In its first year to participate in the annual West Point Christmas Parade, Junior Auxiliary's float won the 2009 Mayor and Selectman's Choice for Most Original Concept Award. Despite cold and rainy weather, the ladies created a float depicting JA's many community projects and the ways the organization gives back to the community. JA is honored to receive the award and is already coming up with designs for their 2010 float!
Our outgoing members moving on to associate or lifetime status are, from left, Caroline Atkins, Andrea Jester, Alison Reed, Nicole McBrayer and Candice Miller.
“We enjoyed the meeting and got so much out of it,” stated Allison Trolio, president of Junior Auxiliary of West Point. “These meetings not only provide us with resources and tips for running our chapter, they inspire us and give us great ideas we can actually put to use in our communities.”
Keynote speaker for the event was Richard Paul Evans who motivated JA attendees to be good volunteers and utilize five keys in making their efforts a success: divine recognition, forgiveness, risk, acceptance of adversity and love. Evans’ story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when his book became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed.
Author and professional speaker/trainer Janie Walters of Madison provided the ABCs for dealing with conflict in the presentation titled, “When Your Blood Starts Boiling, Don’t Let It Cook Your Goose!” Walters explained, “The ‘A’ occurs when something negative happens, the ‘B’ represents the thoughts you have about it, and the ‘C’ represents the philosophy that thoughts produce feelings.”
Walters encouraged her audience to intercept negative thoughts to prevent negative emotions. Similar inspiration can be found in her book, Blow a Bubble Not a Gasket!
NAJA hosts area meetings across the Southeast each year to offer training and assistance to the organization’s 101 Chapters. “The training events for our members and community leaders help strengthen Chapters and make them more of a dynamic organization in each of the community’s they serve,” said Christy Keirn, NAJA President. “This year one of our secondary topics of discussion was Conflict Resolution in which we provided tips to help our attendees both in their personal and volunteer life.”
Junior Auxiliary represents a serious endeavor on the part of women to be active and constructive community participants and to assume leadership roles in meeting community needs. The mission of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries is to provide support, resources, and educational, leadership, cultural, and healthcare training for NAJA members in order to optimize community service by NAJA Chapters. These educational meetings for members give them the resources to be better community volunteers.
The NAJA slogan is “Care Today – Character Tomorrow” and when teamed with the current focus of NAJA, “Healthy Children – Healthy Futures,” Junior Auxiliary Chapters all over the Mid-South are working to increase awareness of child health and welfare and how it affects the future of the child.
For more information on Junior Auxiliary of West Point, visithttp://westpointja.blogspot.com. For more information on NAJA, visit www.najanet.org.
JA Recording Secretary Jessica Lewis, President Allison Trolio, Kerrie Gentry and Vice-President Laura Yelverton attended the recent area meeting in Ridgeland. Author Richard Paul Evans, center, was keynote speaker.
Bonnie Rogers, Ashley Baker, Julie Hill and Shannon Wallace braved the heat to collect school supplies for area children. The supplies will be distributed to children whom school counselors and teachers have identified as not having the resources to begin the school year. This service project allows these children to go to school with feelings of pride rather than shame. Over 150 children will be helped this year by donations of supplies and uniforms.
Provisional Class 2009
Provisional Members Tracey Dexter, Jennifer Flannagan and Ashley Baker did a wonderful job adding Mexican "flair" to the refreshment table. Thank you ladies!
Playing sports is FUN!
Thank you to West Point Head Coach Chris Chambless and Green Wave football players, Michael Carr and Xavier Hogan for throwing the football and hanging out with the children on Tuesday! 
The City of West Point celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008 with a week full of events leading up to a Grand Ball, sponsored by Junior Auxiliary. Party-goers enjoyed dinner, dancing and honoring the many "Hometown Heroes" of our wonderful community.
