september 2012volume 77 | number 1

a publication of the Junior League of Beaumont

Women building better communities.

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1,500,000hours volunteered since inception

hours volunteered in 2011

$2,950,000Given back to the community since 1964

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Signature Projects

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Junior Welfare League of Beaumont

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as well by beginning the process of discussing funding for the building. The BCM volunteers have planned trainings and have begun going on outings to area educational facilities. Another endeavor that has been developing over this summer is our new Educational Leadership Series. Through the October 2011 Speak Outs, Future Planning discovered that league mem-bers desired more education and training, so Planning Council Director, Rachel Grove and Katara Goings, Education and Training Chair, have been working to create a leadership series that is mission focused for our league members, but open to our community as well. The Resource Development Team and our Spinnings group has been working behind the scenes as well working on the League’s finances and communications.

But wait, that’s not all, of course! Angie Herrin and her Membership Development Team have been steadily preparing for the new Provisional league year... In case you didn’t know it, they already have their own Face-book page, and I’m sure they would love to hear a “welcome,” from each of you. You can visit them on their page Junior League of Beaumont 2012-2013. A few took time out this summer to have a little social time at Luke’s in July, which was enjoyed by many. Looking forward to this new group of women building better communities.

Oh, my goodness- so much goodness. It makes me take a deep breath and pause just to think about all the hard work and efforts of this dynamic group of women. These efforts mentioned are just a few of the many that have been in motion over the past few months. But just think- these are the efforts of women in the Beaumont league for over 75 years. Over the years our League members have been behind such signature projects as The Art Museum of Southeast Texas- 1969, Leadership Beaumont- 1971, Women and Children’s Shelter- 1984, Southeast Texas Community Health Clinic- 1994, Buckner Children and Family Services- 1996, and many more! I am extremely excited about this 2012-2013 year becoming more collaborative and working with such a diverse group of ladies. There’s no telling what they have in store! I know one thing- I’ll be there to cheer them on all the way!

W elcome to the 2012-2013 League Year! Sep-tember is here, and although to some it might seem the beginning of the JL year, it’s been going strong for others. Once again, throughout the summer, I have been awed by the amazing efforts of many of our league

women building better communities. While many of you began your summer vacations early in June, our

Family Resource Center Camp group wowed kids of various ages for two weeks. They created many hands-on activities and celebrated the suc-cess of their 10 days by having a lot of bouncing and sliding fun blowups, fun outdoor activities, and a special treat from Chic-Fil-A.

FRC Campers haven’t been the only ones working this summer. Our Main Street Market Vendor Committee has been busily finding and inviting returning and new vendors for our 2012 Holiday Market. The Beaumont Children’s Museum, our signature project, has been busy over the summer

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The Junior League of Beaumont is an organization of women committed to promote volunteerism, develop the potential of women and improve communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively education and charitable.

mission statement

Photo Courtesy of Mark Low Imagery Photography

Stephanie VanskikePresident

Cindy PartinPresident-Elect

Wendy HenryTreasurer/Finance Council Director

Christine GillTreasurer-Elect/Ways & Means Chair

Dana BabineauxRecording Secretary

Tyneil McFaddinCorresponding Secretary

Diana MillsCommunication Council Director

Shannon CopelandCommunity Council Director

Annia TynerMembership Council Director/Nominating Chair

Rachel GrovePlanning Council Director

Ronda HarkeyPast President

Tammy AnderudSustainer Advisor

2012-2013board of directors

table of contents

w w w . j u n i o r l e a g u e b e a u m o n t . o r g

Left to Right: Beth Rogers Co-ChairShelly Vitanza ChairKaty Ware Staff WriterNot pictured: Leah Duplantis Staff WriterAyna Sehgal Staff WriterMandy Oliverio Sustaining Advisor

spinnings staff

2388 McFaddin | Beaumont, Texas 77702 | 409.832.0873

In Recognition of Beaumont’s Historical Spindletop Oil FieldAn internal publication of the Junior League of Beaumont, Inc., distributed monthly September-May.

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departmentsPresident’s MessageMember SpotlightsPillar AwardAnnouncementsCookbooks of the MonthEducation and Training ArticleAdvertising IndexSave the DateCalendar

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10,1117

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featuresFamily Resource Center Summer Camp: What's in Your Own BackyardIssue-Based Community Impact: Our FutureBelated BirthdaysMay Dinner

Send your ideas or articles for consideration to the 2012-13 Spinnings Chair, Shelly Vitanza at svitanza@gmail.com.

We welcome your input!

Do you have a fabulous idea for a story?Would you like to be a guest writer?

For those of you who prefer to get your info on the go, you can receive Spinnings

via email or view it on the web! If you, or someone you know, is interested in receiv-

ing our publication in this format, please email the 2012-13 Spinnings Chair, Shelly

Vitanza at svitanza@gmail.com. Don’t worry- we will also continue to produce our

magazine in print. You may even see it in your favorite hair salon or doctor’s office!

Get Spinnings delivered in a new way!

september 20126

By Lauren SmithFRC Summer Camp Chair

The Junior League of Beaumont held its annual summer camp on June 4-7 and June 11-14 at the Family Resource Center. The camp

consisted of approximately 75 children, ages 4-12, who greeted

What's in your own

Backyard?

Family Resource Center

Summer Camp

september 2012 7

League members with smiling faces eager to have fun. The com-mittee consisting of Lindsay Gibbs, Peyton Jones, Ashley Messina, El-len Petit and project chair Lauren Smith facilitated different projects each day of the camp that the children could easily do at home centered on the theme “What’s in your own backyard?” The projects included things such as arts and crafts, outdoor games, dance les-sons, healthy and delicious food, demonstrations and more!

Campers made paper birds decorated with feathers and corn-cob bird feeders. Stuffee, one of the traveling exhibits of the Beaumont Children’s Museum, made an appearance to teach the children about healthy diets and exercise. In addition, the Beau-mont Children’s Museum volun-teers brought their latest travel-ing exhibit, the LEGOS® Building Minds project, which is designed to teach dexterity, color sorting, math, and even some basic engi-neering principles.

Campers also made leaf draw-ings, planted seeds in Dixie cups to take home, and planted large flow-er pots with their handprints on it used to decorate the entrance of the center. Radical

Racecars

september 20128

The campers really enjoyed learning about how plants grow and were excited that they could take their plants home to watch them bloom.

The Kids in the Kitchen commit-tee lead by Renee Wiggins pro-vided fresh fruit for the campers to make delicious fruit skewers made of cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapples, and grapes. The com-mittee also educated the children on healthy eating and gave them a coloring page to work on.

In addition, Home Depot gra-ciously donated wooden racecars that the campers put together, and they also really had a wonder-ful time learning a Zumba dance routine, taught by Peyton Jones. On the last day campers enjoyed an outdoor party that included a large bouncy slide, hula hoops, bubbles, kickball, and other out-door games with Chick-fil-A and Gatorade for lunch.

Not only did the children of the Family Resource Center have a great time, but the committee and other volunteers also found it very rewarding. “Volunteering at the FRC Summer Camp was such a rewarding experience. It was great to see the campers having so much fun while participating in something educational. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces and hearing the excitement in their voices during each activity made my day,” said Lindsay Gibbs.

ZUMBA Zaniness

Fruity Fun

september 2012 9

Carnival Craze

september 201210

T he League has a rich heritage in our community of making a last-ing impact for the enhancement of people’s lives, which is the core principal of Issue-Based Com-munity Impact. During the early years of the League, or Junior Wel-fare League, issues such as health care, education, and the arts were a main focus of the League. The

league made contributions such as medical equipment to hospitals, school supplies for area students, and puppet and art show presenta-tions for the schools. These contributions have led to the establishment of such entities as the Beaumont Heritage Society and the John J. French Museum- 1967, Art Museum on Southeast Texas- 1969, Leadership

By Stephanie Vanskike President

Issue-Based Community Impact:

Our FutureBeaumont- 1971, Women and Children’s Shelter- 1984, Southeast Texas Community Health Clinic- 1994, Southeast Texas Family Resource Center- 1997, the Beaumont Children’s Museum- present signature project, and many others through the years. As the League begins to plan its focus for the future, and we begin to assess the needs of our community, the League must research, develop, collaborate, and train in order for our League to undertake long-term solutions that build on the community’s assets to make positive impacts within our surrounding areas.

This endeavor begins with research. The role of leadership will be to: 1. Ensure these are topics that are mission focused 2. Encourage engagement at all levels of membership 3. Help to define focus areas 4. Forge community connections. We began this process through our 2011 October Speak-Outs when our

League members developed a list of several issues they considered prob-

september 2012 11

lems in our area and were of interest to them. Then at our Annual May Din-ner in 2012 members were able to vote on their top three issues of interest.

This list has been currently narrowed down to the following six topics: • Self-Esteem for young girls • Healthcare for women and children • Community Beautification • Bully prevention • Hunger and Care/Assistance to the Elderly

A main goal of the Future Planning Committee is to let membership know that what they say matters and that their opinions on topics matter. Therefore, to continue to engage membership in this process, a portion of our September general meeting will be table discussions in order to nar-row our focus to only three to five main topics of interest. Membership will be asked to rank these topics from one to five based on its compat-ibility to our mission statement and its compatibility to our membership’s interest. This will help to define our focus areas that are of interest to our members so that they will have a greater passion for the volunteer work.

The next step in this process will be to educate our league membership about these topics of interest from leaders in our community. Through our Education and Training Programming, the League will be collaborat-ing and making community connections with members of our Commu-nity Advisory Board and will be gaining insight from non-profit agencies such as the Red Cross through our new Educational Leadership Series. Through these collaborative efforts it should point the League in the right direction for further research into both the problem and the contributing factors in the community.

This will not be a fast process, and will probably take more than this League year to go through the necessary steps to be successful. It is without doubt though, that through the determination of our leadership, the passion for impact by our members, and the partnerships forged within our community, the League will definitely be on the path of con-tinuing its legacy of producing a positive Community Impact throughout Southeast Texas.

september 201212

Provisional SpotlightAllison Dierlam

Are you from Beaumont?No. I was born in Arkadelphia, Ar-kansas; my mom stayed there with her parents while my dad was in Vietnam. I attended college at Texas A&M, graduated in 1992 and

went on to attend law school at the University of Texas in Austin.

What other places have you lived?When my dad came back from Vietnam and we moved about every two years; we lived in Geor-gia, Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas. When I was in 7th grade we moved to Ankara, Turkey. From Turkey we moved to Mannheim, Germa-ny, where I graduated from high school. I lived in Bryan, TX while obtaining my bachelors degree and Austin while in law school. I then went on to work in Victoria, TX moved to Roswell, NM after marrying my husband and from there went on to Ardmore, OK for my husband’s work. In August of 2011 we moved to Beaumont.

Tell me about your family.I met my husband, Brad, while I was in Victoria working as an as-sistant DA. His dad was a county commissioner so we knew each other from the courthouse. He told Brad that we should meet. We got married at the mission San Jose in San Antonio in 2000. We had our son, Carter, in 2001 and our daugh-ter, Ella, in 2004. In 2011 we moved to Beaumont for my husband’s job. Brad is a human resource manager at Valero in Port Arthur.

What hobbies do you have?I enjoy reading and spending time with the kids. I also love shopping and am super excited about living in a town with a Target and a mall. I haven’t had that before.

What do you do for fun with your children/family?We love going to the beach and traveling. Our favorite vacation spot is Hawaii, but Disney World is a close second. The kids are in-volved with dancing, gymnastics, karate, and baseball. Carter also competed at the world cup stack-ing championship!

What did you aspire to be as a child?When I was a kid I always wanted

to be the girl on the swing at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse. I actually tried out for the job when I was in college, but didn’t get it. It was actually a LOT harder than it looks; the girl who did get the job had circus experience.

Do you work outside the home? What do you enjoy most about your work?When we were living in Oklahoma I decided I didn’t want to practice law anymore and got my Oklaho-ma teaching certificate. I taught at a small Episcopal school that was pre-school through 8th grade. I stayed home last year, but this year I will be teaching 6th grade English at Marshall middle school. I love, love, love teaching and am so excit-ed about starting this school year!

What do you do to stay organized?I have trouble with keeping orga-nized, but I love looking at organiz-ing ideas on Pintrest. I also forget a lot! I have found if you tell the kids, they are great at reminding me because they never forget ANY-THING! So, if I need to remember to buy laundry detergent at Target or mail a package they will continu-ally remind me until I get it done. Although, they usually like to tell me at five in the morning.

What other volunteer organizations have you been involved with?Brad and I both volunteer in the religious education program at St. Anne’s on Sunday mornings. I have been a CASA volunteer; have helped with breakfast with Santa;volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and the United Way.

What made you decide to join the Junior League of Beaumont?I am very excited about joining the JLB! I hope to meet new people and learn about Beaumont. I also hope to contribute enthusiasm and hard work.

lights

www.stannecatholic.org409.832.5939

St. Anne Catholic School provides a standard of academic excellence using a private preparatory school curriculum where students excel in a nurturing, safe, and traditional Catholic school climate that celebrates diversity, faith, leadership, and service to others.

Honoring our past,celebrating the present,

preparing for our future.

september 2012 13

Sustainer SpotlightKatherine Sanford

Active SpotlightMolly Bennett

and a half and going into the 1st grade at All Saints as well. My hus-band Les is a real estate attorney at Hooks Title.

What do you do for fun with your family?We love to travel. I have a sister in Austin, one in Houston and one in Denver, so we do a fair amount of traveling just going to visit them.

What did you aspire to be as a child?I always wanted to be a school teacher or a nurse. I love kids and I love helping people.

What are your hobbies?My hobbies are shopping, reading, and cooking. I also enjoy garden-ing, although currently we are do-ing some renovating so my yard does not display that.

What other volunteer or community organizations have you been involved in?I have volunteered at the Chil-dren’s Museum of Beaumont, and I am involved in the parents asso-

your husband? Do you have children?I am married to Richmond Ben-nett. We met while living in Lufkin. Some mutual friends set us up and here we are 12 years later with two children and one on the way. Ben is 8, Ella is 5, and we are ex-pecting a baby boy around the end of September.

What does your family like to do for fun?Our family loves to travel. We also stay very busy with all of Ben and Ella’s sports and activities.

What did you aspire to be as a child?I wanted to be a lawyer as a child. I changed my mind in college and

Are you from Beaumont?Yes, I was born and raised in Beau-mont, TX. I went to St. Anne’s Catho-lic School and Monsignor Kelly Cath-olic High School. I attended College at Lamar University here in Beau-mont and got my degree in Nursing.

Tell me about your family.I grew up raised by my mother and grandmother. I am the second oldest of four girls. My husband Les and I have been married for 15 years, and we have 2 beautiful daughters, Emma, who is 10 and is going into the fifth grade at All Saints, and Elizabeth, who is six

Are you from Beaumont?No, I’m originally from Lufkin, TX. My husband is from Beaumont, and we moved here in 2006 for his job.

Tell me about your family. How did you meet

ciation at All Saints School.

Do you work outside the home? What do you do to stay organized juggling a job and kids?I do. I am a part-time nurse for Christus Preventative Medicine of Southeast Texas. There is always room for improvement in my or-ganization so for me I just focus on keeping the kids organized and that alone helps to keep every-thing running smoothly.

What is your favorite memory or experience about being in the Junior League?My favorite assignment was Sun-shine Cove Shelter. I loved help-ing the woman better themselves and their children. I admire anyone who is brave enough to walk away from a bad situation with nothing because they want more for them-selves and want a safe and loving home for their kids. It also made me just feel so grateful for the life I have been given and reminds me just how lucky I am to have such a loving husband and family.

earned a degree in finance. I worked in banking prior to having children.

What are your hobbies?I love to read and travel.

What do you do to help you stay organized?Organized? What’s that? I would be lost without my calendar/planner. If I don’t write it down, it doesn’t get done!

What is your current placement? What do you enjoy most about it?My current placement is Nominat-ing and Placement Committee Co-Chair. I like helping the League by placing members in positions that best utilize their talents and skills.

What is the best advice that you have for a current League member?Get involved in projects that you know you will really enjoy, but try new things, too. Pick something that you wouldn’t typically pick. You might be surprised about how much you learn from the experi-ence and about how rewarding it can be to get out of your comfort zone a little and work in the com-munity in such a way that it chang-es your outlook on things.

How has your experience in the Junior League changed you as a person? It has broadened my sense of awareness about the various needs within the community out-side of my own little world. There are so many ways to pitch in and help make Southeast Texas a bet-ter place and to reach out and touch another person less fortu-nate than yourself. The JLB has giv-en me the opportunity to do that and I am a better person for it.

What is your favorite memory or experience in the League?I have two – I loved doing Happy-grams my provisional year and the lifelong friends I made. My other favorite memory is mixing icing for the MSM gingerbread workshop with Hillary Shanning. We burned up a drill trying to mix icing at 7 a.m., but after lots of laughter and a few tears, we got the job done!

What is your favorite thing about the League overall?My favorite thing about the League is working together with great friends to help make our commu-nity a better place.

Are you involved in other volunteer organizations?Besides Junior League, I volunteer at my children’s school and I’m also active at our church.

september 201214

Cookbooks of the montheasy Weeknight meals

start Cooking

mediterranean Pesto Pizza6 ounces prepared pesto 1 Boboli thin Italian pizza crust 6 ounces sliced portobello mushrooms ½ bunch fresh baby spinach, torn 1 cup shredded mozzarella 4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced 6 ounces Mediterranean feta cheese Oregano and thyme to taste

Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the pesto over the pizza crust. Layer the spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms over the pesto. Sprinkle with a mixture of the feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, oregano, and thyme. Place on prepared baking sheet.Bake at 500 degrees for 12 minutes.

siCilian ChiCken sPaghetti 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts ½ cup butter, melted 2 teaspoons salt 32 ounces Velveeta cheese, chopped 2 teaspoons pepper 2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 (8 oz) packages vermicelli 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken or celery soup 2 teaspoons parsley ½ to 1 soup can of water2 teaspoons steak seasoning Olive oil 1 (13 oz) jar green salad olives with pimento, drained1 (2 oz) can sliced black olives, drained 1 bunch green onions, chopped Italian bread crumbs1 bell pepper, chopped 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced

Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with water. Season with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, steak seasoning, and a small amount of olive oil. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium, skimming off the foam as the mixture begins to boil. Simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a platter to cool, reserving the liquid in the stockpot. Shred the chicken.Saute’ the green onions, bell pepper, and garlic in the butter in a large stockpot until soft and translucent. Add the cheese and chicken. Heat until the cheese melts, stirring frequently.Add 1 can of the chicken broth to the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta. Cook until al dente; drain. Add to the chicken mixture and mix well. Mix the soup and the water in a bowl. Add to the chicken mixture. Stir in the green olives and black olives. Add ½ of the remaining chicken broth and mix well. Spoon into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Italian bread crumbs. Bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, adding the remaining chicken broth if needed.

Summer is over. School is starting. Time to get organized and get in a routine but not a rut! Our lives are busy for many, many reasons- kids, school, work, practices, volunteering, meetings, and the list goes on. One thing that happens every day is the need to feed yourself and your family. Dining Without Reservations is full of easy

meals that can either be made quickly or made ahead of time. Take a few minutes and look for some-thing that suits your family’s palates. Here are a few tried and true recipes from two of our members:

Actives, please plan to pick up your cookbook at the September and November General Meetings. As THE Ju-nior League cookbook source, we want you to know that this year all cookbooks in stock are eligible for swaps. Everything is available to the ladies of our Junior League. With your cookbook coupon, you can pick Dining Without Reservations, Lagniappe, or any other cookbook. Those of equal or lesser value than DWR are a direct swap (no credits). For those valued higher than DWR, you would need to pay the difference ($2-8 depending upon the book). Provisional cookbooks will be distributed separately and are not eligible for swaps.

"My family loves the Mediterranean Pesto Pizza in Dining Without Reservations. It's listed as an appetizer, but we have it for dinner. Fast, easy, and healthy. It's the only time my 12-year-old eats spinach!"

Stephanie VanskikeDining Without Reservations, p.16

“The Sicilian Chicken Spaghetti is my go-to favorite! Great for a crowd and freezes well. Always a hit and every-one always asks for the recipe! I like it without green olives and I add mushrooms.

Dana BabineauxDining Without Reservations,

p.156

september 2012 15

by gretChen Wood

featured Cookbook

lemon shrimP broChettes½ cup fresh orange juice ¼ cup white wine vinegar¼ cup salad oil ¼ cup soy sauce¾ pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined lemon wedge

In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Add shrimp and marinate several hours. Alternate shrimp and lemon wedges on skewers. Grill over medium coals 3-4 minutes until done, basting frequently with marinade. Heat remaining marinade and serve with shrimp. Stirring Performances, p. 146

Other Junior League cookbooks also offer easy weeknight meals. This month’s fea-tured cookbook is Stirring Performances from the Junior League of Winston-Salem. With this cookbook, the stage is set for memorable moments and unforgettable eve-nings with easy to prepare recipes, fabulous menus, a unique grilling section, and a sneak preview of a city where the arts are part of a way of life. This collection of more than 500 recipes blends contemporary cuisine and southern hospitality with a twist of uptown and a dash of down home. All of the recipes are rated for ease of preparation –over two thirds are in the “Easy” category. Order your copy today and give a new recipe a try.

For the following recipe, consider starting the night or morning before so it is ready for the grill when you get home in the evening.

make your Weeknight meal Plan

on sunday

• Take stock of what groceries you have and what you

might need.• Order what you need online and have it delivered

on Monday or Tuesday- while you’re at it, check to see if

any staples are on sale and add those to your order, too.

(this may need to be slightly altered for Beaumont but

you get the idea!)

Pre-ChoP anything you Can

(broccoli, peppers, salad, etc.) and

defrost any meats or frozen leftovers

(sauces, soups, etc. that you won’t have time to

defrost at 6:30 on Wednesday night!)

affirm that you are not

a short-order Cook.

Make one dinner and one dinner only. As my 90-year-

old Granny still says, “If they don’t like it, they can lump

it.” What this means, I think, is tough luck, kiddos!

Mama’s only making one dinner and if you don’t like

it, breakfast is right around the corner. Tough love, but

it works.keeP it simPle.

go With the tried and true.

When you plan that menu, don’t test new recipes

or attempt something time-consuming. Do your ex-

perimental/fancy cooking over the weekend when the

pressure to get the meal on the table, homework done

and lights out by eight isn’t bearing down on you.

lagniaPPe Corner

A Little Something Extra

To order your copy of Dining Without Reservations, Stirring Performances, or any other available JL cookbook, please contact

Cookbook Chair Devyn Mitchell at 409-898-3234 or via email: dmitchell@gt.rr.com.

To optimize the juice you get from a lemon or lime, roll it hard under your palm for a minute or microwave it for 10-15 seconds before juicing.

Consider using this juice in “San-gria Slush” in Lagniappe, p. 47.

Adapted from Lyons Den Mom by Kerry Lyons on irishcentral.com

tiPs for easyWeeknight dinners

september 201216

AwArds Congratulations to Lindsay Gibbs with Family Resource Center (FRC) Camp for

being our September Community Award Builder. Lindsay was a huge help this year by being there each day and taking pictures throughout the camp. Lauren Smith, FRC Camp Chair, could not brag enough about Lindsay. She was instru-mental from the planning stage all the way to carrying out activities during the camp. Lindsay said that participating in the camp was very rewarding, especially seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces. She said her kids get to do things like that all time, but for the kids at the camp, it was a special treat. Congratulations to Lindsay Gibbs for helping “build better communities together!”

The September Presidential Pillar Award is granted to Katara Goings. There are so many in our league that have worked very hard throughout the summer, but what has impressed me the most is the drive, devo-tion, & determination of Katara in her provisional year and now in her first year as an active. Cindy Partin, President - Elect, has the privilege of working with her at Baptist Hospital and when we were deciding placements, Cindy had complete confidence in Katara's abilities to launch our new Educational Leadership Series. True to Cindy's beliefs, Katara is a dynamic asset. Her dedication to her new placement has been phenomenal. I asked to speak with Katara and Rachel Grove, Advisory Planning Council Director, early in the Summer to begin the planning & research phase of our endeavor. Katara jumped in and never backed off! Through many phone calls to make contacts and connections, reserve meetings venues, and following up on several points, Katara has created the first set of trainings that are mission focused and valuable to our league members, as well as, our community. She is just one example of our First Year Actives that I know will make an incredible impact in our league this 2012-2013 year and into its future. Thank You Katara in being a strong pillar in the league's Women Building Better Communities.

LinDsay Gibbs

Katara MicKens GoinGs

the september Presidential Pillar award

the september Community Pillar award

september 2012 17

June BirthdaysMeg Carmen (Provisional) 6/29Christina Ceravolo (Provisional) 6/28Katherine Dos Santos 6/17Annaliese Gerhardt 6/1Melissa Jepson 6/30Laura Peterson 6/14Stephanie Travis 6/28

July Birthdays

Melissa Ashabrann 7/20

Blair Balsamo (Provisional) 7/20

Brandi Crawford 7/20

A'Bria Fowler (Provisional) 7/6

Crystal Heam (Provisional) 7/29

Sarah Jones (Provisional) 7/26

Jennifer Manriquez 7/30

Diana Miles 7/12

Jenna Pickel (Provisional) 7/8

Elizabeth Rodgers 7/29

Ayna Sehgal 7/19

Annie Tyner 7/27

Katie Whitney 7/27

August Birthdays

Margaret Baerti 8/29

Amber Barrington (Provisional) 8/23

Katie Beaver (Provisional) 8/8

Molly Bennett 8/15

Allie Dierlam (Provisional) 8/25

Stephanie Gertz 8/21

Katara Goings 8/23

Beth Hardy 8/11

Ashley Messina 8/26

Katherine O'Neil (Provisional) 8/5

Michele Ozmum (Provisional) 8/6

Taryn Robinson (Provisional) 8/22

Bethany Whaley (Provisional) 8/15

Lindsay Zummo 8/25

BelAted

PLAN IT • RENT IT PRINT IT • GIVE IT

Lindsay Zummo & Michelle PhelanOwners

3965 Phelan Blvd., Ste. #106Beaumont, Texas 77707

409.212.8979

It’s A� ’n � e P� sentation

september 201218

Celebrating our Accomplishments and Those Who Gave All

May Meeting

S ituated between a lazy rock wa-terfall and an impressive array of plant life, the banquet room at

Tyrrell Park's Botanical Gardens provided the perfect setting for this year's annual May banquet.

JLB members arrived in spring attire in every color of the garden's flowers, while being entertained by the lovely songstress and mu-sician, Kay Miller. Dinner, catered by Chef Chuck Harris, was served buffet style and featured a salad, chicken, green beans and rice pilaf. A collection of crystal and vintage

By Summer Lydick, Kelly Neild Price and Jessica Prince

cake stands ringed with tea-light candles and topped with tiny bite-sized cupcakes doubled as the table centerpieces and desserts!

While the wine made its way around the table (a few times!), JLB members laughed as the new sustaining members bid adieu with a skit titled "Dancing with the Sus-tainers." Voted on by audience ap-plause, the crowd favorite was Man-dy Olivera, who proudly took home the treasured Disco Ball trophy.

Our sustainers were recog-nized and applauded for all that they have contributed during their years of service. And we honored several others, too.

Sustainer of the Year:Suzanne Wolfrom

Suzanne Wolfrom, a past presi-dent of the Junior League of Beau-mont, was honored as our Sus-tainer of the Year. Suzanne has been working tirelessly on the Julie Richardson Proctor Endowment. She and her amazing committee have done such an impressive job to establish a permanent remem-brance of Julie while helping other.

But that’s not the only contribu-tion of Suzanne, also known as the “entergizer bunny” has contribut-ed. During her presidency Suzanne to it that general meetings were

moved to the evening instead of during the day to make member-ship more convenient for profes-sionals and stay-at-home moms, who treasure a night-time outing with other women.

Several Leaguers spoke about Suzanne recalling her favorite say-ing: To have a friend, you have to be a friend. They also recognized her extraordinary ability to raise mon-ey. During the years she has raised millions of dollars and the League’s projects have benefited specifically the Family Resource Center.

Suzanne is the mother of two college girls and wife to Stan. Her family spoke during the dinner

Katherine Sanford, Mandy Oliverio, Melinda McWherter, Kristie Shaw Young, Christine Stetson and Alea Greer

september 2012 19

May Meetingrecalling their involvement with Suzanne in League. Oldest daugh-ter, Meagan commented that be-cause of her mother’s leadership she was not afraid to step-up into leadership roles. Suzanne’s daugh-ter, Taylor said her first memory of League was playing with the kids at the Family Resource Center. And, husband, Stan, said that because of League, he learned to “domestic self-sufficiency but was grateful for Suzanne’s example to the family of commitment to community service.

Suzanne is the Director of Fi-nance and Development at All Saints Episcopal School.

For all of her dedication to vol-unteering and making our com-munity a better place, we highly respect Suzanne and thank her for her many years of service to the Junior League of Beaumont and the community.

Active of the Year:Alea Greer

During her 15th active year, Alea Greer was nominated and selected as the Active of the Year. Alea has participated in every JLB project we have had and done and she has always achieved with a smile. She has consistently involved her boys in her efforts and usually in costume – be pi-rates or Santas – her husband, Van spoke of Alea’s extraordi-nary commitment to not just the League but to her family.

“Alea gives everything a personal touch,” said Van. “My sons don’t even grasp how extraordinary their moth-

er is, and the household she has cre-ated for us is just extraordinary.”

Those in the League understand Alea’s gifts. Because of her creativ-ity she took on her placement in Kids in the Kitchen offering a fun and exciting curriculum. Kids were encouraged to try 26 different foods for 26 letters of the alphabet. Her “powers of persuasion” com-bined with her “power shopping” resulted in a pirate-themed Fam-ily Resource Center (FRC) Summer Camp where everyone including her children, the FRC kids and the volunteers had pirate garb.

Alea was recognized for her grace and class, loyalty and dedica-tion. As she leaves the League, we know we’ll miss her smile and her enthusiasm in future projects and wish her the best in her family life and in her job as a teacher. Thank you for all of the years you have in-vested in our League, Alea!

september 201220

You will be greatly missed as you go sustainer, but we know you’ll continue to bless our com-munity and our League with your generous spirit.

Provisional of the Year:Kelly Neild Price

During Kelly’s first year in JLB she took great initiatives using her technical and social media know-how. First she created a

provisional Facebook page. Here the provisionals could get to know one another, stay in touch and communicate about getting to-gether and collective projects. It was just one more way to connect with new friends. Second, Kelly helped write and organize the new mentoring program, which was a huge benefit to current and future members of JLB. Her time and input were vital and contrib-uted significantly the completion

of the project. Third, she created visually appealing Powerpoint presentations for May dinner. She compiled photos and content and completely organized and created the presentations. And finally, Kelly took initiative spearheading bids for the repairs of JLB headquarters.

We awarded Kelly the Provision-al of the Year for amazing leader-ship ability and willingness to start worthwhile enterprises for the benefit of all League members.

Sara Brooke AdamsPaulette AustinElaine BrownPaula EdeAlea GreerMelinda McWherterAshley MolfinoMandy OliverioKatherine SanfordChristine StetsonKristie Young

Congratulations Sustainers!

Past President Ronda Harkey and President Stephanie Vanskike

Active of the Year Alea Greer with her family,Van, and two sons, Jordan and Peyton

Sustainer of the Year Suzanne Wolfrom with her family and friendsScootie Clark, Chris Draths, daughters Taylor and Meagan and Stan Wolform, and Ann Clary Old

september 2012 21

september 201222

2012-2013: Educational lEadErship sEriEsBy Katara Goings

Welcome Sustainers, Actives and Provision-als to the 2012-2013 JLB Education and Training year. Let me begin by stating how excited I am to be a part of such a wonderful sisterhood. Ad-mittedly, I was a bit nervous when approached to fulfill this role, but that fear quickly dimin-ished with the calming spirit of our Leaguers. This year, the board listened to the member-ship’s answers to the active questionnaire and has spent a tremendous amount of time and thought into enhancing our members’ wealth of knowledge, not only as it relates to the League,

but to our community. Expounding on our exist-ing efforts, by way of education and training, we are better suited to partner with those in our communities and further the mission of the JLB.

You may be pondering exactly how we can accomplish this. Well, ponder no more! The goal of this year in education and training is an Edu-cational Leadership Series. In this series, there will be a total of six Leadership opportunities: three trainings in the fall and three trainings in the spring based upon the following areas of our mission statement: 1. Developing the Po-tential of Women; 2. Improving our Community;

and 3. Promoting Volunteerism. To create an even greater excitement, we

will be opening these trainings to the public and presenting each attendee with a certificate of participation. There is also the potential to receive an award at the end of the year for at-tendance. It is the hope of the Board that each member becomes involved and gains training that is mission focused. So help spread the word about the fantastic events we are plan-ning, not just for League members, but the citi-zens of our community, as well!

Here is a tentative list of the fall trainings planned for each area:

Topic Date and Time Location

Financial Planning for Women 9/20/12 at 6pm Goodfella's RestaurantPresenter Carol Eddins

American Red Cross 10/18/12 at 6pm Bistro Le Monde ResturantPresenter Sharon Tyler

SE Texas Nonprofit Development 11/08/12 at 6pm D'Vine WineryPresenter Dean Terrebonne

Due to the preparation given for each training, it will be important to reserve your seat in advance. Please look for more details to follow.

Also, back by popular demand are our April mini meetings, so stay tuned for further details on topics and dates. As always, each member is encouraged to refer to the AJLI website for up to date information on upcoming training opportu-nities via webinars and other beneficial offers. Remember ladies, if there is an interest or topic you would like more information on and/or feel would be beneficial, please let us know. You may contact me directly: katara.goings@bhset.net or toreyreg@aol.com.

Fine China, Crystal, Silver, and Tabletop

Baby Clothing and Gifts

Invitations and Stationery

The Unique Boutique for Gifts

4190 Calder Avenue409-898-3340

For Heaven’s Sake

september 2012 23

Our deepest sympathies to:

sustainer elizabeth Waddill on the loss of her mother, dorothy ann conn

ann clary oldon the loss of her sister

Congratulations to:

Megan Gibson haskettmarried on May 12, 2012 to Jonathan haskett

Kristin adams davis married on July 21 to chris davis

september 201224

Their donations enable JLB to support the strength of women

and continue with efforts to improve our community.

patronS

The Exxon Mobil Foundation

YMBL

Thank Youto our

2012-2013Partners!

Non-prof i t organizat ions , a long with provis ional , act ive , or susta ining members may rent the fac i l i ty a t spec ia l ra tes . Community indiv idual s may a l so rent the house for wedding recept ions , b i r thday par t ies , meet ings , and other spec ia l events .

For appointments or more informat ion, ca l l 409.832.0873 Monday-Fr iday, 9am-1pm,

or e-mai l j lb@ih2000.net

www.junior leaguebeaumont.org/headquar ters .htm

Junior League of Beaumont Headquarters

2388 McFaddin at 8th Street

The Junior League of Beaumont’s Headquarters Facility

The perfect venue for your next event...

september 2012 25

Advertiser Index

All Saints Episcopal School 9Baptist Hospitals of SETX 11Bill Clark Pest Control, Inc. 22Classic Homes 21Sally Bundy, RE/MAX Beaumont 28CHRISTUS Healthy Living Spa 16Claybar Floral Shop and Funeral Home 23Efficient Systems, Inc. 10For Heaven’s Sake 22It’s All in the Presentation 17Junior League of Beaumont 24Julie Rogers Gift of Life Program 3Keller Williams Realty 27Mark Low Imagery, photography studio 23Mary Jane Mouton, RE/MAX Beaumont 2Munro’s Dry Cleaners 21Dr. Alvin Prause 10St. Anne Catholic School 12

The Junior League of Beaumont would like to extend a sincere thank you to

our advertisers for your support.

We appreciate you!

Thank you!

Advertising that's in a league of its own...

Spinnings reaches a large audience of women who are committed to their families, careers and their community. Our long time advertisers continue to find new customers in the women of the Junior League of Beaumont. You can too!For more information, please contact

Resource Development at 409-832-0873 or

adsales@juniorleaguebeaumont.org.

effective, affordable advertising with the jlb

september 201226

sunday MOnday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday

SePtemBer 20 12

Happy BirthdayMikala McGallion

Cindy Partin

Happy BirthdayMay Bruser

Happy BirthdayAmy Mayo

Happy BirthdayJan George

Board Meeting11:30a.m.

at JLB Headquarters

Happy BirthdayTaylor McSpadden

General Meeting6p.m. Social

6:30p.m. Meetingat LU Montagne Center-Cardinal Club

Happy BirthdayCeleste Ramsey

(Provisional)

Happy BirthdayJennifer Wright

Happy BirthdayMonique Lumpkin

Happy BirthdayLindsay HomannCrystal Peplinski

Happy BirthdayHeather Austin

Happy BirthdayAllison Berry Low

Provisional Meeting6p.m. Social

6:30p.m. Meetingat JLB Headquarters

Happy BirthdayMay Bruser

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Board Meetings at JLB Headquarters

Tuesday, September 4th at 11:30a.m.Tuesday, October 2nd at 11:30a.m.Tuesday, November 6th at 6p.m.Tuesday, November 27th at 11:30a.m.Tuesday, January 8th at 11:30 a.m.Tuesday, February 5th at 6p.m.Tuesday, March 5th at 11:30a.m.Tuesday, April 2nd at 11:30a.m.Tuesday, May 7th at 11:30a.m. (Transitional)

General Meetings 6p.m. Social6:30p.m. Meeting

Tuesday, September 18th LU Montagne Center-Cardinal Club

Tuesday, October 9th Locations to be announced

Tuesday, November 13th Beaumont Club

Thursday, November 29th Main Street MarketBeaumont Civic Center

Tuesday, January 15th Beaumont Club

Tuesday, February 12th Beaumont Club

Tuesday, March 26th PlacementJLB Headquarters

Tuesday, April 9th & 11th Mini MeetingsLocations to be announced

Tuesday, May 14th May DinnerBeaumont Club

Provisional Meetings6p.m. Social6:30p.m. Meeting

August 28thJLB Headquarters

September 8th Super Saturday 8a.m.-3p.m. JLB Headquarters

October 23rdBaptist Hospital

December 11th Christmas PartyD’Vine Wine

January 22ndJohn Jay French House Heritage Hall

February 19thJLB Headquarters

April To be announced

Fundraiser

Main Street Market November 29th-December 1st

Happy BirthdayMelissa Glover

30

October 20 The Beaumont Children’s Museum Touch-A-Truck Day 10a.m.-2p.m. at the Bennie Hickman Agricultural Science CenterCall Beth Schreck for more information at 409-651-8435.

Don't Forget!

september 2012 27

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