Submitted by Sarah Snyder

What is an Organizational Development Institute (ODI)?

Organizational Development Institutes, or ODIs, are programs that provide Junior League members with mission-based training in key areas critical to the healthy functioning of a League.  At ODIs, delegates learn... 

...innovative approaches to developing Junior League members as effective volunteer leaders in their communities

...powerful ways to design community programs and partnerships that have significant impact

...strategies for sustainable and diversified fund development

...keys to building strong internal operational controls

...developing an effective nominating process to strengthen the Leagues leadership base

We are still accepting applications for the November 4-6 session in Orlando, Florida.  Please email Sarah Snyder as soon as possible. 

Provisional Class - The recruitment period has ended for the 2011-2012 League Year,  and we have 47 fabulous new women ready and excited to get started!  Please be sure to introduce yourself and welcome all of these ladies at the next general meeting.

AJLI Website

2011 Fall Leadership Conference:  A rewarding experience in Baltimore 

Submitted by Ruthann Foley  

Recently, I had the privilege of accompanying our President, Julie Warman, to the AJLI Fall Leadership Conference.  It was truly an amazing experience for me to be able to speak to Presidents, President-Elects, delegates, and AJLI Leaders from around the World.   

The first seminar I attended was minutes after my arrival at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore.  This seminar was mainly for League Presidents.  It gave them insights into conducting an engaging meeting--good to know if you happen to belong to a League where General meetings are neither well-attended, nor engaging.  This is not the case in our League.  You will hear or see me use that term, "Not in our League" many times this year.  The more I am able to interact with other Leagues, the more I know we are doing many things correctly in the Junior League of Buffalo.  Pat yourselves on the back, Ladies.  After dinner, we were treated to a tour of the Baltimore Aquarium, sponsored by the Junior League of Baltimore, who was celebrating 100 years of service to the community.

In all, I attended nine seminars, the most informative, to me at least, was the Breakout meeting, "Engaging Millennials."  The Millennial Generation is comprised of 15 to 29 year olds.  Many of our current members fall into this category.  This Generation is widely believed to be the most educated, most multi-cultured generation in U.S. history.  But, strangely enough, they have the highest unemployment rate in the country, 37%. In another seemingly contradictory finding, they have a $200 billion spending power and additionally influence between $300 billion to $400 billion.  Their motto might be "Believe, Belong, Create."  They are very well connected to their peers via the newest technology.  They cannot wait to get started and are impatient to finish one project so they can more on to the next.  They would rather text a quick 4-word to someone than sit and write an e-mail.  They need to be doing, rather than planning.  They need to feel they've accomplished something within a short amount of time, or they are "out of here."   This means that in the future, Junior League meetings must be concise and motivational, which is exactly the title of my next favorite breakout meeting conducted by Vicky Clark.

Many of us know Vicky Clark from the inspirational and exciting meetings she conducts.  She has been in Buffalo several times, and if you ever get a chance to sit in on one of her talks, by all means, do!  She gave us many ideas for thinking out of the box in conducting meetings.  Meeting agendas should not be a rehash of what has already happened, but about "how do we get from where we are to where we what to go."  Leaguers should not be forced to sit and listen, but be engaged in a conversation.  Theater-type rows do not encourage this type of meeting. Think of other patterns of seating which may encourage dialogue and still maintain order.  This will keep Millennials engaged and the Boomers awake!  This and many more thought-provoking ideas were discussed.

As stated above, I attended nine breakout seminars.  If you wish to know more about any of them, please feel free to contact me, Ruthann Foley. 

As we begin our new community impact and start to focus on women living in poverty, it struck me as appropriate to make an attempt to better understand the demographic that we, as a Junior League, will begin braiding our time and talents with.

I am excited to share with you a book I read over the last few weeks, A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. (aha! Process, Inc. revised 2005).  She is the leading U.S. expert on the mindsets of those living in poverty, in the middle class, and the wealthy. The cover of the book shares with the inquiring reader, "People in poverty face challenges virtually unknown to those in the middle class or the wealthy.  These challenges are both obvious and hidden.  The reality of being poor brings out a survival mentality, and turns attention away from opportunities that are taken for granted by everyone else."

Dr. Payne begins her book by exploring resources that a person who struggles with poverty may have, or lack, when needing to make a decision.  She uses scenarios to help reveal the difficulties parents living in poverty might have in supporting a child at school functions, whether because they work early or late and/or have other children to care for.  She also talks about concerns that children living in poverty are often faced with:  problems like hunger, legal issues (e.g., eviction, bankruptcy), domestic violence, or an addicted parent.

Dr. Payne explains that an effective education is the key to getting out of, and staying out of, generational poverty (as opposed to situational poverty generated by illness, job change, etc.).  Individuals leave poverty for one of four reasons: a goal or vision of something they want to be or have; a situation that is so painful that anything would be better; someone who "sponsors" them (e.g., an educator, spouse, mentor, or role model) who shows them a different way, or who convinces them that they could live differently; or a specific talent or ability that provides an opportunity for them (61).  Enter the Junior League!!

Dr. Payne kindly reminds the reader that being in poverty is rarely about a lack of intelligence, nor ability.  Many individuals remain in poverty because they don't know there is a choice--and if they do know there is a choice, they may have no one to teach them the hidden rules, or to provide them needed resources.

Another amazing insight that Dr. Payne points out is how a child living poverty reacts to being disciplined.  Dr. Payne's approach to a successful discipline plan for students in poverty is to teach a separate set of behaviors.  She states that, "many of the behaviors that students bring to school are necessary to help them survive outside of school" (77).  Chapter seven is an overview of several strategies that Dr. Payne feels can be used successfully with children living in poverty.  She advocates the use of structure and choice, behavior analysis, participation of the student, the language of negotiation, using metaphor stories, and teaching hidden rules.  An important component of the chapter is a list of behaviors related to poverty and interventions that a teacher or mentor could use in response to the behavior.  Another important section of the chapter discusses an adult being aware of the use(s) of child voice, adult voice, and parent voice (83 - 84).

I challenge each of you to take some time to read Dr. Payne's book as we begin writing this new chapter in our own League history book.  Some of the women we are partnering with are children themselves who have to navigate an increasingly scary and complex world.  Let's do us all a favor--before we lunge into their environment--and educate ourselves with the hope of stopping prejudice and ending any pre-conceived notions we may have (with or without knowing so) about the challenges and incredible strengths of women who struggle in poverty--women with whom we are about to connect on a very deep level.

Poverty must be addressed at the community level and at the civic level.  In community, we as individuals and an organization can have the greatest impact in the present--and leave a powerful legacy to the future.  In community also happens to be right where we, the Junior League membership collectively and individually, have connections, influence, and an opportunity to make enduring change.  We want not only to help the women we will serve to navigate the system:  We want to work with them side-by-side to help to change it!

NEW PRICE FOR Great Lake Effects

Purchase of Great Lake Effects is no longer a membership requirement, but it is still nice to keep the title in mind as a gift for someone special.  Please also consider donating it to other organizations with which you might work outside of League. 

The book has a great new price--$5.00!  The inventory of Great Lake Effects numbers approximately 1900.  Don't forget:  When they're gone, they're gone!    Copies can be purchased through Jill at headquarters during regular business hours.  All monies, either for new purchases or owed form previous purchases, should be submitted to Jill at headquarters either by check through the mail, by dropping off during business hours, or by leaving in one of two drop boxes--one located in the copy room or in the other next to the front door on the porch. 

Do It In a Day (DIIAD) Activities

Date:  10/15, 9 am - noon

Where:  Pearl Street Grille & Brewery rear parking lot

What:  Clean up Erie Hills Pocket Parks in downtown Buffalo, sponsored by Working for Downtown

National Trust's Candlelight Home Tour
Date:  10/20, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Where:  Lincoln Parkway, Buffalo
Register online at www.preservationbuffaloniagara.org/join-volunteer/

Some will be stationed in houses, some outside, and some at museums.  We're working to have assignments and further instructions for you in the near future, so stay tuned!  

November

Cocktails in Character (Literacy Volunteers)
Date:  11/1, 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Where:  Shea's Performing Arts Center

Volunteers needed to help set up and run auction, help at the ticket/registration table, and with several other tasks.
 
Mass Appeal, a high fashion event in the Elmwood Village
Date:  11/18, 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Where:  Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 875 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY, 14222
 
Fashion week comes to Buffalo!  Volunteers are needed for the 1st floor bar, ticket table, usher, security, and VIP section.  Volunteers should wear all black.    

** Please email Brooke Smith or call 949-395-5059 if you are interested in participating in any of these DIIAD activities. **