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.