By Maeghan Beahm
Over the past 20 weeks, we have highlighted influential women who credit much of their success to the training and development they received as active members of the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC). For more than 90 years, the JLC has played a critical role in the foundation of the Charlotte community through it greatest asset — its members. The mission of the JLC is to promote voluntarism, develop the potential of women and improve the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Yet the organization would not be able to fulfill its mission in our beloved Queen City without the dedicated women who have worked, and continue to work, to build this city from the ground up.
The term ‘build’ is often thought of in a literal sense, as in to build a structure. And while members of the JLC have undoubtedly been involved in the physical construction of buildings around Charlotte, they even more importantly build our community with their leadership and influence. They do this by embodying the mission of the JLC and striving to continually improve this place we call home.
Our members promote voluntarism throughout our community, whether volunteering at a community placement or serving on a Board of Directors for a local nonprofit. They exemplify what it truly means to be a volunteer leader, and our community thrives because of it. Their influence improves our Charlotte community every day. Our members lead our community in government positions; they influence our community at prominent corporations; they impact our community in local and national nonprofits; they grow our community in our local schools; and they serve our community as engaged and empowered citizens. Our members are continually building this city, due in part to the training they receive from the JLC. At the heart of it, the JLC is a training organization, working to develop the potential of our members. The influence of the high-quality training can be seen in our members featured throughout the We Built This City campaign, as well as in our members in the community everyday.
As we finish the We Built This City campaign, we also close out the 2018-19 League year. In the upcoming months new members join the JLC, provisionals become active members, active members become sustainers, and a new team of leaders prepare for the year ahead. But while many things change, there is something that will always remain constant. The JLC and its members will always be an integral part of the Charlotte community, rooted in more than 90 years of service, and training new leaders every day. These are the women that will continue to build the city of Charlotte for generations to come.
To read the first blog in this series, and catch up on the influential women included and how they helped build the city of Charlotte, visit http://www.jlcharlotteblog.org/what-is-the-jlcleads-campaign/.
