Board of Directors
President Emily Lindberg President-Elect Heather Zgaljardic Community Vice President Natili Monsrud Secretary Lindsey Serrette Communications Vice President Jessica Stautberg Finance Vice President Lauren Millo Fund Development Vice President Courtney Carnes Membership Vice President Pamela Petty Past President Lynsey Ginsberg
Our Mission
The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
Articles for the next month’s edition of Tropical Topics are due to Ida Krause (idakrause@gmail.com) by the 20th of the month prior.
2
In This Issue Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page
4 5 6 7 8 10 11 13
President’s Message April General Meeting Fun Run Kendra Gives Back Provisional Project Did You Know? Board Spotlight Upcoming Events
3
President’s Message What a great time we had at the 4th Annual Junior League of Galveston County, Inc. “Community Heroes 5K/10K Fun Run”! We had over 250 runners of all ages dressed in their superhero best! The event went off without a hitch, thanks to our own community heroes, Chair Lacey Searcy, Co-Chair Jordan Lopez and the entire Spring Fundraising team. Lacey and Jordan made it seem effortless! The rain held off until we were all packed up and a great time was had by all. Thank you to everyone who helped: volunteers, Junior Junior Leaguers, League City Police Department, husbands, parents, vendors, and, of course, all of you who entered the race and brought your friends! We are getting so close to the end of the League year, but we have so much left to do! This month is packed with great opportunities to volunteer. Jocelyn Sullivan, Sustainer President, will be hosting the Provisional/Sustainer Tea, we will be choosing our scholarship recipients and holding a reception in their honor, giving away the Scholastic books at Hughes Road Elementary, we’ll be cleaning and organizing the TA building and the Provisional Class will be completing their project at Gulf Health Care Center in Galveston, just to name a few. President-Elect Heather Zgaljardic, will heading up the Board Retreat and the Chair Retreat in preparation for next year. Whew! That’s just some of what is going on this month! Lastly, our Annual Dinner will be held at Haak Winery and Vinyards in Santa Fe on Monday, May 8th. We will be “Wine-ding Down” our League year by celebrating our Provisionals, who will be changing over to Active Status and our Actives that are going Sustainer. It is going to be a fabulous night and I hope you all can join us.
Happy Easter!
Emily Emily Lindberg President, 2016-2017 Mission Driven. Member Focused!
4
April General Meeting Our April meeting will be on the second floor of The Spot on Galveston Island. There will be light appetizers and a cash bar. See you at The Spot! Monday, April 10, 2017 3204 Seawall Blvd. Galveston, TX 77550 6 p.m. – Social 6:30 p.m. – Meeting
5
Fun Run Thanks to all who volunteered their time, participated by running in the fun run, recruited your friends and family to participate, and those that chose to support our league through sponsorships or underwriting for the run. Your efforts will help ensure the ongoing ability of the League to give back to our community though our mission as well as spread the word and visibility of our League within the communities we support!
6
Provisional Project The time is here for the annual Provisional Project and this year's class is aiming high and getting their hands dirty! This year's class has taken on a beautification project at Gulf Health Care Center in Galveston and will be doing all of the heavy lifting and dirty work on Saturday, April 22. Our resources are limited and in order to be successful, WE NEED YOUR HELP! To make it easier on you, you don't even have to pick up the items we need donated. Simply purchase online or the next time you visit Home Depot and the items will be picked up by one of our eager girls. Here's how: To simplify the donation process, a registry has been set up in store and online (online Registry URL is https://www.myregistry.com/organization/Indira-Harchandani-LeagueCity-Tx/1343745) Directions for both are included in the attached document. Whether you purchase in store or online, please make sure to: 1. purchase from the Galveston (island) or Webster (mainland) Home Depot locations 2. leave it at the store for an in-store pickup by a provisional. Remember how rewarding and amazing your Provisional Project was? Let's help this class feel the love and support of all of our actives.
8
JLGC PROVISIONAL PROJECT – REGISTRY DIRECTIONS NOTE 1: if you have problems or questions, contact Indira (832-577-4652 for online registry) or Michelle Cooney (631-707-4524) for in-store questions. NOTE 2: If you would like to purchase or donate flowers that are not on the registry, we would love that as well. The flowers on the registry were simply a suggestion, but please make sure they are not toxic and have no thorns, berries, fruits or vegetables.
To Purchase ONLINE: is the link to the My Registry site. Copy it to your search engine to shop if you have any problems clicking the link. https://www.myregistry.com/public/jlgcprovisionalproject2017
1) The My Registry site will redirect you to the Home Depot site. 2) On the left side of the first Home Depot screen, make sure you are shopping at the Galveston or Webster stores. 3) Select the items you want to purchase and make sure you SELECT OPTION for IN STORE PICKUP (again, for the Galveston or Webster locations of Home Depot) 4) Purchase item. At checkout, make sure the IN STORE PICKUP option is selected5) Per the directions, Go back to the My Registry link to update the registry 6) Send a quick text to one of the following provisional members to notify us of your purchase so we can arrange for pickup. This step is very important. a. Island – Michelle Cooney – 631-707-4524 or Dana Smidt 832-866-4040 b. Mainland – Indira Harchandani – 832-577-4652
To Purchase IN Store: 1) Make sure you are going to the Galveston location of Home Depot or the Webster, TX location of Home Depot 2) Visit service desk to get a copy of the registry. Registry #6574-331148 or you can search under JLGC. 3) Give a copy of the registry to cashier with the items being purchased from registry. 4) After payment & checkout bring purchased item(s) to the service desk 5) Inform service desk that you purchased an item from the JLGC gift registry and are leaving purchased item(s) under “JLGC” for a Junior League Provisional to pick up. 6) Send a quick text to one of the following. Home Depot should also be contacting us, but it will be helpful for us to have a heads up. a. Mainland – Indira Harchandani – 832-577-4652 b. Island – Michelle Cooney – 631-707-4524 or Dana Smidt 832-866-4040
OR you can bring any purchased item(s) to the April General Meeting
Did You Know? Last month, I wrote about all the activities that accompany the end of the school year (read – the League year) and offered up some tips for how to manage it all. Did it help?? As April swoops in and life is still very much, “Game on!” I am reminded of two idioms that I think have much to offer the women in the Junior League of Galveston County. April showers bring May flowers – yes, the point of this saying is to remind us all that while the month of April may bring more rain, the end result will be the blossoming of beautiful flowers come May. In our personal life, I urge you all to remember that while we are in the swing of all our activities – Fun Run, Trash Bash, Easter prep, school testing, wedding planning, preparing for baby, extra work assignments, overtime – and maybe you all are handling everything with the greatest of ease (thanks to my handy tips back in March, haha!), please know that you are working towards an end result and it will blossom with the beauty reflecting the hard work you are exerting now. Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses – and yes, while the above is absolutely true, I am certainly not advocating us all to work and toil our sweat and tears until we have absolutely nothing left. Balance your efforts towards those blossoming flowers in May with the flowers that currently surround you. Blue bonnets are blooming in full swing – enjoy them. Remember to schedule in rest time to be with your family and loved ones. The laundry, the dirty dishes, the dusty floors, the assignments at work – it can all wait. Practice your time management and know what needs to be done now and what you can set aside for the moment. Drop everything, grab your kids, grab your significant other or your girlfriends and get out of the house! It’s a beautiful time to be in Galveston County and we will never get this precious time back.
Happy April, ladies! Much love, Elizabeth Cuchens
10
Board Spotlight Name: Courtney Carnes League role/position: Fund Development VP Years in the League: 4 Are you originally from this area? If not, where are you from and what brought you here? Nope I am from Katy, I came down to Galveston to teach in an area I knew kids needed extra love and attention from their teachers because a lot of them don't have the best home life. Then I met my Mother in Law at a school I transferred to. All the veteran teachers would talk to me about their single son or grandson and she quietly mentioned that she had a son too. My MIL is a sweet reserved woman so she is not one to try to pimp him out :) I saw him at Yagas shrimp festival night and stopped him explaining that I was friends with his mom. He asked me on a date and the rest is history! I was a permanent Galveston resident and now I wouldn't have it any other way. How did you get involved in the League? I had a friend who joined the year before me who really encouraged me to join. I knew I wanted to join with my SIL so we waited until that following year and joined together.
11
What do you do outside of the League? Oh lordy, what don't I do? HA! I have two kids who stay with me, I do accounts payable & receivable for my husband’s business. I also am an Auxiliary member for the Gideons & I recently did OUT 2 EAT for Education with the educational foundation. I also try to stay active in my church, Coastal Community Church and help whenever I can with different events. What’s a unique or fun fact about yourself that not many people know? I am not that interesting honestly, I have always been horrible at math. I mean down right horrible. The funny thing is I got a teaching position teaching math. (My mom laughed her butt off when I first told her) and I taught it for 4 years. Plus now I do accounting for my husbands company... I was a gymnast for most of my childhood. I have lived in or traveled to most of the states. I am a military brat. What is your guilty pleasure? Wine & Bread Pudding from Rudy & Pacos. It will make your day no matter how bad of a day it has been.
12
Upcoming Events • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
4/4: Board meeting 4/5: DIAD Women’s Conference 4/6: DIAD Women’s Conference 4/6: Provisional/Sustainer Tea, 5:30 p.m. Evia in Galveston 4/8: Junior Junior League Mainland, Community Garden 4/8: TA Building Work Day, 9-11 AM 4/10: General Meeting, The Spot (3204 Seawall Blvd, Galveston) 4/17: Provisional Meeting, Butler Longhorn Museum 4/17: Shriner’s Easter Baskets 4/18: Nominating Placement meeting 4/19: Shriner’s Easter Baskets 4/21: Chair Board Reports Due 4/24: VP Board Reports Due 4/26: Scholarship Reception at TA Building, Galveston 5/1: Membership requirement deadline 5/1: Chair Annual Report Due 5/2: Board meeting 5/8: Annual dinner 5/15: VP Annual Report Due 5/15: Reimbursement Deadline
13