The League Pulse Archives
The Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri: women building better communities.
Off to a great start!
This year’s first General Membership Meeting of the new League year was jam packed with more than 300 JLKCMO members and a focus on the importance of preparing for the future as we invest in both ourselves and the League.
Here are a few highlights:
- Laura Crowe, 1995-1996 President, discussed the value of not only being involved in the League, but of being involved in the community as well. She looked back fondly at all the connections she has made meeting and working with like-minded women at Jazzoo, Children’s Mercy Hospital, MOCSA and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. As she concluded her talk she left us with these words of inspiration, “The League has always provided me the opportunity to grow.”
- Katie Werner, Director of Finance, led math class and delivered an easy-to-understand analysis on how membership dues are utilized – along with thoughtful insights as to how we can protect the League for future growth.
- Jessica Todd, Community Volunteer & Grants Committee Step-up Chair, spoke as well and gave a high-level overview on the process for selecting our volunteer and grant recipients. Spoiler alert – there’ll be more to come on this in an upcoming blog!
- Cat Boles, Community Research Committee Co-Chair, walked us through our Signature Programs. Did you know there are five? Among them (several with new names) are: HealthyLivingKC, Healthy U Family Meals, Hope and Healing Kits, Inspire.Empower.Succeed., and LEAP for Kids. Signature Programs are homegrown programs that the League kicks off and transitions to the community and are funded with dollars raised through donations, Holiday Mart and Take Five.
- Rachel Kabukala, Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Ad Hoc Group Co-Chair, spoke on Signature Programs and the League’s Diversity and Inclusion initiative that’s rolling out this year. On D&I she said, “We’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do. Bringing a more diverse body will make us more effective and a better League.” To help us get started with this important initiative, D&I will be the focus of the November in-home meetings.
- Megan Allen and Casey Brownsberger, Holiday Mart Co-Chairs, capped off the evening with an incredibly creative and funny rendition of Jimmy Fallon’s thank you notes, getting everyone laughing and excited for Holiday Mart where there will be 215 retailers, a food truck court and a promise for yet another amazing shopping event!
The 2016-2017 year is off to a great start!
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