President's Blog: Take 2!

This year, we have been working hard to reach out to JLW members to see how we can make their time with the League as rewarding as possible. One way we’re doing that is by listening to what you, our membership, thinks about the JLW’s many efforts through the Annual Membership Survey.

By simply taking 10 minutes of your time and filling out the survey you’ll be providing the League with valuable information that will be used to further enhance your League experience for years to come.

You might wonder why some of the questions are the same as in years past.  This is because we need to track responses from year to year so as to gauge our progress on how the membership feels the JLW is progressing within its three main goals as outlined in the Strategic Plan: Building Community Impact, Building the JLW Brand, and Building an Internal Sense of Community.

Please, help out the JLW and take 10 minutes and fill out the survey so we can hear what you have to say about your JLW experience. #JLWlistens

A First Taste of JLW Membership!

The New Member Potluck on August 3 was a rousing success. Over one hundred women attended the kick-off event for the new member year. Advisors and new members shared their favorite dishes, drinks, and desserts while getting to know each other.

 

This event highlights the enthusiasm that both our new members and our advisors have for making the upcoming JLW year the best ever.  The fun (but none of the drinks) spilled over into each of the rooms of the house, with women chatting, making new friends and catching up with old ones. 

The outstanding turn-out at this first event is very encouraging for the upcoming year and the great attendance we are sure to have at Saturday Session on September 7 and beyond. Look out ladies this new member class is energized and they are ready to be excellent stewards of JLW and the community!

If you are interested in joining the JLW for the 2014-2015 year, follow this link to learn more about how to become a member of our organization.

There’s an app for that? There’s a GROUP for that!

Love running? There’s a group for that.
Live in Arlington? There’s a group for that.
Enjoy good food and fine wine? There’s a group for that.
Work in Dupont Circle? There’s a group for that.

The Membership Outreach Committee is dedicated to helping members make connections, build relationships and have the best League experience possible. One way ladies can meet each other is to gather around common interests. The Small Groups Program matches members with common interests and/or locations in order to foster strong relationships. Each small group of five to eight women, meets monthly to socialize and/or to attend JLW events together.

JLW Small Groups have two cycles, one in the fall and another in the spring. The Fall Kick-Off Event was held on Tuesday, October 18, in the courtyard at League Headquarters. Approximately 100 ladies gathered for a wine tasting and an opportunity to meet their fellow group members. There was delicious food, stimulating conversation and a variety of wine. League members mingled and met their fellow small group members for the first time. Now the groups will plan their own outings and activities for the coming months.

Membership Outreach is looking forward to hearing about all the fun events the ladies plan and attend together. If you missed the fall kick-off and are interested in joining a group in the spring, keep an eye out for details in January!

 

Three dozen name tags and a room full of women

On Monday evening, seeing the crowd of new bright-eyed potential new members was a wonderful sight. It reminded me of just how diverse our talented group of members  truly is. Out of the several dozen ladies looking for more information on the League, I talked with a hopeful member from California who had just moved to Washington for an internship with a federal agency. A group away, there was a mother looking for a new way to get involved in her community.

It was my first time attending an Open House as an active member of the Junior League and what a difference a year has made! Looking back, I remember being one of the several dozen young women, anxiously meeting as many of the members I could, exchanging stories of how we all got to Washington.

I talked about my mini-placement on A Capital Collection – those evenings folding invitations with fellow members at the Junior League Headquarters and the weekend leading up to the main event. Potential new members asked about my volunteering for our various community placements and the many opportunities the League offers to help within our organization. It’s wonderful to talk about something you truly enjoy being a part of and it certainly served as a wonderful reminder of all of the opportunities the Junior League of Washington provides for our members.

If you don’t know who we are, visit our website at www.jlw.org and find out how you can get connected! If you are interested in becoming a member of the Junior League of Washington, please visit http://www.jlw.org/?nd=membership_join.  I look forward to seeing you at one of our next Open Houses.

Stephanie
JLW Member, Web & Tech Committee