24 Oct 2016 Junior Auxiliary of Searcy gains leadership, training
Members of the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy recently gained valuable skills needed to better serve their community through hands-on service by attending the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries’ annual area meeting in Memphis.
The 75-year-old nonprofit based in Greenville, Miss., encourages its 95 chapters in seven states to render charitable service to children and families. With the 2016-17 national theme of “NAJA Volunteers Shine Like the Jewels in Our Crown,” the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy is guided by the ideals represented by NAJA’s five-pointed crown symbol: youth, health, charity, service and leadership.
The association’s Sept. 17 meeting speakers and workshops energized members as the chapter begins its fall and spring service projects.
“One of my favorite things about attending area meeting is getting the opportunity to network with other Junior Auxiliary chapters and bring back new ideas for how we can better serve our community,” said Natalie Horton, vice president of the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy. JA of Searcy has 23 active members who dedicated a total 1,204 community service hours to White County in the 2015-2016 year.
Among area meeting training opportunities for the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy:
• A treasurers’ workshop gave members guidance on how to be the best stewards of money raised or donated to fuel service projects.
• Members gained the tools and knowledge to train prospective members in serving their communities and representing the national organization.
• Members shared ideas during roundtable discussions on successful service projects, inviting speakers to talk on timely topics during chapter meetings, and how to network with each other and their community leaders.
• Two award-winning speakers, both veteran teachers, delivered messages to help chapters better serve their communities: Janie Walters of Madison, Miss., presented “Dealing with Difficult People” and “Stress Management,” and Barbie Ferguson of Clinton, Miss., taught members effective management of online technology and social media with “Building an Online Legacy for the Future: Social Media Etiquette.”
“NAJA hosts area meetings across the Southeast to offer resources and training guides,” said Jeanne Hildebrandt, NAJA’s national president and a Life member of the Junior Auxiliary of Slidell, La. “Area meetings in Hattiesburg and Memphis are a great way for members to get motivated. Members of the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy truly have a servant’s heart and strive to meet unmet needs in the community, with an emphasis on children most in need.”
NAJA’s national theme is “Care Today, Character Tomorrow.”
For more information on Junior Auxiliary of Searcy, visit facebook.com/JAofSearcy. For more information on NAJA, visit najanet.org.
