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2014-2015 Annual Report Version of INO

President’s Letter

Spring Sweep

Charity Ball & Charity Ball Sponsor List

Spring 2015 CAF Grants & Other Community Funding

Statement of Financial Activities

Women Leaders of Tomorrow Conference

Project Esperanza at Mitchell Guidance Center

May Dinner

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We have heart, we have courage, we have brains, but we are looking for your help to reach our mission in developing the potential of women, and improving our community.  Slide into your ruby red slippers and “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” for an entertaining evening of charitable giving for The Junior League of Victoria’s Emerald City Ball.  We have kept with the tradition of holding our gala event at the Victoria Country Club.

This year’s date will be on Saturday,  March 5th, 2016.

The Charity Ball Committee would love for you to put on your dancing shoes and come join us for our biggest fundraiser of the year.  If you would like to be a sponsor or help in underwriting, contact Christina or Lea for more information.

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Book Review(s): American Sniper and American Wife

In October, Sustainer Amy Mundy and I had the honor of working alongside Active Katy Walterscheidt, Special Events/Marketing Coordinator for Golden Crescent Habitat for Humanity, as co-chairs of Habitat’s Speaking of Sweat Equity event featuring Taya Kyle. Taya is the widow of Chris Kyle, U.S. Navy SEAL and author of the bestselling book American Sniper, which later became a blockbuster motion picture. Following Chris’s tragic death in February 2013, Taya released her own book, American Wife: A Memoir of Love, War, Faith, and Renewal. I read both books to prepare for Taya’s visit. (To be honest, I didn’t read them; I downloaded and listened to them on Audible.)

 I enjoyed both books immensely. American Sniper is a thrilling, first-person account of Chris’s combat experiences on the frontline of the war in Iraq as the most lethal sniper in U.S. history. But it also shows the human side of war, including Chris’s personal struggle coping with the deaths of two of his close SEAL teammates. In American Wife, Taya discusses the effect of war on her marriage and on Chris. In addition to her role as a military wife, Taya takes readers through common challenges many women face—dating, childbirth and motherhood, balancing career and family, financial struggles, changing jobs, surviving a major move . . . (Warning: If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, you probably want to skip the chapter on the birth of Taya’s first son. I told Taya as much when I met her.) Following Chris’s death, Taya founded the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, which is devoted to strengthening the marriages of veterans and first responders.  She now spends her days speaking publicly and inspiring others to find strength and overcome life’s obstacles.  

I strongly encourage you to read both American Sniper and American Wife, in that order. If you think you don’t have time, consider an audio book. All I do is read and write all day, so the last thing I want to do in my free time is sit and read. Now I listen to books walking my dog, cleaning the house, doing laundry, grocery shopping, on long drives . . . What used to be “chores” are now an enjoyable part of my day when there’s a book involved, especially when that book features an incredible story, like that of Chris and Taya.

-Sara Hounshell Meinhart

Pictured, left to right: JLV Immediate Past President Sara Hounshell Meinhart; Taya Kyle, Author of American Wife; JLV Sustaining Member Amy Mundy

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2014-2015 Grant Recipients

Dr. Jill Fox, 2014-2015 Community Vice-President got to take pictures with all of our CAF Grant recipients, each of whom was so grateful for the funds The Junior League was able to provide. 2014-2015 President Sara Hounshell Meinhart presented a check from our unallocated funds to The Food Bank of the Golden Crescent for a supplementary project.

Thank you to these outstanding organizations for all of the value they provide to our community!

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Spring 2015 Funding Recipients

We were able to fully fund 5 projects in our March round of Community Assistance Fund (CAF) Grants. These projects totaled $5,007.30 and recipients received their funds in April 2015. More information on the projects can be found below, and pictures with representatives from the recipient organizations of Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 grants can be found HERE.

The League was thrilled to donate $3,000 in unallocated community funds to the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent. This donation will help fund supplies for the Food Bank's new Community Garden, which provides fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement the non-perishable food items the Food Bank generally provides to its clients.

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News from the 2015 Annual Conference:

 Governance Dialogue and Business Meeting

Melita Keith, current President, and Nora Kucera, current President-Elect had a wonderful and educational time at the 2015 Annual Conference in Los Angeles.  It is always so beneficial listening to other Leagues of similar size.  They came home with a long list of “new” ideas The Junior League of Victoria cannot wait to implement.  Below is an excerpt of what was voted on during the conference:

The Voting Delegates voted to remove the Reaching Out Statement that was approved by the Leagues in 1978 from the AJLI governing documents. The Leagues approved the following AJLI Diversity and Inclusion Commitment Statement:

The Junior League welcomes all women who value our Mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations and communities.

Public Accommodation Laws and the Junior Leagues

In the course of the research on diversity and inclusion, AJLI learned that the legal landscape for those protected from discrimination (so-called “protected categories”) has been rapidly changing, generally by expanding the categories of people protected from discrimination. The anti-discrimination laws covering protected categories for membership organizations like Junior Leagues are known as Public Accommodation laws. AJLI’s legal counsel, Chris Carty from Schnader Harrison Segal and Lewis LLP, shared some aspects of Public Accommodation laws at the Winter Leadership Conference in Orlando and at Annual Conference. It is advisable that each Junior League be familiar with the laws that apply to it, including Public Accommodation laws.

 Please go to the AJLI website for more information concerning Public Accommodation laws.  All conference material is available on the website as well.

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Thank you to our 2015 Charity Ball Sponsors!

We cannot say THANK YOU enough to our generous donors who enhance our event. Without their support, Charity Ball would not be the successful fundraiser (and great party!) that it is year after year. Thank you to our 2015 Charity Ball Sponsors, Underwriters, and Donors:

Sponsors

Underwriters

Live Auction Donors

Port Aransas Weekend

Mary & Joe Hewell

Justin Jaks of Thrivent Financial

Jeff Smith of City Mortgage Group

Empire Lodge Fishing Trip

Kyle Nethery of Empire Lodge of Port O’Connor

Waterloo Rod Co.

Christmas Parade on Main

The Junior League of Victoria, Texas, Inc.

Gary Ozuna of On The Go Events & Bartenders On The Go

Sendera Tequila Dinner: Louise & Dennis Patillo of The Sendera

Dove Hunt

Margaret & Ryan Luker of Luker Whitetails Ranch

Tonja Patterson of Good To The Last Bite

Don’s Firearms

David Yurman Bracelet: Torin Bales of Torin Bales Fine Jewelry

Fredericksburg Getaway

The Junior League of Victoria, Texas, Inc. 2014-2015 Board

Hilmy Cellars Winery

Pedernales Brewing Company

Top Hat Dinner

Mary Logan

Lisa Breech

Lynn Gisler

Brooke Mercer

Sara Hounshell Meinhart

April Nunley

Linda Seerden

Cindy Schmidt

Heather Taylor

Heather Zamykal

Tenna & Chris Thompson

John Pierce of Backdoor Catering

Alligator Hunt: Kelly Park

Silent Auction Donors

Atomic Supplements

Beehive Salon

Ryan Belk

Sande Bilton

Yurim Cabrera

Elizabeth Chandler Photography

Blanche & George Charkalis of Greek’s 205 Bar

Colorful Canvas

Complete Nutrition

Kelli Cotton

Days Gone Bye!

Devereux Gardens

Don’s Firearms

Fashionista Studio

Fit Foods to Go

Lauren Flathouse of Beachbody

Foester and Strakos Investments

Foster Creek Station

Jill Fox, Ph.D. - Early Childhood Education

Lynn Gisler

Golden Crescent Habitat For Humanity

Johnny Gonzales of Flex Fitness

Nic Greene of The HEAT Fitness

Lea Hall

Erin & Micah Hatley

Laura & Clint Kendall

The Junior League of Victoria, Texas, Inc.

JLV 2014-2015 Board of Directors

JLV Headquarters Committee

Korczynski’s Photo Studio

Melita & John Keith

Angelica Kurtz

R.E. Lee Fine Art Photography

TexasFrog Photography

Manning Gymnastics Centerplex

Brian Medina of M.SIGN’D

Sara Hounshell Meinhart & Kevin Meinhart

Melvin’s Menswear

Moonshine Drinkery

Museum of the Coastal Bend

The Nail Spot by Linda

Gary Ozuna of On The Go Events & Bartenders On The Go

The Palm Tree Boutique

Marco Porras of Re/MAX

Quincey’s Fitness

Shelley Reissig/Origami Owl

Lucinda Rodriguez

Rustic Rose

Heidi & Daron Seerden

Keisha Smith

Starbucks

Theater Victoria

Victoria Bach Festival

Victoria Ballet Theatre

Victoria College

Victoria Communications Services

Victoria Country Club

Victoria Country Club Golf Pro Shop

Victoria Country Club Tennis - Mike’s Pro Shop

Victoria Symphony

Denise & James Villafranca

Matina Weempe

Julia & Roger Welder, Jr.

Celina & Jody Yoast

Valued Friends of The Junior League of Victoria

Melanie Buchhorn - Texas Liquor

Kurt Clements - Kurt & Company Event Design

Cindy Grimsinger - Isn’t That Gorgeous! Wedding and Event Flowers

Robin & Richard Janecka - Sign Crafters

Russell Fowler - DJ

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Charity Ball 2015

The 2015 Charity Ball, “Mad Hatter’s Ball”, was held on Saturday, January 31 at the Victoria Country Club. Thanks to the generosity of our wonderful sponsors, underwriters, members, and guests, we were able to raise over $78,000 to continue giving back to the community and developing our members to make a greater impact in the community. The Charity Ball committee is grateful to the sponsors, underwriters, and donors who helped us make a great event even more successful. 2015 sponsors include: The O’Connor & Hewitt Foundation, Myra & Clayton Johnson, Madeline Haenggi, Lyndon West Interior Design, Jennifer & the Honorable Travis Ernst, The Seerden Family, and Heather & Landon Zamykal.

For a full list of sponsors, underwriters, and donors, please click HERE.

Heidi Seerden, Chair

Laura Kendall, Co-Chair

Tenna Thompson, Sustaining Advisor

Christina Martin, Lea Hall, Vanessa Villafranca

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Project Esperanza 2015

The Spring program continued to build on our Fall 2014 topics of eating healthy and taking care of yourself by adding topics like personal hygiene, make-up application, and facial skin care to the mix. Kelli Cotton presented on "Personal Hygiene for Teen Girls" and we gave each of the young ladies a goody bag with deodorant soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant to empower them to practice what they learned!

Once we felt that the girls had plenty of guidance on outer beauty we began to turn our attention to teaching them about making responsible choices and having healthy relationships. These were some of my favorite meetings to date, as we had many JLV members come and share personal stories with the girls. They LOVE listening to us talk about our firsthand experiences! You can see in their eyes that they really look up to us.

I have been keeping the General Membership in the loop with what has been happening at Project Esperanza at Mitchell through regular emails this Semester and I feel like it has really made a difference in how any of our Ladies are able to come out and give of their time at this project! Thank you to everyone who has played a part so far!

As always, all JLV Provisionals, Actives & Sustainers are encouraged to come and take part in this program as your schedule allows. If you would like to take part in our bi-weekly Project Esperanza at Mitchell meetings please email me at ahooker@victoryclc.com

To cap off the year, we brought all of our PE at Mitchell girls to the Women Leaders of Tomorrow Conference, which was hosted at the VC/UHV campus on May 22nd. The Junior League provided Conference T-shirts to the girls so that they could change out of their Mitchell polos before leaving the school. We also sponsored a bus to take the girls to UHV and pick them up. I picked up sausage rolls, milk and juice and went to the school that morning, as the girls were arriving, to give them breakfast and help Mrs. Becca (their counselor) get them changed and into their shirt to board the bus. The girls attended the Conference from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at UHV with Guest Speaker Vicki Clark!

In the 2015-2016 League Year, two New Actives - Kiersten Stanzel & Deidre Gwosdz will be coordinating with Mitchell Guidance Center to further expand our impact there and open up more opportunities for our League members to mentor. I look forward to what new adventures this year will bring!! Together we are developing the potential of Girls & Women every day!

Ada Hooker, 2014-2015 Project Esperanza Chair

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2015 Women Leaders of Tomorrow Conference

On Friday, May 22, 2015, The Junior League of Victoria collaborated with the Girl Scout Council of Greater South Texas and the Victoria Independent School District to host the Women Leaders of Tomorrow Conference on the University of Houston-Victoria campus.  The conference goal was to introduce young women to the many career possibilities available to women in the 21st century and to equip them with the skills and knowledge they will need for success. 

More than 200 young women from Victoria East and West High Schools and Mitchell Guidance Center attended the conference.  Nationally recognized speaker Vicki Clark provided the keynote address.  Ms. Clark is AJLI’s expert on issue-based community impact.  Her message to conference participants focused on respecting oneself and the importance of education in achieving career and life goals.  

After Ms. Clark’s presentation, conference participants attended five break-out sessions in which presenters introduced them to the educational requirements and daily activities of specific careers.  Presenters included:  Lisa Hernandez on Managing Your Finances, Sara Hounshell Meinhart on Dress for Success, Heather Bland on Women in Engineering, Tanya Mares on Women in Law Enforcement, and Charity Miller on Women in the Military.  Participants were very enthusiastic about the day.  

Said one young lady as she boarded the bus to return to her high school campus, “I think this may have just changed my life.”

-Dr. Jill Fox, 2014-2015 Community Vice-President

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From the Treasurer

Statement of Financial Activities 2014-2015

The Junior League of Victoria has three main categories of expenses. These categories are project & program expenses, operating expenses, and building expenses. Project and program expenses are given directly to the community or used in development and training of our membership as well as allowing JLV to utilize funds for the O’Connor–Proctor building. Operating expenses include utilities, office supplies, waste management, postage, newsletter production, financial audit, AJLI membership dues, insurance and technology, etc. Funds raised in the 2013-2014 League year funded Projects, Programs and Operating expenses in the 2014-2015 year.

Membership voted in 2013-2014 for our headquarters at the historic O’Connor-Proctor (OCP) building to continue as a project in the 2014-2015 year. The policy regarding non-profit rentals allows all non-profit organizations the use of the building Mon-Thurs free of charge and Fri-Sun for $150.00 although the dis- counted rates do not apply when the purpose of the event is fundraising. Please remember to inform our family of non-profit organizations about the use of our building. We would love to help them with any meeting needs. In addition to the policy change, the League was able to apply project money towards the principal note on the building enabling the League to put a dent in our debt. The OCP payoff as of June 8, 2015 is $80,556.51.

The OCP and Kreisle buildings are an income source through office space and event rentals and they currently serve as the home of the Victoria Bach Association and University of Houston Center for the Fine Arts. Please remember to refer your friends and family to the OCP for party rentals.

The JLV had another very successful year of fundraising in 2014-2015. It is because of our generous benefactors and members that we have the financial support to achieve our mission. This income is disbursed in the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

Thank you for your continued support of the League because without you, we would not be able to continue to fulfill our mission.

-Nora Kucera, 2014-2015 Treasurer

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“Many of us are more capable than some of us, but none of us are more capable than all of us.”

    -Tom Wilson

In perhaps no situation is this quote more applicable than in a volunteer organization such as ours.  Women give of themselves, working together to accomplish the goals of the group.  While a few members can sometimes produce fantastic results, our best efforts are those which involve all of us.  The greater the number of volunteers, the greater the impact.

In The Junior League of Victoria, “all of us” includes a very special group of women – our Sustainers. We are fortunate that each committee, project and fundraiser has a Sustaining Member in an advisory position.  These women have provided us with valuable advice and a unique perspective as we continue our path and fulfill our mission.   At our October general meeting, one Sustainer in particular took part in “the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.”  JoAnn Ernst held a training entitled Enjoying Life’s Journey:  A Practical Guide for Goal Setting, Time Management, and Decluttering our Lives. Her advice and tips on setting short term goals, long term goals and organizing our lives was invaluable.  We look forward to having more of these types of trainings led by Sustainers.  There’s no one better to help us become well-trained volunteers than those who have been there before.  Thank you JoAnn!!

-Melita Keith, 2015-2016 President (Pictured at right with JoAnn Ernst)

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Spring Sweep 2015

The 2015 Spring Sweep Rummage Sale was held on February 27th and 28th from 8-1 at the National Guard Armory building. The Spring Sweep committee began collecting new and gently used items in September and continued right up to the sale. We had so much fun blowing the dust off of so many treasures and having a great and profitable event. Spring Sweep is happy to report that we netted over $4,500 for the league and had a profit margin of 85%! This is all due to the hard work of the committee, the support of the Junior League of Victoria, including provisional, active, and sustaining members, and our many gracious sponsors.

Spring Sweep committee is so thankful for all the sponsors that helped make our event a success. Sponsors included: Susan Armstrong Cain with Armstrong Mayflower, Sign Crafters, Brian Ferguson, We Buy and Sell Real Estate, Urban Exchange, The Sendera, Stallion Oilfield Services, and many others.

Committee Members:

Angela Gomez-Co-chair

Ida Jimenez-Co-chair

Julie Fulgham, Nelda Guajardo, Grace Hammack, Katy Ochoa, Julia Welder

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May Dinner 2015

The 2014-2015 annual end-of-year dinner was held on May 5, 2015. Assistant US Attorney Patti Hubert Booth was the guest speaker. Her insights will help shape the League's programming as we continue to teach and mentor at-risk adolescent girls in our community.

Lisa Hernandez was awarded the Sustainer of the Year Award, presented by Lisa Breech. Ada Hooker was awarded the Eager Leaguer Award, and Shannon Lewis was awarded the Provisional of the Year Award, which she later received at the 2015-2016 Chair Training.

Melita Keith received the President’s gavel to begin the 2015-2016 League Year from Past Presidents of The Junior League of Victoria, including her mother.

Click the photos to read the captions!

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Ending the 2014-2015 League Year

 I awoke early this May 5, anxious for May Dinner and excited to celebrate another successful year with my fellow League members. Little did I know it was going to be one of those days...

It all started when I was late to Tuesday morning Partnership meeting because I couldn’t find the right pair of black heels to complete my outfit. I splurged on my weekly latte on the way to work, only to realize at my desk that the barista mixed coffee with my chai tea. There went $5 down the drain. I spent the rest of my morning shivering at my desk and cursing the GSA because the air conditioning was on full blast. I stopped by home after Rotary at lunch, only to find that my bulldog was sick, necessitating a trip to the vet. I won’t even mention what that cost. I spent half the afternoon waiting on my husband to text me back about dinner, which I had totally forgotten in the wake of May Dinner. Finally, I tried to squeeze in a desperately-needed manicure after work, but the only available manicurist destroyed my nails last time, and I was not going through that again. Talk about some first world problems! In reality, my “bad” days are still better than the very best days for many of the people the League serves.

The kids at Devereux never have to worry about what shoes they’re going to wear. Most only have one pair, usually hand-me-downs that may or may not fit. The kids are elated each spring when JLV members take them shoe shopping and they get to pick out any pair they want. You know who would love to have $5 to squander? The VISD students we serve through Blessings in a Backpack, or countless others getting meals from the Food Bank’s Community Garden. Did you know a $1 donation to the Food Bank equals 8 meals? My latte would have paid for 40 meals! That’s food for thought.

The people serviced by the Community Action Committee of Victoria would love to be in a chilly air-conditioned office come August when it’s 100° outside. When I was CVP, the League donated more than 150 box fans to CACV’s annual fan drive. That same year, the League awarded Victoria Christian Assistance Ministries with a CAF Grant to help fund the cost of asthma inhalers, insulin, and other general medications. Instead of being annoyed, I should be grateful that I’m able to care for my sick pet, when there are so many who can’t cover basic medical necessities for their children andthemselves.

If Kevin’s texting response time is his greatest fault, I’m a pretty lucky woman. I was shocked when girls at Mitchell Guidance Center said they didn’t know that being controlled, cheated on, or physically or verbally abused is not normal or okay. Fortunately, we were able to counsel them on healthy relationships and what love is. Finally, you haven’t seen a botched manicure till you’ve seen our Devereux girls after a DIY manicure lesson from some JLV volunteers. They had green glitter polish from fingertip to knuckle and couldn’t have been prouder of their handiwork. Even more, they were thrilled to spend their Saturday morning having girl time with the ladies of the JLV.

Like many of us, Mary Harriman lived a life of privilege, but she wanted to do something more. So in 1901, she and eight of her closest friends and debutantes used their positions for social reform, founding The Junior League in 1901 in order to improve the lives of those living in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods. Since 1937, JLV members have been working to better the lives of our fellow Victorians—from the people we serve through volunteer projects to our own members.

American businessman Stephen M. Wolf once said: “Each of us can look back upon someone who made a great difference in our lives, someone whose wisdom or simple acts of caring made an impression upon us. In all likelihood, it was someone who sought no recognition for their deed, other than the joy of knowing that, by their hand, another’s life had been made better.” I am grateful each day to know you all and be a part of this incredible organization that touches so many lives—my own included. It has been an honor to serve as your President this year, and I look forward to continuing our work under Melita Keith’s leadership in 2015–2016.

-Sara Hounshell Meinhart, 2014-2015 President