From our New President, Leaf Faller

Michelle Dinger, Junior League of Midland, Inc. 2014-2015 President, passes the gavel to 
Leaf Faller, Junior League of Midland, Inc. 2015-2016 President 

For many years our focus area had been Family Education and our Community Projects fell within this area. Three years ago an Ad Hoc committee was formed to research and develop a more defined focus area. During this process it became apparent our focus area would remain Education, but would become defined as Keeping Kids in School. This was presented to the 2013-2014 Board in August 2013 and to the General Membership in September 2013. 

Many questions arose at the September, 2013 General Meeting, and the committee went back and redefined the focus area as “Keeping Kids in School, Every Age-Every Stage”. In October 2013, this focus statement was presented to the General Membership and approved.

The 2013-2014 Project Research and Development Committee worked hard to develop new Placements within this focus area. Two new Placements were developed for the 2014-2015 year. Reading Olympics partnering with the Boys and Girls Club and Volunteers in Midland providing volunteers for local non-profits.

These placements join our current Placements.

One question you may have is how these varying placements fall under the “Keeping Kids in School, Every Age-Every Stage” umbrella.  Education is a multifaceted key. Most think Education means being in the classroom and learning what the teacher is teaching you in each subject.

This leads me to our theme for 2015-2016: Education is the Key to the Future.

Recently, I saw an article in our local paper about the top five graduates of our local high schools. Each student mentioned one teacher they considered a mentor. What the students had to say about their teachers included what they learned in the classroom and the encouragement they received from their teacher to succeed in other ways. Teachers do more than share subject knowledge.  They encourage, provide support and help improve self-esteem to mention a few.

Each and every woman in our League is a teacher, in some way. We mentor, teach by example, share memories and knowledge with our families, friends, and co-workers. 

We do this in the League by providing Suits with Skills sessions. The women participating gain knowledge, self-esteem and encouragement to follow their dreams for themselves and their children.  Hopeworks and Journey Summer Camp provide sessions to help the children work through the different stages of grief and healing.  Kids First helps non-custodial parents begin the process of learning how to be better parents by providing supervised visits. Scholarship Clearinghouse helps students fulfill their dream of higher education by guiding them in their selection of scholarship applications. Face the Race helps build self-esteem in young teen girls. 

Reading Olympics is a fun filled placement designed to foster a love of reading for grade school children. Volunteers in Midland helps several non-profits by providing volunteers. One non-profit is the Reading Library. Our volunteers read textbooks for students unable to read the books themselves. 

These placements fulfill our focus statement “Keeping Kids in School, Every Age-Every Stage”.

I have talked mostly about our Community Placements, but they would not be a success without the support of our In-League Placements.

Our Finance Council is necessary to provide a budget for each community placement.  Our Shotguns and Stilettos fundraiser helps provide the funding for our Community Placements. Project Research and Development provides evaluations from our community partners, the community chairmen and the committee members on our current community projects. We learn from each of these evaluations and strive to improve for the future. There are many more In-League placements and each one is part of Education is the Key to the Future.

I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the Junior League of Midland. I am excited to serve with the capable, competent and creative group I see before me.

We are an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. To do this we educate the Provisionals in our League’s history and in what makes our League run successfully. We have so much knowledge to tap into from all former and present members. It takes all of us to make this League successful. 

 - Leaf Faller, 2015-2016 President, Junior League of Midland, Inc.