2000S

2000-2001 President: Ms. Tracy Cicardo
“Celebrating 60 years of Service to Central La.” – Celebrated League’s 60th Anniversary 1941-2001! Published the Entre Nous 14-page Town Talk Newspaper Insert Anniversary Edition. (League members sold Ads) Ethma Odum Special Report 5 days coverage of highlights & history of the League. Updated and rewrote League’s History VIDEO. Designed & displayed 8 Street Sign Banners highlighting mission & projects. Made available for sale, JLA Logo mugs cups, shirts, & magnets. Published 11 issues of Luminary with highlights of League 60-year history each month. May Dinner/60th Anniversary Celebration Saturday evening event with 275 in attendance including spouses/special guests, Alexandria Riverfront Center. First year to function under THE COUNCIL SYSTEM changed to 11 Board Members. Board Members took Birkman Leadership Training Course, and Board Retreat. 12:00 noon AND 7:00 p.m. General Meetings each month at Headquarters at Alexandria Mall. Began JLA ENDOWMENT FUND, with $10,000 from League. Created Membership Ledger. Created Master Calendar. Created Name Tag Boards at Headquarters. Created 5 Council Bulletin Boards & Cookbook Board at headquarters. Surveyed membership – staying with focus areas of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence. Converted Conference Room to Membership Workroom (new computer, workstation, etc.) Attended 2 PAC/SPAC Conferences as well as League Day at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, LA. Implemented 3 Community Projects: DOVE, Think Blink, & In Love & In Danger. DOVE: Held Fun Day at Turning Point Shelter for the battered women and their children, held Turning Point Shelter Employee appreciation day. Hosted Candlelight Vigil “Take Back the Night” with Family Counseling Agency. Donated $7000.00 to Legal Services. Participated in Chamber Map Project. Held Clergy Training. Donated $500.00 to Provisional Point Project for Turning Point. Donated 60 gallons paint to Turning Point Shelter. Think Blink: Brought in National renowned humorist & speaker Michael Pritchard to speak with area 6th graders about conflict resolution. (Including Renaissance Home, Aiken Optional, & the New Goals Program) In Love & In Danger: Held High School Counselor Training Session at Headquarters with speaker D.A. James Downs. Presented “In Love & In Danger” Video to area High School students on how to avoid & detect dangerous relationships. Adopted 4 new projects for 2001-2002: Dove, Think Blink, In Love & In Danger, The Junior League Foundation, and The Public Awareness Campaign. Had Willard Scott of “The Today Show” feature League’s Cookbook “Secret Ingredients” on the National NBC Morning Show. Had Mr. Food, national celebrity feature League’s cookbook. PAID OFF “Secret Ingredients” cookbook publishing cost of $137,000 to Favorite Recipes Press. Cookbook transferred $10,000 to the League. New to You transferred $58,600 to the League. New Sign put up at New to You. Held New to You Style how in partnership with Rapides Women’s Hospital for Ladies Night Out. Held Ways & Means internal financial audit. Recommended hiring of Part-time bookkeeper for League for 2001- 2002. Held Education/Training Seminars in place of a general meeting for Actives & Provisionals (Communicating with your Children, Simplifying your Life, Wine Tasting, Interior Design, & Cooking by the John Folse Academy) Held a “Survival Skit” for the Placement Showcase at February General Meeting. President, President-Elect, President Elect-Elect attended AJLI Conference in New York City in April 2001. Sent 4 League delegates to ODI Conference in Houston, Texas. President, President-Elect attended Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Changed Provisional Course back to 1 year. Created new Provisional manuals. Provisional Project: The Turning Point Shelter Turn Around Project. 24 Provisionals went Active. Proposed 32 New Provisionals for 2001-2002. Implemented new Sustainer Program with an Active Chairman. Held a Sustainer/Community Advisor Luncheon at Headquarters in August 2000. Held a Sustainer Social, Sustainer calligraphy class, and Sustainer/Provisional Party. Sustainer, and Actives going PROS. (4 actives going PROS for the first time) Celebrating 60th Anniversary, promoting and paying off of new fundraising cookbook “Secret Ingredients”, internal financial auditing, beginning of Endowment Fund, and changing our organizational structure to the Council System were major efforts for 2000-2001!

2001-2002 Mrs. Stephen Wheelis
The tragic events of September 11, 2001 brought our members together with a renewed sense of voluntarism. We began our general meetings in September by donating almost $1000 to the Disaster Relief Fund of the Junior League of New York to aid the victims of the terrible tragedy. We had 2 new projects this year…Junior League Foundation and Public Awareness Campaign…in addition to 3 continuing projects…Michael Pritchard Project, DoVE and In Love and In Danger. The Junior League Foundation awarded over $12,000 to organizations in Central Louisiana with projects falling in our focus areas. The Public Awareness Campaign spent $9595 providing public relations services to other agencies in our city that help in caring for victims of domestic violence and child abuse and work towards prevention of domestic violence and child abuse. Michael Pritchard returned to Cenla for his 5th year to work with the 6th graders of Rapides Parish in conflict resolution skills. We again were able to share Mr. Pritchard with Renaissance Home and Sheriff Hilton’s boot camp for troubled youth. DoVE was instrumental in hosting a “Done in a Day” project at Turning Point Shelter. Our members came out in force to treat the residents and their children to a birthday celebration, complete with gifts. Additionally, the committee collected much needed items for the residents of Turning Point throughout the League year. In Love and In Danger re-evaluated the current program and changed focus somewhat. The committee was instrumental in furnishing reference materials for the school-based nurses to use with teenagers, particularly in the area of avoiding abusive relationships. These materials will become part of a reference library that will continue to be used in our schools. Our League continued to function under the new Council System, which has proven to be a very effective way to conduct business. We began the League year with a new in-house bookkeeper to further streamline our way of conducting business. This move not only saved the League money by allowing us to cut our accounting fees, it allowed us the access to our records that before were not available in a timely fashion. The League again published a special insert in The Town Talk in an effort to showcase the work of Junior League of Alexandria in our community. There was a big push to continue to involve our Sustainers more in activities throughout the League year. Our League sent 4members to two different ODI conferences, in Albuquerque, NM and Fort Worth, TX. The President and Treasurer attended the AJLI Fall Leadership Conference in Phoenix, AZ and the President-Elect attended Annual Conference in Dallas, TX. Our membership voted to reprint Secret Ingredients with the hope that it will continue to be a source of funding for our League. The Cookbook Committee was able to transfer over $33,000 to the general fund. New To You made many changes, both in the physical appearance of the shop and with the management. Although declining sales hit us hard, New To You was still able to transfer over $27,000 to the general fund. The League made a $2500 contribution to the Junior League of Alexandria Endowment Fund. In all, a total of $48,384 was expended in mission driven activities, including training, public advocacy and community projects.

2002-2003 President: Mrs. David Hilton
Partners in building a better community with “Women helping women” was the focus throughout a year of strategic planning. Assessment, Evaluation, and Planning for the future were major efforts for 2002-2003. Renewing our commitment to Central Louisiana by looking at where we have been, where we are now, and what direction we want to go in the next five years…had several focus groups and surveyed league membership to begin development of Strategic Plan. Strategic goals developed to focus on fiscal stability/fund development, membership recruitment, satisfaction, and retention, facility needs, better communication within and outside the league, and community projects/focus Areas. In June, committee chairmen and Vice-Presidents developed goals and budgets for the year. Approximately $18,000 in grants and/or volunteer time given to community projects. Junior League Foundation helped numerous agencies including Family Counseling Agency, Turning Point, Cabrini school-based health centers, Girls Scouts, Hope House, Kiwanis Club’s Kids Camp, Lily of the Valley, Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana, Rapides Children’s Advocacy Center/CASA program, Shepherd Center, Volunteers of America and the YWCA. In Love and In Danger provided materials to educate girls in Rapides Parish on safe relationships, appropriate touch, and the dangers of date rape drugs. Public Awareness committee was able to link people in need with available resources. CASA program was funded to promote recruitment and training of Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers that advocate for abused and neglected children Helped Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana produce a brochure to advertise new crisis line. Turning Point Shelter was funded to air Public Service Announcements on domestic violence awareness and a website was created for Hope House. Hosted Denise Brown at public awareness forum at City Hall and a reception at River Oaks. In December, Christmas cheer and gifts were given to the residents of Turning Point Shelter. In March, provided volunteer assistance to Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana at “Cause We Care Fair”. Developed next year’s new project “What Hands Are For” that will teach school aged children positive ways to use their hands. “Secret Ingredients” generated $35,000. Revised and supervised the reprinting of 10,000 more cookbooks. Our first printing paid off, began paying on reprint. Added new management team to New To You and cut the expenses by $10,000, grossing approximately $95,000, with transfer of approximately $35,000 to league projects. Community partnership developed with Albertson’s grocery store, providing donations to the JLA. Trained 18 Junior league Provisionals, and recruited 24 new Provisionals. Chosen as one of three leagues in the nation to implement project to help children of domestic violence providing $3500 to the Provisional class to fund an art therapist to work with children at Turning Point teaching: “Hands are not for Hitting”, “My Safe and Happy Home”, and “My body, Myself”. The handmade crafts were displayed to increase awareness of family violence, and a silent auction was held and approximately $5,000 was donated to continue art therapy for the children. Sent active members to ODI trainings, to President-Elect’s training, to the Fall Leadership Conference, the annual AJLI conference and The Favorite Recipes Press cookbook conference in Tennessee. Speakers provided for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Child Abuse Awareness Month. Offered four educational seminars for membership (Self-Defense training, Flower Arranging, Bartending, and Yoga). Numerous bylaws reviewed and revised including eliminating any maximum age requirement for provisional status. Recipes were made from our own “Secret Ingredients” as we “cruised” around the world at each general meeting. Through our strategic planning, this year marks the beginning of defining and refining the role we play in our community. We have reexamined our mission statement, reflected on our values, and renewed our efforts to focus on what is important to league members.

2003-2004 President: Mrs. Jamie Curley
The league year 2003 -2004 was built on the great American auto-maker Henry Ford’s statement “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.” The drive and success of the league’s endeavors and projects were based on those famous words. Membership Council committees began the year by doing what we do best, volunteering. The league volunteered at the museum during the Heart of Spain exhibit, September 1, 2003 – November 30, 2003. League members were required to work 1, 4 hour shift in the areas of guest services, audio-guide tours, and museum entrance/exit greeters. The Provisional/Admissions committee worked to educate the provisional class about the league and teach team building skills while working on a special provisional project. A New Year’s Eve party was planned and named “Le Bon Soir” meaning a good night. Over 200 guests attended the event and a net profit of $3,200 was raised. Education/Training committee organized the March general meeting with “Planning the Perfect Party” and “Cooking Class” at Portabella’s Restaurant. Nominating/Placement committee continued to track league members’ current activities and track new and up-coming leaders within the league through the use of the straw ballot. A placement showcase held in February was presented in the format of a television show known as Fear Factor. In October the President and Vice President attended Fall Conference in Seattle, Washington. In April, four league members attended an ODI leadership conference in Tampa, FL. Also, in April, the President, Vice President, and Vice President Elect attended Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. Sustainer committee held the annual Sustainer/Provisional party in April at the home of Mrs. Robert Beck (Nancy). Community Projects Council- Junior League Foundation awarded $10,000 in grants to local agencies and organizations: Turning Point Shelter, Trinity Ministries (affiliated with St. James Episcopal Church), Renaissance Home for the Youth, CASA (Children’ Advocacy), Kiwanis Clubs, and Rapides Parish School Based Health Centers. Done in a Day committee began with a book drive for Huey P. Long Medical Center’s “Reach Out and Read program”; over 150 new and used books were donated by league members for the program. the committee used remaining $1,400 in grant money from AJLI to decorate and by supplies for an art room in Turning Point Women’s Shelter. Done in a Day Committee members created a drive to get the community involved by donating manpower and supplies for the “adopt a room” project. Turning Point Women’s Shelter moved into a new facility by way of a cleanup, painting, and adopt a room days sponsored by the League. Throughout the year, the committee requested league members bring items to general meetings for Turning Point Shelter, such as personal hygiene items, diapers, linens, and towels. The “What are Hands For” project got under way and was presented to 2nd graders at Rugg, Ball, Mary Goff, Forest Hill, Poland, and Buckeye Elementary Schools during the month of April (Domestic Violence Awareness Month). The purpose of the program is to give children positive examples of how to use their hands in a nonviolent way. The program is a 45 minute verbal and interactive presentation with a small art/writing activity where the student has an opportunity to use his/her hands in a positive manner. Coloring books and crayons were distributed to each student in the classroom. Project Research/development committee researched the F.I.T. (Families Interacting Together) project: a parenting, mentoring program that empowers parents and involves agencies in the community. Communications Council committees worked hard to keep Alexandria and the league members informed with the organizations year long activities. During the months of March and April a Media Blitz was designed to create a greater awareness in the community about the Junior League. With articles in the Town Talk and In Focus magazine, TV’s spots on KALB Jambalaya, KALX Lagniappe and “What’s in Store”, radio interviews on KKST 98, KRRV 102, the community was blasted with information about the Junior League. Luminary continued to print monthly publications. Changes for the yearbook were discussed for 2004-2005. Pictures were taken throughout the year to provide many lasting memories of the years activities and to be placed in the year end scrap book. A monthly calendar of events and important dates was e-mailed to league members. Administrative Council committees, with Arrangements at the helm, continued to provide good food for a small price during monthly general meetings; they were creative and diligent. With the exception of the September meeting held at Portabella’s Restaurant, and the January meeting held at Rapides Foundation Building, all other meetings were held at headquarters. Headquarters committee kept our office clean and tidy while updating the “The Wall-Calendar of Events”. The Completion of the Strategic plan 2004-2006 was presented by Dr. Ben Hawkins, Vice President of Academic Affairs & Student Life at Louisiana College, at the January general meeting held downtown at the Rapides Foundation Building. Community advisors attended; Jacque Caplan-President Arts Council of Central Louisiana, Carolyne Hoyt-Executive Director of Family Counseling Agency, Debbie Novotny-Executive Director Alexandria Museum of Art, Sara Alford-Office of Community Service (Region 6), Fran Fookes-Director of Sylvan Learning Center, Jack Ready- Business Director at Louisiana Baptist Convention, and Janet Brown Jewell-Children & Preschool Ministry-Calvary Baptist Church. The Junior Leagues International Inc. presented the association’s strategic plan 2004-2007 during April’s annual conference held in Chicago, IL. League support, League visibility, and AJLI capacity are the three priorities that will enable AJLI to support the leagues in ensuring the strong future of the Junior League movement. Fund Development Council committees continued yearly work with New to You Shop sales totaling $94,695 and transferring $44,250 back into the General Fund. Secret Ingredients cookbook traveled around the state to various Holiday Markets to sell and swap cookbooks. A total of 1,236 books were sold and sales of $22,085 were reported for the cookbook. The second reprint was paid off and the year ended with 8,895 remaining in inventory. The outline work, dates, and committees were established for the 1st annual Holiday Market. “A Very Merry Market” is scheduled for October of 2004.

2004-2005 President: Mrs. Todd Smith
We began our summer with meetings for our 14 Provisionals working on their class project for the Turning Point Shelter where they updated the living quarters to include new bedding, rugs, wall art, and accessories for each of the residents’ rooms…Hosted along with the JL of Monroe, JL of Shreveport-Bossier and JL of Lufkin, TX a Regional Leadership Training for members with AJLI trainers was held in Shreveport…Continued preparations for the first holiday market, A Very Merry Market (AVMM), hosted Preview Party at the Alexandria Riverfront Center on October 21, 2004 with over 400 people in attendance for a hugely successful night. There was a silent auction with items from all attending vendors as well as a live auction that had donated items and services from local businesses. There were two (2) sold out Character Breakfasts for 200 children and their parents with 10 favorite characters. The market saw over 2000 shoppers in 3 days and with over 40 vendors from around the country. The JLA raised over $43,000 for our local community projects for the upcoming years…The Junior League Foundation received 23 grant proposals to consider and awarded a total of $12,000 to Trinity Ministries, Inc. for their “Project Affirm” program; First United Methodist Church of Alexandria for the STARS program with L.S. Rugg Elementary School students; Family Counseling Agency/Sexual Assault Center for the purchase of training/educational supplies for therapists, victims and their loved ones; Volunteers of America to provide playground equipment for the foster and mentally ill children they serve; Reed Avenue Elementary School Kindergarten for the Clean Air & Arts program for at-risk kindergarteners; Hadnot Elementary School for the funding of the school-wide positive behavior management program; Kiwanis Club of Alexandria for their Enhance Annual K(ids) Kamp for abused & neglected children…What are Hands For? Committee had the help of Jennifer Dupont, Miss Louisiana and the Miss America 2004 First Runner-Up, to promote the program around the state as she used our book as her tool for carrying her platform of violence prevention to each parish in our state. JLA received the copyright for the “What are Hands For?” coloring book. They also were able to teach the program to second graders in six area schools as well as give each of the 1800 second graders in Rapides Parish a coloring book and crayons…Project Research & Development conducted a survey of general membership regarding areas of interest for future projects…A new computer was purchased for the JLA office and programs updated for the main computer and work room computer…A new website was created for JLA and is now being updated and maintained by a placement position for WebMistress…Updated our by-laws to reflect no age cap to go Sustainer. This will allow all members to continue to work as active members until the time they desire to become a Sustainer…Updated locks at office suite and interior offices to maintain security…Board of Directors had Bunco Bonanza party with Provisionals to enhance the relationship with the new members & leadership of the League, Implemented Confidentiality Agreement with Board of Directors as well as members of Nominating/Placement committee to ensure that all matters that are privately discussed will remain confidential…Arrangements Committee had a Mystery Dinner in April for General Meeting. It was a great social for our members, Spring Provisional/Sustainer party and May Dinner were both held at the new Diamond Grill and was very well attended and enjoyed by all.

2005-2006 President: Mrs. Dennis McBride
League year 2005-06 was built on reinforcing our Junior League Mission of “…promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, & improving our communities…” Changes were made to give membership more flexibility and we refocused our efforts towards community projects. The year began however, with the disastrous Hurricane Katrina followed by Hurricane Rita, which combined change Louisiana forever. Of course when these disasters struck, the Junior League was right there, especially since most people evacuated to our area. Days after Katrina, League members collected toys for shelters and our Sustainers collected school uniforms for the children to enter our school system. We also collected bins and baby needs at 2 of our general meetings. Then we participated in “Kids Fun Day”, sponsoring Catherine Pears to paint a mural with the evacuee children. The mural was proudly displayed during A Very Merry Market and now resides in the League office. In the aftermath of the hurricanes, we had to rally the League to relocate and execute a stellar 2nd annual A Very Merry Market. Our venue changed to ASH as our previous location was being used as a shelter. The committee did an excellent job transforming the high school into a holiday mood. The market exceeded all our expectations and we had more visitors to the market in the first 4 hours than shopped the entire last year. The market profited $29,230, down slightly from last year but above expectation due to not having a preview party. We also donated 20% of our general admission ticket sales for hurricane relief, giving $2000 to the Covenant House in New Orleans and $500 to support the “Kids Fun Day”. During the market in the Junior League booth, we sold “Beads of Hope”, beaded ornaments made by women from the Turning Point Shelter and Hope House as one of our Done in a Day projects. The money raised from the sale of the ornaments went directly back to both organizations with each receiving $400 After the market, we turned our focus to our community projects. Junior League Foundation awarded 7 grants totaling $14,500. Recipients were: Arts Council of Central Louisiana, Family Counseling Agency/Sexual Assault Center, Central Louisiana Family CARE Ministries/Hannah’s House, Volunteers of America, the 9th Judicial District Court, TREE House, and FOTAZ. Our What Are Hands For program reached every 2nd grader in Rapides Parish with Junior League members teaching in 31 classrooms. The committee also used a general meeting to train the League on the program and brought in an abuse victim speaker which captivated everyone’s attention. We did a test pilot and sold the materials for the program to the Bunkie Service League for their use in Avoyelles Parish. In addition to “Beads of Hope”, Done in a Day held two other events. First was “Kids in the Kitchen”, a new Association of Junior Leagues program which was held during Volunteer Week in April. Junior Leagues across the nation participated in the program. Our event was held at First United Methodist Church with the children in the STARS program (a previous recipient of a JL Foundation grant). The program taught children about good food choices and the value of proper nutrition with the help of our volunteer chef, Denise Woods. Project Research presented and the League voted in a new program for next year named “Scholarships for Seniors”, which will award $500 scholarships to area senior girls based on their volunteer history. During the year, we also helped the Central Louisiana Breastfeeding Coalition get started by acting as their fiscal agent for a Rapides Foundation grant. We tried something new with our provisional class this year by having 2 classes, one in the Fall and one in the Spring. We had 2 groups of excellent women who overcame several challenges. Our Fall class had to change their original project due to the hurricanes but quickly recovered and had Holiday Gift Packages for New to You customers. Our Spring class, jumped on the original project of the Fall class and held a Child Car Seat Safety Check Point. We implemented a Community Project Shift which could be used in place of a Fund Development shift, to give people flexibility and encourage them to volunteer on our community projects. This change proved successful as we had more participation from general membership in our community projects than ever before. Luminary got a facelift this year in an effort to encourage members to be more involved. Arrangements had us visiting different cities through the year as themes for our general meetings, which everyone enjoyed as we dined on flavors from the area. Education and Training held a digital camera seminar with a great response on a Saturday morning. In November, we relaxed from the hectic time of market by having a general meeting at Caplan’s. They graciously hosted us and gave a percentage of their sales for the day to the League totaling $750. We sent 4 people to ODI training and our President Elect and President Elect Elect attended Leadership Conference. New to You and cookbook continued to systemically bring in funds using new approaches with swap books and new sales, like the $3 a bag sale which brought in over $2400 in 2 days. New to You also got a needed facelift, painting the shop a khaki color with a red door. New To You transferred in $33,200 and cookbook transferred $10,675. Another change we instituted this year was to use our A Very Merry Market sponsors as our sole sponsors for the year. Therefore, no other committees had to go asking for sponsors which will help strengthen our sponsors for the market as we are not asking for money through the year. By doing this we gave our major sponsors additional publicity this year by displaying them on the back of the What Are Hands For coloring book. Overall, we had an outstanding year and encouraged members to understand their tie to the overall mission of “…promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving our communities…”

2006-2007 President: Mrs. Ray Hyde
In our Fall Provisional Class, we had 9 enthusiastic members. They did a wonderful job of refurbishing the nursery at Aiken Optional School. Prior to their work, the nursery was basically an empty room with some workers who took care of young children while their mothers attended class. The Provisionals did an amazing job of providing an overflowing amount of educational toys, storage bins, worker aprons, wall decorations and nursery supplies. Our Spring Provisional Class, consisting of 13 members, took on the job of refurbishing the children’s library at The Turning Point Shelter. The library had sustained damage during Hurricane Rita that was not covered under their insurance. They fixed the caved in rotted ceiling tiles, painted the room (including a beautiful mural), provided tables and miniature furniture for the children to relax while reading, and an abundant amount of books geared toward different age levels for the children. We partnered with Sustainers and The Turning Point Shelter to teach our “What are Hands For?” program in 22 public schools and 4 private schools (up from 12 schools the year before). We were also able to give every school a “What are Hands For?” story book for their library. Our Done in a Day committee was extremely committed and did 4 wonderful projects. All through the year they collected items for 35 Back Pack Buddies which were then distributed to The Turning Point Shelter and CASA for children who had to leave their home under adverse circumstances. All of the backpacks were new and filled with items such as toiletries, small hands games, books, and underwear. They refurbished and added to the Alexandria Zoo’s photo ops in the fall. In the spring they were in charge of “Kids in the Kitchen” which is part of a national project for AJLI. They elected to do this project at the Boys and Girls Club. The participants made their own trail mix, fixed healthy snacks with Denise Woods (a Sustainer and owner of Portabella’s restaurant), learned how to read nutrition labels, participated yoga and aerobics, toured an ambulance and palled around with Alex the Ace. Their last project was providing the “woman-power” to paint the dining room and a couple of other rooms at Hope House. The Junior League Foundation received 18 applications and awarded $11,850 to various groups in central Louisiana. This year’s winners were 1) $2500 the Next Step of Central Louisiana to fund an original stage production chronicling a battered woman’s journey. The program also featured a guest speaker who is a forensic artist and survivor of a serial rapist/killer attack. 2) $2500 to Family Counseling Agency to fund a project that will teach children about child predators who lurk on the Internet. 3) $2500 to Volunteers of America to fund a 2-day motivational seminar and sleepover for 50 teen girls who are a part of the organization’s foster/adoptive program, teen pregnancy program and children’s mental health program. 4) $1650 to First United Methodist STARS program to provide 22 k-5th grade Rugg Elementary students with after school enrichment on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:30. They will receive a snack and then rotate through 3 sessions: tutoring, arts/crafts/Bible study and enrichment. 5) $1500 to Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries to fund a cultural event for 24 disabled women. It will include a performance by the Red River Jazz Band, a presentation and art class at River Oaks and a visit to the TREE House. 6) $1200 to YWCA Buddies Mentoring Program to fund recreational and educational activities for the mentoring program. A young person is match with an at risk youth to act as a role model and help him/her be successful in relationships, academics, etc. We initiated the first year of Scholarships for Seniors to award 4 $1,000 scholarships to area girls who exhibit a commitment to volunteerism. This scholarship is not based on need or academics but solely on past volunteer experience. We had 26 applicants from 8 different high schools. Four winners were from Alexandria Senior High-Rachel Miller, Chasidee Lewis Baker, Danielle Jones and Lee Ann White. Our fifth winner was Jennifer Jeane from Holy Savior Menard Central High School. We partnered with the Shepard Center to provide volunteers for their High Tea in December. We provided The Turning Point Shelter with free booth space at A Very Merry Market to premiere their cards featuring original artwork from children who stayed at the shelter. We provided volunteers for hostesses at the Feature Home in the Lake District. Money from tours provided funding for CASA. The President and President-Elect attended the Fall Leadership Conference in Memphis TN. The President, President-Elect and President-Elect Elect all attended the Annual Conference in Boston MA whose league was celebrating their 100th anniversary. We sent 2 members to ODI in Houston TX. Our cookbook committee continued to provide us with many swap cookbooks from other Leagues. They also sold cookbooks at the Monroe Junior League’s spring market and at the guidance counselors statewide convention which was held at the Riverfront Center. They held the first Secret Ingredients cooking school at the home of Pat Texada. Denise Woods taught the class with assistance from Lynn Wheelis. The event was a great success. They sold $9095.06 and transferred $6850.00 to the League A Very Merry Market was conducted for the 3rd year and continued to grow. Originally it was slated to be held at the Louisiana Convention Center but the facility went bankrupt and closed a few weeks before the event. Our committee brainstormed and the event was moved to the old Stein Mart location in the Alexandria Mall. We were able to once again have a Preview Party featuring a jazz band and a silent auction. We held 3 Character Breakfasts which were all sold out. On Friday night, we held Family Night which received rave reviews from all who attended. The total tickets sold to all events were right under 4,000, which is almost double attendance from the first year. New to You survived a minor vandalism in the fall and continued to thrive. They continually met their sales goals so a “second tier” goal was made and they exceeded it several times. Their total sales for the year were $92,810.04 of which they transferred $35,600 to the League. Our strategic plan was revamped and approved by the membership. Our first General Meeting of the year was held at Portabella’s Restaurant. At our October meeting, we held a fashion show courtesy of Talbot’s, one of AJLI’s corporate sponsors. Our November meeting was held at Caplan’s and our spouses were invited to attend. We were reminded of our heritage and past accomplishments when two past Presidents attended one of our meetings to discuss their experiences with the League. Our Education and Training committee invited the Turning Point Shelter’s director to speak and also two doctors who discussed breast cancer with members. They also provided us with information on different topics each month at our meetings. May Dinner was held at the Diamond Grill.

2007-2008 President: Mrs. George Ferguson
We began the 2007-2008 League year with a challenge to our leadership team: increase membership retention. Armed with a passion to succeed, we began finding out what members really want to accomplish through the Junior League. What we found was surprisingly uncomplicated . . . members wanted to “work hard and play hard”. There was a desire for more social activities and a chance to fellowship with others in the League. We then implemented “League Lagniappe”, which offered our members that little something “extra” to do for fun and an avenue to socialize and get to know each other better. We had great participation! Monthly events included a Creative Memories scrapbooking class, a “Hip Hop” dance class, an LSU football party, and tennis lessons. We also had our first annual “Bunnies and Yolks” at Loyd Hall Plantation in Cheneyville. This celebration was established from an event our League hosted more than a decade ago. The party was a great success. With lots of fun games, treats, hidden eggs, a hayride, and of course, the Easter Bunny, it was a great time for all of our children, grandchildren, and family to enjoy. With all this fun, also came a strong sense of commitment to the community. Non-profit organizations constantly search for money and volunteers to help with programs and projects. Our Community Projects Council did an outstanding job of researching the needs in our community while staying within our focus area. The Junior League Foundation awarded $14,500 to the following recipients: 1) $1500 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Louisiana – SMART GIRLS – A program for girls that equips 30 young ladies with crucial life skills needed to become healthy, successful adults. The program will be implemented over the summer for nine weeks. Grant money will provide support for the SMART Girls Program. 2) $1200 to Central Louisiana Arts and Healthcare Pint-Sized Poetry Project – This project targets mentally and physically ill children receiving treatment and care in pediatric wards in two local hospitals exposing them to poetry and art. A professional artist will visit once a week for 40 weeks. The artist will offer the arts as therapy and ease anxiety for the children during their stay in the hospital. 3) $1000 to Family Counseling Agency/Sexual Assault Center – Safe Dates is a program that teaches youth how to recognize and avoid abusive relationships, anger management and sexual assault prevention. Grant money will help fund staffing and pay for supplies. 4) $1500 to Family Playhouse Summer Academy Scholarships – Grant money will go toward the establishment of a Junior League Scholarship Fund. This money will offer partial and full tuition assistance to underprivileged children who cannot afford summer academy tuition. 5) $1000 to Next Step of Central LA – This organization provides transitional housing for battered women and their children for up to two years, along with supportive services. Grant money will help fund the production of a video educating others about domestic violence. 6) $1500 to Rapides Parish Library – Primary Outreach Plus – The library will expand its delivery route to various agencies working with at-risk children including Hope House and Renaissance. Grant money will fund the purchase of 300 books and enrichment materials for at-risk and underprivileged children. 7) $1400 to First United Methodist Church – STARS Program – Grant money will assist in providing at-risk Rugg Elementary students with after school enrichment tutoring. 8) $1500 to T.R.E.E. House Museum Scholarships – Grant money will assist in providing free passes and family memberships to the museum for foster families and families at Turning Point Shelter. 9) $1000 to YWCA Buddies Mentoring Program – Grant will help fund recreational and educational activities for the mentoring program. A young person is matched with an at-risk youth to act as a role model and help him/her to be successful in many areas of life. 10) $1500 to Friends of the Alexandria Zoo Scholarships – Grant money will be used for scholarships for economically disadvantaged children. These scholarships will allow the children to attend Summer Safari and Zoo Cubs in June and July 2008. 11) $1400 to Christus St. Frances Cabrini Community Services School Based Health Center (Clothes Closet) – Grant will provide funds to purchase clothing for underprivileged children at Pollock Elementary. Funds will assist in the development of a clothes closet with new clothes for these children. While the Junior League Foundation awarded monies to the above organizations, our members volunteered their time for the following Done in a Day projects. 1) The “Kids in the Kitchen” project is a national project from AJLI with Junior Leagues across the country participating. Its purpose is to address the urgent issues surrounding childhood obesity by teaching children about good food decisions and the value of proper nutrition. Done in a Day held this event at the Boys and Girls Club in Alexandria, along with the help of volunteer chef and Sustainer, Denise Wood. 2) Cleaned, painted and decorated the foster parent visitation room at the Office of Community Supports. We were able to transform what once was a “smoke room” for the State workers into a wonderful, cheerful, and toy-filled room where parents and children can now meet to visit with one another. 3) We sponsored a Community Awareness Fair at the Alexandria Mall. This resource event helped to initiate November’s Foster & Adoption Awareness Month. JLA invited the Office of Community Supports, the Office of Family Supports, and Volunteers of America to come together to focus on women and children’s issues, foster care, adoption services, and domestic violence. This event was free, open to the public, and resulted in visits with over 300 area residents. 4) Cleaned the Manna House Kitchen – With the hard work of each person present, we were able to transform the long neglected kitchen into a clean and sanitary place for dedicated employees of the Manna House. During this project, we were able to meet the woman who started the Manna House and has dedicated her life to providing warm meals for those who do not normally have food. 5) Organized the children’s counseling room and provided shelves at Turning Point Shelter. We also collected and provided travel size toiletry items for their residents. 6) Painted doors, hung mini blinds and performed other general maintenance at Hope House. 7) Collected and provided for a list of items for Seeds of Harvest, an organization for the elderly in our area. We continued our Scholarships for Seniors program by awarding five $1000 scholarships to area high school senior girls who exhibit a commitment to volunteerism. Whether it be through school, clubs, church or on their own, these students have shown they are seeking opportunities and giving of themselves with a servant’s heart. In the spring of 2008, Project Research and Development presented a new program for consideration. After the necessary vote, it was decided that the Junior League would partner with the T.R.E.E. House Children’s Museum. We committed to expand on and support services currently offered by the T.R.E.E. House. Junior League members will complete a study with recommendations on ways to improve and enhance the T.R.E.E. House experience. This project falls within our mission of improving the community in the areas of women and children by allowing children to explore the world around them. While committing to this new partnership, we also took some time to re-evaluate the What Are Hands For project. It was decided to move this project into a new phase by working toward enhancing our relationship with the Rapides Parish School Board and committing to turn this project over to area elementary school counselors. Of course in order to fund all the above worthy endeavors, the Fund Development Council had its work cut out for them. Our 4th annual A Very Merry Market exceeded all expectations! Held at the Alexandria Riverfront Center with over 60 vendors participating and over 4,000 in attendance, the 2007 market marked the largest and most profitable to date. The committee did an outstanding job of planning and executing multiple special events, including the annual Preview Party, Character Breakfasts’ and with the help of the fall provisional class, the addition of Cookies with Characters. Overall the market was a huge financial success with a net income of $51,844.47. This year New To You was full of surprises! While plagued with costly maintenance issues all year long, including a major water line problem, air conditioning issues, and the deterioration of the driveway, NTY was still able to have a profitable year. They continued to operate with three employees and also received an electronic upgrade via a donated computer courtesy of one of our area businesses. Although NTY experienced quite a few setbacks, they continually met and exceeded sales goals throughout the year. This year’s net income was approximately $34,970. Cookbook continues to be a source of funds for the League with a net income of approximately $6,581. Taking into consideration the mantra “work hard and play hard”, the arrangements committee did a wonderful job keeping our general meetings creative and fun. With off-site meeting locations including Portabella Restaurant and Talbots we were able to have some “girl time” and just have fun and relax. Education Training planned our first ever “Sparkle and Spirits”, an event for all members held at the Alexandria Museum of Art. With decorating tips, party planning ideas, and professional photography lessons by our own Susan Stevison, this event was a huge success! Improving public relations was also a top priority for this year. We made great strides in enhancing our relationship with our local media. Monthly coverage on Jambalaya, Signature Magazine, and Cenla Focus helped share important facts about our League. Visibility in the Town Talk and on our local news stations was instrumental this year. We also were able to use our very own website in ways we’ve never done before. By creating a member forum, displaying our calendar of events and activity photos, and all project write-ups, we realized what a strong marketing and communications tool we had right at our own fingertips. And market ourselves . . . we did! We continued with two separate provisional classes. The fall class included 11 talented ladies from our area. With such a diverse group of careers, the class knew they wanted to offer insight and tips on becoming successful, confident women in today’s world. They decided to partner with the Volunteers of America’s respite program to host an overnight slumber party filled with career workshops, team building, and other activities designed to help boost self esteem. With the importance of the upcoming elections, the spring class, which included 4 additional members, partnered with NTY and held a “Register to Vote” program. Overall, we had an extremely successful and rewarding League year.

2008-2009 President: Mrs. Mark Neely
The 2008-2009 League year was truly inspiring and full of accomplishments. The time that everyone gave made it possible for our organization to build a better community and serve our purpose. After two decades of occupying our headquarters at the Alexandria Mall we were required to relocate to a new space within the Mall. Even though the move was tough, the result was a much larger meeting space to accommodate our events and projects, some of which included the Foundation Grant Reception, Cookbook Sales, Nominating Placement Showcase, Fairy Godmother Project, Sustainer Bookclub, and various committee meetings. Hurricane Gustav made landfall on September 1, 2008 and put the Done in a Day committee in action to request and collect items to help families at Volunteers of American adversely affected by this storm. Other Done in a Day projects included cleaning and painting the living room at the Turning Point Shelter, cleaning and painting the pool area at the YWCA, painting a mural on the walls adjacent to pool area, and painting the hallway adjacent to the new mural. Kids in the Kitchen program is a national project from Association of Junior Leagues International, with Junior Leagues across the country participating. Its purpose is to address the urgent issues surrounding childhood obesity by teaching children about good food decisions and the value of proper nutrition. This was our 4th year to participate, and our Done in a Day committee held two Kids in the Kitchen events this year: one at the TREE House Children’s Museum and the other at the Alexandria Zoo. These events were able to reach over 600 children and their families. Eighteen fantastic Provisional members were presented for Active Membership and executed a very successful Provisional Project. The Fairy Godmother Project, held on March 14th, enabled underprivileged teen girls from all eleven Rapides Parish schools to select a prom dress from donated dresses. The Provisional Class transformed the League Office into a fabulous shopping venue, complete with dressing rooms, hair stylists, and a makeup counter. Seventy girls were able to browse through the different stations and to pick their choice from 350 dresses that the Provisional Class worked to obtain. Our New to You store provided a great drop off location for these dresses and also did a great job working with the Provisional Class. Each of the girls who attended the project received a “Scholarships for Seniors” application and was educated about this project. This was our 3rd year to award five $1000 scholarships to area high school senior girls. This program was developed to encourage volunteerism and is awarded to female high school seniors who have participated to an exceptional degree in volunteer activities. A student is awarded a scholarship based on the number of volunteer hours, as well as the quality of the service performed. We received 25 applications and the 2008-2009 recipients were: Brytani Brady – Glenmora, Morgan Hilton – Holy Savior Menard, Kayla Kerry – Tioga High School, Ashley McCain – Tioga High School, and Payton Wilburn – Pineville High School. In its seventh year, the Junior League Foundation awarded $15,018 to agencies and organizations that are in our focus area of addressing women and children’s issues, and allowed the Junior League of Alexandria to spread our mission through their organization. The foundation is honored to have been a part of the mission of many organizations whose efforts are invaluable to Central Louisiana. The Foundation awarded these grants at a reception held at the League Office on March 26, 2009: 1) Food Bank of Central Louisiana – Grant money will help fund the Backpack Program at Julius Patrick Elementary School. It will provide twenty-one children 7-10 pounds of nutritious, easy to open food each week for 36 weeks. 2) Hope House of Central Louisiana – Grant money will go toward implementing a Pre-K readiness program to stimulate positive growth and learning for the children residing at this Hope House. 3) Volunteers of America – Grant money will provide food, transportation, staff and supplies for an overnight experience for 25 teenage girls. It is designed to help them start thinking about and planning for their future. 4) Christus St. Frances Cabrini Community Services School Based Health Center – Grant money will provide funds for the Clothes Closet at Pollock Elementary. It will allow the purchase basic clothing and toiletries for under-privileged children. 5) First United Methodist Church – STARS Program – Grant money will assist in providing at-risk Rugg Elementary students with after school snacks and enrichment tutoring on Tuesdays during the school year. 6) Next Step of Central Louisiana – Grant money will help fund the production of Shelter From My Storm production – a story about a women’s survival of a tragedy and her transition from a life of abuse to an advocate for victims of domestic violence. 7) Family Counseling Agency – Grant money will help fund Talk About Touching – a multi-session personal safety curriculum that teaches children simple rules to guide them toward safe decision making. 8) CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Foundation – Grant money will go toward a Children’s Waiting and Play space at the new Women’s and Children’s hospital. 9) T.R.E.E. House Children’s Museum – Grant money provided 20 scholarships to T.R.E.E House summer camps and 20 family memberships to the museum for children in foster or protective care. We initiated the first year of our partnership with the TREE House Children’s Museum. The Junior League members worked with the TREE House to expand support services currently offered by the T.R.E.E. House. Junior League members completed a study with recommendations on ways to enhance the T.R.E.E. House. We began by fostering our relationship with the TREE House and provided them with a grant for at-risk children who would not have the opportunity to visit their facility through our Foundation Grant Program. We also conducted our Kids in the Kitchen Program and provided an opportunity for those associated with the TREE House to attend this event free of charge. We provided tables, chairs, wooden fruit, vegetables, and Kids in the Kitchen Aprons for the children’s café at the TREE House. The 5th Annual “A Very Merry Market” was a record breaking year and was able to capitalize on its great foundation of past market successes. AVMM was the most profitable to date with earnings of $54,000 and record attendance of 4,400 people. AVMM was held at the Alexandria Riverfront Center and hosted a Preview Party for our sponsors and supporters, 3 Character Breakfast Sessions and 2 Cookies with Character Sessions. We were very pleased to have Kristian Alfonso and her line of jewelry: Hope, Faith, Miracles at our market this year. AVMM committee organized a great event for all that attended and far exceeded all of our expectations. We provided free booth space for the TREE House Children’s Museum, Turning Point Shelter, and Family Counseling Agency to educate and provide information about their organizations to those in attendance. We also provided complimentary tickets for the children at Hope House, Turning Point Shelter and VOA to attend the Cookies with Character Sessions. To create a greater awareness about the Junior League, we published an eight-page insert in The Town Talk that provided information about our projects, focus area, mission, a timeline of our organization, and the sponsors and events of AVMM. “Jambalaya” was held live from the Riverfront Center and showcased AVMM. Billboards, television commercials, radio announcements, new paper ads were also used to promote AVMM. The Cookbook committee had a great year, selling 353 cookbooks to gross $6,433, and transferred $5,713 to the League. Secret Ingredients were sold this year at A Very Merry Market and Monroe Junior League’s Spring Market. The new League Office provided a new venue for selling and displaying our cookbook at the Alexandria Mall. We were also able to sell Secret Ingredients during Mother’s Day weekend through the League Office. New To You had a tremendous year. Despite having water damage from Hurricane Gustav and some small vandalism NTY provided a great resource to our community during the national economic downturn. NTY sales for the year were $114,082 with transfers of $61,500. These sales and transfers are some of the best that we have seen at NTY. In November 2008 we started taking credit cards. Our customers have responded to this change. NTY participated in Party for the Planet, an Earth Day event, at the Alexandria Zoo. We encouraged a green Earth by reminding people to recycle and reuse clothes. We also promoted community awareness of NTY by handing out activity sheets for the kids. The adults received coupons for $4.00 off their purchase at NTY during the following week. We recycled papers that were left over from the Kids In The Kitchen program. All material handed out had NTY’s information on it and was “green”. League Lagniappe was started in an effort to provide an outlet for our members to get to know each other better. This year we updated the program and used it also as a recruiting effort for members to introduce their friends and family to the League. The September League Lagniappe was a “Tailgating Tips” cooking class taught at Kitchen Warehouse. October’s Lagniappe event focused on beauty tips for the fall and winter. We had over 30 appointments scheduled for our Lancome facial day. In November, we enjoyed a two-part pottery class at River Oaks. The February events were dedicated to “Movies and Cocktails.” A Kelly’s Kids shopping day was held in March and an Urban Hip Hop Dance class in April. Sustainers were also able to participate in many of the League Lagniappe events this year. The Provisional/Sustainer Tea was held at Catering by Yolande and provided a great venue for this gathering. The Sustainer Bookclub has been active and meeting at the new league office. The strategic plan was updated with current objectives and projects and was presented to the membership. The administrative council had a terrific year. We collected the Hurricane Gustav items for Volunteers of America at the first meeting, which has become tradition to be held at Portabellas in Calvary Baptist Church. The yearbook committee worked very hard over the summer and presented a great yearbook to our members. The October general meeting was the first membership meeting held at our new League office. The Education and Training Meeting was held in November at River Oaks Square Arts Center. Members attended demonstrations on holiday entertaining sessions including: photography, bow making, and decorating. The President-Elect and President-Elect Elect attended the Winter Leadership Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. The President, President-Elect, and President-Elect Elect all attended the Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. We had five members attend the Shreveport Regional Training and two members attended ODI in Dallas, Texas. For the remainder of the year, arrangements scheduled meetings at other outside locations including John Ward Interiors in January and Kitchen Warehouse in March. The Nominating/Placement Showcase was held in February at headquarters and each member was able to travel to different “Ports of Call” to learn about the different councils of the League. Each member received a stamp for their passport as they attended each port. The members approved creating a “Facebook” for the League and were implemented by the President-Elect. We also implemented a reinstatement campaign to reach out to members interested in rejoining our League. In March, arrangements with help from the Board of Directors, held “Bunnies and Yolks” at Loyd Hall in Cheneyville. There were over 120 members, sustainers, prospective members and their families in attendance. The children enjoyed an Easter egg hunt, a hayride and a visit from the Easter bunny. Families also enjoyed the opportunity for family photos by Susan Stevison. Three Luminary editions were published, five Cenla Focus Articles were written, and an Annual Report was distributed to the membership. The year concluded with the Annual Meeting and May Dinner at the RoyOMartin Courtyard. Sustainer, Ms. Jackie Caplan and Community Advisor, Mayor Jacques Roy served as the guest speakers for the meeting. The new Actives were presented and Actives going Sustainer were announced. The dinner highlighted the accomplishments of the League with a video presentation, scrapbook, and awards presentation. We were also able to transfer $20,000 to the Junior League Endowment Fund to help secure our organization for the future.

2009-2010 President: Mrs. Steve Banick
The 2009-2010 year was slated to focus on increasing our volunteer opportunities and maximizing contributions to our community projects. We started off the year by donating items for Aiken Nursery who was affected by last year’s hurricane. The 6th annual “A Very Merry Market” was held November 5-7, 2009 at the Alexandria Riverfront Center and was once again very successful. The goal of this year’s market was to continue all of the successful practices of previous years and this produced a profit of $53,000. Members got to know each other better during League Lagniappes, including wine tasting, spa night, rock climbing and dinner at Spirits. Volunteer opportunities through our Done in a Day committee included Volunteer of America (food bank reorganization), Party for the Planet at Alexandria Zoo and Kids in the Kitchen at the Boys and Girls Club of Alexandria. Our November general meeting was held at the Food Bank where everyone donated canned goods and helped fill backpacks and senior boxes. This year’s Board voted, in lieu of the annual Christmas party, to volunteer at the Salvation Army. We fulfilled orders for the Angel Tree program and filled boxes of food for needy families. On March 26th, the Junior League Foundation awarded $18,000 in its eighth year. Recipients included: Food Bank of Central Louisiana, Hope House of Central Louisiana, T.R.E.E. House, Kent Plantation, St. Mary’s Residential Training School, Inc., Rapides Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc., Friends of the Alexandria Zoo, Inc. (FOTAZ), Boys & Girls Club of Central Louisiana, Inc., Central Louisiana Arts & Healthcare, Inc., and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The Provisional Project was one of the biggest events and fundraisers in recent League history. On March 27th, they held the Autism Speaks 5K and raised $10,000 for the SPEAK Center of Louisiana. The annual Easter celebration “Bunnies and Yolks” was held at Loyd Hall on March 28th with record attendance. The annual Provisional Sustainer Tea was held on April 20th at Yolande’s. Our second year of partnership, the TREEhouse committee hosted an amazing event title Blue Dog Night at River Oaks Museum. They raffled a George Rodrique numbered print, auctioned original student “blue dog” artwork and sold homemade dog treats to raise $10,000 for the TREEhouse. Scholarships for Seniors program awarded (5) $1000 scholarships to the following ladies: Ashley Clarke – Alexandria Senior High, Hayley Hilton – Holy Savior Menard, Lauren Partain – Bolton High School, Heather Rini – Alexandria Senior High, Anna Todd – Pineville High School. Training for the Board this year included 6 members going to Regional Leadership training in Shreveport; 2 members going to Winter Leadership training in Savannah Georgia; and 2 members going to Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. New To You continued to increase it’s record revenue and transfers to the League projects. Plagued by two robbery attempts and a stolen air conditioner, they still had sales over $118,000 and transfers of $76,000. Secret Ingredients continues to contribute to the League mission with $5000 of sales. This year’s board voted to increase several community project’s funding and we were still able to transfer $30,000 to the Junior League Endowment Fund at the end of the year. The annual meeting or May Dinner concluded the year on May 11th at Bistro on the Bayou. 15 new members and 4 new sustainers were recognized. Awards are as follows: Active of the Year, Jolie Shine; Provisional of the Year, Helena Brocato; Sustainer of the Year, Mrs. Maggie Burnaman Martin; President’s Award, Jill O’Toole; President’s Award, Nancy Soprano; New To You Contributions, Mitzi Fairbanks.