WHAT IS A COMMITTEE?

When you join Junior’s, you are asked what “Department Committee” to which you would like to belong.  Each member is required to be a part of at least 1 area, which requires a committee such as Art, Conservation, Education, Home Life, International Affairs, and Public Affairs.  ALL MEMBERS are a part of the Ways & Means area; therefore, you must choose 1 other area that you would like to be a part of.

 The “chairman” will preside over the committee.  She will make all announcements, concerns, ideas before the Executive Board and the Board of Directors and present approved plans before the members at the business meeting.

 It is very important that you be active and support your chairman on the committee for which you are signed-up.

 A member who is part of a committee of a special area is NOT required to attend Board meetings.

 WHAT IS REPORTING?

The Reporting Chairman provides Project Report Forms for chairmen.  She is responsible to have chairmen fill out Project Report Forms after each project or program.  These forms have information on the name of the project, program, or fundraiser completed, number of Juniors and others involved, description of how the project was completed, list of income and expenses, etc.  These forms are used in case we choose to redo a project or program and we have an idea on how we can better the project.  They are also used at the end of the year when our club writes reports for GFWC Illinois. 

 Why we write reports for GFWC Illinois - to review what our club has done during the year, to maintain our club’s history, to evaluate our club’s programs and projects, and to obtain recognition, awards from GFWC Illinois. 

 Why GFWC Illinois wants us to report is to evaluate state projects through our club participation, to strengthen the state organization, to promote legislation, health concerns, human resources, etc., to obtain funding, speakers, recognition, publicity, and to report to GFWC the endeavors and accomplishments of Illinois.

 Why GFWC wants Illinois to report is to evaluate programs and projects, to promote new issues of interest to members, to evaluate our club’s activity versus other clubs, to obtain funding from other companies, to use in compiling the history of women of the world, and to create a written record of accomplishments by Illinois clubs.

WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS?

The Public Relations Chairman is responsible to promote our club through publicity.  Her main job is submitting and writing articles for our local newspapers and school newsletters.  She encourages members to use GFWC Illinois before our club name when writing articles for our newspapers, posters, articles for school newsletters, or any way we promote our club.  She also puts together the Media Book, which includes all published articles with our club’s name in them. The Publicity Book serves as the GFWC Illinois Metamora-Germantown Hills Junior Woman’s Club history. These books are being stored right now at the Germantown Hills Fire Station attic.

 Besides the publicity through the media, our club has GFWC Metamora-Germantown Hills Juniors sweatshirts, polo shirts, denim shirts, and buttons that we wear at club functions. 

WHAT IS WAYS & MEANS?

The Ways & Means area is very large and consists of one chairman.  ALL of our membership is a part of Ways & Means.  The chairman chooses a committee the end of April to decide on the moneymaking plans for the new club year.  The chairman presents the events in the May Newsletter and members vote on the fall fundraisers at the May Installation Banquet.  The money received from these fundraisers is put towards our general fund which supplies funds for our departments and other expenses for the club year or a certain charity or cause.

 The chairman is a part of the Board of Directors and must attend Board Meetings in addition to business meetings. 

 Some of our club fund raisers have been:  selling wrapping paper, grocery gift certificates at Jubilee Foods and Kroger’s, garage sales, Breakfast With Santa, Tiny Tots and Princess Contests, Silent, Art and Pound Auctions, raffles, Cookie Bake, Capture the Moment Photo Booth, Easter Bunny Breakfast, and Spring Bazaar.

 WHAT IS MEMBERSHIP?

The Membership Chairman is the Vice-President.  It is her responsibility to plan prospective and new member orientations.

 Should the Chairman choose to hold a special orientation, she will contact her committee to meet and plan the event.  It is recommended to hold such events - 1 (fall) and 1(winter).  It is up to the Membership Chairman to choose a theme for this event if desired. During orientation events, the Chairman and her committee will have planned an introduction, ice-breaker, refreshments, etc.

  The Membership Chairman will introduce new members to the club, announce resignations and oversee with her committee the Initiation Ceremonies.

WHAT ARE NEW/PROSPECTIVE MEMBERSHIP EVENTS?

The Membership Chairman and her committee are responsible to hold new/prospective membership events to promote our club and inform the community of what we are about.  During this promotion we encourage ladies to join and be a part of this prestigious organization.

 It is very important to have as many officers and members attend so as to explain the purpose of our club, upcoming events that Chairman have planned, and have each member in attendance express their feelings about the club.

WHAT IS SOCIAL?

The Social Committee is responsible for all social events planned during the year for our membership.  The social events may consist of family picnics, ladies night out, shopping trips, dinners, crazy couples bowling, Super Bowl Party, playgroups, coffeehouses, etc.  It is up to the chairman to decide whether this social function should be for ladies only, for a member and her friend, for husbands or children, etc.  Upon deciding what events will be planned for the year, it is the responsibility of the chairman to inform the Executive Board of her plans.

 WHAT IS A YEARBOOK?

The Yearbook chairman can be the Secretary or a member.  She is responsible for compiling a book, which is distributed to the membership at the September Business Meeting.

 The Yearbook provides information on all meeting dates.  It also lists the different areas of our club, the committees and chairpersons.  It provides the Bylaws and Standing Rules of our club, Club Motto, Club Collect, a listing of the names, addresses and phone numbers of our membership and any other information deemed important by the President.

WHAT IS THE NEWSLETTER?

It is the responsibility of the Newsletter Chairman to compile a monthly Newsletter informing the membership of all service work, fund raisers, social events, articles of interest to the club, a club calendar listing the events for the month, and any other information provided to her by the department, standing, or committee Chairman and the President. The Newsletter Chairman sets a deadline for information to be turned in to her, and it is the responsibility of each member to meet this deadline so that the Newsletter will be received in a timely fashion.

 The newsletter is the primary communication to all members.  WE will be utilizing it to inform members of ALL activities and brought to every meeting.  Any information in the newsletter WILL NOT be presented at the general meeting.

 The Newsletter is to be received by the Membership before the Business Meeting.  Each member is asked to provide her e-mail address or self-addressed, stamped envelopes so that the newsletter can be delivered by Internet or mail.

WHAT IS AUCTION BASKET?

The Auction Basket is a $5 to $8 wrapped gift item that is raffled at the end of the general meeting.  Each raffle ticket costs 25 cents.  The money is used for the Sunshine Fund.  Members sign up to donate items.

 WHAT IS SUNSHINE FUND?

The Sunshine Fund is funded by the monthly auction basket.  The money is used to purchase one book for a local library in the name of members’ newborn babies at the end of the club year in May.  It is used to make memorials for a death of an immediate family member.  It is also used to purchase cards that are sent to members in case of an illness, birth of a child, or death of a family member.

 Club members provide meals for members in case of illness, surgery, or birth of a new baby which the Secretary oversees this fund.

WHAT IS BREAKFAST WITH SANTA?

Breakfast with Santa is a morning event that is held annually in December for children in our community to visit Santa.  There is a special committee that is appointed to this event.  The committee is responsible for the location, craft projects, refreshments, raffle items, door prizes, and decorations.  The committee will notify the membership of the details via the Newsletter and at the business meetings.

 The money received from Breakfast with Santa is voted on by the membership.  It has been donated to the Community Holiday Basket Fund, Heart House, Emergency 116, food pantries, a needy family in the community, supported our CIP projects, etc. Sometimes the money has been used to support our general fund.

 The chairman is required to attend the September Board meeting.  The committee is not required to attend this Board meeting.

WHAT IS OLD SETTLER’S DAYS?

Old Settler’s Days is a four day event held in June in Metamora. The main goal is that our club supports this event by being represented at it. 

 There is a special committee that is appointed to this event.  The committee is responsible for reserving the space and coordinating the fundraiser.  Fundraisers that we have sponsored have been: a Cookie Bake, which we rented two ovens and members baked lots and lots of cookies in four days; raffles, Capture the Moment Photo Booth and a Tiny Tots Contest. The funds have been used for our general fund, Community Improvement Project, or to some worthy cause like Children’s Miracle Network, St. Jude, Relay For Life, T.O.U.C.H., etc.  The committee will notify the membership of the details via the Newsletter and at the business meetings. 

Also our club participates in the Old Settler’s Days Parade, which is held on the Saturday of the four day event.  Our Junior of the Year and Outstanding Service Award winners ride in the parade and represent our club.  Sometimes members walk along side the cars and distribute the club brochure.

WHAT IS AVENUE OF FLAGS?

The Avenue of Flags is a project that the Metamora-Germantown Hills Junior Woman’s Club began in 1991.  It’s a flag display in the Metamora Park on the Square, which is in honor or memory of a veteran.  Anyone in the community has the opportunity to purchase a flag.  Cost is $40.00 each complete. The veteran’s name is placed on a plaque and displayed in the park on the days that the flags are displayed. The flags are displayed three times a year, (weather permitting) Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veteran’s Day.

 The Avenue of Flags Chairman is responsible for receiving and placing flag orders.  She is in charge of having members set up and take down flags on the designated days.  She oversees the conditions of the flag holes, caps, etc.

To date 211 flags have been sold.

 AVENUE OF FLAGS SCHEDULE

Veteran’s Day, Sunday, November 11, 2007      Art/Conservation

Memorial Monday, May 26, 2008                          Education/Home Life

Independence Day, Friday, July 4, 2008  International/Public Affairs