What about the Junior League of Washington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM is mostly liberal new yorkers/new englanders, so they don't like the south, don't like catholics and certainly don't like republicans.

I am a liberal NYer and never heard of it til I moved to the South.

Perhaps you didn't belong to a certain "set" in New York. It's not just a "southern thing." It was founded in New York City by Mary Harriman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whoever keeps asking about open bars every three posts is cracking me up.

I was about to post this exact same thing. LOL!

[Anonymous]

While it's true that there are women of all races, etc., it's also clear to me and others that the caliber of women is a far cry from what it was in our mothers' day.

It's evident that many JLW members think quite highly of themselves (something which seems bolstered by the organization itself) and while there are many truly lovely women, there are also a fair share of social wannabes who falsely believe that their mere affiliation is going to elevate them.

Just like anywhere else in society, the nice/pretty ones may sport big diamonds and handsome gents, but there are also those who seem to be without either year after year, far into their 40s. Why? Same as in elsewhere, they could use some attitude adjustments.

In fact, at their 2012 sale, I personally witnessed an ethnic member being unnecessarily rude to a customer who happened to be of the same ethnicity, and I then overheard that member and several others of various races continuing to speak harshly about the customer (in front of other customers). I observed the whole incident and while the customer may have been a bit difficult, she definitely deserved better treatment with her $100 plus purchase.

[Anonymous]

Is it too late to join at age 33?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it too late to join at age 33?

no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All talk, no action. The Junior League in this town is all about political posturing within the orgnaization. They call themselves a volunteer organization, but all they do is promote themselves. Can anyone point to a recognizable community achievement?

I can. Bright Beginnings. JLW provided the seed money for their founding years ago, and still provides money to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'll be blunt - I don't have aspirations to join a group of here-to-pad-their-resume, (poorly) bleached blonde (think 1970's salt and pepper), judgmental, look down your nose Southerners who can't stand the thought of someone that doesn't look like them. I've been in that situation here many times over the past 20 years and it gets old very quickly. No, it's not everywhere. Other areas are not so anything to pad your resume. It's really obvious. It's really not productive. Too bad there isn't more of a screening process.

Clearly, you aren't a member. This is preposterous. The DC branch of the League is not like this at all - I have been in 3 years and can say maybe less than 5% of the people I have met fit this description. (And PS most have good colorists)

You need to define "good colorist" - because every blonde I saw, which was about 90% of the members, had the same exact shade of blonde, as if they were all sitting in the salon at the same time, and the colorist was too lazy to mix another shade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't every member have to see the budget?

I quit the JLW because of its lack of transpacency and precisely because of the "very strong Board structure" that operates in a vaccum with no input from regular volunteers.

Oh, please. Name me one volunteer organization that shares its full budget with volunteers and a matter of regular practice. BTW, if you're so smart, you'd know that financial information for a non-profit is public and that you could have requested any information you wanted at any time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM is mostly liberal new yorkers/new englanders, so they don't like the south, don't like catholics and certainly don't like republicans.

So interesting that many here view themselves as ultra liberal and tolerant. They are, as long as the ideas and generalizations are those with which they agree.

A. Fricking. Men.

[Anonymous]

Former JLW member here who served on a few meaningful committees. Bright Beginnings is a good one. Providing childcare for homeless families.

Other committees that I thought were doing good work (and I personally worked with): Doorways for Women & Families, Jubilee Jobs, the HIV/AIDS committee, and the committee (I can't remember the name) that conducts a book club for mentally retarded adults. There is a lot of good work happening, you just don't hear about it as much. Happy to discuss these positive contributions more if anyone is interested.

[Anonymous]

One of the byproducts of active Junior League membership is a thorough education in social concerns impacting the community, a supportive training environment in which to learn how to be provide leadership within the non-profit community by eventually becoming a board member of a non-profit, all while hopefully building relationships with like-minded (i.e. wanting to make a difference) women. Just like your work place hosts periodic parties, so does Junior League. But nobody goes to work for a company because of their annual spring softball tournament, right? Purely social parties that aren't find raisers are rare, and when they occur they are funded by dues.

Junior Leagues often start non-profits that eventually spin off and become independent. The volunteers learn and develop through the entrepreneurial process involved. Yes, you collaborate. Yes, you build coalitions. Yes, people with common interests gravitate toward one another. Yes, humans are involved so every aspect of character flaws will be represented. But so will every beautiful human attribute.

If you have the time and resources to give, desire friendships with like-minded women, and are interested in eventually providing leadership in the larger non-profit community through board membership, Junior League can be a tried and true avenue by which to proceed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who are interested in volunteering. meeting other women (working and stay at home Moms) check out The Junior Friends of The Campagna Center in Alexandria. There are a large group of women who were, note I said WERE, members of the Junior League and left the League and for The Junior Friends and are much happier. The Campagna Center supports local programs in the City of Alexandria. The Junior Friends volunteer to organize and work at the three major fundraisers but you can also volunteer your time with the programs that The Center supports. The Junior Friends rules and regulations are not as stringent as the Junior League's and their annual dues are not as high as The Junior Leagues. And for those of you who are looking for cocktails too - the Junior Friends always have cocktails and appetizers at all meetings!

LOL...JLW member who was a Campagna Center member for one year. Those Campagna Center ladies cannot organize their way out of a paper bag. And if you are not a SAHM with a lawyer husband and gasp... you make your own money.... you will not fit into the Junior Friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former Junior League of Washington member here. There is no such thing as a "senior volunteer".

The Junior League was founding in NYC ~100 years ago. At that time, "respectable" unmarried ladies weren't allowed to go around the city without an escort. A young woman who wanted to make a difference helping the city's destitute citizens formed the Junior League as an acceptable way to help. Junior refers to the fact that it was for unmarried women.

Fast forward to Junior League of Washington in the 21st century.

JLW does not require sponsors to become a member. They are really trying to diversify their membership, with limited success. The majority of their active members are 22-35 years old. I'd venture that most start out single and are married by the time they quit (or go "sustainer") in their mid-30s.

JLW strives to have *trained* volunteers. Ones who can be useful, not just show up and not get anything done. They partner with a lot of organizations throughout DC. Martha's Table, N Street Village, College Bound, National Book Fair, Iona Senior Services, among many others. You probably aren't aware of the activities they are in, b/c they look just like the other volunteers at those organizations. I was never a super enthusiastic member on the social side, although I do think they provide solid opportunities to volunteer in DC.

They also raise money to maintain their facility and to donate to organizations that apply for grants.

I quit a year or two after my DC was born. I just didn't have the schedule that would allow me to make the various meetings and events. I honestly don't think they have figured out how to make it work for working moms or SAHM with kids too young for school.

As for all of the members looking alike, there is a bit of truth to it. Quite a few blonds, quite a few multi-carat diamond rings, some seem to have gone to the same plastic surgeon. But not all by any means. It is quite a bit like a southern sorority, although they really are trying to change that. It is just a slow process when all the southern sorority girls move to DC and want to join b/c their mothers expect them to do so. A few years back they actually had a waiting list to join, as they can only handle a certain number of new members every year (b/c of the training demands).

Instead of trying to figure out fact from fiction on this board, go to their site:
http://www.jlw.org/

Is 40 too old to join? I've seen the applicant interest form, but what does the full application entail (not posted on website). Thanks!