JLSN Turns 90 Years Young!In 1923, our country was recovering from war and unbeknownst to Americans, would go to war again all too soon. The economy was unstable, times were tough, and people were in need in Fairfi eld County. Ninety years later, our country is at war in various ways, the economy is unstable, and people are still in need in Fairfi eld County. Amid and despite tough times, The Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk, Inc. has endured it all.

JLSN grew from eleven charter members to forty in the fi rst year, and then to 100 members within the fi rst two years. The common goal of bettering lives of local women and children in our area combined with like-minded women who become JLSN members makes for a unique community service experience. Every woman who joins JLSN has her own motivation for doing so. Perhaps it is volunteering and feeling the reward of helping others, and perhaps it is the desire to meet new friends with a philanthropic purpose. Regardless of the many reasons to join, JLSN is accountable for the bonds of friendship that span generations.

Over the decades membership has reached over 900 members, which included members from Greenwich in the late 1950s. Regardless of world events, our membership remains strong at nearly 400 women. It is this legacy of nine decades of devoted women we honor this year, and as we plan our next decade of service to our community, we hope everyone will join us in various ways throughout 2013 to celebrate.

There are so many ways to honor JLSN and participate in birthday festivities. Anniversary events begin on February 9, 2013, our actual birthday, with a wine tasting at the League offi ce sponsored by WinePort of Darien, WinePort of Ridgeway and Rowayton Wine Shop. Our annual Spring Spirits cocktail party fundraiser will be held this

year at Waveny House in New Canaan on May 11 - a fi tting location as Waveny celebrated her 100th birthday just last year! Although Spring Spirits will be our main event in terms of honoring our 90th anniversary, we will highlight various pieces of JLSN history throughout 2013 as we remind members and the community of the strong foundation JLSN has poured as a way to support the future. Another way to honor JLSN this year is to make a donation to the Annual Appeal, allowing us to continue our service efforts in the community, and develop strong leadership training for our

members.

Our fundraisers range in variety over the last nine decades. Early in JLSN’s youth, fundraisers such as fashion shows and follies allowed JLSN to support a wide range of charitable causes. In 1968, JLSN began a thrift shop which existed in various places and forms. In 1978, our fi rst Winterfair Holiday Gift Market, was added to our list of signifi cant fundraisers, and we just hosted

our 34th annual Winterfair at The Darien Community Association. Although JLSN is steeped in tradition, we are a League of women who consistently seek better solutions for community problems, and we train our members to prepare them for their roles as volunteers. Opportunity for effective voluntarism, fundraising and friendship will always be a tradition of JLSN.

The JLSN would not be where it is today without the support of Associated Junior Leagues International, our parent organization who has witnessed and navigated social climates since 1901 in Manhattan.

Please visit our website www.jlsn.org for details on our upcoming programs and community efforts. For a timeline of JLSN’s history, please see page 3 of this newsletter.

Winter 2013

BLUEPRINTS748 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820 I 203.655.4662 I www.jlsn.org I Est. 1923

P r e s i d e n t ’ s M e s s a g e

2 • BLUEPRINTS • Winter 2013

Greetings Fellow JLSN Members!

Happy 90th Anniversary to the Junior League of Stamford-

Norwalk! We are fortunate to have this momentous milestone to celebrate. Thousands of women have served in our League over the past 90 years; we are fortunate to

have had their leadership, tenacity, and friendship pave the way for us. These women shaped our League into the amazing organization that it has become today, and we are inspired by their efforts as we look to the future.

Our mission statement guides all of our decisions: JLSN 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. We work to create better communities, and we also work to create leaders for our community. Never underestimate the power of a woman - especially one who is a Junior League member, trained and ready to lead!

Currently we are working to implement Issue-Based Community Impact in our League with a focus on school readiness and childhood literacy. The efforts of our Community Assessment and Program Development Committee have been unmatched, and we look forward to the next step of choosing our new signature project for the League.

I am excited as our League comes together to celebrate our 90th Anniversary. It has been a year of incredible progress, and I am grateful for the leadership - and friendship - of our fellow Active and Sustaining members. I look forward to seeing you at our Spring Spirits on May 11th at Waveny House in New Canaan, where we will raise a glass and make a toast to the next 90 years of the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk.

Cheers!

Sarah NeumannJLSN President, 2012-2013

Art Exhibit Stamford Museum February 10, 1951

Top Row: Vera Crawford, Carol Salmons, Sue Rider, Ellen McGeeny, Mary Trautlein, Seated: Noel Bradley, Betsy Rich

Training with Vicki Clark

Board Members, Council Directors, and a few committee chairs kicked off 2013 by welcoming

Vicki Clark, an expert in non-profi t organization management. A regular presenter at AJLI conferences, Vicki works with Junior Leagues and other non-profi ts across the country on strategies related to organizational development and capacity building. Vicki spoke about the concept of lifelong membership, the journey that every member has, and what the League can do for its members. The group discussed the state of the League from various perspectives, and hopes for the next decade. Also discussed were the challenges that our League faces in light of economic times, changing priorities, and the competitive environment for fundraising in an area with a proliferation of other non-profi t organizations. Vicki’s message, delivered with grace, humor, wit and enthusiasm, appealed to members of all ages as she addressed all stages of membership. By the end of the evening, her point hit home: We are one League, with one membership, and one mission.

9 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y

Winter 2013 • BLUEPRINTS • 3

JLSN Throughout the DecadesFebruary 9, 1923 - The fi rst offi cers of the Stamford Junior League elected

1926 - Courses in Braille organized in partnership with the Stamford Red Cross

1930 - A “Follies” presented at the Palace Theaterraised $4,254.94 to benefi t fi ve Stamford philanthropic organizations

February 1936 - Child Guidance Clinic established

1939 - Stamford Hospital Hostess Desk founded

1946 - The Stamford Junior League received AJLA’s citation for Outstanding Achievement in Community Service

1948 - Stamford Children’s Festival marked the 25th anniversary of the Stamford Junior League; proceeds went to the formation of the Stamford Arts for Youth Council

1952 - Glee Club formed

1956 - Dues raised from $15 to $20

1958 - The fi rst Annual Debutante Ball given for 16 debutantes

1959 - The Greenwich Unit became the Greenwich Junior League

1965 - STEP (School Tutorial & Enrichment Program) pilot project launched at three Stamford schools with the Stamford Volunteer Bureau

September 8, 1965 - Lease for the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion signed and long-term plan to restore the Mansion as a

public museum began

April 1, 1966 - Name changed to Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk

1968 - Lockwood-Mathews Mansion opened to public on summer Sundays with tours given by trained docents

1970 - Program 1:1, a tutorial program for 3-year-olds, started in Norwalk

1973 - “Make a Difference — as a Volunteer” was the theme for JLSN’s 50th Anniversary

1974 - Voluntary Action Center founded in partnership with Stamford United Way and the Mayor’s offi ce

1981 - The name of the newsletter is changed from Directions to Blueprints

1986 - JLSN participated in Connecticut’s 350th Women’s Celebration in conjunction with the opening of the Women’s Resource Center at the Darien-Norwalk YMCA

1988 - Domestic Violence task force became a project focusing on the children at the Women’s Crisis Center

1989 - Norwalk Maritime Center opens with a $120,000 grant for a touch tank from JLSN

1991 - Better Beginnings, a new parent education project, launched in collaboration with St. Joseph’s Hospital

1996 - Girls Achieve! science enrichment program completes its fi rst year at Kendall Elementary School

2004 - The Fairfi eld County Women’s Center established in partnership with Norwalk Community

College

Fall 2007 - Building Healthy Families initiative launched October 2008 - Diaper Co-Op begins distributing diapers to families in need

February 9, 2013 - JLSN celebrates 90 years of Women Building Better Communities!

4 • BLUEPRINTS • Winter 2013

P r o v i s i o n a l s

Julia Camarco has been in Stamford since 2011. She moved here because of her work and husband, and she enjoys golfi ng, running, and spending time with family & friends. Her best vacation ever was her honeymoon to Alaska.

Senga Cizmazija

Melissa Darveau is originally from a small town north of Quebec City. After moving from there, she moved to Montreal, then to Toronto, then to Chicago and Stamford, Melissa fi nally established herself for good in Norwalk about a year ago. She currently works in Stamford as an analyst in travel management.

Sarah Donaldson is originally from, Hollidaysburg, PA. She currently lives in Stamford and is a Customer Service Supervisor for Bic Corporation. While in California, she worked for a non-profi t called Life Rolls On which is a subsidiary of the Christopher and Dana Reeve

Foundation. There she ran adaptive surfi ng programs for people with SCI and other forms of paralysis.

Ann Marie Ekstrom grew up in Sackets Harbor, NY, and then went to high school and college in Virginia. She lived in Newtown ,CT for over 30 years and then in 2009 moved to Norwalk. She works work with autistic children in the Wilton school system. She is involved as a tree liaison for the City of Norwalk and has two grown children.

Catherine Higbee is originally from Cleveland, OH. She lived in Baltimore, MD with her husband until moving to Stamford in February. She is a sales manager for a medical device company and enjoys running and golf. Cathy doesn’t have a favorite TV show, though

does fi nd herself suckered in to a good reality show.

Elizabeth “Bits” Kitts has lived in Stamford since October, where she works at Nestle Waters. She has a dog named Lily and in her spare time she enjoys singing, dancing, and outdoor activities. Elizabeth’s favorite vacation

ever was to Tunisia and the best thing that has ever happened to her was being able to spend a semester studying in Rome.

Maura Lund has lived in Stamford since 2011. Before that she grew up and lived in Cincinnati, OH. Maura received a Masters of Montessori Education and taught 1st through 3rd grade for 5 years. Currently, she is working at Barry and Fred in Stamford. Maura enjoys traveling

and visiting friends.

Suzanne Marsalisi grew up in Stamford and still lives there. She currently works as an operations specialist for a public accounting fi rm, but has an interest in marketing and social media and has done some freelance work in that fi eld. One of Suzanne’s favorite TV shows is Downton Abbey. Suzanne enjoys traveling and went to London for the Olympics in August.

Lucy Martinez is originally from New York, NY and moved to CT in 1992. She has lived in Stamford for the last 4 years. Lucy is a licensed insurance executive, with 32 years experience and ran her own family business for 24 of those years. Currently she is employed at The William F Malloy Insurance and Financial Services, Inc. in Stamford. Lucy is a mother of 4 and now, grandmother of 2.

Amy Repice is originally from Vineland, NJ, but relocated to Stamford about 3 years ago. She is an Account Supervisor at Ryan Partnership in Wilton and teaches dance classes at Locust Performing Arts Center on Saturdays.

Christine Salmon is originally from Portsmouth, NH and has lived in Stamford for the past few years, where she works as an attorney. She loves to travel, and has recently started doing volunteer-based travel, which included a medical mission to Haiti this past fall.

Anja Santiago grew up in Norwalk. After spending 10 years living in Maryland and New York, she moved back to Connecticut in 2012 and now lives in Stamford. She works in higher education administration. Anja is an adventurous traveller and has run two marathons.

Lindsey Thompson lives in Stamford. In her spare time she enjoys doing anything outdoors, scuba diving, crafting, working out, and being a foodie. The best thing that has ever happened to Lindsey is that she was able to live and work in Australia for a year.

Meet the Fall 2012 Provisionals

S u s t a i n e r N e w s

Winter 2013 • BLUEPRINTS • 5

How About Lunch!

Did you resolve to keep in touch with friends, get more accomplished or update your home furnishings this year? Get started on your resolutions by joining your Sustainer friends for How About Lunch on Tuesday, March 14th.

RSVP: Stephanie Fairleigh, stephf@optonline.net, 203 961-9763.

Dear Sustainers,

At the time you receive this issue of Blueprints, we are well into 2013. We are certain this will be a

year of positive progress for JLSN, in which you have an important role. There are opportunities to contribute your experience and seasoned perspective as we strive to support our active counterparts in the areas of community programming and member engagement. If you have not yet made a contribution to our Annual Appeal, please do so. Your presence at League events is a perfect way to celebrate and honor our legacy – THE WOMEN, past and present, who have shaped our communities for generations. Our League’s major fundraiser, Spring Spirits, represents an opportunity not only to enjoy the company of other league members and an extraordinary evening, but an important opportunity to put JLSN in a stronger fi nancial position as we implement new community programming in the coming year.

At the time we published our Spring Calendar, we had not yet confi rmed our annual Sustainer Spring Luncheon. We are delighted to announce that we will return to the Roger Sherman Inn in New Canaan on Wednesday, May 8th. Please mark this date in your calendar and join us as we come together in a lovely, historic setting to celebrate the inspiring recipients of this year’s Judy Mahony and Spirit Awards.

Finally, I would like to share with you all words of wisdom imparted to members of both the Sustainer and Active leadership during a joint training in early January. We were reminded that every year, our measure of success should be gauged by asking “How did our members develop?” Each of us should ask ourselves, as women and members of a world-wide women’s organization, “What did I learn?” and “What changed inside me?” Please join us at any one of our upcoming events, contact us with your thoughts or ideas, or nominate yourself for a position on the 2013-2014 Board. We invite you to open yourself to the opportunity to change, to develop in new ways, to continue on the journey of our shared experience.

Sincerely,Jennifer Triano & Noelle Hughes

Save These Dates

Thursday, February 28Ladies Night Out, Darien Historical Society

The last chance to view The Darien Historical Society’s fantastic costume exhibition, Stepping Out In the Jazz Age, which closes March 3rd. Bring a friend and enjoy wine, hors d’oeuvres and a talk by curator Babs White.

Time: 7 - 9 p.m. Location: Darien Historical Society, Scofi eld Barn,45 Old King’s Highway North, Darien, CT.Cost: $20 includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.Reservations: Send check for $20 payable to “JLSN Sustainers” to: Charky Armstrong, 208 Old Kings Highway North, Darien, CT 06820.Contact: Charky Armstrong: charkyarmstrong@gmail.com or (203) 655-5105.Deadline: Monday, February 25th.

Wednesday, May 8thJLSN Sustainer Annual Spring Luncheon and Awards

Plan to meet your friends for lunch at the beautiful Roger Sherman Inn in New Canaan. This is always a popular event and a wonderful venue for honoring our Sustainers and presenting the Judy Mahony Award and the Spirit Award. Watch for your invitation in the mail later this spring. If you would like to help with this year’s event, please contact Erinn Denson at eldenson@optonline.net.

Bag ‘N Book

Although our book group is full at this time, please read along with us.

February 21 The Custom of the Country, by Edith Wharton

March 21 Scoop, by Evelyn Waugh

April 18 The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain

May 16 The Tenderness of Wolves, by Stef Penney

June 20 Please Look After Mom, by Kyung-Sook Shin

S u s t a i n e r N e w s

6 • BLUEPRINTS • Winter 2013

Darien: Erinn Denson, Betty Ann Dever, Ann Gilmartin, Bernadette Lynch, Connie NussbaumNew Canaan: Linda Cleveland, Nancy Gilbert, Jane Perkins, Brenda Plassche, Norine TooleNorthern Region: Louise LaraghNorwalk: Nancy Lione, Anna WarmRidgefi eld: Tamera Galvin, Mary LeeStamford: Joann Benson, Pat Risher, Kitty SampleWestport/Weston: Martha WitteWilton: Elizabeth Boscaino, Patty Ely, Sally Pinkham, Gail Reifsnyder

Town Representatives2012-2013 Sustainer Board

Noelle HughesJennifer TrianoMary LeeLisa Elkins, Kitty SampleAngelica OxfordLinda McKeeValerie MonaghanElizabeth Boscaino, Martha Witte

Jeanne HollemanPeggy Craighead, Nancy Helle, Brenda LydeckerStephanie Fairleigh, Lynne Marino

DirectorChairVice ChairCo-SecretaryTreasurerAsst. TreasurerCommunicationsNominatingPrograms:Bag ‘n Book“Going Places”

How About Lunch

The Going Places Committee encourages you to mail in your checks for these events as soon as possible. Your check is your reservation. Join us at these exciting events!

Wednesday, May 22Gracie Mansion Tour

Lunch at New York Junior League Headquarters

Join us for a tour of historic Gracie Mansion at 11 a.m. led by a docent from the Gracie Mansion Conservancy,

a not-for-profi t corporation established in 1981 to preserve, maintain and enhance the mansion. The wooden Federal style mansion was built in 1799 as a country home for Archibald Gracie. Later it was owned by the city and in 1942 Robert Moses persuaded Mayor Fiorello Laguardia to appropriate it as a mayoral residence. A new wing was added under Mayor Wagner in 1966. It was restored by the Conservancy in the early 1980s and again in 2002 when it was also redecorated. We will have lunch at the New York Junior League Headquarters, a handsome brownstone and former home of Vincent Astor on East 80th Street.

Time: 10 a.m. Meet at the Information Kiosk in GrandCentral to travel uptown together, or meet at 10:45 a.m. at Gracie Mansion, 88 East End Avenue at 88th Street. Photo ID required for entry.

Lunch: 1 p.m., NYJL Headquarters, 130 East 80th Street.Enjoy a prix-fi xe menu with choices of appetizer and entrée, a fruit platter for dessert, coffee or tea, plus a complimentary glass of wine.

Cost: $38 per person for tour and luncheon with tax andgratuity included.

Reservations: Send check for $38 payable to “JLSN Sustainers” to: Gail Reifsnyder, 121 Grumman Hill Road, Wilton, CT 06897. Please include your email address and cell phone number.Contact: Gail Reifsnyder 203-834-1933, gbr1933@aol.comNancy Helle 203-966-1517 or nshelle@optonline.net Deadline: Friday, April 26th. Tour limited to 25. Number must be confi rmed 3 weeks ahead.

“GOING PLACES” “GOING PLACES” Goes to the Met

A group of 20 Sustainers met on December 6th for a fabulous tour of the New American Wing at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Highlights included viewing the John Singer Sargent portraits and the magnifi cent, beautifully framed Washington Crossing The Delaware by Emanuel Leutze.

The tour was followed by a delicious, elegant luncheon in the Members Dining Room. The group then had myriad choices such as viewing period rooms, Matisse or Christmas shopping.

Pictured in front of the Facade of the Bank Branch of the United States in the New American Wing are from the left; Mary Lee, Louise Laragh, Nancy Lione, Valerie Monaghan, Peggy Craighead, Brenda Plassche, Gail Reifsnyder, Nancy Helle, Molly Larson, and Patti Jo Pfl ug. Photographer Tamera Galvin.

M e m b e r s h i p

Membership Status

Actives: Associate Actives:Active Gold:Active on Leave of Absence:Non-Resident Actives:Provisionals:Sustainers:Total Membership:

919

1293

12264400

Winter 2013 • BLUEPRINTS • 7

Operating Fund Endowment FundCapital Fund Total

Total RevenueTotal ExpenseCarryover Net Revenues

Financials as of January 31, 2013

2012-13 Budget

$127,644123,644

$4,000$123,644

2012-13 Actual

$54,679$84,451

$-$(29,771)

Expenses Breakdown

Total CommunityTotal EducationTotal ProgramTotal SupportTotal

23%43%66%34%

17%44%61%39%

Budget Percentages

Total CommunityTotal EducationTotal ProgramTotal Support

$28,900$53,143$82,043$41,601

$123,644

$14,078$37,043$51,121$33,330$84,451

Cash Balances as of January 31, 2013

$99,229$29,898

$9,654$138,782

A special thank you to Pete’s Lock & Key Shop for installing the new lock at the Headquarters at no charge!

MISSION – The Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

VISION – The Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk, Inc. acts as a catalyst for innovative community leadership focusing on the positive development of women and children.

Winterfair Wrap-up: Poinsettias, Purchases & PR

Our 34th annual Winterfair Holiday Market was a festive day all around on Saturday, December

1 at the Darien Community Association. Thank you once again to our generous sponsors, Karl Chevrolet of New Canaan and RBS. Vendors and volunteers glowed about the location as a continuous stream of shoppers milled about the DCA in search of gifts, girl time and good fi nds.

This year’s one-day event proved to be the way to go as the Winterfair Committee and Lisa Ferraro, Fundraising Council Director, responded to feedback from volunteers as well as vendors. The on-site cafe run by Marcia Selden Catering offered a delectable array of sandwiches, goodies, and beverages for sale. The DCA House sparkled with seasonal decor; the variety of vendors impressed shoppers; the parking could not have been better; and our Santa photo set-up pleased parents by including a fl ash drive of multiple photos of their children with the jolly old elf himself.

Marketing was in full force for this year’s event. From online and traditional print ads to press releases, emails and Facebook posts, the word was out all over the place. This year we also explored the options of large car magnets, updated graphics, and thousands of color inserts - all of which garnered a positive response. Also new this year, each shopper received a reusable red shopping bag featuring JLSN’s 90th anniversary logo. Kudos to Allyson Valentine of Communications for implementing the idea. We depleted our supply of 500 bags and could have distributed even more. Shoppers had a place for their purchases, vendors benefi tted, and JLSN’s

logo is on hundreds of bags in the community. Now that’s a win-win-win.

Save the date for our 35th Annual Winterfair Holiday Gift Market: Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the DCA!

Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk, Inc.BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2012-2013PresidentPresident-ElectTreasurerSecretaryCommunityCommunicationsFundraisingMembership/TrainingNominating/PlacementPlanningSustainer Director

COMMUNITY ADVISORSLeslie Caney BerniVicki DoyneMary FrancoCynthia Gorey

Jennifer HallisseyCamilla HerreraRhonda KiestMoira LyonsDr. Madhu MathurValarie Shultz-WilsonRichard SiegalSusan WeinbergerGina Zangrillo

COMMUNITY PROJECTSCommunity PlanningDiaper Co-OpDone in a Day

Healthy FamiliesPublic Affairs

748 Post RoadDarien, CT 06820

Sarah NeumannSusan BridgesAileen MurphyStephanie O’BrienKathleen CustisDarcy SmithLisa FerraroCameron SokolikChristine HarrisKerry Safi rNoelle Hughes

Women’s Mentoring NetworkDeloitteNorwalk Hospital FoundationNew Canaan Community FoundationUnited Way of Western CTStamford MagazineStepping Stones MuseumNorwalk Community CollegeStamford HospitalUrban LeagueFairfi eld County BankMentor Consulting GroupDarien Sport Shop

BLUEPRINTS is published by the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk. 748 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820. Tel. (203) 655-4662 FAX (203) 655-4692 Email: info@jlsn.org. Blueprints provides JLSN membership and other organizations in the eight communities that JLSN serves with current information and updates on its activities and other information of interest to the volunteer and not-for-profi t sectors. Copy submission must be submitted by email with your name and telephone number. The editor reserves the right to edit, delete, etc. as space requires. Advertising, camera ready artwork, or business cards must be submitted with payment to Blueprints c/o the JLSN offi ce. Business cards: $30.00, 1/4 Page: $50.00, 1/2 Page: $100.00, Full Page: $175.00.

Celebrating 90 Years of ServiceSpring Spirits!

May 11, 2013