[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN HONOR OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY JUNIOR LEAGUE MOVEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2001

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the Junior League on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary. This year, 
nearly 200,000 Junior League women are celebrating 100 years of 
volunteer community service. With a century of action for family 
literacy, senior citizen care, battered women's shelters, affordable 
day care, AIDS education, pregnancy prevention and multicultural 
awareness to their credit, the members of Junior Leagues in 295 
communities in four countries have much to celebrate.
  The Junior League reached its centennial milestone this year with a 
phenomenal legacy of achievement in local communities. In 1901, Barnard 
College student Mary Harriman established the Junior League ``to foster 
among its members the interest in undertakings for the betterment of 
the social, economic and educational conditions in the City of New 
York.'' Mary Harriman's idea--that a group of women could be a powerful 
force for change--has resonated throughout this century. What began 
with 80 young women traveling to Manhattan's Lower East Side to 
volunteer at a settlement house, has blossomed into a growing movement 
of trained volunteers improving their communities through direct 
service, public education, advocacy, fundraising and sheer hard work.
  Individual Junior Leagues contribute mightily to their local 
communities. Aspects of our social, cultural and political fabric that 
we take for granted--free school lunches, children's theatre and 
museums, domestic violence legislation, volunteer bureaus, quality TV 
programming for children--are among the innovations led by the Junior 
League.
  Today, Leagues work with babies with HIV, abused children and the 
homeless and serve as mentors to young women and girls. They initiate 
and staff childcare centers, fund breast cancer research and protect 
the environment. In short, the Junior League can be credited with 
implementing change and improving conditions in almost every sector. In 
recognition of decades of these sustained contributions, in 1989, the 
Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) was presented with 
the prestigious U.S. President's Volunteer Action Award.
  In 1901, membership in the Junior League gave women a rare 
opportunity to take a leadership role in the wider world. Today, even 
with increased professional opportunities for women, the Junior League 
continues to offer women a unique and powerful way to make a 
difference, take risks and become community leaders. In spite of the 
fact that two-thirds of the members are working women, they still 
commit their valuable time to serving their communities through the 
Junior League.
  It is no great surprise that 46 percent of Junior League members are 
``Roper Influentials''--political and social trendsetters who influence 
their friends and acquaintances on an impressive array of topics such 
as computers, investment ideas, health issues, politics, cars and 
children.
  With nearly a century of service to its credit, the Junior League is 
an icon in the fabric of community life in the United States, Canada, 
Mexico and Great Britain. The women leaders of the Junior League are a 
powerful force, offering professional experience and vital support to 
the volunteer sector. I am proud of my own membership in the Junior 
League and can personally attest to the dedication of the women who 
give their time and expertise to the Junior League.
  The Junior Leagues' Centennial celebration will last all year long, 
with a special international celebration in New York City at the 
League's 2001 Annual Conference, Wednesday, April 25 through Sunday, 
April 29, 2001.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to congratulate the New York Junior 
League on its 100th Anniversary and I wish them many more years of 
successful service to their communities.

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