLI President Delly Beekman (site TBD)

Wednesday morning, November 9 – JLSS sustainer breakfast with AJLI president, Delly Beekman (site TBD)

Save The Date!

Dates To Remember!

August 2 Operation Back To School Backpack Prep Schenectady County Community College

August 12 JLSS Social Mixer and “The Help” Screening 6:00pm Van Dyck and Bowtie Cinema, Schenectady

August 20 Bakers Needed for City Mission Dessert Contact Joanne Coppola - [email protected]

August 21 4th Annual JLSS Day at the Races, 10:30am Saratoga Race Track, Saratoga Springs

September 17 GMM and Volunteer Event, 3:00pm Peaceful Acres Horses, Inc., Patterson NY

October 8 GMM and Volunteer Event, Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY

Our Mission

The Junior League of Schenectady and Saratoga Counties 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 exclusively educational and charitable.

Non-Profit OrganizationUS Postage

PAIDPermit #460

Schenectady, NY 12301P.O. Box 857 | Schenectady, NY 12301

November 8 JLSS Tri-League Event with AJLI President Delly Beekman (site TBA)

November 9 JLSS Sustainer breakfast with AJLI President Delly Beekman (site TBA)

December 1 House Tour and Gift Boutique Preview (Site TBA)

December 2-3 Presidential House Tour and Gift Boutique Proctors and area homes

May 4, 2012 80th Anniversary Gala Key Hall

Documents

JLSS Schenexus August-September 2011