Ticktockers!

Apply to be on the National Ticktocker Council Advisory Council!

This is a great leadership opportunity outside of our local chapter, and a great way to have your voice heard in NCL.  Applications are due by December 3rd and should be emailed to Iris Swinea at  info@nclonline.org

Download Application

The Tea

On the first of this month, we held our annual tea party with a fantastic cultural twist--each grade level was assigned a country. They studied their country and brought decorations, food, and tea based on the country. We even had a few fantastically dedicated ticktockers and patronesses dress up. Way to go!

Our guest speaker was the incredible Pamela Atkinson, who has been finding ways to serve her entire life. Growing up in England, she lived in poverty and dreamed of a better life, which she believed would entail marrying rich and never having anything to do with the poor. But today, she serves the homeless here in Utah with an unfailing drive. She was such an inspiration to meet, and gave each of us a great perspective on the work we've been doing through the year at our charities.

Thank you to all who attended! We hope you had a good time and are getting ready to enjoy the holiday season. See you in December!

Hello NCL members,

This is Emma Workman and Emma Valdez.  We are 9th grade Ticktockers.  We have had our TLO project approved and are hoping you all will help.

We are going to be putting together "Girl Stuff" Goodie Bags for patients at Primary Children's Medical Center.  We are hoping that you can purchase nail polish and hair accessories that we can put in these bags which will be put together at a later date.

We are hoping to get 2 nail polishes and 2 hair things from each NCL family but this is an optional activity.  We will have a box for you to put them near the sign-in area.

You can log philanthropy hours while you shop and can record the cash donation under Philanthropy Donations.

If you have any questions please let us know and THANK YOU so much,

http://www.nclsaltlake.org

The 7th Graders Started NCL Off Right!

The 7th graders gathered at the Siu's house for our first grade level meeting. We started off the night with an exciting icebreaker activity while munching M&M's on the trampoline. This activity was a great way to learn more about our fellow ticktockers. We were able to find people that we have much in common with, which sparked conversations within the group. Bags filled with helpful tips were handed out to each member as we learned more about our new jobs. Once the icebreaker concluded, we threw on our swimming suits and sprang into the cool refreshing water! As we sat around the pool eating dinner and cupcakes, we realized that this year was going to be a blast! Thank you to our Grade Level Advisors for wonderful night!  

-Zoe, NCL Salt Lake 7th grade President

College Day Reminder

Attention all juniors! Tomorrow is college prep day. We're going to learn application and scholarship tips, have mock interviews, and receive feedback on our resumes. If you have not already submitted your resume, now is your last chance! Our guest speakers and interviewers all have a unique background and individual advice to give you won't be able to find somewhere else. You'll want to hear what they have to say!

The event is Saturday from 2-4. Check the schedule, your handouts, or send Carrie Finlinson (grade level advisor) an email for an address or parking details. Dress up! And don't forget to bring money--we're going out for an early dinner together afterward. See you all there!

2013 Philanthropy Fair

For all of you who weren't able to come to our philanthropy fair on Saturday, you missed out on a great chance to get to know our charities this year (and some fantastic refreshments). If you couldn't make it or if you hand outs were lost among the forest of weekend homework projects, here's a run-down of what we took away from the fair.

• For our annual tea this year, each grade level is assigned their own country to find a tea/treat from and share with the other girls. You'll be discussing what your grade level is doing at your next meetings. Start thinking now! Anything you can do to go above and beyond would make the event more fun. Costumes, a hat or a tea set from your country--we can't wait to have a cultural event with so much culture in it!
• Ticktocker McKenna Evans' has arranged a Trunk or Treat at the Christmas Box House on Sunday, October 27th, as part of her TLO. If you want to help, there will be a pre-meeting activity at 5:30 to help decorate the trick or treat bags for the kids. Also, the children participating will need costumes, which you can donate at our October general meeting. We need more teen costumes than kids, more boys costumes than girls. 
• Our newest philanthropy, KUED, arrived at the fair with a bang! They have tons of great service opportunities lined up for us and all of them sound like fun. Who wouldn't want to help kids meet Thomas the Train or Curious George? Or help take donation pledges during a drive that just might mean you end up on television? Make sure to check the schedule on our website and check for the dates where you can be one of the first Ticktockers ever to volunteer with KUED. 

Hope to see you all at the October General Meeting!

Charity Spree!

This Wednesday, we will be having our annual charity spree: a charity-wide event to kick off the new year! Come wearing your NCL t-shirt and crazy socks. Awards will be handed out for the best grade level attendance, the most festively dressed grade level, and the grade level that stays the closest to budget. Each grade level will be going out afterwards for brunch at a local restaurant for a social hour and a meeting.

If you haven't RSVP'd already, please go to the chapter website. You'll also find the address, time, and other details. This is always one of the most fun and well-attended events of the year. Please don't miss it!

Help Madi with Her TLO

This Thursday, ticktocker Madi is planning to offer the same presentation on human trafficking she gave to us in January to girls and women living at the Road Home. If you're interested in helping Madi with this TLO either by bringing refreshments or watching younger kids at the shelter while their parents/siblings attend the meeting, you can email her for details or look to sign up on the NCL website.

This is a perfect summer volunteer opportunity this month. Support your fellow ticktocker this Thursday, and check back here next week for more volunteer opportunities!

Connect with NCL Online

Our monthly NCL newsletter has been officially replaced with our own Salt Lake chapter blog, which you can check out by clicking here. Converting the newsletter into an electronic format will simplify distribution of updates and information.

In the past few years, our chapter has made some fantastic steps toward becoming social media friendly and connecting with each other online. Not only do we now have two functioning blogs to help keep us in touch, but we also are able to connect with each other on Facebook as a chapter and as individual grade levels.

If you're not following our new chapter wide blog or a member of our group on Facebook, add yourself! This is a perfect way to stay in contact with each other, especially over the summer.

Congratulations!

Congratulations, Ticktockers, on another great year! This month we wrapped things up with a beautiful tea at Gardener's Village and the senior cotillion at the capitol building. At the beginning of the year, we set a goal for ourselves as a chapter to reach at least 5,000 hours. This month at the end of the year, we've surpassed that goal and gone beyond 6,000. Congratulations!

Congratulations to all of our talented seniors for being great examples and leaders for us this year. Saying goodbye to you this month, we miss you already.

Congratulations to all girls who served in their grade's Ticktocker presidency this year. You survived! And of course, congratulations to all of our new leaders for the upcoming year. You're going to do a fantastic job.

Our kick-off for next year will be held on Saturday, June 1st. All new and returning members are invited. Thank you all for surpassing my expectations in my first year as a part of NCL. I can't wait to see what we get up to next year!

NCL from a 7th Grade Ticktocker's Perspective

What did you think when you were first asked to join NCL?
I wasn't really sure about NCL at first. It sounded fun, but it also sounded little scary because I didn't know anyone else who was doing it. After I talked with my family's sponsor about the many opportunities and activities that are available within the program, I felt better about it. It was still scary, since I didn't have an older sister who had done it before, but I felt more excited than scared.

What is one of your best experiences or memories this year with NCL?
I have so many favorite memories from this year it's hard to choose just one! We have done so many fun and exciting things this past school year. My top picks though would probably have to be the Macy's Fashion Show, which we were able to participate in, choosing our outfits to model and getting our makeup done at the makeup counters. I also loved the Seventh Grade Retreat, which was a total blast, where the seventh grade class spent the night up in the woods in a cabin. We did a getting to know you game, a picture scavenger hunt and discussed activities for the upcoming year.

What kinds of things have you learned about the community through NCL?
I have learned that there are so many different ways you can serve the community and that there are so many charities that could use your help that are close to home. I also learned that serving the community doesn't have to be a chore. There are so many different ways to help your community that it's easy to find a way that's fun and rewarding. Like helping out at the ART Festival downtown Salt Lake, or helping organize and carrying out a children's 5k to benefit the Sharing Place.

What do you like best about NCL?
What I like most about NCL is that you are able to make friendships through helping others. There are so many great friends I've made this year that I'm so glad I met and I'm excited to spend the rest of my NCL experience with them.

What has been the biggest challenge of being in NCL?
For me this year, the biggest challenge would probably have to be finding the time for everything. It's hard finding completely free days where you can go and help at a fair or at the Road Home, but this also wasn't a hard challenge to overcome because every hour counts. Whatever you can do counts and is important.

What are you looking forward to next year in NCL? 
I'm excited to have more opportunities to help others, to learn more about our new focus philanthropy, and to be able to get to know the other girls in my grade better. I am also excited to do some of the yearly activities again, such as the Charity Spree, where we were able to shop for our grade's focus philanthropy, and the Macy's Fashion Show.

If one of your friends was thinking of joining NCL, what would you tell her?
I would tell her about the friendships I've made and the activities we've done together as a seventh grade class. I would tell her about how it fun it is and about the cool experiences I've been able to have. I would tell her about how it has been such a wonderful bonding experience for me and my mom and sister. I know she would want to join. In fact, some of my school friends have asked me if they could join before just from me telling them about my experiences.

NCL Awarded "Community Group of the Year"

The Utah Food Bank awarded  our NCL Salt Lake chapter the Open Hearts Helping Hands award during a volunteer appreciation luncheon hosted by the Utah food bank.

This past month dozens of mothers and daughters from NCL volunteered at the food bank together for our March general meeting. Using the proceeds from our Charity Spree at the beginning of the year, we were able to donate $500 worth of purchased goods to help support the food bank. In addition, we hosted a food drive in January for donations, and of course, both ticktockers and patronesses have donated countless hours of service at the bank over the year.

While five Open Hearts Helping Hands awards were given, we received the only award for a community group. Thank you for this award! The food bank is one charity that every member of NCL regardless of age or their focus charity always gets the opportunity to work with in some way every year. Thank you for this exciting and special award!

Begin Your Own TLO

TLO (Ticktocker Leadership Opportunities) are a new idea this year in the Salt Lake City chapter. The concept that you can come up with your own project for charity is, of course, something NCL has encouraged for years, but now you can get appreciation and even hours for your own unique idea.

I joined NCL through a project that would be considered a TLO. I worked with my cousin to create a Christmas coloring book to hand out to kids in Primary Children's Hospital. The idea was all our own. No one at the hospital asked us to do it. We didn't volunteer through a charity organization. We contacted them and arranged everything ourselves.

Before and since I've had the opportunity to be involved in many great service projects but this felt uniquely my own and gave me so much creative space for my own ideas. I loved watching the book come to life and delivering it to the hospital. I felt an attachment to it I'd never felt for another project. When my cousin mentioned that a second batch of books would be welcome at the hospital if we could afford it, I called my friends together to raise the money ourselves.

A TLO is a service project you come up with on your own. It's your own unique idea, something that you want to do for a cause you care about, tailored to your talents. It can be individual, or a cause to get other girls to help you with. In February, ticktockers Avery and Sarah arranged a TLO project that included recruiting the whole of NCL at our general meeting. This blog was created as my TLO.

This year, awards will be given for TLOs as well as hours counted. It's not too late to come up with your own! Get creative, get involved, and decide something for yourself. Talk to your grade level leader about getting the appropriate paperwork and information to set one up for yourself.

Recruiting!

NCL has a strong branch in Salt Lake made up of fantastic people, both patronesses and ticktockers. However, even though our area covers the entire Salt Lake valley, the same (fantastic) members seem to be returning again and again from the same few schools. When I got the opportunity to join NCL, I found myself the only member at my school.

This year, NCL is going to make an effort to spread awareness and membership through the valley. Just because the prospective meeting is over doesn't mean it's too late to invite friends or classmates to join next year. Students going into grades 7, 8, 9, or 10 in the 2013-2014 school year are welcome to become a part of NCL.

Reach out to friends or even family who you think would like to be a part of the charity. If there's one thing I've learned in my past year as a ticktocker, it's that an organization like this will attract the right kind of people. This is a big commitment and requires a lot of effort. A friend won't join because they feel obligated to when they hear about it from you, but when the right person hears about it from you, they'll be eager to.

Spread the word! Wear your t-shirt this week, explain what we do at school, post a picture on Facebook- There are girls like us all over Salt Lake that would love to join if they only knew what it was we were doing. I know: I was one of them up until last year.

10th Grade Ticktockers at The Road Home

This week, the tenth grade ticktockers used the money they raised at the beginning of the year at our Macy's Shop For a Cause fundraiser to purchase, cook, and serve a dinner at The Road Home (their grade's focus charity).

There is such a unique and special attiude at The Road Home. Everyone we had the opportunity to serve was so kind and grateful for their food. This was a fantastic experience for everyone involved- the patronesses that were able to come with us, the beautiful people we were able to serve, and all the girls who were able to come.

Thank you to all who participated! Remember that your hours are due by April 15th. If you need to catch up on your hours before then, come volunteer at the next Real Soccer game on March 30th. Contact Tani4@msn.com if you're interested!

Girl Rising: International Women's Day

This Thursday, NCL Salt Lake members were invited to a free screening of Girl Rising at Rose Wagner Theater, part of a celebratory kick-off for Friday's International Women's Day.

The night started with the opportunity to meet with other women focused charities in Salt Lake. We were able to meet the wonderful women and men behind Sheroes United, the YWCA, and Girls on the Run, to name only a few. Ticktockers manned a booth to promote NCL along side each of the other charities.

Girl Rising tells the story of nine different girls from countries around the world fighting for the right to freedom and education. They struggle against slavery, arranged marriages, poverty, and other obstacles that are almost impossible to imagine for people as priviliged as us.

It is extremely easy sometimes to pretend that stories like these exist only in the movies. Every story told in Girl Rising is based on fact, and every girl depicted in the film exists. Each girl worked with a female writer from her own country to construct a narrative of her story that was shown in the film.

 

If you weren't able to make it to the screening, check out the Girl Rising website to find or host another screening near you.

The Sharing Place: Charity Spotlight

 

2012 was my first year as a part of NCL. The Sharing Place has been one of the most welcoming and helpful charities to work with as my sister and I both try to get settled in.

The staff were so cheerful and helpful as they set us up with our very first volunteer opportunity through NCL. They helped us feel comfortable and excited to get to work, especially to help such a great cause.

The Sharing Place is a grief center for children and teens struggling with the loss of a loved one in their life. Volunteer counselors work with them support groups that include hands on art projects and games.

While any hands on work with the kids is reserved for volunteers ages eighteen and older, the staff are always looking for ways to improve their beautiful, kid friendly facility. It's easy to arrange an appointment to help re-organize one of their many play areas or help them re-design or decorate. For any Ticktocker who loves being creative and innovative, The Sharing Place is the perfect volunteer opportunity.

The Sharing Place is the seventh grade's charity focus in NCL Salt Lake, but a Ticktocker from any age group can volunteer. It's an easy and comfortable experience, especially for new Ticktockers.

For members and non-members of NCL, volunteers are welcome. You can learn more about The Sharing Place at their website, thesharingplace.org. For a phone number and email address to contact the staff by, click here.

What to Expect: Joining NCL

The 2012-2013 school year has been my first as a ticktocker. I had never heard about the National Charity League before this past year. As a sophomore, I joined three years later than most members do and I'm the only ticktocker in my high school so this gives me a pretty unique perspective. I'd been engaged in service projects before and loved the experience, so when I heard about NCL I was immediately interested.

As a new ticktocker, I had a vague idea of what I was getting into last spring. Being introduced to the other ticktockers, I had an overwhelming feeling of intimidation- I felt completely inadequate to be a part of an organization like this. Every member seemed to be so beautiful, confident, friendly, and sophisticated. It looked to me like everyone's hair was perfect and everyone knew exactly what to say. Even though everyone was nothing but nice to me, I felt embarrassed. At the same time, it made me excited to belong to this group. If I stuck with NCL, would I end up like these girls? 

Well, after nearly one year of working in NCL, I've learned a few things. NCL isn't some kind of debutante making-machine. It's an organization that encourages girls to challenge ourselves in new ways. You have to put in the work and effort yourself to learn from the experience. It takes self-initiative and a dedication to fit into your own schedule. You have to step forward, volunteer, speak up and voice your own opinions. You have to choose when and how you're going to contribute to and learn from your community on your own time. You have to incorporate what you learn into your life instead of leaving it at the doorstep after a meeting.

So far, I've had an unbelievably positive experience with NCL. It's drawn me closer to my mom and sister and taught me so much about my community. I've been so grateful for the opportunities to serve and the feeling that I get when I do. NCL isn't something to put on your resume, or some kind of step-by-step how-to on becoming Miss USA. It's an experience and lifestyle that I hope stays with me for the rest of my life.

February General Meeting- What'd you miss?

Ticktockers and patronesses who arrived early at the February general meeting got the opportunity to assist in a TLO project for Primary Children's Hospital arranged by Ticktockers Avery and Sarah.

In the meeting, we got the opportunity to hear a presentation by Madi Palmer on Backyard Broadcast, a youth movement to spread awareness and prevention of child trafficking. She shared great information on how to stay safe and inform others, as well as how to start a chapter of Backyard Broadcast at your own school.

Click this text to go to the Backyard Broadcast home page, learn more about their mission, how to apply, and specifics.

If you see more of their mission, check out this video- a survivor's story of a young woman who now works with Backyard Broadcast promoting their cause.

Hope to see you all at the March general meeting!

Service from the Heart: Operation Homefront

At our January meeting, NCL ticktockers geared up for Valentine's Day by creating nearly 1000 unique Valentines to sent to Utah Army National Guard troops and their families. Each Valentine comes in a packet with candy and other decorations the girls also packed themselves.

Some of the Valentines were shipped to Afghanistan to reach soldiers by Valentine's Day, while others are going to be handed out at the homecoming celebrations of 400 soldiers returning from overseas, and still more will be handed out at the local Utah Army National Guard office.

Thanks to all who participated! While we had fun preparing the packages, it took a lot of hands to make it possible. You've made Valentine's Day special for these soldiers!

What's Happening in NCL Salt Lake?

What do valentines, voting on the 2013-14 slate, and human trafficking have in common? Well…NCL for one. Really? Our chapter made Valentines for the U.S. troops and families as part of “Service from the Heart—Operation HomeFront”, and at the Feb. 11th NCL general meeting active patronesses will vote on new officers and one of our ticktockers, Maddi Palmer (class of 2014) will give an informative presentation on human trafficking in Utah.

Thanks to everyone who participated in “Service from the Heart—Operation HomeFront”. All chapters were asked to plan and implement a service project that would benefit the families of our deployed troops. Since “Operation HomeFront” is not currently operating in Utah our chapter selected to work with the Utah Army National Guard.

“Service from the Heart—Operation HomeFront” was held on Sat. Jan. 12 and Mon. Jan. 14th. Thanks to Therese Stangl--who planned and implemented the event for our chapter.

 A member recently asked me why there is a survey after every patroness meeting. At District Training in October. Joanne Cameron (a former SLC chapter President) gave a presentation on the importance of holding well-organized, quality meetings. Chapters need to be mindful of our members’ time and make meetings count.

Improving our general meetings has been one of my personal goals this year as your Chapter President. Including the ticktockers in various ways helped our chapter meetings in September, November and January succeed in many ways but there is always room for improvement. Surveying our members gives everyone a “safe” place to have their voice heard. Thanks for taking the time to fill out the surveys.

Another thing that I feel benefits our chapter is to increase our profile within the community. For an organization that has been around for nearly 40 years in the SLC area—not many people have heard of NCL. It benefits our chapter to get the word out what National Charity is and what we do.

I am excited to announce that our chapter will participate in “Nonprofit Day on the Hill” on Feb. 14th for the first time. We will have a table with informational materials and chapter representatives will speak to our legislators about NCL and how we help our community. If there is enough interest--Teresa Larsen will organize a tour of the capitol that same day. Please contact Teresa at larsenteresa@msn.com.

Good things are happening in our chapter, in our community and in our world.
Thanks for making them happen! That is how you can help.

-Charlene Johnson, Utah chapter President 2012-13

Backyard Broadcast

Did you know that there are 100,000 American children enslaved every year? This includes kids as young as eight, up to young adults and the kids our own age who are forced to sell their bodies for someone else's gain. The average age for entry into prostitution is 13 years old. This underground network is the country's second largest crime, and the fastest growing.

However, 95% of the population has no idea that this is happening. I'm part of a group called Backyard Broadcast, which consists of about 20 different high schools who are trying to raise awareness about this issue, as well as fundraise for police trainings about the issue. I'm going to be presenting on this issue at the February meeting, so I hope to see everyone there to become educated about this issue and what you can to do help!

-Madi Palmer, Station Chief

For more info, please visit backyardbroadcast.org, and 'like' Backyard Broadcast Cottonwood Station on Facebook!