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HISTORY
The Junior League of Wilmington was organized in 1918 under the
inspiration of Mrs. William S. Bergland and incorporated in 1923. Since its inception, the League
has donated uncountable hours, materials, and donations to many wonderful
community programs (see complete list).
As the League has
grown, its needs have changed. To accommodate these changes, the League
has continued to modify its organizational structure in order to operate
efficiently. The following list of Milestones describes many of these changes.
Milestones
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Our newsletter, The Lantern, was started in 1927.
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A Publicity Chair was first appointed in 1934 and today, the
Chair of Public Relations/Marketing is responsible for the League's image in the
community.
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In 1937, a Chair of Education was appointed to supervise the
Provisional Training Course and bring to the League's attention educational
opportunities within the community. Now these responsibilities are divided
between the Admissions/Provisional Committee and the Training Committee.
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In 1960, a Community Service Committee was organized; it has now
become the Community Programs Council with the responsibility for overseeing the
JLW's role in the community and administering the Community Opportunity Fund.
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The Transfer Chair was given Board Status in 1961, as transfers
into the League became more numerous.
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In 1980-1981 the Advisory Planning Committee and a new ad hoc
committee, Future Planning, studies the administration and future needs of the
League, and its proposal was accepted by the General Membership in November
1981.
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In 1983-1984, the JLW not only celebrated its 65th anniversary, it
also revised its executive structure. The League is now directed by an
Executive Board made up of the officers (President, President-Elect, Treasurer,
and Secretary) and four Vice Presidents. Each Vice President is responsible for a "council" and all League
committees have been grouped under them according to the committee's thrust.
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Each council will meet on a schedule determined by the Vice
President; they will review common concerns or delve into new areas with
proposals from committees or the Councils themselves. The issues will be
brought to the Board for decisions. Any issues that requires input from
the general membership will be handled in accordance with our Bylaws. This
system went into effect in March 1984.
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In 1985-1986, the Project Development Task Force was appointed to
examine how to structure Community project research and to chart a future
direction for new project initiatives. As a result of work done by the
Task Force, and the Community Programs Council, a tentative schedule for phasing
out several self-sustaining League Approved Community Placements (LACP's) was
set out. Project Development continues to identify needs within the
community which the League can successfully address. As our 75th
Anniversary project (1993-94) we designed, funded and constructed "Bridges
For Play," a playground for children of all abilities located at the Leach
School in the Colonial School District.
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The Membership Council worked toward goals in membership
diversification and satisfaction. In moving toward these goals we adopted
Sustaining Emeritus and Active with Honor status during the 1993-1994 year.
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Administratively, the League attempts to simplify its procedures
through the use of computer technology. Bookkeeping and membership records
functions are only two areas continually updated to keep pace with the changing
needs of the League.
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The 1987-1988 70th Anniversary celebration in the Gold Ballroom of
the Hotel duPont featured a JLW slide show, the Scarlet Ribbons, AJL Executive
Director Deborah Seidel, Governor Castle, and Dale Wolf. Our 75th
Anniversary was celebrated with a black tie gala at the Grand Ballroom, our
first feature video, "The Junior League of Wilmington-75 Years of Community
Service," and with our first signature project "Bridges for
Play," a playground for physically and mentally challenged children.
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In 1993 we introduced our first cookbook, Savor the Brandywine
Valley: A Collection of Recipes, which we marketed within the League as well
as externally in the community. We had a steady stream of income from
this fundraiser.
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The Wellness Community Delaware, Inc. became the JLW's second
focus area project in 1995. Wellness provides counseling and services to
help people with cancer (and their families) fight for recovery. The JLW
pledged $30,000 to the Wellness Community payable over a three-year period. In addition to the much needed financial assistance provided the JLW, our League
committee developed a Physician's Outreach Program, a six panel marketing
display and other presentation materials. The Provisional Class of 1997
worked very hard at developing a library for the Wellness Community.
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During the 1996-1997 League year we introduced our newest
fundraiser. The American Girls Fashion Show and Tea. Also during
this year we turned over the Ronald McDonald Raffle in connection with the LPGA
golf tournament to the Ronald McDonald House. During this ten-year project
the JLW raised over $500,000 for the local Ronald McDonald House. We
continued our relationship with them via The Golf Ball, a collaborative
fundraising event.
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1998 marked the 80th year of the Junior League of Wilmington. To commemorate the milestone, JLW pins were purchased, through underwriting, to
be presented to every Sustainer and Active in the League throughout our
Anniversary year. The League began its year-long celebration by honoring
the oldest members of the League, the women who have achieved Sustainer Emeritus
status. Each month in the Lantern, the JLW honored members from different
eras. All Active members were recognized at the November General Meeting. At each corresponding General Meeting, the Accomplishments of the honored eras
were highlighted so that the entire League could celebrate our accomplishments
and impact on the community over the past 80 years. An 80th Anniversary
Party was held in December. All members, Sustainers, Actives and
Provisionals, were able to come together to celebrate the past and energize the
League for the future.
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During the 1999-2000 year, with our new focus area
"Building and Preserving Families," we chose a new signature project
and partnership with DAPI (Delaware Adolescent Program, Inc.). The Junior League of Wilmington was one of the
founding members of this organization in 1969. The project included starting a Pantry and a mentoring program.
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2000 saw continued effort with DAPI, our signature project. The Done-in-a-Day Committee was rolled into the newly-created Community Action
Committee in an effort to better focus JLW resources. And, JLW launched
the creation of a new cookbook titled "Dancing on the Table," a
multi-year endeavor that involved collecting recipes, testing, tasting, and
editing. The Provisional Class of 2000 redecorated the playroom at the
Ronald McDonald House and supplied toys.
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In 2001, the JLW was working on a combined process of
Strategic Planning/Project Development that would establish our direction for
the future. This plan will enable the JLW to determine how we can achieve
maximum community impact as well as membership satisfaction. Membership
chose Literacy as our Focus Area. We published our second cookbook,
Dancing on the Table. It was named “The Official Cookbook of the State
of Delaware” and was available at many stores throughout the state, as well as
in Chester County, PA.
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Highlights of the 2002-03 year
included the adoption of three community projects: Social Venture Partners,
Delaware; Delaware Coalition for Literacy; and the Woodlawn Library.
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In 2003-2004 the first annual
Heart of the Home® Kitchen Tour became a new fundraiser for the League. A
task force was established to examine the condition and utilization of
Headquarters.
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The 2004-2005 year marked the success of the League's three-year partnerships with Social
Venture Partners Delaware, the Woodlawn Library, and the Delaware Coalition for
Literacy with $28,204 and over 13,506 books donated to area literacy
programs. The League also developed the Teachers' Supply Closet, which
provided area educators with a monthly opportunity to purchase school supplies
and books at discounted prices. We also introduced two new mini
fundraisers. The Wilmington Country Store and Ellie One Day Sale were held
in the Fall. The Stencil Shoppe and Book Fair Holiday Sale was held in
early December. Both were met positively by the community and were
successful.
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In 2005-2006, the League completed its commitment to the
Woodlawn Library by donating a total of $40,000 to the construction efforts
and by participating in various fundraising initiatives. In May, a year of
project development culminated in members choosing the East Side Charter
School Library as the League's signature project for the coming year. In
addition, the League also voted to move forward with a capital campaign to
raise funds for the renovation of our headquarters, the Lea-Derickson House at
1801 N. Market Street. And finally, the Whale of a Sale celebrated its 25th
anniversary!
 In
the early 1770's, miller John Marshall used stone taken from the bed of the
north race of the Brandywine River to build the Lea-Derickson house. The simple
facade is typical of the Quaker-Georgian architecture of Brandywine Village.
James Marshall had financial difficulties and sold the house to Samuel Morton,
another merchant miller, who in turn sold it to Thomas Lea around 1785. In the
mid-1830's a well-to-do miller, Jacob Derickson, bought the house as a wedding
gift for his daughter, Martha, and her husband, Amor Hollingsworth Harvey. The
property remained in the Derickson family until its sale to Old Brandywine
Village, Inc., in 1963. During those 130 years, there were several additions to
the house, which doubled its original size.
In 1962, this house and others on the 1800 block of Market Street were to be
razed to allow for construction of a motel. A group of citizens, including Mrs.
Charles Reese, a Junior League past-president, formed Old Brandywine Village,
Inc. (OBV), a non-profit organization whose purpose was to restore the historic
homes in this area and to ensure their future. 1801 Market Street was purchased
by OBV in 1963 and restored under the direction of architect Robert Raley. Some
of the artifacts that were discovered on the property by the Archaeological
Society of Delaware are displayed in the living room of the house.
The exterior woodwork is painted Shipley House Grey, the color used
extensively in the historic Wilmington home of Thomas Shipley which was built
between 1759-1788. That house was demolished in 1957, and its interiors were
installed at Winterthur.
The League leased the Lea-Derickson house from Old Brandywine Village, Inc.,
in 1965, and established its headquarters in this historic building. On August
6, 1981, the Junior League assumed ownership of the house. The house is an
excellent example of a private home of historic value that has been preserved
and renovated for a use other than originally intended, but with important
architectural features retained.
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