Is anyone in Junior League? I'm going to an intro social in a couple weeks and wondering what to expect.
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I went to an intro meeting, and while it seemed interesting (lots of volunteer opportunities, events, etc), it seemed like a lot of work to get in! You need to actually apply, and have letters of reference written for you..I was unemployed at the time and ended up getting another job shortly after so I never followed up. But I know a lot of people who do it in other states and they like it a lot! I do think it's very chapter dependent though.
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I went to an intro meeting, but it was definitely more a wealthier SAHW-club than for working women (maybe that was just the chapter in our area though).
I volunteer a lot so I was really excited to learn more, but most of their activities were during the work week......
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Yes! I am in the Stamford-Norwalk league and love it. That being said, our league is very cool in the sense that it's not pretentious, not super hard to get into and the ladies are very normal. While I'm a SAHM, most are not and I actually appreciate knowing women with a wide range of jobs/interests.
I have found it to be a really nice way to make friends. I joined after moving from Brooklyn to CT and I think it really helped me acclimate to the area.
Is it Westchester league? I seem to remember seeing a house maybe in Sleepy Hollow?
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@hilsy85: I went to an intro meeting for the NYC group and it was that way - references, etc. It was expensive too. Something like $400-500 a year. My new local one (the meeting I'll be going to) doesn't seem as bad thankfully!
@yoursilverlining: I got the address where the intro meeting/social is being held... Yeahhh, let's just say it's a lot more expensive of a house than I live in, LOL! I do get an older, SAHM/W vibe though so I'm kinda nervous about being the youngest.
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@meredithNYC: Yep! There are a lot of Westchester ones, smaller though throughout. How long have you been involved? I know this group will definitely be more on the well to do side which makes me a bit nervous.
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@LindsayInNY: This is my second year being involved. I would say that generally there are kind of "groups" based on age in ours. There's the (usually, though not always) unmarried women in their twenties, the women in the mid-30's with a child or two and then the older ladies who are the sustainers. I'm kind of in-between at 33 and with one kid, so tend to socialize with the younger group.
Our group draws from all over Fairfield County, so initially I was a little nervous about the very wealthy ladies from like, New Canaan or Darien (Greenwich has its own league), but actually most of the younger actives are in Stamford or Norwalk and are pretty middle-class. The sustainers tend to have a lot more money, but are also very welcoming.
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@LindsayInNY: Also, I should say I'm not a typical JL lady (or at least, never thought of myself that way?). Like, I'm not a former sorority girl, I'm a feminist, etc. But I haven't found the league to be at odds with my personality, luckily.
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I have thought about it, but every time I consider it I talk myself out of it. The chapter in my area is very wealthy and I'm definitely middle class. A lot of the events are during the workweek right around bedtime and right now, I'd rather spend the evening with my little. I think when the kids are older I'll seriously consider it.
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@meredithNYC: Not a sorority girl either! I was a girl scout my whole life (well, growing up). Our local chapter is more on par with the Greenwich one so that kinda worries me. DH tells me not to think about it because they're normal people too! We'll see I guess!
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@LindsayInNY: Yes, I did Girl Scouts through 8th grade. So I totally love being a part of a girl/women's group, but just hate ones that are exclusive. Good luck! I hope there are some nice women there.
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@LindsayInNY: did you end up going to the meeting?
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What's junior league?
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I am a Junior League dropout
It took up sooooo much time! It felt like an internship.
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@regberadaisy: it's a volunteer organization for women
@Boheme: you're in the South, right? We have a lot of transfers in my league from the South and they are always shocked at how slack our league is, lol. I think that's why I like it so much. If it were really intense I would be like, NOPE.
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@meredithNYC: I did! Our fall class started this past Thursday
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@LindsayInNY: Hopefully you will meet lots of new people and maybe other moms, too. There are a couple of other pregnant girls in my league and I'm looking forward to commiserating with them during the newborn days
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I'm in my 2nd active year. You didn't need references or anything to get into the league here. It can be a bit intimidating. I thought I'd be the poor, ugly girl in the league but it's not that way at all. I've met some great women in the league. It is a lot of work and time commitment though. For that reason, I don't think I'll be rejoining next year after LO2 comes along.
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It is REALLY big where I live. I'm not in it but have friends that are. It's super time consuming!
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My SIL is in ours, and has totally turned me off from it. Lots of snooty SAHM's and when she first started she had to do sooo much stuff. She had to work every event our town had.
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I've been in the League for 9 years (including provisional year). Didn't care for it where I joined/used to live but my friend persuaded me to stay in. I love the chapter where I am now, though! It's so much more friendly and not as "alpha female." The provisional year is really intense here, though, so I feel lucky to have transferred in, haha.
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The time commitment definitely varies from location to location. The first location I checked out was really expensive, required two letters of recommendation to join and was a big time commitment. The location I'm joining now is nothing like that. Maybe 1/3 of the cost, much more manageable time wise and a mix of WOHMs and SAHMs.
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Just saw this. I'm in my local one too, which is really great. I think you may be in a neighboring one from me
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@fancyfunction: You're probably right
The name of the chapter includes my town name. I'm guessing you're in the Central (county name) one? How long have you been a member?
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Yes I'm in central. This is my third year and I'm actually on the board this year. I've really enjoyed my time in the league and have met so many people I wouldn't have otherwise
Hope you enjoy it too!
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I hesitated posting, but I am also a JL dropout. I was in the same chapter as @meredithNYC and my experience was totally different. Basically, my experience with my placement sucked and I found that I was running around to try to make my committed hours and was doing random projects here and there where I felt I wasn't contributing to the level I could be. With the hours I work plus a kid, I've decided to spend my volunteer hours elsewhere.
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I am a JL member, currently on a leave of absence. I've been a member for....4 years, I think? I was on the board last year, but had to step back this year, because we have a core group of women who do a lot of the leadership, including me, and I was just getting slammed with way too much work. It's a problem in our league. Unfortunately, I think I am going to drop out when my LOA is over. I wish there was an option for a stepped down level of engagement, but I haven't been a member long enough to go sustainer, so my only option is active.
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I've thought about it. I have a few friends in our local chapter and it seems like a pretty big time commitment, though (and none of them have LOs). I already feel like I don't see LO enough during the week, so I don't think it would be a good fit for me.
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@LittlePinkHouses: does your chapter not have an "active advisory" status (I think different places call it different things)? It's basically what you described -- a stepped-down level where you're still active but don't have as many requirements or can fulfill them in different ways. In my old chapter, you didn't have a placement but had to do some other project in the community instead (but it was on your own time and didn't have to be something big or time-consuming). I haven't looked into it here but I think we have something similar. I don't think most places advertise it but if you want to stay in, it's worth checking into!
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@PurplePeony: not really. They have gold and silver level active memberships with lower requirements, but you still have to have a certain number of years of time served, which I won't have.
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I'm a sustainer (retired LOL). Been in three different leagues, all different in many ways and all three quite removed from the stereotype. I would still be active, probably, if I weren't in the league I'm in right now. It's just too difficult, inconvenient and confusing for me.
It took up sooooo much time! It felt like an internship.
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