Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Junior League of San Antonio Nominating Process, but Were Afraid to Ask

By Araceli Pena, Nominating Chair

The Junior League of San Antonio Nominating Committee is looking for our great organization’s next leaders – and we hope that will include you! We know the nominating process is not always easy to understand, so take a look at these common questions and answers for clarification. We encourage you to nominate yourself or someone you admire by September 17^th. Thank you for your interest in the future of our League!

What is the Junior League of San Antonio Nominating Committee?

The Nominating Committee presents a slate (or list of candidates) for the membership’s approval. The membership may vote to elect the entirety of the slate of candidates or deny it such that the Nominating Committee must then present a new slate for ratification.

What positions does the Nominating Committee nominate?

1) The 2016-2017 Board of Director positions to be slated include:

• President-Elect (Candidate must have served on the Board of Directors for at least 1 full previous term) 

• Treasurer-Elect 

• Vice President of Communications 

• Vice President of Community 

• Vice President of Fund Development 

• Vice President of Membership Development 

• Vice President of Planning 

• Board Secretary 

• Board Member-at-Large (The Nominating Committee presents 4 candidates, and the membership votes to elect 1 of the 4) 

2) New this year, the Nominating Committee will also be presenting candidates for 4 new “elect” positions. Vice President-Elects will assist the councils they serve in 2016-2017 as second chair and then will serve as Vice Presidents of these respective councils for the 2017-2018 League year:

• Vice President-Elect of Communications 

• Vice President-Elect of Community 

• Vice President-Elect of Fund Development 

• Vice President-Elect of Membership Development 

3) Lastly, the Nominating Committee will present 7 candidates for the 2016-2017 Nominating Committee to the membership for approval. Candidates must have completed 3 years of active service or 1 year on the Board of Directors by the end of this League year, must have an active placement and be in good standing, and may not have served on the Nominating Committee the previous 2 years. Please note that Nominating Committee members may not serve on the Board of Directors the year following their Nominating Committee service.

What are the Responsibilities of the Junior League of San Antonio Board of Directors?

The Board of Directors is responsible for planning for the Junior League of San Antonio’s future by creating and operationalizing strategic plans, and they maintain oversight of the League’s financial position. The time commitment required varies from Board position to Board position, but it can average about 15 hours per week of meetings and work. The 2016-2017 Board members will begin working in early 2016 – making Board service an 18 month commitment. Board members are also expected to contribute to the League’s Annual Loyalty fund and attend ticketed Junior League events when possible.

What is the Deadline to Apply or Submit a Name for Consideration?

September 17, 2015.

How do I Nominate Someone?

It’s easy, I promise! There are 2 ways to nominate yourself or someone else:

Formal Nominating Process: Fill out a brief online form via the League website. Log into the “members only” League website (www.jlsa.org). Click on the “Resource” tab, then “Nominating Process” tab, and either click on the “self-nominating” link or “nominating” link (to nominate someone other than yourself).

Informal Nomination Process: Provide to the Nominating Committee the name of the person you wish to be considered – either by writing the name down on a card at the September General Membership Meeting or by sending an email to a Nominating Committee member. If you nominate someone other than yourself, a Nominating Committee member will contact the nominee to ensure they are interested in serving. If she wants to be considered or you self-nominated, the nominee will receive an email from me asking for responses to a few short questions. 

Log in to your JLSA account to nominate!

Will Anyone Know Who I Nominated?

No. All candidates who applied to be considered or who were submitted for consideration by someone else are kept strictly confidential by the Nominating Committee. If you submit names for consideration, those candidates will not know who recommended them to the Nominating Committee.

Will Anyone Know if I Have Been Nominated?

No. All candidates are kept strictly confidential by the Nominating Committee.

Who Serves on the Junior League of San Antonio Nominating Committee?

I serve as the Nominating Committee Chair with these great women: Brett Beyer, Emily Christy, Gretchen Garceau-Kragh, Kristen Henry, Liz Lamoureux, Sarah McKee, Katie Reynolds, Debbie Strus, Natalie Tate, and Emily Threet.

Please do not hesitate to contact any one of us with questions or to nominate yourself or someone else! Find us in the JLSA Directory!

How to be a Successful Volunteer

By Heather Blazi, Vice Chair of Communications

So! One of our first major Junior League of San Antonio events of the new year took place this past weekend, our annual Volunteer Training. I have to say, this was one of my favorite events I have been to in my League career thus far.  We opened up with a video from Admiral McRaven (see it here) giving us 10 life lessons from a navy seal. I believe everyone should take 20 minutes to watch this video – it will be well worth it. I promise the 10 lessons will make sense once you watch the video.

Even if you've never been in navy seal training (which I am be willing to bet 99.9% of us have not), we have all experienced moments where these life lessons really hit home. Several Junior League of San Antonio board members shared a personal story that aligned with each of these lessons.

Katie Kuznair, one of our new members this year, was inspired by their stories. “I enjoyed hearing the personal stories of the board members relating to the 10 life lessons. It was nice to get a little insight on who they are as women and some of the things they have struggled with and overcome.”

In the video, Admiral McRaven talks about how one person can make an impact. Just one person. That's what we are doing as members of the Junior League and leaders in our community. We are making an impact, each and every one of us. But, it helps to know how we are making an impact. Enter phase 2 of the training.

This part was pretty incredible. Four of our community partners- Prevent Blindness, Family Endeavors, Green Spaces Alliance, and Clarity Guidance- spoke to us about how the Junior League of San Antonio has made a positive impact on their program.  There was so much gratitude for what we do, it really shows you how important our work is within our community.

Holly Pirruccello, a 8-year active volunteering in an SA Works placement this year, said the Family Endeavors’ story meant a lot to her.

Holly said, “it was amazing listening to the beautiful lady from Fairweather Family Lodge speak about her past, the transformation she has undergone, and how grateful she is to the JLSA volunteers she met for their time and support while she was mending herself and her spirit.”

Hearing their stories just solidified my reasons for joining the Junior League. It was so phenomenal to hear what they had to say. Our volunteers are out there almost every day representing what we do. So it's important for us to learn how to SUCCEED as a Volunteer too. Lorena Pena and Sarah Wannarka shared with us five steps to become a successful volunteer. These lessons are so important, I want to shout them from the rooftop, and share them with everyone I know. If you take nothing else away from this post, I hope you take these five tips seriously.

Every time we go out into the world, we represent the Junior League. Even more so when we volunteer with our community partners. So, here they are.

1. ENERGY & PASSION – If you are scheduled to volunteer, make sure you show up on time and are full of life. You are there representing JLSA, and there is nothing worse than a Debbie Downer showing up... so lesson number one, “Fake it 'till you FEEL it.” not make it... FEEL it. We should all be just as passionate about Junior League events as we are about Starbucks or our fur-babies (two things I’m pretty passionate about). We do such amazing work, and we should all be super proud of what we do!
2. FLEXIBILITY – This is a group of volunteers. We are all people. We all have lives outside of the Junior League. If a shift lead doesn't show up, or you signed up for playing with kids and you end up painting at your shift, repeat after me... “it is not the end of the world.” Life will go on. If your shift lead didn't show up, just let your Mentor know, or email saworks@jlsa.org and the SA Works team will make sure you get your credits. If you signed up for one thing and ended up doing another, it’s all ok! You helped a community partner with something they needed, and that is what we want to do. We want to help! So, take a deep breath, smile, and know that what you are doing is truly making a difference!
3. INTEGRITY – You may be the only representative of the Junior League that someone knows or sees. If you are at a shift and you sit in a corner and look at your phone the whole time (that is another topic in itself) and don't talk to anyone or take initiative, our community partners notice! We are there to be WITH them. Put your phones up, they will be there when your shift is done. Just remember, you may be the light in someone's day! Make the most of it, and get to know some of the people we are helping... who knows what you will learn!
4. RELIABILITY – This one is pretty self-explanatory. If you sign up for a shift, be there. If something major happens (this is not to be used as an excuse to “get out of something”) call the shift lead and let them know you can't make it. Life happens, and everyone understands (see “Flexibility”). The thing to remember is there are lots of women out there looking for opportunities to volunteer. If you sign up for a shift and don't show up, you are taking a spot away from someone else! And way more importantly, our community partners are relying on us to be there. Don't let them down!
5. EMPATHY & COMPASSION – Be mindful of where you are going. Some of the people you interact with may not be as blessed as we are. Don't distract from the AWESOME work you are about to do. Don't stand there and whisper with your friends in the corner, even if it’s about something totally unrelated, when people are vulnerable and self-conscious, they may think you are talking about them. We are there to represent the League and do some amazing work!

So, in summary...You are the Junior League of San Antonio! Embrace it! Love it! Shout it from the rooftop! The Junior League of San Antonio does some phenomenal work in our community, and each and every member can truly make an impact. Now go out into the world and remember our theme this year...

Board of Directors Food Bank Project

July 2, 2014, by Hannah Steward

On Saturday, June 28th, members of JLSA worked with the Food Bank Mobile Pantry, and The Fountain Christian Church, to sort and distribute food baskets to over 200 needy families.  The JLSA Board of Directors, "Let's Go San Antonio" Leadership Team, and JLSA Staff sent home baskets filled with fresh meat and vegetables, in addition to non-perishable goods, with the grateful families.  JLSA Members enjoyed the opportunity to give back to the community and work alongside the church congregation.  It was a terrific start to the 2014-2015 League year and put our Mission to action.