Announcements
Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport Receives 2008 Efficiency Award
The JA of Gulfport received the Efficiency Award at the recent 68th Annual Area Education Conference held in Fanklin, TN.
This year’s conference was packed with entertainment, education and networking with other chapters from across the Mid-South. Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport members enjoyed speakers including Anita Renfroe- known for her “mom-isms”, Grace Gore- Miss Tennessee 2007, Lauren Nelson- Miss America 2007 and LaDonna Gatlin – whose messages empower people to realize their potential through their words, their deeds and their actions. In addition, up and coming Board Members of our Chapter were trained in their specific duties for the next year.
The NAJA slogan is “Care Today – Character Tomorrow” and when teamed with the current focus of the Association (Healthy Children~Healthy Futures), Junior Auxiliary Chapters all over the Mid-South are working more than ever before to increase awareness of children in need and the benefits of caring today to create character tomorrow.
Spring Luncheon and Installation of New Officers
The Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport held its annual spring luncheon on April 6, 2010 at Chimney’s Restaurant in Gulfport. The executive board for 2010-2011 was installed, provisional members were initiated and six outgoing members changed their memberships to life and associate status. Junior Auxiliary members are eligible for life and associate status after one year of provisional service, five years of active service and after meeting all chapter educational requirements.
New officers are Macey Young, president; Sarah Rollins, first vice president; Sophie Nord, second vice president; Pam Pannell, third vice president; Karla Hennigan, treasurer; Katy Symmes, provisional trainer; Emily Newman, recording secretary; Joy Payne-Morris, corresponding secretary; Jennifer Clark, education chairman; Kelli Miller, public relations chairman; Kristen Gard, parliamentarian.
New members are Rainna Bahadur, Katherine Blount, Rachel Branch, Traci Bruni, Stephanie Cowart, Nikki Huffman, Ann Barrett Ladner, Lauren Lewis, Maureen Neumann, Jessica Peters and Erin Rollins.
The outgoing members are: Traci Easterling, Kay Hewes, Sugar McCormick, Ashley Necaise, Alisha Plummer and Jamie Warren.
The Gulfport chapter of the Junior Auxiliary was organized May 26, 1948, and currently has 64 active members. It is a volunteer organization that provides charitable services to benefit the general public, with particular emphasis on children.
Working closely with local agencies and schools the Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport provides children with education and information on life skills, dental hygiene, clothing and medical assistance as well as scholarship opportunities.
College Bound Scholarships Awarded
The Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport recently awarded $8,000 in scholarships to twelve local High School Seniors. The Junior Auxiliary’s annual College Bound Scholarship program recognizes students with superior academic achievement and financial need. The students must also exhibit leadership potential through personal references, school or extracurricular activities, work experience, volunteer work or community involvement. This year’s recipients were Katrina Hutchinson, Long Beach High School; Alicia Premeaux, St. Patrick’s Catholic High School; Haylee Manville, West Harrison High School; Kaitlin DeWitt, Pass Christian High School; Rachel Ladnier, Harrison Central High School; and Ashley Gardner, Jessica Ann Ballard, and Amy Aehnlich, Gulfport High School. The Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport was founded over 60 years ago and supports local children at all age levels on their journey to a brighter future.
Hannah Hatfield Scholarships are awarded for Outstanding Educators in the Gulfport School District
At the Gulfport School District Board Meeting on May 3, the Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport awarded the Hannah H. Hatfield Outstanding Educator Awards to three Gulfport School District teachers. Each teacher received a plaque and a $2,000 award for his or her outstanding efforts in the classroom. Honorees were Hardy Thames and Andrew Gunkle-Gulfport High School and Kelli McGuffee-Pass Road Elementary. This program was established by the Medley and Hatfield families to honor their mother, Hannah Hatfield, as well as the many Gulfport School District teachers who play a positive role in the daily lives of thousands of children. Presenting the awards were Pam Pannell and Elizabeth Massey, active members of the Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport. At the time of presentation, Pannell was the current co-chair of the Hannah Hatfield committee which was formed to administer the annual awards on behalf of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and members of the Hatfield family.