Is Betty Draper a Role Model for Today's Women?

The fictional star of TV’s Emmy Awarding-winning Mad Men is a stay-at-home mother, an active member of the Junior League of Tarrytown (now called the Junior League of Westchester-on-Hudson) and a key mover in the League’s local environmental efforts.

But how typical is Betty of real Junior League members (all 160,000 of them)?

While many Junior League members take time off from work to raise families, 71% of members work full or part time outside of the home.  Many members do some combination of both:  work, stay at home, and go back to work again.  And all, like Betty, are actively involved in civic leadership in their own communities.

Here are just a few of The Junior League’s change agents. 

•Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), member of the Junior League of New York and the proud sponsor of a House bill to establish a National Women's History Museum on the Mall in Washington.
•Jan Langbein, The Senior Policy Advisor at the Office on Violence Against Women at the U.S. Department of Justice and a 27 year member of the Junior League of Dallas.
•Betty Simms, U.S. Senate, Missouri, has made significant contributions to improving the health, economic, and social well-being of women and children.
•Rose Hudson, President and CEO of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation.
•Kay Hagan, U.S. Senate, North Carolina, “one of the smartest, hardest working, most effective senators in North Carolina” according to Governor Mike Easley, credits her experience with The Junior League.
•Gena Lovett, COO Alexandra Investment Management, a New York hedge fund.
•Glenda E. Hood, former Florida Secretary of State and Mayor of Orlando.
•Pat Evans, former three-term Mayor of Plano and was Plano’s “Citizen of the Year” in 2004.
•Dee Dickinson, one of the world’s foremost experts on learning and human development.
•The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Justice on the US Supreme Court.

Which Junior League women have positively impacted your community?

Article provided by The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. Founded in 1901 by New Yorker, Mary Harriman, the Junior Leagues are charitable nonprofit organizations of women, developed as civic leaders, creating demonstrable community impact.

Today, The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI) is comprised of more than 160,000 women in 292 Junior Leagues throughout Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.  Together, they constitute one of the largest, most effective volunteer organizations in the world. 

Member Credits Explained

Member Credits Explained!

JLSA is pleased to offer members the flexible member credit program again this year.  Designed to offer league members with a variety of community and in-league experiences, there is something for everyone, including:

·         Holiday Ole Market shifts (October 19-22, 2011)

·         Met Opera shifts

·         Goodwill “Julia’s Attic” shifts (February, 25, 2012)

·         Sustainer Luncheon (September 13, 2011)

·         Volunteer Extraordinaire shifts

·         Prospective Member Information Night shifts

·         Fete du Cuvee (March 3, 2012)

·         Various training opportunities throughout the year

·         Select SA Works shifts

·         Kids in the Kitchen events

Membership credits are offered during the day and in the evening, during the week and on the weekends.  The number of credits a member must complete is determined by their number of years of service to the league. 

• Active Elite members (9+ years of service) need only complete one credit per year. 
• Active preferred members (6-9 years of service) need to complete two credits
• Actives (1-5 years) need to complete three credits
• New members need to complete two credits, which must be fulfilled through Holiday Ole

Years of service include the new member (provisional) year.  All active members, regardless of their years of service, are highly encouraged to complete at least one of the credits with Holiday Ole, to show support of our biggest fundraiser. 

Sign up for member credits will begin in August and there will be plenty for members to choose from throughout the year.  To sign up, go to the members only section of the web site and click on Member Credit Sign Up.  It is that easy!

Summer in San Antonio

With no fireworks and little to no rain, summer’s been a little different than usual for most San Antonians.  The one thing we can count on to remain the same is the heat!

Actually, there’s more than one thing that stays constant in San Antonio. We continue to enjoy the benefits of a city that drives tourism and that remains above the national average when it comes to troubling economic issues. From the Alamo to SeaWorld to Fiesta Texas to our growing culinary scene, San Antonio is the most visited city in Texas. This distinction makes our efforts even more important.

The visibility of our city means that we, the women who serve the community, are even more important. We may attract tourists who visit San Antonio for a  day or a week and who enjoy our golf courses, amusement parks and restaurants, but those of us who volunteer make San Antonio a better place to live for people who spend their entire year, day in and day out, here and call the Alamo City home.

Our new members are hard at work earning their hours and striving toward active status. In fact, some of them (like a member you’ll read about in our September edition of Scrawls) are more than halfway through their community service requirement – that’s putting summer in San Antonio to good use! Ole Committee members are doing the same, planning and preparing for an outstanding fall event that will generate funds and create future opportunities for service. 

What are you doing this summer? Whatever it is, we’re sure you’re making your own impacts. Whether you’re spending the summer travelling the world or touring local museums with your children, we want to hear about the changes happening in your life and how you’re enriching your world, your community and yourself during these blazing summer months!