As most of you will now be aware, a new Juniors Committee has been created and launches with its Inaugural Program, Get Good with Money, on Saturday, April 16 at 10.30 am. ALL members are welcome to attend.
The name “Juniors” was inspired by the original Juniors organization, which was set up as a separate group under the umbrella of The Ebell, and which functioned for the younger members of the Club.
How will this new Juniors Committee differ from the original Juniors organization? We asked representatives from both groups to explain…
Former Juniors President Kay Balue
First, we spoke to Kay Balue, former Juniors Board member, three-term President and also past Ebell President.
“The Ebell Juniors were formed for the daughters and granddaughters of members and soon expanded to their friends. Early on the Juniors was created as a separate club under the umbrella of The Ebell with its own board (seven women), bylaws, finances, interests and activities. They were provided with an Advisor, a member of The Ebell Board, who offered suggestions and took the Juniors motions to the big board for approval. This was intended as a training ground for the young women to learn about running a club and eventually moving to the main board.
‘They always had fundraisers and early on supported females with scholarships. In the late 1960s, early 1970s, they offered childcare on meeting days so young mothers could attend the meeting, program and luncheon (usually Tuesdays once a month). In the ’70s we raised funds with two events — a tennis tournament followed by a dinner dance and trophies for the court winners in the fall, and a fashion show in the spring. We chose our charities, got social service cards, designed and printed programs/ad booklets (all in the days before there were computers).
“As The Ebell’s membership declined, Ebell asked to share the monies from our fashion show, which we did in support of The Ebell. The Juniors’ membership started to flag in the ’80s with women going into professions, meeting attendance declined and it was decided that the Juniors would be absorbed into the main club. By then there weren’t any “true” Juniors to speak of — the age limit had been raised to 35 and even then, though we paid regular membership dues, we still called ourselves the Juniors.”
Said a spokesperson from the new Juniors Committee, which will not be considered a separate entity from The Ebell: “The Ebell Juniors Committee was formed to support club members under 40 years of age who are interested in gaining personal growth through leadership, training, and development. The committee will aim to shape members into dynamic community leaders, while providing them with the tools necessary to advance in the early stages of their careers. Discussion topics and activities will be centered around art, culture, education, and service.”
We wish the new Juniors Committee a long, prosperous and rewarding future at The Ebell!
The “original” Ebell Juniors
Juniors at Del Mar Beach, 1936
