Name/Title
Wisconsin Jaycette HistoryScope and Content
Historical information on Wisconsin Jaycette for 1976 Bicentennial Celebration in Waupun, WI
*Facts are typed and was scanned with mistakes, if any, left uncorrected.
WISCONSIN JAYCETTE HISTORY - 1937 - 1976
Wisconsin Jaycettes have seen many years of growth and progress in the State Auxiliary. This is the chronological progress of the Wisconsin Jaycettes from it inception to the present.
In May of 1937, Jaycettes from Beaver Dam, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Rhinelander, and Wausau met and organized the First State Jaycee Auxiliary in the nation. A Constitution was drafted at a special meeting in August. At this meeting, it was decided that each chapter would pay a $5.00 application fee. Dues were set at 25 cents per member.
In 1939 a monthly state publication called the Newsletter became the means of keeping members posted on state and local events. A custom of presenting Auxiliary pins to the retiring State President and Secretary-Treasurer was established. There are now nine chapters.
In 1940 the first iron lung was purchased. November brought the first Mid-Year Conference in conjunction with the Jaycees in Sparta. A state scrapbook was purchased and there were eleven chapters.
On April 16, 1941, our state auxiliary was incorporated as a non-profit, non-stock corporation. In November the four iron lungs had been purchased and placed in Beaver Dam, La Crosse, Oshkosh, and Wausau. Two of the lungs were later lent to Rockford, Illinois during their Polio epidemic and were used by a total of 92 children, and one lung traveled as far as Kentucky to see service during an epidemic there.
In November, 1942 a $375 war bond was purchased.
In November, 1943 state dues were to 30 cents and the custom of issuing charters was started.
In May of 1946 it was decided that a traveling trophy be presented to the future Merit Award winner. A state gavel was also to be purchased and passed down. In November the iron lung funds was turned over to the new Cerebral Palsy Trust Fund. A goal of $20,000 towards a Cerebral Palsy Center was announced.
In May 1948 it was decided to divide the state into three districts.
In May 1953 it was announced the district meetings had been started.
May of 1954 found 24 chapters and the three districts were divided into four. Money was disbursed from the Cerebral Palsy Fund for the first time.. Twelve scholarships of $125 wach were allocated and $10,000 was given to the Wisconsin Association for the Disabled. At the December convention in Racine, the Merit Awards were divided into two categories according to populations of over and under 10,000.
At the December 1956 convention a total of $29,766.54 had been disbursed from the Cerebral Palsy Fund thus far. It was decided that the state was to provide chapters with Membership and Application Cards. An extension kit with valuable Jaycette material was compiled.
In May 1957 the State was divided into eight districts with a Vice President for each.. The Constitution and By-Laws was revised, including an Executive Board as well as the Board of Directors.
At the December 1957 Mid-Year Convention the Policy Sheet and Jaycette Creed were adopted, A state seal and the President Elect system were also adopted. The CAROL (Citation for Achievement and Recognition for Outstanding Leadership) Awards were presented for the first time.
By May 1958 there were 57 chapters. A double Mailing, to chapter presidents and state directors, was started. A Master Local Constitution-By-Laws was drawn up to help provide ideas for newly organized chapters and/or older ones wishing to revise theirs.
On October 21, 1958 the "Jaycette" name was registered with the Secretary of State. Fourteen Standing committee chairmanships were set up. Cerebral Palsy disbursements now totaled $38,658.65.
In May 1959, District VII was divided into two parts, due to the large area covered making it easier for the Vice-Presidents to perform their duties.
In 1960 Mental Health was adopted as a secondary project without state financial participation on a trail basis for a period of three years. The Wisconsin Junior Chamber of Commerce officially recognized the Wisconsin Jaycettes organization.
In 1961 the State is divided into twelve districts.
The tables and chairs in the dining room at Camp Wawbeek were didicated on Jaycette Day. More than $50,000 has been contributed by chapters to our state Cerebral Palsy Fund. These marked the highlights of the 1962 year.
A JOLT (Jaycettes on Leadership Training) Conference was held in October 1963. Cerebral Palsy was again selected as a state project with a state trust fund, and Mental Health and Retardation as a state project without a state trust fund. Five new chapters were added to our organization, and dues were raised to $1.50 per member.
1964-1965 was certainly a year to remember, 16 new chapters were added, making a total of 90 chapters, and a membership of 1668. A resolution in conjunction with our Jaycees on PKU was endorsed by Jaycette chapters all over the state. Because of the combined efforts of Wisconsin Jaycees and Jaycettes and other interested groups, passage of the PKU Bill was completed. "Operation Disaster" also proved a success when Wisconsin Jaycettes opened their hearts to the flood victims of the Mississippi River Valley and donated over two tons of canned food supplies. In 1965 Wisconsin Jaycettes also set new trends when their state president announced her candidacy for National Liason Secretary and was elected at the Jaycee National Convention in Buffalo.
In 1966-67, the Jaycettes celebrated their thirtieth birthday, and our membership grew to over 1,800. We won awards from the Kennedy Foundation, the Bureau of Handicapped Children, the Association of Sheltered Workshops, and the United Cerebral Palsy. Mental health, Mental Retardation, and Cerebral Palsy became even more our personal concern and we voted to expand the Trust Fund to include all the handicapped and we named it the U.J.F., United Jaycette Fund.
We adopted Project Concern on a state wide basis and worked jointly with our Jaycees to raise $6,000 for Dr. Jim Turpin in helping the Montagnards of South Vietnam, the refugees of Hong Kong, and the poor living in the canyon area of Tijuana, Mexico.
In 1967-1968 we received an award from the Wisconsin Mental Health Association for our continuous efforts in this area. The first Jaycette Public Relations Forum was held at Radio City, and some 40 Jaycette chapters were asked to act as advisors to W.T.M.J., Milwaukee Journal Station, thus forming the Y.W.B.A.C. (Young Wisconsin Broadcast Advisory Council). More than 3,000 Jaycettes articles appeared in newspapers across the state, and countless hours of radio and television time were devoted to tell the Wisconsin Jaycette story. Over $4,000 was raised for the United Jaycette Fund to fill all grant requests. Project Concern continued as a joint state project with Wisconsin Jaycettes donating thousands of Hygiene Kits, Layettes, knitted items and trading stamps. We saved nylon stockings for W.C.I. Jaycees who made them into over 800 dolls for children of South Vietnam. A tour of Central Colony inspired us to make hundreds of needed items for our three colonies.
By May 1968 there were 120 Jaycette chapters in Wisconsin with a total membership of over 2,600. And for the first time State Awards were presented to local Chairman.
In 1969 the Wisconsin Jaycettes' membership and involvement out to 2,850 gals and we have now 126 chapters. Membership and Orientation became a state chairmanship and the President Elect systme bowed out to an Internal Eked External Executive Vice President. Cystic Fibrosis was adopted as a state project, as a Jaycee assistance project, two Jaycettes became CAROL Award recipients, and the first Badger Jaycettes were honored.
1969-1970 was one of the proudest in Wisconsin Jayeettes' history, because one of our own, ANDRE' LETENDRE of Wausaua served as the 50th President of the United States Jaycees. Jaycettes generously supported his campaign and the largest Wisconsin representation, ever, attended National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.
Mrs. Jackie Kern, Grafton, was also elected a Regional Director for the proposed U.S. Jaycee Auxiliary, and even though the U.S. Jaycees still in 1972 haven't voted to recognize a National Auxiliary, we were proud. of Wisconsin's continued support of a women's role as wife of a Jaycee.
Into 1970-71, the year of "Building Through Faith, Friendship and Enthusiasm." State Executive Board now includes 34 members; state projects are Mental Health/Mental Retardation, Speak-Up, CAROL Award, Milestone, CF, CP&OPH, Project Concern and ON-TO-Portland. Jaycettes become more regimented, as written guidelines are adopted for all areas of concern, becoming supplements to the Constitution and Policy Sheet, and "Regional Directors" are appointed in all Regions. Several gals from different chapters leave for Bisti, New Mexico in "SNOOPY", a $4,835.95 International Travelette truck for Project Concern. They arrive and distribute clinic supplies; there's more than ample funds for "SN0OPY" in the Project Concern Fund, all donated by Jaycette chapters. Layettes, hygiene kits and drug donations from physicians and pharmacists are going to Project Concern; Butternut coffee coupons, and labels and coupons to Central, Southern and Northern Colony, Menomonee Falls Jaycettes raise thousands of dolloars for a chapel at The Ranch, for handicapped and retarded young adults; the Jaycettes in the state take
a strong stand to secure the release of POW's. By year-end we have 150 chapters and 2,921 members.
1971-72, our 35th anniversary year, Jaycettes love and concern grows. Our Jaycees contribute $28,000 to Cystic Fibrosis, and the Jaycettes raised 1/3 of this to help our Jaycees. 3y this time in our history, Jaycettes have helped in Sheltered Workshops, Bloodmobiles, nursing homes, county hospitals, Day Care Centers, eye-screening clinics, sponsor Women's Worry Clinics, Mental Health projects, walks for Mankind, involving teenagers in fund-raising for Project Concern, and adopted Red Ball Projects - distributing luminous red circles to be pasted on windows of children's and invalids bedrooms as a signal for fireman. October 3-9 is proclaimed Protect Your Child From Strangers Week, we urged parents and schools to educate children to the dangers of child molesters. We assisted the Jaycees with Nicaraguan Relief, and we also collected enough Betty Crocker coupons for a bus for Central Colony.
In 1972-1973 our Nicaraguan Relief Program continued, we collected money and tons of supplies for the diaster victims. We now have close to 630 State Mailings go out to chapters 6 times a year. We assisted our Jaycees and raised $30,000 for Cystic Firbrosis.
The 1973-74 year was a year for growth, we added 13 new chapters to our organization. The Executive Board added more Regional Vice-Presidents to help with all the new chapters. Awards are now in all project areas for chapters to compete in. Dues are raised to $4.00 per member to help with the increase state expenses.
We had the largest Annual Convention ever at Wausau for the 1974-75 year. We at this time split our state up and went to 10 Regions. The issuue of "Open Membership" came to a head and was very heated by the time it came up for a vote at Convention. It was decided that we would not open our Jaycette memberhsip to non-Jaycee wives or single girls, at this time, it was best for the Wisconsin Jaycettes to remain strickly an auxililiary.
We are now in our 1975-76 year, the goal for Cystic Fibrosis this, the Jaycees set at $76,000. We now have over 190 chapters and our state membership is about 3,200. The Jaycettes in Wisconsin can look forward to a very bright and prosperous future.
JAYCETTE CREED
Let Us Generously Give:
Our friendship to each other;
Our enthusiastic support to the Wisconsin Jaycees; Our talents, ideas, labor and contributions to the betterment of our communities;
Our hearts and our assistance to the unfortunate;
And our attention to the great responsibility that is ours as wives of America's young leaders, and Mothers of those who will inherit that leadership.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE WISCONSIN JAYCETTES?
They are to:
a. assist our husband in developing his career
b. cooperate with the Jaycees in fulfilling and advancing their program of service, good citizenship, and usefulness to the community, the State of Wisconsin, and the nation as a whole.
c. to promote service to local clubs.
d. to promote Jayceeism.
e. sponsor projects of their own choosing.
The number one goal of a Jaycette group should be to aid the Jaycees in any way possible and to remain two harmonious groups working toward a common goal.Acquisition
Accession
2016.0075Source or Donor
Waupun Area Chamber of CommerceAcquisition Method
Donation
