2017-2018 Corinne Cotten Sprague

Our League year was truly a spectacular one. It was a year filled with inspiration, hard work, and celebration, and I couldn’t be more proud of what Junior League of Lafayette accomplished. What a historic League year we have had—and what an unbelievable impact we continue to make in the community.

For 60 years, our Mission has been unwavering, and our impact has been undeniable. We dedicate our hearts and our hands to the work we put forward. Just this year alone, we have given more than 21,000 hours of our lives to make a difference in our community. We juggle schedules of being an employee, business owner, wife, mother, daughter, and friend and then we add the title of volunteer for one of Lafayette’s finest organizations to our resume as well. We don’t do it for the accolades. We do it because it matters.

It’s heartwarming to reflect on what has been accomplished in the 2017-2018 League year. We began the celebration of our 60th Anniversary with Bubbles & Brushes, an event where our members gathered to paint commemorative tiles, now hanging in Headquarters. We hosted more than 10,000 shoppers at our annual Tinsel & Treasures holiday market, and we simultaneously commemorated the 50th year of “Talk About Good!.” The book was even featured in The Washington Post, increasing awareness and excitement for our cookbook series nationwide! Six beautiful homes in Lafayette opened their doors to welcome Kitchen Tour participants, and the event saw an increase in both attendance and sponsorship support.

In its 60 years, Junior League of Lafayette’s focus on training and volunteering has resulted in hundreds of trained volunteers focused on nurturing the health and well-being of women and children in our area. Our Community Council is paramount in continuing to offer financial and personnel resources to support a variety of nonprofits in Lafayette, and five of our community partners welcomed the installation of a hand-painted ‘Free Little Library’ compliments of the Provisional Class’ Spring Project.

With its commitment to our Mission and Vision, a three-year strategic plan was adopted to provide the Board of Directors guidelines and strategies that will contribute to the long-term success of our League. During the Project Evaluation & Planning (PEP) process, we identified the need to review our current operating structure. The newly formed Structure Evaluation Committee will provide recommendations to further strengthen the roles and responsibilities of each leadership position and improve communication between the Board of Directors, the Management Team, and membership.

And finally, Junior League of Lafayette was honored to receive the ICON Trailblazer Award for our contributions to arts and culture in Lafayette over the last 60 years. The ICON Awards is the premier event for the Arts + Business + Culture Fund that showcases and honors individuals and organizations, past and present, who have made a difference in shaping our creative economy.

I am forever grateful for the experience and memories that we have shared this year. Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving you, our League and our community, in this esteemed capacity.

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2016-2017 Julie Ann Broussard

Contemplating what to write as a year in review, all I could think of was “Thank YOU!”
Thank you to the membership for choosing to serve. Thank you to all the members for their time, dedication, and willingness to make hard decisions.

Last year when I started my presidency, I did not know what to expect—each past president shares their experience, but every year, the experiences change. I can, without a doubt, say that true to our Mission of training, this year had some unexpected experiences and our membership as a whole had an opportunity to change. Key pieces of our year defined us as League members and defined the Leadership Team.

At the start of the League year, I had ideas of what we as a League wanted to accomplish and where we would start; then the unexpected happened. In August 2016, our community was hit with a historic flood. Our members, our friends, our families, our entire community was affected. Our community came together to make an amazing recovery because we have the most gracious and most hospitable people in our midst. Our League contributions helped our community as well as our own members who were affected by the flood. The Board stepped up to define what we as League members could offer and “Friends Helping Friends” was created. It was a devastating time but also a humbling time. So many League members rolled up their sleeves and served again and again by aiding in recovery efforts, by cleaning houses, by preparing meals, and by listening and supporting those in need. All of this took place within six weeks of our largest fundraising event, Tinsel & Treasures. As always, our members stepped up and engaged, not only by dedicating their time, but also to help this event raise more than $311,012 to be used in OUR community. This level of meaningful collaboration and fundraising showed just how powerful a group of dedicated women can be.

For over six years, we dedicated research and time was to our Junior League of Lafayette brand and logo. Early in this League year, an ad hoc group named the Logo Focus Group was tasked to complete a full logo review and provide the Board and Management Team with a recommendation on moving forward with a redefined logo. A new Junior League of Lafayette logo was voted on and adopted by the General Membership in March 2017. The redefined logo is in line with the Association of Junior Leagues International brand standards, which communicates a clear, consistent message and sophisticated look and feel that is shared by Leagues around the globe. Finally, Brand Standards were created to mirror the Association of Junior Leagues International standards, and we began defining a cohesive logo family for our community programs and fundraisers.

Over the last couple of years, we engaged in a transformational model called Issue Based Community Impact (IBCI) with the intent to narrow our focus area and define our impact in the community. Thanks to the IBCI team, the Board realized that the League cannot create a strategic transformation if we are currently not measuring our existing programs. The Board saw the opportunity to take the knowledge and methodology of IBCI’s outcomes measurement and focus on our current programs. A new committee was created during the Project Evaluation & Planning process called Impact Analysis that will help define how we are making an impact on our current projects by researching ways to measure impact, choose the most likely fit for our programs and League as a whole, and apply the method to our chosen Community Council committees.

Budget Adjustments. When we hear those words, we cringe, but as a League, we are now positioned for the future. The hard work of our Leadership and membership to create a midyear adjustment to balance the budget for the 2016-2017 year-end laid the groundwork for a positive financial position as well as change our mindset. We discontinued deficit spending, created a better timeline for evaluating budgets, and focused on a new way to evaluate our projects.

Our Mission in Junior League is without question: promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. We make a difference in the life that we live. We offer grace to one another, and we put the needs of others before ourselves. We are all called to serve to build a better community. Thank you for choosing Junior League of Lafayette as your avenue to give back.

It has been an honor serving as the 59th president of Junior League of Lafayette. As many who have come before me, we all feel the same after serving in such capacity; I owe the League so much due to what I gained this year. I learned a lot, the membership learned a lot, and we all made sacrifices to aid in making our community a better place to live. Thank you for serving the League and our community.

I want to end with one of my favorite quotes by Elizabeth Andrews: “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” And for that, I thank you. We are Junior League of Lafayette due to our members. We are volunteers on a Journey to Impact OUR Community.

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2015-2016 Maggie Simar

During internal assessment, Junior League of Lafayette (JLL) discovered issues with the diverse community programs we fund. Issues including disconnected programs, public misperceptions of JLL, and inconsistent branding of our League from year to year. As such, the 2014–15 Board voted to create an Issue-based Community Impact (IBCI) team, to focus on the myriad programs while participating in the Association of Junior League International (AJLI) transformation roll out.

This IBCI project deserves recognition because JLL has embarked on a journey of further aligning our League to be progressive in our operations and strategic functions. We participated in the governance/management Action Learning Team, and are currently operating in year four of that plan. There have been bumps, but we are experiencing a level of success in member recruitment we could not have anticipated. Our Provisional class has nearly doubled in three years, and we are offering more meeting options to our members. The IBCI transformation adoption process follows a similar pattern; as we are always striving for exceeding expectations, the Board decided moving toward an IBCI transformation model was a necessary step in obtaining recognition in the community, and ultimately funding from sponsors and the public. We should be recognized and celebrated for being pioneers in two major strategic operations shifts in the last five years.

Further, at the conclusion of the rollout, all members will be trained in six community issues. The cross training will not only enable members to understand current community issues, but the hope is that when aligned, our sponsors and other community stakeholders will come to JLL as the preeminent “expert” on the chosen issue.

A secondary goal, in addition to the training opportunities provided, is that we are seeking to be a clearinghouse for the chosen impact area in the community.

We want to be the go-to nonprofit and are seeking a place at the table of many community nonprofits, including United Way of Acadiana and the local Mayor’s Commission on the Needs of Women.

The focus will also eventually provide a way to promote the League’s activities through internal and external public communications, which is the third goal of our transformation efforts. The hope is that with a focus and clear branding identity, this will solidify JLL’s image as a boot camp for community leaders and a major player in whatever issue we eventually choose to focus our efforts.

Other innovations undertaken by the League include a redesigned website, a new admissions brochure themed to show we are a “League of Extraordinary Women” and business cards for every Vice President and officer, designed to facilitate community partnerships and nonprofit networking. Also, we empaneled a new grant writer placement to seek new options in recognition for our eventual focus. In addition, JLL pursued major media coverage, recognition from other nonprofits, and accolades from elected officials. We are aligning ourselves with the movers and shakers in Lafayette in order to strategically align ourselves for even greater success.

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2014-2015 Tracy Ralston

The 2014-2015 theme was “Live the Mission” because our Mission to promote voluntarism, develop the potential of women, and improve the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers is at the heart of all that we do.

This year, we contributed over 21,000 volunteer hours and more than $500,000 to our community. We worked together with 21 other local nonprofits for collaborative opportunity grant partnerships, offering $135,000 in grant money. We brought NO FEAR NO FUTURE to Northside High and created our own distracted driving PSA. We hosted the world’s only Rock & Roll nutrition show for a second tour. We ran our first and second Girls on the Run 5K, which is our newest community program that provides girls at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Acadiana with the tools to embrace their individual strengths and successfully navigate life’s experiences. We improved the lives of women and children at the New Life Center for the homeless, and we created a new Community Committee to bring much needed life skills training to the women of Faith House.

In addition to our current, ongoing successful fundraisers, Tinsel & Treasures and our four award-winning cookbook series, this year we created a position for a 2015-2016 Grant Writer and a Kitchen Tour Committee to diversify our fundraising portfolio and ensure long-term sustainability of our League. 2014-2015 contributions to our endowment, the Forever Fund, exceeded $250,000 so our community programs can weather financial storms.

We promoted ourselves in the community through our in-house glossy newsletter, a new website, an increased social media presence, a Tinsel & Treasures logo face-lift, a newly hired full-time Communications Assistant, and a Junior League of Lafayette commercial.

With an eye to the future, we drafted a new 3-year strategic plan that will be an annual working document for our Board. Throughout the year, we maintained a presence at local, regional, and national trainings and conferences that contribute to members’ intellectual capacity for capital. In May, we celebrated 39 newly active members and welcomed 61 new candidates to the League of Extraordinary Women.

Alone, these feats are impressive, but we also accomplished all of this while accepting the challenge of researching an Issue-Based Community Impact model for our League. We heard from prominent community stakeholders, and we listened to those down in the trenches assisting those that need a better community. We, also, heard from each other, our fellow League members on what we are passionate about and where we think the women of Junior League can make a measurable difference and build a better community.

Together, we have completed all these things, because each member contributed greatly to our organization’s success. Thank you for “Living the Mission” with me. I am truly honored to have served as your President, and I am forever grateful for having the opportunity.

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2013-2014 Shannon Dartez

Our League year was truly one of transformation. Transformation occurred both within the League and through the League’s efforts in the community. Internally, in building on the two preceding years, we embarked on a journey that included a number of firsts for our League.

It was the first year to proceed completely under our new organizational structure created in 2012 through the efforts of the Action Learning Team and the bylaws changes finalized that year. It was the first year to have an Executive Vice President at the helm of the Management Team and the lack of an Assistant Financial Vice President that would automatically ascend to the management role. We instituted a new placement and nominating structure, and the nominating process was transformed to include skills-based interviews and nominations of members for leadership roles based on more than just past League experience, but also a big picture view of a member’s capacities. We also put into place an option for service hours rather than a full placement for those members who have 10 or more active years of service to the League.

Through our new governance structure, the Board of Directors achieved a higher level of strategic discussion than this League has ever known. By removing the conversations of daily activities, we were able to take the elevator to the roof and look at the big picture. We wrestled with what the future holds for our League, discussed improving membership opportunities, and created a new alternative to obtaining General Meeting credit. We talked about advocacy, and we revised the strategic planning process for our League to make it both more efficient and more meaningful. With the help of Governance Advisory, we revised and consolidated our Standing Rules & Policies along with the Operational Guidelines, and we consolidated advisory bodies to make them a better fit for our members and our League.

However, as a League, the most impressive task was taking on the proposal for a large grant requested by the school system for its Child and Family Development Center. The process and discussions were great; although ultimately, we decided as a League not to fund the proposal, we demonstrated we have the ability to research, discuss, and decide upon such requests through a shorter and well-considered journey. We learned we can consider proposals in a shorter time without stifling ourselves. It became apparent that by having the Board focus on strategic discussions as opposed to daily operations, we can move as a League toward decisions more quickly than in the past, sometimes with the help of advisory bodies and sometimes through our own Board research and thoughtful debate. This year, we not only moved the organization forward in a positive direction, we also taught the membership about parliamentary processes along the way. What happened this year paves the way for consideration of such worthwhile requests by our community partners in the future!

In addition, this year, we accomplished a wonderful goal! We have completely paid back the debt to ourselves for the purchase of our Headquarters years ago. As a League we are now free to move forward in a positive direction with our Endowment, the Forever Fund. Now that we have a CFO, another first for the League, the Endowment will come under her guidance and direction, and she will be able to lead those strategic discussions that will be vital to the future growth and perpetuity of the League.

We not only transformed the League to make it stronger as an organization, we also transformed lives in the community! Our long-standing community programs were wildly successful this year, and all Community Council members were commended for a job well done. We gave more than $89,000 in grants this year that changed the lives of many! A highlight of the year was the institution of a new program here in Lafayette, Jump with Jill, a rock & roll nutrition show designed to teach children the benefits of eating healthy and moving more. The League treated thousands of children to a live show at the Heymann Center and provided information to their teachers to build upon the concepts learned. It was a successful and well-attended event.

Another first, in December, the League answered the call of membership to do something for the community where we could involve our kids. At our December General Membership Meeting, we invited our families to come together with us, and we provided much needed pillows and blankets to the women and children of the New Life Center, a homeless shelter for women and children.

Additionally, the League’s financial position remained strong due to the overwhelming success of Tinsel & Treasures holiday market. We not only celebrated the 20th anniversary of Tinsel & Treasures, but we also broke a record for the number of individuals who came through the doors and in raffle sales profitability! Finally, our four amazing cookbook titles continue to be a popular favorite, and we began strategic discussions that will continue into next year on moving forward in a digital age.

Finally, the efforts of our Communications Council were unmatched. In the beginning of the League year, we unveiled the “League of Extraordinary Women” campaign in the community. The branding initiative was the beginning of a multiyear effort to reintroduce the community to Junior League of Lafayette and change the perception of today’s League members. The campaign was well received in the community and will continue in various forms and media in the future.

The Mission of the Junior League is as relevant today as it was in 1974 when we joined the Association of Junior Leagues International. We remain committed to improving the community and promoting voluntarism, but what makes us truly unique is that we are committed to developing the potential of women. These opportunities afforded our members not only in placements but also through training and leadership possibilities are what set us apart as a volunteer organization. Our efforts in recruiting new members this past year were strong, and the commitment to membership satisfaction will allow us to remain a relevant organization for years to come.

This has been a wonderful experience and a remarkable year. I have been honored to serve as president of the Junior League of Lafayette. I have been in awe of the accomplishments of the members this year and our ability to create lasting community change together.

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2012-2013 Alison Howard

Our League began its 55th year with the theme of being “Inspired to Serve.” This theme brought about an acknowledgment of those who have served before us, the service of our current members, and the service of the League’s future members. Considering our League’s future, we made great strides to ensure our League remains the most relevant organization for women creating positive community change.

In fulfillment of the Action Learning Team (ALT) work, the general membership approved Bylaw amendments that provided for a new organizational structure. This new structure allows the Board of Directors to remain focused on the strategic direction of our League while the Management Team is charged with carrying out the completion of our Annual Plan, ensuring yearly success. The split of the Placement and Nominating Committees allows Nominating to focus strategically on grooming and securing the League’s future leadership while Placement manages the League’s members. In addition, it was resolved that the Provisional and Admissions Committees would proceed as separate committees allowing for the Provisional Committee to focus on training the League’s new members while the Admissions Committee focuses on the League’s efforts to admit women of any race, religion, or national origin who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism.

Junior League of Lafayette’s pride in its community efforts resounded in 2012-2013. The League offered $85,000 in grants to nonprofits that further its Mission in the Lafayette community. The League sent members along with the majority of its granted funds to fulfill its Mission of improving the community through the effective action of trained volunteers. In fulfillment of this effort, the Grants Administration and Opportunity Knocks Committees were combined and named the Collaborative Opportunity Grants Committee.

The League’s community efforts served over 6,800 individuals and partnered with over 51 community agencies. The pinnacle of the League’s community work was our 55th Anniversary Playground Project. We began planning the project in October 2011, and after hours of hard work by all of our members, the playground was dedicated to the children March 24, 2013. The playground is located in Mouton Park at 807 Center Street, Lafayette, La. and will be a cherished League contribution to our community for years to come.

The League’s financial position remained strong due to a successful Tinsel & Treasures holiday market and the continued popularity and salability of the “Talk About Good!” cookbook series. Additionally, increased awareness of the League’s endowment, The Forever Fund, yielded a positive year-end statement including the League’s annual deposit of $12,000 in addition to other contributions made throughout the year.

The League’s presence in our community shined due to the hard work of the Communications Council. The energy we have invested in making sure the public is aware of the League’s hard work is one of the primary reasons our League continues to be one of the leading nonprofit organizations in our community. Our League continues to seek new ways to infiltrate the growing social media networks and further utilization of Digital Cheetah has increased our League’s efficiency in matters of internal and external communication as well as the management of the League’s database.

I am humbled and honored to have served the League in this esteemed capacity and to have led a group of women who have volunteered more than 23,000 hours toward the League’s Vision: “Women as Leaders for Lasting Community Change.”

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2011-2012 Christa Billeaud

Women as Leaders for Lasting Community Change; this is the new Vision of Junior League of Lafayette. Our more than 550 members are improving our community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers, promoting voluntarism, and are committed to developing the potential of all women. We currently focus on the healthy development of children and the wellness of women; but we have touched so many facets of Lafayette over the past years.

As the president of Junior League of Lafayette, I am honored and humbled to have served this organization. I am also very proud of the 27,000 plus hours our active and provisional members served this year, and the countless number of hours our sustaining members served through our organization. With its commitment to our Mission and our Vision, the Board of Directors developed a new strategic plan and made preparations to celebrate our 55th anniversary. We also entered into collaborative agreements with community partners to ensure success in some of our community endeavors.

As I reflect on this past year, I am pleased to report we have begun evaluating the reasons our League is relevant in this society and how we can continue to make a more profound impact in our community. We are committed to success and meeting the needs of women in all life stages to be a trained leader and volunteer. One of our most interesting endeavors this year was our work and discussions on governance. Our Action Learning Team made suggestions about the way we govern and manage our League. Our Board of Directors supported and addressed these suggestions and implemented trial or “action learning” scenarios for next year during our renewed Project Evaluation & Planning (PEP) process. The next few years will be those of testing and restructuring in order to bring our League up to best practices in nonprofits. We have also developed and started an education campaign on our newly named endowment fund, The Forever Fund. This endowment fund will provide security for future generations to affect positive change and continue building our community. We also held a Junior League University event, hosting over 100 members and included statewide Leagues. This educational opportunity and leadership training provided useful information to members about community impact and governance.

We hosted more than 12,000 people for our annual Tinsel & Treasures fundraiser and enjoyed our most profitable event ever. We redesigned and relaunched three of our four award-winning “Talk About Good!” cookbook series. We updated our website and Facebook page, and we trained members on skill sets that will not only help them move our Mission forward, but also enhance personal skill sets for use in their workplace and in our greater community. We also hosted a large group for our Community Breakfast, which we used as another opportunity to host community leaders in our building for an educational and interactive forum. Our Community programs continued because of our devoted members, and we measured our impact quantitatively in order to share our data. With this data, we produced a timely and more focused Annual Report that will be used to market our League, especially our endowment fund and our current fundraisers.

It was my great pleasure and honor to serve, and I am excited to see what the future holds for our League and our community … I know it looks bright!

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2010-2011 Meg Chase

“Volunteers Blooming in Our Community”

I applaud Junior League of Lafayette’s (JLL) volunteers for their dedication and hard work throughout the 2010-2011 year. All their contributions and efforts have fulfilled our Mission and positively contributed to the organization’s blossoming future. This is a brief recap of our year:

The Community Council welcomed a new committee this year, the Reading Readiness literacy program, in collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. The Opportunity Knocks Committee divided its projects into day and night projects. The Community Research Committee hosted the annual Community Breakfast with a great turnout from representatives of area nonprofit organizations that featured an interactive discussion on needs in the community. NO FEAR NO FUTURE’s assembly program was held at Ascension Episcopal School in Youngsville, and the mock crash program was held at Comeaux High School. The Grants Committee hosted its Fall 2010 Grant Awards Ceremony at our December General Membership Meeting; they awarded a total of $40,000 in grants t0 10 local organizations: Acadiana Open Channel; Healing House; Faith House; Lafayette Education Foundation; Southwest LA Area Health Education (SWLAHEC); Families Helping Families of Acadiana; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana; Junior Achievement of Acadiana; LGMC – the Pavilion pediatric wing; and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The other five Community Council Committees – Food & Nutrition, Junior Quiz Bowl, SMILES, Young-at-Heart and The Care Bus – were successful in achieving their goals for the year. The Community Council reported 4,786 hours.

The Personnel Council also welcomed a new committee this year. The Lagniappe Ladies welcomed and trained transfer Members and planned monthly social events for all Members. Volunteer Development coordinated two guest speakers for the year that included Association of Junior League International (AJLI) Board Member, Sarah Berthelot, to talk about its Strategic Road Map, and a certified personal trainer to talk about health/fitness/balance. Advisory Planning made a few recommendations regarding the League’s Standing Rules and Operational Guidelines. Placement/Nominating was extremely busy this year nominating delegates for area and regional training opportunities.

In the area of training, we invested over $20,000 and sent more than 50 of our members to various training sessions across the country. With 327 Sustaining Members, they continue to be one of the most valuable assets to our organization. A Christmas social was held at the home of Jeanie Rush, and a spring social was held at the City Club at River Ranch. It’s always exciting when the Provisional/Admissions Committee successfully recruits and transitions 38 members into Active status. Additionally, 42 ladies have been approved for next year’s provisional class.

How could I not mention the great works of the Strategic Planning committee in planning our future and my wonderful Administrative Liaison? Their contributions to the organization sometimes go unnoticed. The Personnel Council awarded “Years of Service Ribbons” for the first time; members add the ribbons to their name tags, which proudly displays their years of service to the organization. The Personnel Council reported 7,822 volunteer hours.

This year we flourished in the area of fundraising. I’m proud to report our Tinsel & Treasures holiday market raised $327,342. It was the first year we offered online ticket sales, which was a great success. In addition, our four treasured cookbooks sold in excess of 10,000 copies grossing over $101,767. What a testament to our four wonderful cookbooks. It was recommended by the Cookbook Advisory Committee to reprint “Talk About Good!,” “Talk About Good! II,” and “Tell Me More” with Wimmer Cookbooks. Headquarters installed a new key and swipe card system to monitor building access. Fund Development researched several new fundraising opportunities for the JLL Endowment Fund. The Finance Council reported 7,004 volunteer hours.

Through the Public Relations Committee’s informative press releases and garnered news coverage, our community is better informed on the Missing and contributions of our League. The Internal Publications committee continued publishing “Petit Potpourri” monthly newsletters. However, our communication as a League is evolving to become more digital. The Web and Technology committee sent out regular Friday Flashes, which have been resourceful and cost effective. Web and Technology also brought in a trainer from Digital Cheetah to train our members on the League’s web applications so we could effectively manage and maintain our website. The Communications Council reported over 1,788 volunteer hours.

It has been a great honor and a pleasure to serve as the 53rd president of Junior League of Lafayette. This year’s Executive Team has done a great job helping our League grow stronger and blossom more brightly. Thank you to the 216 active members who gave of their time and talents. I conclude with a quote from Zig Zigler who excellently communicates why our League is such a successful organization: “Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission.”

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2009-2010 Stacy Patin

“The Power of one man or one woman doing the right thing for the right reason and at the right time is the greatest influence in our society.” -Jack Kemp

Over a year ago, I stood before you optimistic about our future and proud about our diversity. We all have our “own stories” about what brought us to Junior League of Lafayette, and I told you a little bit about mine. I don’t expect you to remember my story, so I will remind you briefly that it started with my family volunteering for the Louisiana Special Olympics. We were all “huggers” at the Special Olympic sporting events. Win or lose, we hugged every athlete who came across the finish line. Our family was a team. We all wanted to be the one person to make a difference in someone else’s life. I love reflecting on these memories because I learned the responsibility of sharing our time, our talent, and our treasure with others. And I learned the unmistakable value of the volunteer spirit. It’s the same volunteer spirit we have in Junior League of Lafayette. We believe every act of kindness makes a difference.

Many times throughout this year, I have been asked: “As president, what do you want to do in Your Year?” Many of you have heard me reply that it’s not about me. Nothing in Junior League of Lafayette is about one person. It is about what WE can accomplish in OUR Year as an organization. We have accomplished so much this year. To name just a few: we raised more money than ever during Tinsel & Treasures. For the first time in over four years, we awarded $25,000 in grant money to community agencies. Our Cookbook Committee made great strides in creating more awareness of our award-winning cookbooks, not only throughout our membership, but also throughout our community.

During our Future Planning and Project Evaluation & Planning process, you helped to create a new literacy program, all the while logging over 4,000 community volunteer hours. And I am sorry I do not have time to mention all of you who worked behind the scenes to graciously fulfill our Mission. What a team we are! Your acts of kindness and selflessness amaze me. What has inspired me most is your willingness to sacrifice time in your own daily lives. You have sacrificed time at work to make a difference in the lives of children affected by cancer. You have hired babysitters to attend meetings. You have missed your own family gatherings and children’s sporting events to help families who really need you. All of us: Provisionals, Actives and Sustainers have once again worked together to carry forth our Mission and make positive changes in Lafayette. If you think about it, we can hardly drive through Lafayette and not pass a structure, organization, or neighborhood that has not been changed by the Junior League spirit.

The late John F. Kennedy stated: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present, are certain to miss the future.” Well, it is also time to make a change in our leadership. My role as President has come to an end, but my commitment to this organization will continue.

In closing, I want to say thank you to an organization and a group of women whom I admire deeply. You have given me gifts in my mind and heart that I will cherish always. Because of Junior League of Lafayette, I am more aware of my surroundings and my community.

I am thankful for the training I have received, especially from The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI). I am more willing to lend a hand or touch a heart. I know the effects of random acts of kindness. I hope I am all of these; I certainly want to be.

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2008-2009 Cynthia Thompson

“May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of you.”

Some of you may be familiar with this Prayer of St. Therese. It came to mind many times over the course of this year, and I wanted to share it with you. It affirms all the reasons I joined this organization and gave me clarity when the days were hectic. Being a member of the Junior League is a huge commitment for all of us and this prayer helped me to stay focused on the enjoyment and satisfaction that comes with this membership. My wish is for each of you to have a similar reinforcement that brings you back to why you are a member.

With that foundation, I encourage you to open the door to all that Junior League of Lafayette has to offer you. You are all leaders — some of you just don’t recognize it yet! You are all leaders because you made the commitment to be part of this group. You sought to be part of an organization that has a long history of moving this community and its membership forward. And by becoming a Junior League member, you are affecting change within yourself and the Lafayette community.

This past year, you have accrued nearly 300 training hours. You have spent nearly 4,000 hours working with your community committees. You logged nearly 3,000 hours in support of Tinsel & Treasures. This year has seen amazing volunteers making a difference in our community. Each of our four councils have joined together to support their committees and propel this organization and its Mission forward in our community.

I can’t help but recall the title of Shar McBee’s bestselling book—”To Lead is to Serve.” Each of you has served this community ferociously over this last year. You have spent over 16,000 hours serving the Lafayette community. You have spent over 16,000 hours leading this community.

I thank each of you for your dedication and commitment that you have made not only to the Junior League of Lafayette, but also to this community. While we all strive to better our community, I encourage you to not miss the life lessons that will be presented to you during your time in the League. Leadership is a trait best refined through learning from those around you, and you are surrounded by wonderful women with much to share. The vantage point that I have been privy to over these few months is one I encourage each of you to seek. Strive to be the best League Member you can be and continue to make a difference.

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2007-2008 Sarah Berthelot

Remembering. Celebrating. Identifying our Common Bonds.

This is what we will remember most about our Golden Anniversary year. The year began with a commemorative public exhibit at the Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium, and it ended with a beautiful book entitled, “Fifty Years of Grace: The Story of the Junior League of Lafayette, capturing a special journey of women, passing the torch of service from one generation to another.” As part of our 50 years of service celebration, members from all eras of service connected to share how the unique League experience has shaped their lives and influenced their ability to personally affect positive change in our community. Equally important, we have paused to view the “big picture” contribution of our Mission to our beloved Lafayette, looking through the lens of five decades of successful collaboration.

As much as we looked back together, we maintained a forward vision to make way for a great deal of innovation … Thanks to your creativity and leadership, this year we launched The Care Bus, a signature community project to remove health care obstacles for preschoolers of Truman Montessori through the collective action with our partner, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center. Our General Membership Meetings took us to various locations, such as the LITE Center and former University Art Museum, and we hosted speakers such as Vicki Clark and Dr. Carolina Cruz. We rallied in support of our 15th annual Tinsel & Treasures to make it one the best years yet, raising over $275,000. We celebrated the 40th Anniversary of “Talk About Good!,” and we saw an increase in cookbook sales with “Talk About Good! II” being featured at the Blue Dog exhibit at New Orleans Art Museum (NOMA). We served the community by directly reaching 5,045 people living in Lafayette who were served by the work of our League committees.

Our League members were successful in recruiting and retaining members to grow our League.
Next year’s class will be the largest class of the decade, with over 70 members joining the League ranks. The media wrapped around our anniversary celebration, and we were featured in a Times of Acadiana cover story in July 2007 as well as regular features in the Daily Advertiser and on local television stations. We have been successful because we are compassionate women giving to the community. We are community activists affecting positive change. We are business savvy professionals thinking strategically toward the future. With time, the Junior League of Lafayette will only get stronger. Serving as your president during this time has been a tremendous honor.

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2006-2007 Lea Ann Remondet

Inspiring change and spreading our wings in the community since 1957 is a theme that embodies the Mission of Junior League of Lafayette and our history of service. This year, Junior League members continued to spread their wings and volunteered approximately 11,000 hours to promote voluntarism and improve the community. We dedicated a large amount of time and energy to study the most pressing needs of women and children in Lafayette.

From that assessment, we collaborated with community partners and developed a project dedicated to the health care needs of our school children. This is a true testament to our dedication to address needs through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Our Tinsel & Treasures holiday market and our four cookbooks continued to be successful fundraisers that allowed the League to put over $180,035 in funds back into the community.

Through strategic planning and monitoring, the leadership team and their committees developed a thorough internal and external marketing plan; our 50th Anniversary Project; a 50th Anniversary celebration plan that effectively communicates who we are and what our role has been in our community; a plan to address diversification of funds; and a plan from each council to focus on membership satisfaction, training, and participation in the major decisions and the direction of our League.

I thank the Board and the council members for having vision, working hard, and making sure we met our goals. In an age where time is a precious commodity, our members find time to make a difference. I am proud they make it a priority. I am also speaking of our Sustainers who, more than ever, are a driving force and source of support for our efforts. I have been honored to represent this incredible group of women and humbled by the legacy of service that has paved our way. Our members share their blessings because they have been blessed, and I thank them. It has been my great pleasure, and I will treasure each memory. I leave knowing I am taking much more with me than I could have possibly given. Thank you for teaching me so much and allowing me to share this year with you.

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2005-2006 Angela Morrison

“Each one different, together we make it complete” is a theme that truly describes our League. There are so many thoughts and memories of this year that I have enjoyed reflecting on, but I am most proud of the level of commitment our members have shown.

Junior League of Lafayette (JLL) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, as our members volunteered an average of 1,000 hours a month away from our homes, our families, our jobs, and our regular routines. We worked to make an impact on the lives of our friends and neighbors in our community, all to ensure our families will continue to be proud to call Lafayette home.

Our League made it a priority to develop the potential of women through our numerous committees and placements. As we work to improve our community through effective action and leadership, we stepped up to lead projects as tremendous as publishing our fourth cookbook, organizing a campaign against teenage drinking and driving, presenting the first ever “Kids in the Kitchen” to our community, and staffing numerous partnership projects with nonprofits in our community. We did all of this because we are committed to the general well-being of women and the healthy development of children. It is with great pride we were able to dedicate the majority of our resources to projects and programs that directly make an impact in our community.

The twelfth annual Tinsel & Treasures was scheduled to be held at the CAJUNDOME Convention Center with over 130 merchants from across the country and a variety of special events. As a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, ongoing disaster relief efforts in our community forced the cancellation of our holiday market. Options for relocating or rescheduling the event were thoroughly researched but were found unfeasible due the significant change of logistics and associated costs, presentation, and financial success. Instead, the League focused its fundraising efforts by continuing the Dodge Durango car raffle, which culminated with the drawing on December 13. The Tinsel & Treasures committee extended their committee work through December 2005 to work on the raffle, putting forth over 1,300 hours. Thanks to the continued support of all of our Tinsel & Treasures sponsors, the community, and the proceeds from the raffle, we were able to raise $90,806 for 2005 – 51% of the $179,210 net income budgeted for the year.

I am very humbled to say I served as your first African-American president, but more so, I am proud to say that I have served with you. I want to share my most sincere expression of gratitude to the other executive members, Lea Ann Remondet, Cynthia Thompson, Leslie Fritscher, Amy Aderman, Caroline Devillier, Rhonda Darby, Gretchen Vincent, and our Sustaining Advisor, Lise Anne Slatten, who served with me to lead our League this year. To our JLL Board Members who ensured the success of our League activities and ensured our fiscal soundness, I am grateful. To all our members who worked so hard to make it complete, I am truly inspired. Thanks to you all for a tremendous year.

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2004-2005 Faith Moody

The Tinsel & Treasurers Committee netted over $230,000; the Grants Committee dispersed $100,000 to 22 nonprofit agency programs in Acadiana; Junior League of Lafayette (JLL) deposited $6,000 into its Community Foundation of Acadiana Endowment Fund, and a contribution of $75,000 was presented to the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum Building Campaign. We celebrated the 30th anniversary of Junior League of Lafayette’s membership with the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc.

The Cookbook Committee soared past all previous years’ records, netting over $133,000 in sales by the end of May. Our Fundraiser Research and Development Committee did an outstanding job developing all aspects of the fourth JLL cookbook, “Something to Talk About” and concluded the year with an unveiling of the book’s new cover at our Annual Dinner. The 2005-2006 cookbook financial obligations should be included in the standing rules as: In the fiscal year 2005-2006, there is a financial obligation from the active and provisional membership to support the publishing of a fourth Junior League of Lafayette cookbook. This obligation is to be fulfilled by one of the following options: sell ten (10) books at a retail price no higher than $29.95 or sell five (5) books at a retail price of no higher than $29.95 with a cookbook task obligation of ten (10) hours.

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2003-2004 Marilyn Lee

We began the year with the theme “Hands that Touch the Heart” and officially established the Junior League of Lafayette Endowment Fund at Community Foundation of Acadiana. We also welcomed a new Administrative Assistant, Cassie Landry. Tinsel & Treasures celebrated its 10th year with a net profit of approximately $292,000, and we welcomed two new community placements, SMILES and Maison de Mere. Our Grants Administration Committee distributed $172,500 to community agencies – a record amount that was more than doubled from the previous year.

We celebrated our first full year in our new Headquarters – the final numbers reflected a total price paid for the new building of $753,164, with $196,976 borrowed from Junior League of Lafayette (JLL) cash reserves. We profited $12,000 from two internal fundraisers. We applied $11,000 toward our bank debt, leaving us with a loan balance of $84,277.61 as of May 31, 2004. We applied $1,000 toward the debt to ourselves with a deposit into our Endowment Fund. The restructured Cookbook Committee boosted sales of our three cookbooks, netting approximately $26,000. We began publication of a new food column entitled “Talk About Good” in a local weekly newspaper, and we reprinted “Talk About Good! II” with a new twist – the back cover was moved to the front cover, and thus began a marketing campaign based on the theme “Kiss Me, I’m Cajun!”.

Our Fundraiser Advisory Committee suggested a restructured marketing portfolio and put into writing our non-exclusivity policy for sponsors. Through the Project Evaluation & Planning (PEP) process, the membership voted to allocate a $75,000 donation in 2004-2005 to the new University Art Museum. We successfully planned and implemented a two-day community project, NO FEAR NO FUTURE, collaborating with local agencies and Lafayette High School to bring to the dangers of drinking and driving to the attention of our local teens.

In April, the general membership voted to publish a fourth cookbook, “Something to Talk About,” and also voted for a financial obligation with it. We welcomed 37 Provisionals into Active Membership, and the Admissions Committee presented 36 new candidates for Provisional Membership in 2004-2005.
In all, it was quite a year! The dedicated women of Junior League of Lafayette served over 50 agencies in our community, contributed over 15,000 hours of volunteer service, and raised $301,588 in total project and placement funding!