During today's forum, I learned about an organization I haven't heard much of. In fact, my only recollection of any mention of this group was in the book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I also learned a little more about where I would and would not like to volunteer in the future. Allow me to explain.
Our speaker, Leslie Tomlinson, is a part of the association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. which works with women to build better communities. She is currently a sustaining member of the Junior League of the Shoals. According to her, its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. She informed us that Junior Leagues in general:
- Develop the potential of women
- Improve communities by addressing the most critical needs of a community
- Promote volunteerism
- Provide networking and social opportunities
All of the above are great characteristics for a civic engagement organization to have; however, as Leslie continued talking, she gave me the impression that the organization's priorities are out of order. The "social" portion of the Junior League seemed to be stressed and publicized more than anything else. I appreciated that she went ahead and warned us about the stereotypes that exist involving Junior Leagues (like it being an adult sorority); however, her rebuttal was not very convincing. The Junior League is exclusive to its participants because of the strict rules required to join as a member and volunteer, yet the organization pushes for more volunteers. In order to be a member of the Junior League you must:
- Be a female
- Be at least 24 years of age (none of us in forum even meet this requirement)
- Complete at least 60 hours of civic engagement a year (none of which can be used for a different organization)
- Attend the weekly meetings
I feel like you should be able to volunteer no matter what the purpose behind your volunteering. Even though there might be slightly selfish motivations pushing you to volunteer (like using your hours for a class), that is perfectly okay. You are still doing good things nonetheless; your motivations don't change the outcome of your civic engagement. I also don't quite understand the minimum age requirement (what special ability comes at age 24?). I think that the maturity and responsibility level of a person should be judged, not their age. Although I won't be volunteering with the Junior League anytime soon, I certainly appreciate what that organization does to help the Shoals community and empower women.
So I don't seem like such a "negative Nancy," let me tell you about what I did agree with. When Leslie told us that we have to love an organization to stay with it, I couldn't help but nod my head. That's why she stuck with the Junior League; she saw progress even through the hard times when it seemed like an exclusive club. Even though I feel that the League still has a while to go, they have improved over the years. A few years ago, you could be rejected simply because of your race. That's both unethical and unfair to society... everyone has an important part in positively improving a community. The book I mentioned earlier, The Help, couldn't phrase it better: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” Now go change the world. And read The Help while you're at it.
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