1990’s

1990-91: A board training and chairman orientation was held in early June and we were fortunate to have a member of the AJLI Board on hand for training, Suzanne Gibson. – The new position of Member-At-Large was added this year to the Board of Directors. This was very successful in its first year. She facilitated communications between the general membership and the Board. She also chaired a newly formed Membership Task Force appointed by President Phillis Jones to study membership satisfaction and retention and to propose ways to meet the needs of the membership. – A member of the AJLI Diversity Support Team visited at our invitation and she addressed the general membership, the Board, the Executive Committee and other committees to discuss diversity within our League. – Ongoing fund raisers included the Thrift Boutique, which had a very successful year at our Military Trail location, and Cookbook/Paper Capers. Five thousand copies of our second cookbook Heart of the Palms were reprinted in time for holiday sales. Our cookbooks were also taken to the AJLI Annual Conference in Orlando and $1,400 in sales were recorded. Paper Capers was evaluated and it was voted to drop the paper goods inventory and sell only the stationery in 91-92. Our first Remarkable Rummage Sale was our major fundraiser this year and was held in March in downtown West Palm Beach at the Dorsey Insurance warehouse. A preview party was held the previous night with a silent auction and services auction. The net of the Rummage Sale was $20,604. Cotillion continued with dance and etiquette classes. The Grants Committee secured an $18,000 grant for the Preschool Enrichment Program at the Children’s Place from the Janirve Foundation. – The Education and Training Committee planned and arranged for speakers for general membership meetings. The special guests included a recycling expert from the Solid Waste Authority, Dr. Gerald Friedman from the Eye Research Institute in Boston and Jack Levine, from the Florida Center for Children and Youth. The committee also published an updated brochure for the JLPB. The Arrangements Committee planned 6 regular evening general membership meetings as well as cluster meetings in November. The meetings were spread out geographically. – A major accomplishment for our League was the purchase and construction of a new headquarters with the funds from the Luttrell Trust, the money given to us by Sustainer Betty Luttrell Wilson’s family. Negotiations were held with the builder and League lawyers and the building was completed in March. A Blue-Ribbon Committee of Sustainers was organized to plan the opening festivities and to honor Betty Wilson and her family. The new headquarters is situated in a condominium office complex at 470 Columbia Drive in West Palm Beach. Our building is separate with 3 offices, a conference room and a large meeting room. A furnishings fund was set up to solicit gifts to help pay for updated office equipment and furnishings for the new office. More than $8,000.00 was raised before the end of the year. This is an ongoing fund. – Projects in the community included Women’s Horizons, Adult Literacy, Children’s Place Pre-school Program and Special Saturdays, Crisis Line and Sunshine Line, Eye and Ear Alert, the Child Development Center Task Force, Maternal Child Welfare, and Pediatric Pals. – The Nominating Committee introduced a bylaw change to add the position of the Administrative Vice President to the Executive Committee. – The Special Events committee planned and held a social dance in the fall with a Roaring 20′s theme, a Mother Daughter Holiday Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Breakers in December and the Annual Dinner and meeting in May at the City Club. Undercurrents was redesigned and an emphasis was placed on quality advertising. Nearly the entire budget for printing and publication was underwritten by advertisers. Nine issues were published, the largest with 24 pages. – A new computer was purchased for the office and several members and the office manager were trained in desktop publishing. – The Provisional Class was shortened to last from January to May and 47 new Actives were introduced at the Annual Meeting. (Phillis Jones)

1991-92: The Junior League of the Palm Beaches celebrated 50 years. A board training and chairman orientation was held with 40 members participating. The new Executive Committee position of Administrative Vice President was successful in its first year. The primary furnishing of the new Headquarters was completed and guidelines for its operation were established. The Sustainers decorated Headquarters for the holidays and a number of holiday events were held there. Sustainers were very involved with and supportive of the endeavors of the Actives including community projects and fund raisers. Sustainers hosted a lovely end-of-the-year Board Appreciation Luncheon. The first Impact Breakfast, held to familiarize the community with League-sponsored programs, was held in October at Headquarters with over 100 people in attendance. – The Junior League of the Palm Beaches received its greatest amount of publicity this year in the form of newspaper press, radio interviews and announcements, and television time including a PSA. – The first comprehensive calendar of the activities of each facet of the League was compiled, printed and distributed. Also instituted this year was the requirement of a disclosure statement from each member of the Board of Directors. – For the first time, the League required signed contracts with those community agencies with whom we had projects. These contracts stipulated that a League representative sit, as a voting member, on the Board of Directors of each of these agencies. Projects in the community included Adult Literacy, Child Development Center, Children’s Place Pre-school Program and Special Saturdays, Eye and Ear Alert, Fun Zone Community Playground, Uplift Assistance, Homeless Project and Women’s Horizons. The Child Development Center was honored to be chosen by the Association as one of only four projects from all Junior Leagues to make a presentation at the AJLI Annual Conference. The Fun Zone Community Playground project, which raised over $45,000.00 from the community plus many thousands of dollars worth of donated materials, organized and coordinated the building of a 10,000 square foot, multi-leveled, wooden play structure in Gaines Park. Approximately 2,300 community volunteers participated in this project. – After 13 successful years, Women’s Horizons was brought to closure. The Children’s Place Pre-school Program and Child Development Center have been successfully turned over to the Palm Beach County Council on Child Abuse and Neglect. The League continues to be rewarded by seeing its projects achieve success to the degree that they are taken up by agencies within the community. The Community Research Committee published, in the Palm Beach Post, the League’s first notification requesting project proposals from community agencies and received tremendous response from about 30 agencies. Five newly proposed projects were voted in and approved with placements by the membership, as were three existing projects. A notable accomplishment was the creation of a Community Advisory Board whose purpose it is to give the League advisory assistance and to distribute a designated amount of League funds in the form of mini grants to the community. – The Junior League of the Palm Beaches had the distinct pleasure of hosting the annual State Meeting of Florida League Presidents and Presidents-Elect in January. The Arrangements Committee planned six regular evening General Membership Meetings in geographically varied locations in facilities that were at little or no cost to the League. November Cluster Meetings were held in homes graciously opened by Sustainers. The Special Events Committee planned and held a pool side dinner dance in the fall with a tropical theme, a Ladies Holiday Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Breakers in December, a Moms’ and Tots’ day in the park and the Annual May Dinner Meeting at the Governors’ Club. The first Past Presidents’ Brunch was held in March at the City Club for the purpose of honoring all Past Presidents of the League.-The Undercurrents Committee completed the first year of in-house camera ready production of nine issues, the largest having 24 pages. A scanner was purchased for the office as well as another new computer. To recognize members who have been active in the League ten years or longer, a new membership status called the 10 + Club was created with privileges equal to those members in the 39 and Holding (Sustainer eligible) category. The Ways and Means Committee took on a new role as a computerized clearinghouse for all sponsorship requests made by committees in the League. Ongoing fundraisers included the Thrift Boutique, which was remodeled and celebrated its 35th year in business netting $46,500.00, Cookbook/Paper Capers which netted its record of $10,000.00 and completely sold out Palm Beach Entertains, and Cotillion which netted $1,920.00 while teaching sixth and seventh graders dancing and social skills. The major fundraiser this year was the Remarkable Rummage Sale. A Preview Party the night before the sale offered a silent auction, a twice-the-price sale and a free rock and roll band of League members and husbands. The Remarkable Rummage Sale netted $60,810.00 and had over 15,000 people in attendance. The Grantsmanship Committee received actual funding in the amount of $44,500.00. This year the League experienced considerable growth and 66 Provisional members were trained and welcomed into active membership at the Annual Dinner Meeting, comprising the largest Provisional class in this League’s history. (Susan Poncy)

1992-93: “Stepping into the next 50 years of service to Palm Beach County” was the theme which set the stage for the League year. May Board Training and Chairman Orientation was led by AJLI Director Chairing Council, Mary Brent Wright. The Public Relations Committee helped ready the League for the new year with the first fully coordinated P.R. plan which resulted in a greater amount and variety of P.R. than usual. The first professional press and P.R. kits were designed and printed along with a redesign and update of 1,500 Annual Reports. Posters, flyers, invitations, letter heads and ads were designed for the entire League along with 23 printed articles and the airing of 19 television public service announcements and 10 radio segments. Community Research printed an ad in July and received approximately 30 requests from community agencies for project proposal applications. Two newly approved projects were voted in and approved with placements by the membership as were five existing projects. During the summer, a playground project overview was prepared and presented to AJLI as an example of a goal centered project. This project overview was chosen to be highlighted by AJLI’s Visiting Team as part of their nationwide presentation of a goal centered project to emerging Leagues. Hurricane Andrew hit on August 24, 1992 and caused tremendous damage for our neighbors in Dade County. The Junior League of the Palm Beaches, Inc. started relief efforts on August 25th and succeeded in collecting twenty pick-up truck loads of food, water and other much needed items. Cash donations equalling $3,670.00 were collected and turned over to the Salvation Army as specifically designated funds for immediate Hurricane Andrew Relief Efforts. The collection of food and other necessary items continued throughout the year and another $350.00 was collected and given to the Miami League’s ongoing relief efforts. Approximately 100 Community leaders, area agency representatives, League members’ employers and League members attended the second Impact Breakfast at League Headquarters. Project overviews and an explanation of the Community Research process were outlined for the group. PROJECTS: Protect and Promote Our Parks worked with MacArthur Beach State Park in a first time endeavor that resulted in 5,000 written, illustrated, designed and researched environmental workbooks for 6th grade students in Palm Beach County. In conjunction with the workbooks, a pilot program and field trip were designed for the 844 students who attended during a 5 month period. The committee also created a video which was to be used in training park volunteers and helped plan an Earth Day Celebration and beach clean-up. The Health and Immunization Fair was held on Nov. 4, 1992 at the HRS Lantana/Lake Worth Public Health Unit. This free, one day clinic provided medical and dental services to the underprivileged living in the Lantana, Lake Worth and Greenacres area. There was a total of 600 people treated on this day by 350 volunteers (physicians, dentists, nurses, medical and dental assistants, translators and League, community and health department volunteers). Medical education, community information, children’s entertainment and 500 “goodie bags” were also provided. A thank you party was held at Headquarters in order to honor the community volunteers. Kareful Kids Committee members were trained by the Center For Children in Crisis and they taught “good touch-bad touch” to children involved in the prevention program. They also explained and taught the steps leading to detection and prevention of child sexual abuse to the 407 children and 152 parents and school staff members who were involved in the program. A real highlight of the year was the Speakers Bureau’s production of “GLOWING WITH PRIDE”, the League’s long awaited and first comprehensive public relations video about the League and its history. A file of project overviews from the past 51 years was compiled for use by League members needing information. The Junior League of the Palm Beaches, Inc. had the distinct pleasure of celebrating the 25th anniversary of Eye and Ear Alert in January of 1993. During this 25th year, 1,433 children from 37 preschools and day care centers were screened for possible sight and hearing problems. A 25th Anniversary Celebration, which honored past chairmen, church and League volunteers and the continued success of the project, was held at Memorial Presbyterian Church. Adult Literacy continued as an active project with committee members teaching individuals to read. Uplift Assistance had a successful year while reaching 146 mothers and 275 children with life skills training, nourishment and children’s social activities. The Homeless Shelter Task Force Committee explored the homeless issue in Palm Beach County and possibilities for the League’s future involvement with the problem. A League hosted breakfast meeting, “Networking For The Homeless”, was attended by 16 representatives of local organizations which deal with the homeless. Along with the League’s regular yearly projects, the Fun Zone Playground continued to receive finishing touches and the addition of 3 covered picnic areas, 2 bike racks and a water fountain. By November, the playground was completed, a formal dedication with the unveiling of the Fun Zone’s Donor Monument had taken place and $5,000.00 of designated playground money was turned over to the City of West Palm Beach for the continued maintenance and upkeep of the facility. Also, by Nov. 1992, President Katie Vecellio, on behalf of the Junior League of the Palm Beaches, Inc., had presented a bill of sale to Mayor Nancy Graham for the City of West Palm Beach and the city presented a release to the League. The city of West Palm Beach has eminent domain of the playground and has accepted the role of caretaker. 1992-93 marked the first year for the newly formed Community Advisory Board whose purpose was to help broaden the League’s contacts in the community and to disperse $2,500.00 in grants to worthwhile and needy causes in our community. The newly formed board was very successful in its first year. The Avenue S Big Brothers, Inner City Youth “Getting There” program, Palm Beach Literacy Coalition- Belle Glade Project and T.R.U.T.H.’s, Inc. were the proud recipients of the grants which were presented at the May Annual Dinner Meeting. The League continued its tradition of having a fall party which was a family “All American Picnic” at Carlin Park in Jupiter and a Holiday Luncheon at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. This year’s luncheon and style show was attended by a sell out, record breaking crowd of 546 Actives, Sustainers, friends and family. Tiffany & Co. provided American Garden sterling silver and china raffle gifts, invitations, table favors, flowers and a beautiful vignette. The first Breakfast At Tiffany’s for the League was held in honor of the past presidents and the 1992-93 outgoing Board. FUNDRAISERS: Checks from the fundraisers were presented at the May Annual Dinner Meeting with the Thrift Boutique celebrating a record year of $50,000.00 of net income. The Thrift Boutique also celebrated a 10 year anniversary at the same location and had major remodeling from a new sign to new dressing room curtains. Cotillion continued in its tradition of teaching dance and etiquette to 6th and 7th grade students and also presented a check to the League for $2,670.00 of net income. The third annual Remarkable Rummage Sale was held at the former Home Depot location in Palm Springs. A Preview Party, with over 550 in attendance, provided a silent auction, entertainment by a disc jockey and dance instructor, twice the price sale and refreshments. The Remarkable Rummage Sale netted $35,363.75 and had over 8,000 people attend. The Grantsmanship Committee procured a grant for $3,820.00 from the Lost Tree Charitable Foundation for new tympanometers for Eye & Ear Alert for the upcoming year. The Cookbook/Paper Capers Committee presented a check for $9,724.00. The League voted that the committee discontinue the sale of the paper items line but continue to actively market the cookbooks. Once again the League experienced considerable growth with the end of year membership being 247. Fifteen Transfers and 51 Provisionals were welcomed as new members into our League and fifteen Actives went Sustaining. The Sustainers provided many activities for their members this year ranging from luncheons to a Headquarters holiday decorating party. The League granted Emeritus Status to all founding members and to those Sustainers who were eighty years of age or older. Representatives of the Sustainer Board and the Active Board established new Headquarter’s policy. The Horizon Investment Club, the WISH Club and the Book Club continued their meetings at Headquarters throughout the year. In addition to the active support the Sustainers provided for the League again this year, they also graciously opened their homes for our November cluster meetings. The Arrangements Committee secured six geographically varied locations, which were at no cost to the League, for the regular General Membership Meetings. The Provisional Class provided the League with its first collaboration with the National Council of Jewish Women-Palm Beach Section in order to bring Hallmark Cards, Inc., “Kaleidoscope”, to our area. Over 2,500 Palm Beach County school children visited this creative hands-on art experience. (Kathryn Vecellio)

1993-94: “Sharing The Commitment” was the theme which began the League year. May Board Retreat was built around “Team Building” and was the first year to use a local ropes trainer for the two-day experience. The Public Relations Committee was in full steam from June through May, creating the Annual Report and press kits to be utilized by all committees. In September, the PR Committee hosted the first Spokesperson Training, which helped prepare members on every aspect of the press, from printed media to live interviews. Over the course of the year, there were 28 printed articles, 25 television public service announcements, 17 radio segments, and 4 billboards throughout Palm Beach County. A real highlight of the year was a complete media blitz during National Volunteer Week, with newspaper, radio, television and billboards capitalizing on” Volunteers In A New Light.” In July, Community Research placed several ads to solicit project proposal applications. Three new projects were voted in by the members, along with five existing projects. Greenbook was ready for distribution at the first General Membership meeting in September. Approximately 100 community leaders and League members were present for the third annual Impact Breakfast. PROJECTS: Adult Literacy continued as a project, teaching individuals how to read. Advocacy had a very successful year, with the State SPAC President and State SPAC Treasurer being from our League. They researched and rewrote our Focus Areas, Position Statements and Public Stands, which were approved by the entire membership in April. The Children’s Cross-Cultural Creative Festival was a facet of many successes, beginning with the dedication of the horseshoe walk and stage area to the Armory Art Center. In the spring, a two-day festival was held to expose children to visual and performing arts. Over 700 public school students attended on Friday, and over 250 children from all circles of life attended on Saturday. This event was successfully turned over to the Armory Art Center, which will host the festival the following year. Empty Bowls was a two-pronged event. It educated students and adults on how to have a positive impact on the hunger problem in America, while raising $5,000, which was distributed to five local agencies who feed the hungry in our community. The monies all stayed in Palm Beach County. Eye and Ear Alert entered into its 26th year and successfully screened over 1,507 children from 38 preschools for possible sight and hearing defects. The Health and Immunization Clinic was held on October 23, 1993. Once again, this Clinic was well-received by the public, providing medical and dental services to over 600 patients. Kareful Kids began its second year by training League volunteers on the prevention program established and administered by The Center for Children in Crisis. The volunteers reached over 700 children and over 400 parents through 23 day care centers throughout our county. Project Uplift completed its third year with continued success in educating needy mothers and children with life training skills and nutritional information, while providing a hearty breakfast. This remains one of the League’s most satisfying placements. The Community Advisory Board dispersed $2,500 in grants to the following 501(c)(3) agencies: $1,000 to Foster Parent Association of Palm Beach County, $1,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, Inc., and $500 to West Jupiter Community Group, Inc. All of these programs are in the area of prevention. Special Events kicked off the year with the Second Annual Great American Picnic, with over 100 members and families attending. The holiday season began with our annual Holiday Luncheon held at the Breakers Hotel with approximately 500 Actives, Sustainers and friends attending. The Past President and Board Breakfast was held at Testa’s. The highlight of the year was the Annual May Dinner meeting. The transition of officers took place with the in-coming president unable to attend. She was deeply missed. FUNDRAISERS: Checks from each fundraiser were presented at the May Dinner meeting. The Thrift Boutique had another grand year, extending its lease until March, 1995. A net income of $43,063.24 was produced. Cotillion instructed 44 5th graders and 54 6th graders in dance and etiquette, finishing the year with a formal dance and dinner at the PGA Resort. A check for $1,495 was presented. Cookbook took on a new direction this year. The membership voted not to reprint the Heart of the Palms, but to research the possibility of producing a new cookbook to be ready for distribution Christmas of 1995. Heart of the Palms generated $3,079.16 in income with only 440 books remaining. Remarkable Rummage began its year with a permanent home at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The Rummage sale netted $34,322.34 and over 4000 people attended. The Provisionals hosted the first annual Association for Retarded Citizens’ Reunion as their class project. 59 Provisionals were welcomed into active membership. We had 43 transfers join the ranks as active members. 15 Actives became sustaining members. The Sustainers once again provided our holiday decorations and many activities during the year, including opening their homes for the November Cluster meetings and the Souperies. The Horizon Investment Club, the Wish Club, and the Book Club continued to hold their meetings at Headquarters. The League continued its growth with a total number of 797 members, which includes Actives and sustaining members, as well as planting seeds of success throughout our community. What a year! (Pamela Adams)

1994-95: A year representing lots of changes started with board and chairman training held in August. This two day training placed an emphasis on team building and “nuts and bolts” operations of the League. Throughout the year, meeting locations included many spots throughout the area with the elimination of cluster meetings and the dinner meeting moving from January to November. The JLPB was chosen along with 15 other Leagues from the Association to attend a Child Health Dialogue at the White House in November. Because of the outstanding work accomplished by our Health and Immunization Clinic, representatives from numerous agencies of the Administration met with our League to discuss remedies to effective child care. This was a wonderful opportunity and an honor for our League to be included in this discussion. Special Events organized a special tribute to the United States Coast Guard. An afternoon celebration held at Peanut Island drew dozens of League members, Coast Guard members and their families and several local and state governmental guests. Accolades were presented to the USCG from the Governor, Senator, Secretary of the Department of Transportation and other officials. The Annual Holiday Luncheon was held at the Breakers Hotel and featured many Active and Sustainer models and their children. The annual meeting was a festive luncheon at the Sailfish Club which included the introduction of new Actives, new Sustainers and transition of officers. The Past President Breakfast was held in March at Testa’s and was attended by a stellar group of our outstanding past presidents. AJLI Board Member Donna Wright visited the League in February to discuss the direction of the Association with a cross-section of the membership. Our Sustainers were very valuable with their input at this session. As always, the entire Sustainer membership continued to be extremely supportive of all the endeavors of the Actives. SPAC continued to keep the membership apprised on our advocacy efforts. This committee was the recipient of the 1994 Partnership Award for Civic Leadership as a member of the Junior Leagues of Florida. PROJECTS-The Health and Immunization Clinic provided health services and immunizations to more than 500 patients in this third year. This project, provided in coalition with the Palm Beach County Health Department continues to be a much needed and successful project. Kareful Kids, in collaboration with the Center for Children in Crisis, presented its program to more than 800 children and 200 caregivers. The Drowning Prevention Program presented an April Pool’s Day in an initial effort to promote pool safety and awareness. The Children’s Center of the Palm Beaches continued to work toward securing a location for the Children’s Museum. This committee also assisted with the implementation of the Duck Dash fundraiser held along Flagler Drive in April. Eye and Ear Alert screened more than 1,500 preschoolers for possible vision and hearing problems. Home Safe secured a location for this much needed facility for abused children. An art contest was conducted in the summer for children’s artwork to be hung in the building upon completion. Project Uplift’s new collaborator became Adopt-A-Family upon the dissolution of Uplift Assistance. The project served dozens of mothers and children during its monthly breakfasts and life skills training. Closure was brought to the Adult Literacy Program. We are delighted to have had such a wonderful relationship with the Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition and made a donation to this wonderful agency. FUNDRAISERS-Grants presented a check in the amount of $6,000 that was obtained from the Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities for the development of Home Safe. Remarkable Rummage, in its fifth year, presented a check in the amount of $39,000. The Thrift Boutique presented a check in the amount of $52,000. What a year for these hard-working committees! Still in a developmental stage with our new cookbook, A Slice of Paradise, the Cookbook Committee still managed to present a check in the amount of $1,080 in sales of Heart of the Palms. This committee has worked diligently with an ad hoc committee, publisher and the membership to develop a fabulous cookbook. Many incentives and promotions were
offered to the membership including a very successful progressive dinner party and a consent among recipes testing teams. The Community Advisory Board grant recipients were Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adults -$500, YWCA Domestic Assault Shelter children’s swim program -$1,000, Auxiliary, Inc. dance programs in at risk areas -$1, 500, and Project Debby for continued development of homeless assistance program through the hotel industry -$2,000. The Impact Breakfast was held in April and adopted a new format. Both the dozens of guests from the community and the League representatives enjoyed the individual displays presented by the different projects. A memorial to Linda Deese was established by the League at the Lake Worth/Lantana Health Unit. The memory of this giving volunteer will continue through gifts and decorations to the pediatric waiting room at the facility. All members were invited to an open forum regarding the issue of gender in the Association. This information was forwarded to AJLI for consideration at the Annual Conference which was held in San Francisco and attended by incoming President, President-Elect and Delegate C. Headquarters received extensive repair work following the damage incurred by pests. The Provisional Class completed a successful project which provided spring care baskets and wish list items for the St. Mary’s Pediatric Unit. Other highlights included a Thrift Boutique fashion show, a dance presentation by the Cotillion participants and a successful donation by the membership to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. A review of the Goals and Objections approved by the membership indicated that this has been a productive and effective year with many successes. (Roberta H. Freeman)

1995-1996: San Francisco was site of AJLI Annual Conference in May 1995. It was voted to include “of women” in Mission statement, thus strengthening gender as a requirement for membership. Our public relations got off to a great start. JLPB was a major part of a Public Service Announcement urging businesses to donate old supplies to area schools. Kareful Kids received Child Care accreditation and was booked solid throughout the year. Project Uplift and Eye and Ear Alert began with much enthusiasm in the fall and continued throughout the year. The Health and Immunization Clinic once again was a great success, serving hundreds of patients. After months of hard work, the Seminole Living History Village was opened and dedicated at the Florida History Center & Museum during the Thanksgiving For All Celebration in November. Mondi was the sponsor of our lovely Holiday Luncheon at the Breakers. Delegates attended Policy Institute in Washington D.C. Mardi Gras was the theme of our profitable Remarkable Rummage fundraiser. Special Events organized a well attended, extremely enjoyable Country/Western party at Bonnette Hunt Club. The long awaited ground breaking of the Homesafe Center was held on March 22. Two new fundraisers were voted in by the membership to replace the Remarkable Rummage sale: a holiday marketplace and a golf tournament. April 27 was the big day for Christmas in April. Hundreds of volunteers spent the day doing much needed repairs to ten homes of the elderly in the Westgate area. JLPB Sustainers sponsored and manned a home, as did the Actives and Provisionals. JLPB nominated our Westgate liaison, as well as our Health and Immunization Clinic, for a JC Penney Golden Rule Award. The Clinic was a finalist, our liaison, Joe Pitts, was a winner. A Thrift Boutique Relocation Committee was formed to investigate moving the Thrift Boutique. A possible new site was found and negotiations on a lease began. A Slice of Paradise went to print. Expected completion date: Fall, 1996. JLPB received excellent representation from all three of our cookbooks in the AJLI Centennial Cookbook. Annual Meeting was held at the Sailfish Club. The following fundraiser profits were presented: Cotillion $2,750, Remarkable Rummage $28,613, Thrift Boutique $55,747. 38 Provisionals were welcomed into Active membership. At year end, membership totals were as follows: 239 Actives, 490 Sustainers. (Rebecca Hilliard Isiminger)

1996-1997: The Education/Training Committee officially started off the year with an excellent Board Retreat at Admiral’s Cove. Public Relations and Advocacy both worked diligently from the start to get our presence known in the community. Kareful Kids, Project Uplift, and Eye and Ear Alert began with much enthusiasm and continued throughout the year. The Health and Immunization Clinic once again met the needs of hundreds of our area’s residents. Arrangements chose some new and exciting sites for our General Membership meetings. The beautiful Greenbook was distributed to all at the September meeting. The cookbook arrived and sales were beyond our expectations. The cookbook was asked to be on QVC (home shopping network) where we sold hundreds of books in a matter of minutes! The Thrift Committee worked day and night closing our old Thrift Boutique and readying our new Thrift Boutique for it’s October opening. The Holiday Marketplace Committee worked since early summer planning the November event. The event consisted of a marketplace, Sustainer luncheon, Gala, and children’s breakfast. The events were beautifully organized, down to every detail, and enjoyed by all who attended. The Grantsmanship Committee successfully obtained a $10,000 grant for Christmas in April. John Loring, author of A Tiffany Christmas, was the quest speaker at the Holiday Luncheon, hosted by the Special Events Committee and held at PGA National. Community Research presented the membership with some wonderful projects for the following League year. In January, the Sustainers held an elegant luncheon at The Mar-a-Lago Club (this event was sold out months in advance). The “Go Green at the Green” golf event was held in March at the Palm Beach Par Three Course. It was a great success. Christmas in April chose the Limestone Creek area of Jupiter as their site for this year’s project. Their work was once again greatly appreciated. Advisory Planning, Nominating, Placement, Transfer, Undercurrents, and Ways and Means Committees efficiently carried out their duties throughout the year. The Annual Meeting was held at the Poinciana Club. Membership/Provisional Committee presented to us 47 Provisionals who were welcomed into Active membership. Cotillion presented the League with an amazing $3,000. The Golf Tournament profits were $14,100. Cookbook netted an astounding $65,000. Thrift Boutique presented us with $48,000. In May, The Junior League of the Palm Beaches, Inc. had a membership of 277 Actives and 564 Sustainers. (Heather Dorsey)

1997-1998: The year focused on streamlining to simplify operations. The Board of Directors was reduced to 15 members who met the second Tuesday of every month. Council meetings were scheduled for the first Tuesday of the month while the Executive Committee only met as needed, approximately three times. The first meeting was in April 1997 for planning the 97-98 League year. The kick off for the League year was a two day leadership training with Rita Craig which included all committee chairs and board members for both days. Another leadership training which was open to the membership was held in the fall with Jane Peck. The focus was bylaws, policies, procedures and League structures. The League embarked on a strategic planning mission in the fall which began with each member completing an Organization Self-Assessment (OSA) at the November Cluster meetings. The Strategic Planning Committee will continue into the 1998-1999 League year. A change was made to the timeline of the Provisional Course so that it starts in October and finishes in April. The desire was to educate the Provisionals about League projects and fund-raisers throughout the year and not have such an intense time crunch. The result was wonderful and 38 Provisionals were accepted into membership. League projects included the following: Cellular Aid to Prevent Abuse (CAPA), Christmas in April, Done in a Day (four events: Back to School Supplies, a Santa Shop, The Race for the Cure and one Christmas in April House), Eye and Ear Alert, Health and Immunization Clinic, Kareful Kids (final year), and Mounts Botanical Garden. The Ronald McDonald House was a proposed project but the proper authorization was not received-further discussions will continue into the next League year. The fund-raisers and proceeds raised this League year are as follows: A Slice of Paradise $43,000, Cotillion $3,000, and the Thrift Boutique $85,000. The Community Advisory Board (CAB) with the generosity of our Sustainers presented $14,400 in mini-grants to the following nonprofit organizations: Back to Basic “Angel” Program-$2,000; Seagull Industries for the Disabled, Inc.-$2,500; Guardianship Relief Fund-$2,500; Palm Beach County Division of Senior Services-$2,400; Intracoastal Health Foundation-$2,500; “Strings” Program-$2,500. Activities throughout the year included a fall party at the Sailfish Club, a Holiday Luncheon at the Breakers and an annual dinner meeting at the Poinciana Club. The Sustainers under the leadership of Jan Utterback had a fabulous year and a very successful luncheon at The Mar-a-Lago Club. A Bylaw change was made to allow members to go Sustaining after ten years service. Membership as of May 31, 1998 was 757; 509 Sustainersand248Actives. (Wanda Jenkins)

1998-1999: The year kicked off in June at Admiral’s Cove with a 2-day Leadership Retreat for all chairmen. Rita Craig, Craig and Associates, and capable past leadership brainstormed with the chairmen on using our time effectively. Nineteen Board members met twice over the summer to discuss important issues, and a general membership phone vote was taken on the following issues: 1) The approval of the name change from the Ronald McDonald House to the Quantum House; and 2) The approval to move forward on the Wachovia Woman Volunteer of the Year Award Luncheon in April. The ground-breaking of the Quantum Village where the Quantum House will be located was held on September 29, 1998 on the St. Mary’s Campus. The year went quickly for the Quantum House, as they formed a Board of Directors; two board positions will remain available to the Junior League for the existence of the house. The anticipated opening of the Quantum House is February of 2000, with the League responsible for the recruitment and training of volunteers to staff the house. Additional League projects included the following: Christmas in April (final year in the San Castle neighborhood, 13 homes completed before turning project over to the community board); Xtreme Teens (total teen volunteer hours are over 1,400 with a teen membership of 444; Chairman Mary Fountain was a JC Penney Golden Rule Award finalist for her development of the project); Done In A Day (events included: Back to School Supplies event, Santa’s Shop, Race for the Cure and a house of Christmas in April); Eye and Ear Alert screened over 1,200 children and said good-bye to Lucie Winters after 18 years of service; Health and Immunization Clinic treated approximately 400 in October of 1998; CAPA worked very hard with Victim’s Services and with the City of West Palm Beach to expand the project in the coming year; Mounts Botanical Children’s Garden supplied children’s backpacks and a color cartoon-style map for the existing garden; and, due to unavoidable hardships, the completion of the Seminole Village at the Florida History Center did not come to fruition. A strategic plan was adopted in May of 1999, and at the same meeting, 44 talented women were accepted into Active membership. The Provisional projects included the registration for the Race for the Cure and raising needed dollars for the Susan B. Komen Foundation and the PBJ project for South Olive Elementary. Community Research recommended the discontinuance of the following projects for 1999-2000: Seminole Village, CAPA, Mounts Botanical Garden, Health and Immunization Clinic and Christmas in April and the acceptance of the following projects for 1999-2000: Quantum House, Xtreme Teens, Eye and Ear Alert, Done In A Day (which will include a Christmas in April House), Kaleidoscope and Community Action Team (CAT). On April 7, 1999, the first annual Wachovia Woman Volunteer of the Year Award Luncheon was held at The Breakers. An overflowing crowd of 500 was on hand to witness Helen Lewis from the Center for Crisis and Information Services receive the award. Sustainer Lynne Reynolds was the League’s worthy nominee. Honorary Chairman Gale Howden welcomed the 26 nominees from area non-profit agencies. League members and their guests were treated to wonderful gatherings at a Halloween Breakfast at Ibis Country Club, a spectacular Holiday Luncheon at The Breakers and an informal “dance” at the Jupiter Inlet Colony Beach Club. A Slice of Paradise hit the streets nationally and internationally and participated in a book exchange with other Leagues that helped our members reach her quota. Our Thrift Boutique worked extremely hard to improve and streamline the boutique. A revised personnel handbook was distributed to our paid staff. It has become clear that the relationship between paid staff and volunteers is critical to our success. “Junior League Inquiry Night” was held on March 15, 1999 and over 40 women came to join our general membership meeting to find out what League life is all about! Bylaw and Greenbook changes included the following: Article IV – Membership, Section 4 (B); Article V – Dues and Other Financial Obligations, Section 1(B) Payment; and , Article VII, Section 5(A). The Community Advisory Board funded the following programs/projects: $2,500 to the American Lung Association of Southeast Florida, Inc.; $2,000 to the American Heart Association; $2,000 to the Elder Victims of Crime Assistance Program; $1,000 to KOPS (Kids Oriented Policing Systems) and $2,500 to the Deaf Services Center. At the general membership meeting in April of 1999, a Placement Fair was held prior to the meeting (replacing Placement Teas) where Mimi Hull of Hull and Associates spoke on balancing League life and personal life. In May of 1999, the following fundraisers presented their contributions to the League: Grants, $500 from Walmart for the 1998 Health and Immunization Clinic and $11,920 from the Palm Beach County Cultural Council for the 2000 Kaleidoscope; Wachovia Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon, $40,374.71; Thrift Boutique, $65,000; Endowment, $5,000; A Slice of Paradise, $54,866.82; and Cotillion, $4,000. Membership statistics as of May 31, 1999 were 263 Actives, 592 Sustainers for a grand total of 855. (Beth Vandenberg)

1999-2000: As we prepared for the new millennium, “Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Future” was our theme for the league year. In August, the Education/Training Committee hosted an excellent 2day leadership retreat at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. All committee chairmen and Board members worked in Council groups on various issues. Throughout the year, Advisory Planning continued to improve the administrative efficiency of the League. Done in a Day and Xtreme Teens both had successful years with projects such as Senior Prom, Tell a Friend, Backpacks, Day of Caring, Race for the Cure and Christmas in April. Mounts Botanical Gardens’ Fall Festival was also included in these projects which featured the award winning site map designed by our 1999 Mount’s Committee members. Cotillion changed its audience to include sixth and seventh grade students had great success. Eye and Ear Alert tested over 975 children at forty-five different schools and on May 13th, held a mobile screening off-site program in Pahokee. Spring was extremely busy with Kaleidoscope, Christmas in April, and Wachovia Women Volunteer of the Year Award Luncheon. Kaleidoscope operated for four weeks allowing over 10,000 children to experience art education and creativity. The 2000 Provisional Class graduated 43 new Actives with each member actively participating in many of the League’s projects. Community Action Team (C.A.T.) organized a beautiful opening reception to showcase the completion of Samaritan Garden’s Homeless Assistance Center. The Junior League worked with First Baptist Church, Intracoastal Health Systems, and the City of West Palm to develop a Community Health Facility, Life Skills Training Program and a Career Boutique to assist our community. Quantum Village was busy planning for its expected opening in 2001. The Sustainers and Actives were thrilled to donate $60,000 to assist with the house. Intracoastal Health Systems and Quantum Foundation created a wonderful marketing video reflecting on the collaboration of the Junior League of the Palm Beaches and these two organizations. On April 18th, we held our 2nd annual Wachovia Women Volunteer of the Year Award Luncheon at the Breakers. We were honored to have Cokie Roberts as our guest speaker and proud to recognize Phyllis Hoffman as the Woman Volunteer of the Year 2000. Everyone felt the event was a huge success. Again, Special Events invited League members and their guests to a wonderful Halloween Breakfast at Cypress Island and hosted our Eleventh Annual Holiday Luncheon at the Breakers. The Annual Dinner was held at the Colony Hotel where fundraisers and proceeds were presented to the League: Thrift $50,000, A Slice of Paradise $16,000, Cotillion $3,300, and WVOYA $19,000.The Community Advisory Board presented six mini-grants totaling $15,000 to local nonprofit organizations and Nominating presented a check for $1,500 to Jessica Gavich from Wellington High School, our 2000 scholarship recipient. The Junior League of the Palm Beaches, Inc. had a membership of 262 Actives and 629 Sustainers. (Lynda Glover Burgy)