November 2015 • Issue 3
In This Issue: • Holiday Shoppes 20th Anniversary • Sustainers Celebrate Mary Harriman • Phase I Paperwork • Holiday Shoppes Update • 95 for 95 Recap • Leadership Changes • Meeting Notes • October GMM Recap • JLS Book Club • Sustainer News
MARK YOUR CALENDARS November GMM • Cancelled November 13: 20th Anniversary Holiday Shoppes Special Event • 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. • Horticulture Building, NYS Fairgrounds
THE HOLIDAY SHOPPES: A 20 YEAR HISTORY A CNY TRADITION As we begin to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of The Holiday Shoppes, we reflect on what it has taken to make this longstanding fundraiser such a success. 24 years ago … In 1992, President Elect Carolyn Martin attended an AJLI conference, where she learned about the JL of Austin Texas’s fundraiser called, “A Christmas Affair.” At that time, the JLS had two fundraisers; “All Through the House” and “A Whale of a Sale”, held on alternate years. The two events required an enormous amount of JLS member involvement and brought in a limited amount of revenue. Knowing this, Carolyn proposed that the JLS investigate something similar to the JL Austin’s “A Christmas Affair.” The JL of Mississippi offered a training binder about their fundraiser “Mistletoe Marketplace”, which Carolyn suggested the purchase of (at a cost of $50), thus beginning The Holiday Shoppes transformation.
November 17: Board Meeting • Social 5:30 p.m.; Meeting 6 p.m. • JLS Office
In the Fall of 1994, the JL of Austin Texas offered on-site training. The JLS could only afford to pay for one airline ticket to Austin. President Susan Shubmehl offered to use her frequent flyer miles, and to stay with a cousin in Austin, who had a car they could borrow. For approximately $100 per person, Susan and Liz Zlomek attended a two-day training and received a “how to” tour and training manual. Susan and Liz presented to the JLS membership in January 1995. A motion was made to begin research. A month later, reflected in the February 23rd 1995 Holiday Mart Involvement Group minutes, “The involvement group unanimously agreed to recommend to the Finance Committee that the JLS proceed with a Holiday Mart in the fall of 1996, an annual fundraiser for a period of not less than three consecutive years beginning in 1996”.
December 8: GMM and Holiday Potluck • Social 6 p.m.; Meeting 6:30 p.m. • JLS Ballroom
In the Fall of 1996, after four years of research and development, President Barbara Benedict opened the doors of the Horticultural Building at the NYS fairgrounds, marking the start of The
November 13-15: Holiday Shoppes • Friday, November 13, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. • Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. • Sunday, November 15, 12 p.m. -5 p.m. • Horticulture Building, NYS Fairgrounds
Junior League of Syracuse’s Holiday Shoppes. At the first HS there were 67 merchants with net proceeds of $23,608. The Holiday Shoppes has continued to grow and flourish. We have grown from 67 to 145 vendors, with an attendance of more than 5,000. The Holiday Shoppes has provided training for its members, assisted with member relationship building and increased visibility of the JLS throughout the community; all while raising funds to further underwrite and support the League’s Mission. Beginning in October, The Holiday Shoppes buzz begins; billboards, advertisements, TV appearances and more show the excitement that the JLS Holiday Shoppes brings to our community. In 2015, The CNY Business Journal recognized the JLS’s accomplishments with the “Outstanding Fundraising Event” award. On November 13th, we will open the doors to The 20th Annual Holiday Shoppes, set in the same Horticultural Building that was home to our first event 20 years ago. Every member of the JLS has had a hand in the success of this event. From proposing the idea or serving on the committee, to working a shift - we all have something to be proud of. The 20th Anniversary of The Holiday Shoppes is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations and thank you! A special thank you goes out to Past President Lisa DeSilva for her initial research and article which was published in 2010. Let’s come together to share in the celebration on November 13th 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. at the NYS Fairgrounds! Contact the President: Jenny Jackson Donahoe: jljack06@syr.edu
The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • November 2015 | 1