The League Pulse Archives
The Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri: women building better communities.
Celebrating 25 Years of Above & Beyond Parsley
Jan Flanagan, Margaret Latshaw and Jane Guthrie in front of a large copy of the cookbook cover.
On October 12, the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri’s headquarters was transformed into a wonderland of culinary delights. The occasion? The 25th anniversary of our last cookbook, Above & Beyond Parsley.
Cookbook Co-Chairs Jane Guthrie and Jan Flanagan first began discussing an idea to mark the occasion almost a year ago. By early spring, with the assistance of Lyn Cravens Wagner, Martha Steele, and Siobhan McLaughlin-Lesley, plans were underway. With 150 recipe testers and an entire community of collaborators, planning a celebration and reunion of this magnitude would become a huge undertaking for this dedicated group.
Countless phone calls were made and letters were sent out inviting all those who had been a part of this endeavor so many years ago to come back and revisit the JLKCMO. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you” became a common phrase that was echoed throughout the evening as guests mingled and reminisced. Sustainer Ginny Beall showed up with a file full of recipes tested by the Appetizer Committee, complete with notes and ratings of all the recipes submitted. Cookbooks could be added to your collection thanks to the efforts of Jan Rowe, who snags up every copy she sees for resale at her business, The Red Shed, in the West Bottoms. All proceeds from the sale of Above & Beyond Parsley that night, as well as its predecessors, Company’s Coming and Beyond Parsley were donated back to the League.
Twelve Sustainers, wanting to reengage with old friends, rejoined the League as a result of this amazing event. All in all, it was a beautiful night with our wonderful and engaging hostesses, Jan and Jane. With arrangements from the cookbook’s floral designer, Chuck Matney, and food and drink recipes pulled directly from the pages of Above & Beyond Parsley, it was a beautiful night at JLKCMO headquarters.
The League Pulse Archives 
Thank you! It was a fabulous event and even more former members have rejoined the League since the event. They realized the importance of their League experiences and their League friends. We welcome them back!