Year of the Fork

On Thursday evening I had the honor of being installed as the Sustaining Advisor for the Junior League of Ogden's 2012-13 leadership team.  For the non Junior Leaguers out there, there are three categories of League membership, Active, Sustainer and Emeritus.  Active members pay dues, attend monthly meetings, are expected to serve a minimum number of volunteer hours during the year supporting League projects, and are assigned to one or more committees.  After 10 years of active membership, members can "go sustaining".  Sustainers pay dues but don't have to attend meetings or hold an official job.  Basically, they get to show up to all the fun social events and mingle with past and current members! They can also serve in an ad-hoc capacity on active committees if they choose.  At age 80, members that have maintained sustainer status become Emeritus status members.  


I've written previously about my League membership Learning and Leading by Example and the many great friends and mentors I've gained because of it.  Even though I only sustained a year ago, I already missed my association with the many women in the League.  So when I was approached earlier this year by the President-Elect, Shalae Larsen, and asked to serve as her Sustaining Advisor, I didn't need much time to  think about it.  Shalae is an amazing woman with many talents.  She's going to be such a great leader for the League and already has very clear goals for what she'd like to accomplish.  I'm so excited to be part of her board for the year.  She's put together a great team of ladies, all of whom are go-getters and don't hesitate to jump right in and get things done!  

At Thursday's Annual Dinner she proclaimed that this League year will be known as the Year of the Fork.  Below are her remarks from that evening.  

"Since its inception, the Junior League of Ogden has continually adapted its work to meet the changing needs of the community, all while training women as volunteers and leaders, which in turn has generated a lasting impact in our community and our world.

Over the past several years, the Junior League of Ogden has identified a new need in our community.  While initially focused on childhood obesity, our work with the Oasis Community Garden has made us aware of a much larger issue, one that most modern families, especially low income and inner-city residents face.  How can we ask individuals to make healthy eating decisions when quickie-marts are the only option approaching a grocery store that many families have access too?  Meanwhile, shrinking time and pocketbooks have fast food replacing sit down family meals.  The traditions of food, family, and community have been replaced with processed, assembly-line, food-like substances that are unhealthy at best; and socially, economically and environmentally detrimental at worst.

I propose that this year be the Year of the Fork.  The fork symbolizes slow food: healthy meals eaten while sitting down with friends and family; food that is respectful of our environment, and the people who work to bring it to our plates, and in an understanding of the basic human right to nourishment.

In years past we've worked to identify a need in our community; clear the land; till the soil; and plant a garden. Now, it’s time to harvest the fruits of our efforts, and call the community to gather.  This means reaching out to bring everyone in our community together around the issue of food.  Our work has come full circle...Together we, the Junior League of Ogden, will cultivate our community and nourish our neighbors."

See why I'm excited to work with Shalae and her team? Watch out Ogden! We're on a mission and we're going to accomplish some great things this year.