One JLBR Member's ODI Experience

by Sara Ritzler

In March, the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) held their first Organizational Development Institute (ODI) conference of 2011 in Tampa. Junior League of Boca Raton members Marya Gill, Jackie Schatz, Allison Lane, Shannon Moriarity, and I were honored to represent our League at the 3 day event which brings together representatives from Leagues all over the United States, Canada, Mexico and even London. ODI is a powerful experience designed to help develop our potential as League members through workshops, discussions on thought provoking topics and networking opportunities. The goal is to then bring those skills and ideas back to our own Leagues.

The opportunity to interact with other League members is both inspiring and enlightening. It was a fantastic and humbling experience to witness the power of nearly 160,000 women from 292 Leagues making a crucial difference in their communities. Over the course of the conference I was fascinated to learn about the various projects and issues other Leagues have undertaken.

• The Junior League of Atlanta is working on a Pilot Project to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
• The Junior League of Alexandria, La. partnered with Pregnancy Care Closet to help teenage mothers shop in the closet if they completed parenting classes.
• The Junior League Long Beach teamed up with their local metal health department to raise awareness for perinatal depression.
• Several leagues including those in Memphis, Baton Rouge and Kalamazoo have a “Cinderella Project” where gently used dressed are donated to junior and senior girls in need of a prom dresses.
• The Junior League of London is working on a project to foster an interest in reading and a love of books to young children from low-income families. The League is working with Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library and Penguin UK to mail one book per month to each enrolled child.

The list goes on and on but I think you get the point. ODI is an incredible League conference that every Leaguer should participate in at some point during their League experience. It reaffirmed my love of the League and a desire to make a important difference in our community.

FORE!

Golf is in the air! Have you all seen the movie The Wedding Date? If you have, remember the scene where they are at the joint bachelor/bachelorette party all decked out in crazy golf attire? Well, last month two of my friends who were getting married did the same thing! We all put on our randomest combination of golf wear and and had a good time. Check out these crazy socks!

Needless to say, we had a blast! Not two weeks after that, another friend decided to go mini golfing for his birthday. Can you remember the last time you went mini golfing?! Well, for me it was awhile -- but I still managed to win a bet at the 17th hole by sinking my ball in first.

At the rate this year is flying by, it will be April 15th before we know it! Besides being the last work day before taxes are due, April 15th is also the day of the Junior League of Boca Raton's 3rd Annual Golf Classic at Royal Palm Country Club. The event will bring local businesses and community partners together with the goal of raising essential funds for our community projects.

So, I suggest you gather up a group of friends and meet us on the green!

Stay tuned to JLBR in Action for more information as the event gets closer. If you'd like to know more about it sooner than later, visit the Junior League of Boca Raton's website, or call us at 561-620-2553.

Booster Seats and Baby Bottoms

Wanna hear about two quick and easy ways you can help the Junior League of Boca Raton help our community?

"Quick...easy...help....?"  Yeah, I thought you would.

Booster Seats

Did you know that Florida's law requiring child car restraints only up to age 3 is the most lenient in the country, according to the National Transportation Safety Board?  The Junior League of Boca Raton, together with other Junior Leagues in Florida, have made booster seat legislation a priority issue for which we advocate. Click here to learn more about our take on the issue and what we are doing.

How can I help?
For $25, you can donate a booster seat. All you have to do is visit our website, jlbr.org, to donate, and we'll take care of the rest.  All money collected will go to purchasing booster seats and donating them to local organizations whose clients have a need for them. These organizations will be identified through the Spirit of Giving Network.

Baby Bottoms

Did you know that 1 in 3 moms are struggling to provide diapers for their babies? The Junior League of Boca Raton is partnering with the Huggies® Every Little Bottom program to raise awareness about diaper need and to help address the need in our community and across the U.S.

How can I help?
Donate diapers! You can bring them to the our office at 261 NW 13th Street in Boca. Or you can donate money on our website and we'll buy the diapers for you.

A Provisional Point of View

The Junior League is a complex and active group of women working in various capacities to support both itself and lend support to the community at large. Because the Junior League is such a dynamic organization, members first engage in a Provisional period of training and volunteer activities to prepare them for effective community involvement and active membership.

Shawn Sherlock, a current Provisional Member of the Junior League of Boca Raton, shares her experience:

The list is endless in the reasons why ANY one woman should or would join the Junior League of Boca Raton. But, topping the list of why “I” specifically joined: to be part of a group of strong and passionate women who want to truly want to make a difference in their community. I soon learned one way I could make a difference was by learning from our fantastic leaders. From the get go, I have taken the time to meet with JL chairs and committee members to learn the ropes so to speak. Thus far, it’s been a fantastic way for me to learn how by being a member can go a long way in working with vendors in your area. It’s especially been fantastic in aiding my role as Co-Chair for this March’s “Sex in the City” themed General Membership Meeting. I look forward in further engaging myself with my leaders as I delve into the new role of Incoming Chair Elect for The Bridge, the Junior League of Boca Raton's magazine. I would also like to say that anyone who joins the League would also agree the bonds within this group are so strong. The relationships that start here last for a lifetime. I am truly honored to be part of such a force. I look forward to a fantastic 2011 and many years to come!


Click here for more information about joining the Junior League of Boca Raton.

Chocolate Decadence Online

The Sweetest Party is town is taking place next Thursday, February 3rd at The Shops at Boca Center. It's sure to be -- well -- a pretty sweet time. ;-)  Chocolate Decadence has quite a footprint on the internet. Here are a few sites you can visit for more information:

• The Chocolate Decadence website has the most information in one place and is also where you can buy your tickets.
• The Chocolate Decadence Facebook page currently shows more than 175 people attending, and that number is sure to increase as the date gets closer! Check this page out to see if any of your friends are going, or to invite your friends to join you. You can also visit the JLBR's Chocolate Decadence Facebook page here.
• Do you tweet? The Chocolate Decadence Twitter page created by LivingFLA.com has been all a-buzz lately! This is a good way to get immediate information about the latest updates to the event.
• The Sun-Sentinel also recently wrote a piece about The Sweetest Party in Town.

If you still have questions, feel free to call the Junior League office at 561-620-2553. I've attended Chocolate Decadence every year since I've been involved in the JLBR (this is my 4th year). It's delicious and fun! Hope to see you there!

Whole Food's "5% Day" to Support the Boca Raton Community Garden

The Boca Raton Community Garden is a partnership between The Junior League of Boca Raton (JLBR) and The City of Boca Raton.  Boca Raton city officials have entrusted JLBR to design and construct a Community Garden by Boca's downtown library.  The garden will foster environmental sustainability and stewardship, advance horticultural and nutritional education, provide a beautiful and natural retreat, and produce a healthy supplemental food source for its gardeners and the hungry.

Next Tuesday, January 18th, Whole Foods Market on Glades Road will donate 5% of all sales to the Boca Raton Community Garden. And that's not all: kids can participate in free mini-garden classes from 3 - 4:30 where they will get the opportunity to decorate clay pots. Adults can have their fun later that evening: from 6 - 8:30 p.m. is a Helping Happy Hour. For a $10 donation, you can sample locally-produced beer, wine made from sustainably grown grapes, and garden inspired hors d’ouevres made with fresh and locally grown ingredients. Proceeds will also benefit the Community Garden.  More information on 5% Day can be found on the Whole Foods blog.

We hope to see you there! 


Click here to learn more about the Boca Raton Community Garden.

2011 Blog Resolutions

Happy New Year! It's official -- we're done with 2010, on with 2011, and you know what that means....New Years Resolutions!

As you know, JLBR in Action was born just this last year. In her first full year of life, I have these resolutions for the blog:

1. More guest contributors - I know you enjoy hearing from me, but the beauty of the League is that it is an organization of hundreds of amazing women. I'd like to hear their voices more.

2. Penetration outside of Junior League members - JLBR in Action is, of course, a great way for us in the League to see what's going on Leaguewide. But I'd also like other members of the community to come here to see what we're doing.

3. Internation with other blogs and readers in general - One of the great things about blogging is that it provides a forum for conversation. I'd like to see these posts because conversation starters in addition to being nice reads.

That's all for now. I feel if you put forth too many resolutions, you can run the risk of them being unattainable because of feasibility of number. But let me ask you -- what would YOU like to see on JLBR in Action in 2011?