2005 – 2006

385 members (145 Active, 35 Provisional, 205 Sustainer).

Our theme this year, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the JLA, was “Celebrating Silver, Reaching for Gold.” The focus of the year was to celebrate the past accomplishments of the JLA, incorporate fun into all activities, and plan for and set the foundation for the next 25 years. This year, as a new planning technique, the incoming board prior to taking office held a board retreat and adopted the following plan:

 

2005-2006 Focus:

  1. Greater JLA Impact on the Community
  2. Greater Community Awareness of JLA
  3. Greater Member to Member Connection
  4. Greater Member Empowerment
  • This year is the 25th Anniversary of the JLA. Use this theme, where appropriate, in all JLA activities.
  • Make your membership in the JLA a lifetime commitment and stay Active for at least 7-9 years.
  • President’s Challenge to accomplish the 2005-2006 Focus: Complete 25 Done In A Days during the 2005-2006 year.
  • Board: Leadership Training was held on May 21 at Chartwell Gold and Country Club.
  • The JLA adopted the JLA room at AAMC and committed $25,000 payable over three years to the hospital. The Community Advisory Board met several times throughout the year. An ad-hoc committee worked on strategic planning, which was then discussed at the January Combined Council meeting and at the February Small Group meetings. The Member at Large implemented the AJLI Volunteer Service Award program, and the Board executed the AJLI International Volunteer Day Program, Kids in the Kitchen.

 

Community Impact Council

  • TEAM greatly expanded its impact on the community during its 5th While still providing mentors to the teen moms enrolled in the birthing classes at AAMC, as well as blankets and books, the committee partnered with AAMC and the Women’s Sports Foundation to implement Go Girl Go. The first session was a golf program at the South River Colony Golf Club. TEAM also began a new partnership with the Thomas J.S. Waxter Center to mentor female juvenile detainees. Programming included a book club, and instruction on knitting, etiquette and health/hygiene. TEAM also implemented a mentoring program at Marley Elementary and presented a program on self-esteem for girls at the Volunteer Center.
  • Bookbag filled and delivered 950 book bags to Brooklyn Park Elementary, Maryland City Elementary, Park Elementary, and Van Bokelen Elementary. We continued our partnership with Office Depot – it donated backpacks and materials, provided storage and packing space, and hosted our three supply drives.
  • COPR very successfully plan, managed, and executed 28+ DIAD projects, including Kids ‘N Kaboodle, cleanup of the Chesapeake Children’s Museum, 2 Good for Goodwill, Halloween Party at Allen Apartments, multiple Lighthouse Shelter meals, AA County Foster Children Holiday Party, SPAN food drives and adoption of families through SPAN, Kids in the Kitchen nutrition education at Marley Elementary, teacher appreciation luncheon at Marley Elementary, prom boutique, and support of Bookbag and Tag Sale projects. COPR also actively promoted the DIAD’s to the community generating significant press coverage.
  • Tag Sale had another successful year with $7500 gross proceeds, $3500 profit. The event was held the first Saturday in April at the Armory. This year, all clothing was $1, and many items were bulk priced. The event was well supported by the membership, and approximately 350 people attended the sale. Leftovers were donated to Am Vets and an Appalachian charity. Von Paris continued to provide free storage, delivery and pickup of the racks and hangars.
  • Public Advocacy continued its promotion of and education about the Safe Haven Act both within the JLA and the public at large. It developed and implemented a new Safe Haven marketing plan, established a relationship with the National Safe Haven Alliance, redistributed with Safe Haven PSA in collaboration with First Lady Kendall Ehrlich, and obtained state and county proclamations recognizing National Safe Haven Awareness Day. The committee also educated the membership about public advocacy by bringing in Secretary Audrey Scott, MD Dept of Planning to speak to at a GMM, developing a new Public Advocacy webpage, and publishing numerous LOG articles.

 

Financial Resources Council

  • Chefs by the Bay had a record year with gross revenue of $101,000 and a profit of over $82,000. This year’s event was moved to a larger venue, the Sheraton Annapolis, and over 600 guests were in attendance. First Lady Kendall Ehrlich was the Honorary Chairwoman and a ticket contest kickoff party was held in January at Zachary’s Jewelers.
  • Of Tide and Thyme continues to be a successful fundraiser. Sales were at the same level as the previous year. The committee opened four new distributor accounts and 20 new wholesale accounts. Wimmer was retained to reprint the cookbook. The reserve for republishing the cookbook was raised to $5.50 per book sold.
  • New Cookbook selected FRP to be its publisher, with a target launch date of September 2007. The working title is Thyme to Entertain: Celebrating Traditions in Annapolis, and the book will be a hardbound book showcasing a variety of local traditions. Recipes were submitted by the membership and test kitchens have begun testing the recipes.
  • FDE executed the inaugural year of the JLA Annual Fund setting up a solicitation data base, developing the solicitation letter and supporting materials, and overseeing the bulk mailing solicitation materials. FDE cleaned up the corporate donor data base and also successfully wrote and obtained several grants.

 

Membership Council

  • The Provisional Committee successfully recruited 35 women to join the provisional class. The new members completed three fall trainings and then put together the provisional project – assisting the pediatric wing at AAMC by providing tote bags for the patients and a new DVD player, a selection of DVD’s and electronic games. The August open house was at the Chesapeake Children’s Museum, and the Spring open house was at Yellow Fin Restaurant.
  • Education and Training provided the membership with unique, fun and interesting educational opportunities including a shopping night at Tin Can Alley, a wine tasting, and a business showcase prior to a GMM.
  • Nominating and Placement actively promoted the different Active statuses and fewer women chose to go Sustainer at the end of the year.
  • Representatives of the JLA attended every ODI and the Mid Atlantic Conference in Baltimore.
  • The annual 5-year party was held in November honoring those actives with 5 of more years of service as well as welcoming new Transfers to the League.
  • Sustainer Group had a busy and active year holding the 2 Good for Goodwill event, the Fall Potluck, the Sustainer/Provisional Social, a Spring Luncheon with guest speaker Iris Krasinov, and the May Garden Party.

 

Communications Council

  • Public Relations greatly increased the visibility of the JLA in the community by issuing a record number of press releases, 27 in all, throughout the year. Numerous articles about the JLA were published in The Capital.
  • The new webmaster redesigned and updated the JLA website, regularly updating current events and news, posted a League-wide calendar, and created a Members-Only section allowing the members to securely access member contact information and private League information. The Log was published monthly and delivered to the membership both via mail and electronically.
  • Ambassador Committee participated in a number of community events through the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chambers of Commerce and in the non-profit arena.

Meetings and Events incorporated the 25th anniversary theme at JLA events throughout the year. The Committee hosted the Fall Kickoff Picnic at Quiet Waters Park, the Holiday Luncheon at The Chart House Restaurant, and the Annual Dinner at Chartwell Golf and Country Club, plus a social tea at Reynolds Tavern in January.