L E AG U E LINES NEWSLETTER
The Junior League of Greater Lakeland, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The Junior League is exclusively educational and charitable.
LEAGUE LINES STAFF Katie Blondell • Ginny Burris • Katherine Fitzwater Carley James • Maggie Ross • Brittany Sale
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT Callie Miller 2018-2019
A look forward. It is a tremendous honor to serve as the current President-Elect, and as your President for the coming two years. As voted on during our January General Membership Meeting, the newly confirmed 2018-19 Board is thoughtfully developing our annual plan. Our mission – to develop the potential of women, promote voluntarism, and improve our community – is at the center of every decision we make. I look forward to sharing the plan with you. Like a pebble thrown into still water, League members leverage the experience and training they have received through their involvement in the Junior League, and produce a ripple effect as they share their knowledge throughout our community. This knowledge can be seen in the way they inspire their children, in their commitment to their professional careers, and as they serve in various community organizations. Junior League members serve in nearly every cultural, civic, and community organization in Lakeland. Our members are a dynamic force that makes our community a vibrant place for all who live here. Recently, the Board made a special ask of our Members to thoughtfully consider a donation in support of leadership training. The response was overwhelming and generous. Thank you!
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT (CONT.) The Association of Junior Leagues International offers tremendous training opportunities for Leagues and we are grateful for the opportunity to send many members to Orlando to participate in the mission-based Organizational Development Institute (ODI). This year at ODI, Junior League of Greater Lakeland members will have the opportunity to participate in a poverty simulation and gain tremendous training in the areas of creating lasting change in our community, strengthening the League’s operational infrastructure, building a diversified fund development strategy, furthering relationships through marketing and communications, and creating tomorrow’s community leaders. Junior League women are known for the impact they can make - we form strategic partnerships, create innovative and relevant programs, and raise awareness and funds for meaningful community initiatives. Thanks to the generosity and support of many, we are not only women who want to improve our community; we are women with the training and skills to make it happen!
Callie Miller
Callie Miller, President-Elect
Saturday, April 21 at Barnett Park 9:00am - 1:00pm F E AT U R I N G S P E C I A L G U E S T AU T H O R S
Ahmad H. Taylor The Color Machine Renee Adams Two Facts and a Fib L E A R N M O R E AT J L G L .O R G / WO R .
COMMUNIT IMPACT Community Outreach Projects Upcoming volunteer opportunities • March 31 YMCA Spring Extravaganza • April 28 JLGL volunteers will assist at the kids area for the Swan Derby for LVIM • May 12-13 Mayfaire By-The-Lake
Community Outreach Project volunteer shifts will be available at JLGL.org or email pilot@jlgl.org for more information. RIF is looking for volunteers for Spring distributions. If you are interested in helping, contact RIF Chair, Laura Ervin at 863.808.9858 or rif@jlgl.org.
World of Reading Saturday, April 21 Barnett Park 9:00am - 1:00pm To learn more and to sign up to volunteer visit JLGL.org/WOR or contact Emily Paladino at WOR@jlgl.org.
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Christmas Angels Project The Christmas Angels Project had the most successful year yet! As you may have read in the newspaper or seen on the news, Sandy Toledo’s Christmas Angels accounts were hacked and depleted at the end of last year. On the heels of such a tragedy, the League stepped in and raised $3,200 - the largest Christmas Angels monetary collection from the League to date. With these funds, volunteers from the Junior League, including sustaining and active members, purchased and delivered beautifully wrapped gifts to 25 foster families throughout the Greater Lakeland area. The appreciation shared with the League was deeply touching. Sandy’s tear-filled eyes and soft smile, and the excitement as foster families received their gifts from the League, validated the generosity of many. What a privilege to be a part of the League in sharing the holiday spirit with these families. Special thanks to Sustaining Members Kim Lafferty and Elizabeth Willers for co-chairing the Christmas Angels project!
UPDATE FROM THE MEMBERSHIP COUNCIL
New Member Applications New Member Applications are now available online at JLGL.org. Applications will be available through Friday, April 27 at 6pm. The Provisional Committee will be hosting a social on April 12 5:30-7:30pm. Additional information will be announced. If you have any questions, please contact the Provisional Committee at provisionals@jlgl.org. Provisional Course The 2017-2018 Provisional Class is officially halfway through their course and are excitedly preparing to embark on their first active year. Each year, it is the task of the Provisionals to staff the Christmas Parade. This year’s group was exceptionally festive and helpful. The following week, the class met for a Holiday Social at Cob & Pen. The enthusiasm and camaraderie amongst the women is contagious. The January meeting was held at Explorations V, with an emphasis on Membership Council. Groups split up and were treated to a roundrobin introduction to each committee that falls under the council. Upcoming meetings will be held at Catapult and The Polk Theatre. Education & Training Each General Membership Meeting presents an opportunity for League Members to receive customized training relevant to their interests. At our September meeting, the Board and Committee Chairs responded to previously submitted questions on Board governance, operational practices, and other important questions. In October, Derek Oxford, CFP portfolio analyst for CPS investors, provided helpful budgeting tips for smart money management during the holidays season. The November training focused on healthy eating choices by SuperFit Foods. And for our January meeting, Tiffany Hawks provided an informative training on the nominating process. This was a very timely training as our January GMM also serves as the opportunity to vote on the slate for our Board. Future trainings will focus on how to dress for various professional settings and a female empowerment event with PACE.
SPECIAL EVENTS
PROVISIONAL SOCIAL AT COB & PEN
HOLIDAY COOKIE EXCHANGE
A NIGHT IN THE NORTH POLE THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF GREATER LAKELAND TURNS DOWNTOWN INTO A CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND
On the first Thursday of December for 37 years, The Junior League partners with the City of Lakeland to transform downtown Lakeland into a winter wonderland. Santa comes to town for one special night of fireworks, floats and family-fun for all.
This year’s theme was “A Night in the North Pole.” Floats were decorated as such, sporting everything from Christmas trees, baby animals and even airplanes!
The streets were lined with thousands of people from all around our community. Chairs began lining the streets a week in advance in prime seating locations. As one of the biggest events in Lakeland, it’s often a family tradition that most would not pass up. Santa and his reindeer rode down the streets of downtown Lakeland signaling that Christmas had finally arrived. As the twinkling lights filled the eyes of children, Santa and Mrs. Claus waved and wished each child a very Merry Christmas. But, just as tradition goes, Santa had to return to the North Pole and begin preparations for Christmas Eve night.
SUSTAINER SPOTLIGHT:
VIRGINIA TACKE ASKEW When you speak of Lakeland icons, the name of sustainer Virginia Tacker Askew will always be included in the conversation. This 97-year old dynamo is loved by all who know her and is still actively making a difference in our community today. Virginia was born July 14, 1920 in Lakeland, attended Lakeland High School, received her elementary education degree from Florida State University and returned to Lakeland to teach at Central Avenue School and married Harry L. Askew , Jr. in 1947. At age 30, she joined the Lakeland League, and as was custom at that time, all League provisionals went to Phillips Photography to have their photos taken to be featured on the society page of the Lakeland Ledger. Mr. Phillips did not think that Virginia’s provisional photo did her justice and invited her back for a painted portrait. That portrait of Virginia hangs above the buffet in her dining room today, a reminder of her service and friendships in the Junior League of Lakeland. When asked about some of her favorite projects and memories while active in the League, she will tell you it was all about spending time working on projects with friends.
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While serving as chairman of the Bargain Box committee, she started the “Bargain Box Tea.” Publix donated large brown paper bags and invitations to the tea were printed on the bags. Guests came to the tea with bags filled with donations for the Bargain Box. It was a huge success. Passing on her fundraising talents, Virginia’s daughter, Mary Hinson, was co-chairman of the Thrift Sale during her time in the Lakeland League. The Junior League Follies was another favorite League event for Virginia and her husband, Harry. They were in several musical performances together. In the production, GIRL CRAZY, Virginia was in charge of props for the performance. She remembers George Jenkins graciously let the League use space in one of the Publix warehouses and Publix donated all the lumber and sent carpenters to help construct the follies sets. Virginia is still active at First United Methodist Church, P.E.0, as a League Sustainer and involved in many other organizations. She has no plans of slowing down and is an inspiration and blessing to everyone around her.
SPOTLIGHT ON STYLE As committee members began to prep and plan for Spotlight on Style, the goal was to build on what the League had done the previous year, and to take a few risks: a new venue, a new look and more style than last year proved to be hurdles we met head-on. This year, we were thrilled to host the event at Haus 820, a new event venue in Lakeland, as well as introduce men’s styles into the show.
From the moment the doors opened, guests were met with the clean, crisp look of the white linens draping the room, the delightful aromas from Chef Marcos and his Nineteen61 team and the hustle and bustle of our guests and vendors. Pop-up shop vendors were bustling with crowds of perusing customers. With a larger venue, the committee was committed to bringing more fashion, more models and adding men’s fashion. They did just that by delivering 92 looks in all---40 more than in its inaugural year! Each look was carefully planned by our committee stylists and retailers to bring the audience the best of what Fall Fashion in Central Florida has to offer. League members, community leaders, business owners, civic leaders and professional models volunteered their time to walk the runway. With 25 female models, eight male models and 92 looks in all, Spotlight on Style required a large crew and an extremely detailed backstage operation. With the help of the dedicated crew, dressers and volunteers, everyone worked together prepping models in head-to-toe looks.
This year we were also able to partner with the team at Top Buttons, a local nonprofit with a heart for building self-esteem in women through fashion. During the intermission of the show, Top Buttons shared how they are impacting the lives of young women in our community. We were also able to have a few of the girls walk in the show.
Thank you to everyone who sponsored, volunteered and attended our second annual Spotlight on Style! We look forward to another great event next year.
BOOK REVIEW READ BETWEEN THE WINES
Read Between The Wines is a book club for all. It has encouraged League members to read literature from many different genres. Included topics have been easy beach reads to books that contain controversial topics provoking lengthy discussion. We meet about every 6 weeks depending on the season and availability of members. At the meeting, the group decides on the book to be discussed at the next meeting. Someone volunteers to host the meeting and everyone brings a sweet treat, appetizer or drink to share. During the several years I have been involved, we have read over 40 books and developed new friendships. All are welcome to attend. The articles that follow were written by ladies who have been attending Read Between The Wines for some time and have reviewed a piece of literature we have read. Happy Reading! - Gloria Lunz
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Reviewed by Candice Fager The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a non-fiction historical book that encompasses all with a humanity and humility by the author Rebecca Skloot. Ms. Skloot is a science writer but this book reads like a novel. Henrietta Lacks is a 31-year-old African-American woman who sought treatment in 1951 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer and treated with radium and x-ray therapy. Unbeknown to Henrietta or her family, some of the tissue was removed from her tumor and sent down to George Gey’s lab at Hopkins to be cultured, or grown, in test tubes. Gey had been trying for years to get cells to
divide continuously so that the scientific community could have an infinite supply of human cells for medical research. The cells (now known as the HeLa cells) of Henrietta multiplied prolifically. They were the first immortal human cell line grown in cultures used for research in space, polio and gene mapping and they are still used today. Henrietta did not survive the cancer or treatments and died at the age of 31 leaving an uneducated husband and 5 children. The emotional impact her death had on their lives is poignant and heart breaking. Henrietta’s cells helped to save thousands of lives but nearly destroyed her family. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was one of my favorite books with multiple profound topics for discussion in our Read Between the Wines Jr. League Book Club. We all have some of Henrietta’s HeLa cells in our DNA through our many inoculations and this is a fascinating biography how we received them.
The Nightingale Reviewed by Gail Blumengarten The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah is a riveting story of two sisters living in France during World War II. The sisters have very different personalities, which lead them to follow separate paths in order to survive the war. The younger sister joins the Resistance. The oldest fights to protect her daughter and save other Jewish children from certain death. One theme of the book club’s discussion focused on service members coming home from war and trying to resume the lives they had left behind. This must have been a difficult task for PTSD was not recognized then. Several members shared personal stories of their father’s returning home and adjusting to civilian life again. Another discussion centered around the bravery and resilience of the characters. The married sister’s husband returns to find his wife raising a Jewish child she passed off as a nephew, while pregnant due to a German soldier raping her, a fact she tries to hide as conceived the night he returned. The reader suspects the husband knows but trusts his wife’s love for him and accepts the child as his. The younger sister becomes the Nightingale who transports downed airman across the Pyrenees mountains to safety while risking her own life many times. After reading many harrowing events, we asked ourselves: Could we be as brave? This is a great read which is difficult to put down!
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All the Light We Cannot See Reviewed by Conni Shelnut After devouring some amazing tomes in our Read Between the Wines Junior League book club, I easily favored All the Light
We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Set in 1934, the novel plunges us into World War II through a plot involving a blind French girl, Marie-Laure LeBlanc, and an orphaned Nazi, Werner Pfennig. The title itself symbolizes Marie-Laure’s life situation as she feels her way along through both familiar and unfamiliar settings and eventually finds herself in the French Resistance movement. Poignant imagery--sounds, tastes and smells--enhance our “vision” of her experiences, as certain pages engage all the senses except sight. Since I prefer books that develop characters and evoke descriptions, I was spellbound with this one. While sometimes club members disagree on the books we select, I cannot remember anyone’s critical reception of All the Light We Cannot See. With discussion enhanced by camaraderie, gourmet nibbles, and an assortment of wines, book club members share their thoughts on the books we read, sometimes negative and sometimes euphoric. A
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A Man Called Ove Reviewed by Kami Lawson Moving to Lakeland just 2 years ago I was very fortunate to find there was a League book club. I had been in book clubs for years before joining this group. I love that it challenges me to read books I would not have normally picked for myself. This book club has covered everything from a summer beach read books that bring controversial topics into our discussion.
One of my favorite books, and it is hard to pick a favorite, was A Man Called Ove. This book really engaged me because I was able to connect the character with a person in my own life. This book was about what I refer to as “grumpy old man” but that man had such a great heart and purpose in life. The discussion regarding this book was so interesting because I felt as everyone has this ‘grumpy’ man character around them, and knows that there is a truly wonderful heart hiding inside. Book club not only keeps Junior League sustainers connected, it has also brought in some actives and a provisional that not only loved the reading aspect of Book Club, but also conversation of the history of the League and learning that your League activity doesn’t end when you go Sustaining. I am truly grateful for the wonderful women that have been brought into my life through Book Club.
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MEMBERSHIP NOTES February Corresponding Report • 37 Provisionals • 119 Actives • 354 Sustainers • 38 SEs Celebrating the birth of • Emory David Swartz, son of Erin DeWitt and John Swarts • James “Bo” Henry Kidwell Jr., son of Holly and Jimmy Kidwell • Collins Reese Huffman, daughter of Lauren and Joshua Huffman Congratulations to • Past President Stephanie Madden on being elected to the Lakeland City Commission in November • Sara McIntyre on her marriage to David Scoynes • Tiffany Osler on her engagement to Bill Kilpatrick • The 2018-2019 Junior League of Greater Lakeland Board of Directors who were voted in by the membership at our January general membership meeting: President: Callie Miller / Finance VP: Erin Montgomery / Treasurer: Heather Jones / Funding Director: Stacy Walsh / Asst Funding Director: Rachel Cashdollar / Community VP: Paulette Brown / Asst Community VP: Emily Paladino / Communications VP: Katherine Fitzwater /Asst Communications VP: Alexa Russo / Membership VP: Jessica Brown / Asst Membership VP: Alyss Ruster / Secretary: Carley James / Corresponding Secretary: Courtney Larson In Memory • Past President Nancy Streeter Peterson • Sustainer Elizabeth Allen • Margaret Ellen Marie Vinson Lee, mother of Donna Plank and grandmother of Emily Plank
If you have member news you would like us to share in future newsletters, please email news@jlgl.org.
PO BOX 8797 | LAKELAND, FL 33806 863.682.2112 | JLGL.ORG |
To rent the historic Sorosis Building for your next event, visit JuniorLeagueSorosisBuilding.com or email us at rentals@jlgl.org.
SAVE THE DATE for the annual meeting and 85th anniversary celebration at Lone Palm Golf Club.
Formal invitation to come.