Scholarship Clearinghouse

The Junior League of Midland, Inc.’s Scholarship Clearinghouse program is off to a great start this year!  Our team of seven mentors is busy meeting with high school seniors and walking them through the scholarship and financial aid application process. 

This process can be overwhelming for students as they try to sift through the thousands of scholarship applications available to them.  Our mentors sit down one-on-one with students  (and sometimes parents) to help them narrow their focus on scholarships that are the right fit for them, both at the local and national level.  We maintain a scholarship database, compiled and updated by committee members over the years, which students can browse through and find scholarships applicable to them.

Our mentors also discuss the financial aid process: how and when to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.  This application can be daunting for parents and students, especially first generation college students.  By explaining the process and the importance of this application, students are more likely to fill out the FAFSA and therefore, have a greater shot at obtaining federal financial aid such as grants and student loans. 

To sign students up for these informative sessions, our mentors attended Dawg Days at Midland High School and Rebel Muster at Lee High School in August.  We also attended the College Forum Night at Midland College earlier this month where we met students from all over the local area who are interested in going to college and of course, finding ways to pay for it. 

In addition to helping students find local and national scholarships, we also encourage them to fill out an application for JLM’s very own scholarship, which we award to deserving students in the spring.  

We are excited to help another generation of students in their pursuit of higher education.  It is very fulfilling to know that these students are gaining a greater chance at achieving their college goals by finding money to pay for college.  We certainly feel we are doing our part to keep kids in school at every age and every stage!  

-Megan Yancey, Active Member

 

Reading Olympics

It’s 4:50 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon.  I am headed south on Garfield en route to the Boys and Girls Club for our weekly Reading Olympics session and I’m excited.  Our book tonight, Book Fair Day, is one of my favorites and my daughter’s as well.       

As I get out of my car, I grab my Junior League bag and walk in looking closely at those kids being picked up.  I think to myself, “Are they one our Reading Olympics kiddos?” I spot one.  She is.  This little girl is begging her mother, “Please let me stay!  I really want to stay!”  Sadly, her mom tells her, “No.”  The little girl gets into the car in tears.   My emotions are mixed.  I wish the Mom had told her she could stay.  She would have loved Book Fair Day.   On the other hand, her sadness tells me that we are accomplishing our goals… creating a love for reading one book at a time, and a fun and caring environment for these kids.   

As I enter the building on week four, I feel at home.  The kids are moving around, as they normally do, and I am greeted by several Reading Olympics kids.  They give me hugs and ask, “Are we starting yet?”  I tell them, “Soon.”  “What’s the book tonight,” one asks.  I responded, “You’ve got to come and find out.”  After several hugs and hellos, I make it to our room.  Set-up has begun and before long we will welcome more than 30 kids into our Reading Olympics session.  Some will be repeat visitors, while others are newcomers as they have stood in the hallway watching and decided to join in the fun this week. 

We have welcomed kids, sung some songs, and heard our book of the evening read by our guest reader.  Now it’s time for “team time.”  My black team joins me in our normal spot on the floor.  We take attendance and begin our weekly ritual of journaling, discussing, creating, and sharing a snack.   The participants and I discuss how we find the perfect book to read.   After discussing several tips, I hand out some Scholastic Book Club flyers.  The excitement begins. “This looks like a good one,” exclaims Andrea.   I calm them down and tell them we are going to practice.  I want them to pick out five different books, using our tips, from the flyer.  The questions start coming at me faster than I can respond.  “Do you think I will like this one?”  “What about this one?”  “Mrs. Amber have you read this one?”  I feel a little like Dewey Booker from our story.  Slowly, but surely, my group circles the five choices of  books they think they will like.  One little girl at the end says, “I wish I could get these books.”

In just four short weeks, we have created an excitement about reading and books.  We are creating a love for reading, one book at a time.                 

-Amber Davidson, Active

President's Blog: Why We 'Due' What We Do

For the Junior League of Midland, September is the unofficial start of the League year. We transition into our new placements on June 1, but we don’t start having General Meetings until the third Tuesday in September. September also begins with a Ways and Means fee notice for all Active League members. This fee is due on October 1 of every year. For many years I wrote my $150 Ways and Means fee check automatically without a thought as to why I was paying the fee. I knew the fee was a requirement as an Active member but I never questioned why it was needed. As time went on, I took on leadership roles and I began to understand why this fee came about.

Many Leagues ask their members to sell things or buy things to contribute financially to their Leagues. Some Leagues require their members to buy cookbooks and sell them. Many of these members find themselves stuck with a closet full of cookbooks because everyone they know has already purchased one from them or another member.  Other Leagues require their members to buy tickets to their events and attend them. This was the case for the JLM for many years. Charity Ball was the primary fundraiser for our League for decades. Each member was required to purchase a ticket to the event and attend the fundraiser.  As time went on, being required to purchase a ticket to and attend the event became unpopular. The members of the League stressed that they would rather pay a simple fee than be required to sell things or purchase event tickets. The JLM instituted the Ways and Means fee as a reaction to this sentiment. The Ways and Means fee helps to defray all of the costs that the League incurs. Our fundraiser supports our community projects, but the League still has other expenses. We maintain our building, have an office manager that receives hourly wages, and we must purchase supplies to keep things running. The Ways and Means fee helps to make all of this happen. As a side note, the Ways and Means fee is not required of Provisional or Sustaining members. Provisional members instead pay a Provisional Course fee of $100. Sustainers are exempt.

Each member of the League (Provisionals, Actives, and Sustainers) is also required to pay Annual Dues, which must be received by April 1.  Dues for the JLM are $90 and are meant for the following League year, beginning on June 1. If dues are not paid by May 1, membership in the League will not be continued the following year.  $43 of the $90 fee goes to our parent organization,The Association of Junior Leagues International. The remainder of the dues goes into our general fund to support operating expenses.

Financial support of our members is critical to the Junior League of Midland. The purpose of this article is to let our members know exactly WHY they are asked to make financial contributions every year. A financial commitment of a combined $240 every year (for Active members) is a big pill to swallow, but it is definitely a commitment worth making. The JLM offers payment plans to our members who need that option. We also have a “Fairy Godmother Fund” that members can apply for if they need financial assistance. We truly appreciate our members and their contributions to our League, both financially and in their commitment serve the Midland community through League involvement.

 

-Michelle Dinger

President, 2014-2015

Growth Groups

We are excited to share with you something new in the League, Growth Groups!

How many of you have come to a General Meeting and scanned the room trying to find a familiar face among the crowd? If this is you, you are not alone. Actually, you are in the majority. The Junior League of Midland, much like our town, has seen significant growth over the last few years. We want the Junior League of Midland to always feel welcoming and continue to have that close-knit feel that it has had in the past, resulting in many lifelong friendships. How do we achieve this?

Through Growth Groups…

Growth Groups is an exciting new pilot program starting this fall.  It will consist of small social groups open to every Active member. Each small group will consist of Active members with varying years of service to our League. It is our hope that through these Growth Groups you will build strong friendships while learning more about our wonderful organization. Each group will meet a few times during the 2014-2015 League year. These meetings can be anything from going to lunch, dinner, happy hour, out for coffee, bunco, book club, or even sitting together at General Meetings.  Growth Groups are very casual and not meant to be a significant time commitment.

 

How do you sign up?

If you are interested in joining a Growth Group please email us at

growthgroupsjlm@gmail.com by October 17.
Please email promptly if you are interested, as this is a pilot program with limited space.

 

We are very excited about our “growth” and hope you will consider growing with us.