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I found myself on the phone with AJLI earlier today. I figured that now would be a good time to check in and make sure that our League was on the right track seeing as it's the start of a new year. When the representative asked what our League was up to, I started gushing about all of the amazing things that we have going on- community projects galore, a League wide committee level SWOT analysis, nominating and placement updates, an amazing new member class, bylaws amendments, advocacy efforts at a state government level and more. We have our hands in a lot of pots and have so much to be proud of! As usual, I urge you to please read this letter in its entirety in order to make sure that you're in the loop and invested in the exciting work that this League is doing.
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Yours in Volunteering,
Mary-Katherine
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CONGRATULATIONS KATIE & BLAIR!
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We're very excited to welcome new members Lidia Bazzano and Harper Parisi!
Both moms (Katie Bazzano and Blair Knowles) and babies are doing well. We look forward to seeing both ladies grow up to conquer the world like their mommas!
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: HOLLY PETERSON
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Name and preferred pronouns
Holly Peterson (she, her, hers)
Hometown
New Orleans, LA
Employer/Job Position
Associate Director of Legal Resources, National Association of College & University Attorneys
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JLCV Position/Committee
As a new member, I am doing rotations on Community Projects and Communications this year.
Why did you join the JLCV?
I moved to Vermont nearly 2 years ago and was interested in meeting new people and rekindling my commitment to volunteer service, which had been lacking for some time. I feel a sense of responsibility to help others when so many privileges have been afforded to me in life. It’s an added bonus that I get to serve while working with a great group of women!
Tell us about the position(s) you hold in the League.
No positions yet—still learning the ropes!
What's your favorite JLCV memory?
Yoga at Isham Family Farm was pretty spectacular. I’m not sure if it was the twinkly lights, the quiet, the sense of community, the colors of the setting sun, or the rising moon, but it was a magical experience.
What have you learned from being in the League?
I had the opportunity to attend the General Membership Meeting with guest speakers Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray and Mark Redmond, Executive Director of Spectrum. I learned a good bit about affordable housing and some of the federal, state, societal, and other barriers that must be addressed as part of a long-term resolution to this nation-wide/state-wide crisis.
What are some other activities you do outside the League?
I really enjoy hanging out with my dog (Finn, a chocolate lab), playing tennis, gardening to ‘80s music, and cooking (savory, not sweet). I just learned how to show shoe and cross-country ski—I still need to work on my skills, but I hope to pursue these activities long term.
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All current officers and committee chairs should have received an email on January 30th from treasurer@jlcv.org outlining the FY 2023 Budget Process. A copy of the FY 2023 budget memo and worksheet are also available in the FY 2023 Budget Folder in Google Drive. Budget submissions are due to the Finance Committee no later than March 1. In addition to the budget request, you are requested to submit a SWOT analysis on March 1 (see Governance section). A proposed budget will be presented at the April GMM for formal vote.
Please contact Jessie Robinson with any questions or concerns.
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In January, we received a donation from Vermont Federal Credit Union for $500 for the Diaper Bank! Donations like these could not occur without JLCV members spreading the word about our Community Projects and building awareness for the fantastic work the Junior League accomplishes. Keep it up!
This Spring, the Fundraising and Finance Committee will be applying for grants to help fund the Diaper Bank in FY 2023. If you are aware of any grant opportunities, have experience or would like to gain experience with grant writing, please reach out to Jessie Robinson to get involved!
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BYLAW CHANGE - VOTE AT FEBRUARY GMM REQUIRED
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The Board of Directors is proposing a change to the League’s Bylaws, which requires a vote at the February GMM. A redline copy of the Bylaws can be viewed HERE.
In summary, the role of Executive Vice President / President Elect will be transitioned from an Officer to a Discretionary Director of the Board. The purpose for this change is to allow JLCV to qualify for exemption from workers compensation insurance requirements under state law. The President, VP for Community Projects, Secretary, and Treasurer will remain officers.
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COMMITTEE LEVEL SWOT ANALYSIS - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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On January 23, Vice Presidents and Committee heads were provided with additional instructions for completion of a SWOT analysis. It is our hope and expectation that each committee use SWOT based questions to help determine their future direction and goals, and that all committee members will be actively engaged in these discussions.
A copy of the January 23 communication to Vice Presidents and Committee heads can be viewed HERE.
Governance questions can be directed to Jennifer Papillo, Executive Vice President / President Elect.
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Revised Mission Statement – Opportunity for Feedback
As was shared previously, since a resolution was passed at the XXX Annual Conference, the AJLI has been hard at work trying to update the Association mission statement to better convey the role of junior leagues. After reflecting on prior feedback, the AJLI Board continued discussions that centered on the concept that there are three pillars of Junior League - Community Impact, Women’s leadership, and Volunteering. The AJLI is now proposing the following mission statement be adopted for use Association wide:
“The Mission of the Junior League is to maximize community impact through women's leadership, volunteer action and collaboration.”
This is an important effort and one that deserves our critical attention. We want to know what your questions or concerns might be, so that we can represent our League when we participate in the next round of Association-wide Delegate Dialogues. Please consider completing the Association-wide survey to make your voice heard. The survey will be anonymous for individual Members, but aggregate information collected will be grouped by League and sent to our Board so that we, along with the AJLI Board, will be able to get an understanding of where we are as a collective body as we make our way through this process.
Questions may be directed to Jennifer Papillo, Executive Vice President / President Elect.
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FEBRUARY IS PLACEMENT MONTH!
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Becky Monty, our immediate past president and Chair of Nominating and Placement Committee, will be discussing the placement process at February’s GMM. Please take some time to look at the 2022-23 Nominating and Placement Guide to see what positions may be available and see how our committee structures are evolving to better meet the needs of our organization. Each member of the Board will also provide a high level overview of their roles and the functions of their committees at the GMM. Bring your questions!
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January at the Diaper Bank started off with a bang -- two distributions and a total of 64,000 diapers!
Upcoming diaper repackagings are on the calendar:
- Feb 2 - diaper distribution, starts at 9 am
- Feb 16 - diaper repackaging, 6-8 pm
- Feb 24 - diaper repackaging, 6-8 pm
The advocacy task force has been hard at work strategizing for our upcoming hearing on s.198: A bill to create a working group to solve diaper need. We are awaiting a hearing date and then will reach out to membership for how people can help
The Ronald McDonald House redecorating committee is hard at work - they have received donations of art, carpeting and more. More donations are needed. If you know a business or business owner who might donate, please ask them. Please check who is already in contact HERE, or ask Krystal.
The new members are donating a meal to Spectrum on Feb 16. If anyone else is interested in donating a meal, please let me know what date works for you and I will sign you / your team up!
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Thank you,
Karen Spach
Community Projects VP
Email Karen
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COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
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Each month the JLCV newsletter will feature a different committee or chair position to assist members both new and old in understanding the League and all its moving parts. This month's spotlight is on the Communications Committee.
Who We Are
The Communications Committee is responsible for everything related to the League’s internal and external communications efforts. This includes management of the JLCV websites, the monthly member newsletter, social media accounts and public relations efforts.
What We Do
The Communications Committee relays important League and AJLI information to members, friends of the League and the general public. There are several roles within the committee that are crafted to fulfill these objectives.
- Public Relations Specialist - possibly the most important position on the Communications Committee, the Public Relations Specialist manages the JLCV and the JLCV Diaper Bank social media accounts. Our current Public Relations Specialist is Larissa Woods - she posts to Facebook several times per week to communicate League events, PR pushes and AJLI news to members and the general public. The role is in transition for the 2022-2023 year and will also include spearheading JLCV PR pushes, where the Public Relations Specialist will correspond with local media to promote the League’s fundraising, the Diaper Bank and other JLCV events. We’re also hoping to expand the League’s social media footprint to Instagram, so there are lots of opportunities to hone your communications skills!
- Newsletter Manager - Currently helmed by Lyndsay Odgen, the newsletter manager drafts and sends the JLCV newsletter to members each first Tuesday of the month. Lyndsay also works with Communications VP Sarah Aceves to draft and send periodic releases to friends of the League and the general public when we have PR pushes and fundraising events.
- Public Website Manager - Cassie Gendron works to maintain the JLCV public-facing website, champlainvalley.jl.org (a WordPress site). She ensures that all the information on the website is up-to-date and accurate. We also work with AJLI’s tech team to ensure that the website complies with AJLI standards and efficiently and effectively promotes all the JLCV’s amazing work.
- Member Portal Manager - JLCV member Emily Bush helms the League’s member portal, jl.org. The member portal is the go-to destination for members to register for upcoming DIADs, GMMs and other League events and learn about the latest JLCV news. It’s also where the member directory and important League documents are housed. The member portal is being updated on a regular basis in collaboration with AJLI’s tech support team. We hope that it will soon take over the role that Google Drive currently plays with AJLI’s GroupShare function, where members will be able to share files, post discussions, create events and more!
How YOU Can Get Involved
The Communications Committee is always looking for motivated self-starters to help increase the reach of the League in our community. Whether you want to become part of the team for this next League year or prefer to share ideas on how to get the word out about all the great work we do, we would love to have you! The Communications Committee is very ‘pandemic friendly’ in the sense that most of the work we do can be ‘done in your seat’ from your computer. It’s also a terrific way to learn all the ins and outs of the League since you touch upon every aspect of our operations, including working with the finance, community projects and membership teams. Feel free to contact Sarah Aceves for more information.
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NEED TO PROMOTE SOMETHING?
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