We are planning a Junior Camp; more information to follow. Check the Department newsletter “Empire State News” or right here on the Department website for upcoming information as available.

Our Junior members are our leaders of the future. We need to encourage participation in projects and activities that support our organization, our veterans (and their families), and our communities. Cultivate a new attitude in our Junior members and help them to dream, believe, and succeed.

One way to guide our youthful members is through the Junior Patch Program. What an accomplishment they will feel when they have earned a patch for themselves! What a sense of pride you will feel when you help them earn that patch! The patches are earned on 3 levels: K-3rd grade, 4th-8th grades, and 9th-12th grades.
Junior Activities Patch Program Forms

Level One (K-3rd grade)
Level Two (4th -8th grade)
Level Three (9th -12th grade)

The Junior member will learn about the Committees of the Auxiliary such as Leadership and VA&R just to name a couple. Forms, instructions, and requirements can be found at www.alaforveterans.org  Ideas from patch forms may spur on some creativity in your Junior Members.
2012 Scarves for Special Olympics

Heroic Stripes Scarf Pattern (Knit)
Be Proud Scarf Pattern  (Crochet)

A great way for kids to help other kids this year is the 2012 Scarves for Special Olympics Project.  Special Olympics New York has a goal of 525 scarves for 7 locations around New York State by February 1, 2012.  Special Olympics and Red Heart Yarn have teamed up again this year for this project and have a patriotic theme for 2012; and the yarn is Made in the USA.  The 4 patterns are Heroic Stripes (Knit) Scarf, Pride of the USA (Knit) Scarf, All-American Scarf (crocheted), and Be Proud Scarf (also crocheted).  These patterns and more information can be found at http://scarvesforspecialolympics.org/  Scarves for Special Olympics also has a Facebook page.  What a great way to socialize with your junior members by helping them to learn to knit or crochet; and help another worthwhile organization in the process.  Other patterns can be used, but you must use the red and blue colors listed on the website.  

Special Olympics New York is looking for 75 scarves at each of these locations:

• Long Island Region: 819 Grand Blvd., Suite 3, Deer Park, NY 11779
• Genesee Region: 1 Grove Street, Suite 216, Pittsford, NY 14534
• Hudson Valley Region: 1207 Route 9, Suite 1C, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
• Central NY Region: 800 South Wilbur Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13204
• NY City Region: 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 802, NY, NY 10017
• Western Region: 8207 Main Street, Suite 13, Williamsville, NY 14221
• Capital Region: 504 Balltown Road, Bldg. 12C, Schenectady, NY 12304

Our Junior Members are a valuable resource to our organization.  Include them in as many projects as you can.  Help them to develop their own ideas and projects. They will not only grow to be great Auxiliary Members, but also confident self-respecting young ladies one day.  That’s a future to be proud of!

 Objectives

Objective: To encourage participation in service projects that serve our military, veterans and their families.

Action Steps

a. Juniors create and implement a service project centered around helping servicemembers

                and their families during the holidays such as veterans gift shop, adopt a deployed

                company, baby-sit for deployed soldier’s spouse, etc.

b. Volunteer with your local Operation: Military Kids, VA or hold a mini-Kids Canteen at

                your Department or local level.

c. Invite friends and family to participate when you volunteer. You just might end up with a

                new member and new friend.

d. Participate in the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project by interviewing a veteran’s

                family member or friend to help collect, preserve and make accessible personal accounts of

                American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from them and better

                understand the realities of war.
 

Objective: To promote the National President’s Scholarship peer-to-peer, by raising awareness of the rules and application process in schools,   communities and on military bases.

Action Steps

a. Post information about the National President’s Scholarship on your social networking sites and/or Department website.
b. Distribute scholarship information to your local high school counselors and/or school districts, youth organizations and churches.
c. Promote the scholarship to your friends and family members and get them to tell five of their friends or family members. Communicate!

Objective: To empower our Junior members by seeking their assistance to increase the use of technology (such as e-mail, Internet, Facebook and other social networking sites) in promoting Auxiliary programs.

Action Steps

a. Have Junior members teach Unit and Department leaders the basics of e-mail and Internet.
b. Junior members help create and educate Unit and Department leaders about social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.
c. Have Junior members work with Unit and Department leaders to create and maintain ALA websites.
d. Teach and actively practice Internet safety.

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

MARY LOU PLATT AWARD

To the Unit, County, and District advisor with the most outstanding report on her Junior activities emphasizing the American Legion Auxiliary Programs.  The report is to be in a narrative form not to exceed 1,000 words.  Cover sheet must include name of Unit, County, and District with the name and address of the Junior advisor.  Photos, news clippings, etc. may be used.  All entries must be sent to the Department Junior Activities Chairman no later than May 10, 2012.

NATIONAL AWARDS

1. Department Award

An engraved plaque presented to a Department reporting the Largest Increase of Junior Members participating in electronic social networking by June 1, 2012. Entries must be typewritten including the following information: name of members; name of social networking sites; and brief description of how Department is promoting the Junior program objectives through social networking. Please include pictures, either electronically or via postal mail. All entries must be verified by Department Junior Activities Chairman before submission. All entries must be postmarked by June 1, 2012, and sent by Department Junior Activities Chairman to national committee member Sharon Glassford at P.O. Box 87, Charles Town, WV 25414 or may be emailed to scoobysharon@frontiernet.net.

2. Unit Award

A citation presented to the Unit Chairman in each Division reporting the Best Junior Activities program with at least one action step from each of the three objectives as stated in the Plan of Action. Entry must be typewritten in narrative form not to exceed 1,000 words. Please include pictures, either electronically or via postal mail. All entries must be postmarked or e-mailed by  June 1, 2012 by the Department Chairman to their Divisional Chairman.

3. National Plaque Award

An engraved plaque will be presented to a Unit reporting the Best Overall Junior Activities Program. Entry must be typewritten in narrative form that demonstrates superior execution of at least two action steps from each of the objectives in the Junior Activities Plan. Please include pictures, either electronically or via postal mail; narrative not to exceed 1,000 words. All entries must be postmarked by June 1, 2012, and sent by the Department Chairman to national committee member Vickie Thrower at 925 Pea Ridge Circle, Union Grove, AL 35175 or may be e-mailed to vickie.thrower@hilton.com.

4. Junior Member of the Year Award

An engraved plaque presented to the National Junior Member of the Year in recognition of her dedicated service, efforts and talents. Department chairmen are encouraged to form a selection committee and are responsible for notifying Units of their deadline and Department-specific evaluation criteria. At minimum, criteria should include the following:

• Consideration of only Junior members in good standing for 2010-2011.
• Each Unit is limited to one nomination.
• Outstanding contribution the Junior has made through a program or project outlined in the Plan of Action and other than the office she may be holding (based on current year ONLY).
• Her Junior group will select the Junior nominee with the assistance of the Unit Junior Activities advisor.
• Nominee should not be serving as honorary Department Junior president.
• Length of membership is not a criterion.
• Name and complete address of nominee must accompany nomination.
• A narrative, typed essay not to exceed 500 words describing nominee’s accomplishments during the current administrative year.
• Each Department shall establish its own judging procedure to determine who will represent them as the Department’s Junior Member of the Year for 2010-2011.
• Each Department can determine the best way to acknowledge its Junior Member of the Year.
• Nomination must be signed by Unit Junior Activities advisor, the Junior group president and submitted to Department Junior Activities Chairman prior to deadline for the Junior Report.

Please include pictures, either electronically or via postal mail. All entries must be postmarked by June 1, 2012, and sent by the Department Chairman to National Vice Chairman Kathy Daudistel at 113 Washington Ave., Bellevue, KY 41073-1030 or may be e-mailed to bluekats@fuse.net.

REPORTING PROCEDURE:  Note, there are only two reporting dates this year.  Reporting-How-When-Why

Unit Chairmen:  Please send Unit report Form to reach your County Chairman by November 1, 2011, and March 1, 2012

County Chairmen:  Please send County report Form to reach the Dept. Chairman by November 10, 2011, and March 10, 2012

Note: Forms are in PDF format  and can be filled out using your computer keyboard.However, you cannot save data typed into any  forms unless you have the Full Version of  Adobe Acrobat software! Please print at least 2 copies of your completed form, mail one to the chairman, and save one for your  records. If you try to e-mail it without the Full Version of  Adobe Acrobat software, the chairman will receive a BLANK PAGE...

Kim Quick
Department of NY Junior Activities Chairman
Email: Crochetgirl1@gmail.com

For Chairman's physical address,  contact Chairman or  Department Office