Does anyone know what the upper age limit is for the Junior League of Houston? I have wanted to be in JL since I was a youth, but I married right out of college and started my family immediately. (I dated for seven years before I married--married my high school sweetheart--so we weren't inclined to wait!) I also went on to graduate school during those early years. Now that my children are getting older I, surprisingly, find that I have more flexible time to do volunteering. I have also been active in Cub Scouts and church (teaching, volunteering, committees.) Would all of this still not matter if I am "too old?" And, does this kind of volunteering count as "volunteering?" I would appreciate anyone's input or insight. Thank you!

i would venture a guess that they have a website, and that they might have that info. on the site. when i was a jl member in tulsa, the cutoff was 40, but that was a while ago.

They definitely have the contact info for the Membership VP on their site.

Check with the recruitment/membership people. I think there are some Leagues who're trying to promote life-long membership (the Junior League here is really pushing it) and we're getting many non-traditional aged new members (we no longer use the term "provisionals")! The Toronto league doesn't even separate Actives and Sustainers in the directory anymore!

Many Junior League chapters have waived their upper age limit precisesly because there are so many potentially valuable members just like you,who have postponed membership because of the demands of education, work and familiy. Houston does seem to still have one, however I am unclear just what it is. They also have a three year residency requirement. In addition to these requirements, they have a sponsored admissions process that requires your name be proposed by three current members of JLH. While volunteering for Scouts and your church have you had the opportunity to meet other Junior League members? That is frequently the best bet if you don't have any friends or family who can propose your name for membership.

Of course your other volunteer positions count and that will be exactly the kind of thing they will look for. Keep in mind though, that if you join you will have volunteer obligations specific to Junior League.

I know all of this sounds intimidating but if you are successful in joining I think you will find it to be a wonderful experience. Junior League membership can be demanding, but I always find I get more out of it than I put in! I understand the Houston chapter is awesome!

Do as the other posters have suggested and check out their website for membership information. Their membership chair can give you better information than we can. Let us know what happens, and good luck!

Thank you, everyone, for your advice and ideas. I actually have several sorority sisters who are active in the Junior League of Houston, so I'm not terribly concerned about the sponsorship, thankfully. However, I've been out of the loop for several years due to the commitments I listed earlier. Now that my boys are getting older, I'm looking forward to becoming active again with the girls! I'm just now getting back into my sorority alumnae chapter, so I don't want to impose on them by asking them to support me in this so immediately after I've been out of the loop for the past 10 years. I was hoping to learn and prepare myself as much as possible before I broached the subject with them. I'm just concerned about how much time I have "left" so that I can plan accordingly.

I was just accepted to the Junior League of Birmingham and I cannot wait to start my provisional year this Fall.

I want to join the one here but I need to wait until 2010. I am president of my Beta Sigma Phi chapter here and our chapter meeting is the same night of the week as Junior League provisional meetings.

congratulations APC2008!

Congrats APC2008! I wanted to let everyone know how excited I am because I just got inducted into the Junior League of Syracuse!

I'm part of the '09 provisional class of the Junior League of Seattle am very excited to begin! At one of the meet and greets I actually met a sorority sister, and found another one on facebook who is also a provisional member. Too funny!

So far in my league I've met a GPB, KKG and AST.

APC2008 and AlphaXi_Husky- enjoy your provisional year! Do as much as you can do. Participate in as many valley impact (that is what our philanthropy stuff is called, so I'm not sure what it will be called in different areas).

My advice though for your first active year, take on a small role. I took on the role of provisional mentor and it was so very hard for me, I enventually had to "drop" the role because I just was unable to attend all the provisional meetings and mentor meetings. Now, I don't know you guys personally, but just know your limits your first active year. I was thinking about doing the Rummage committee for this year, but it is a pre-placed committee and I wasn't able to do it.

RaggedyAnn- OMG most of the women in JL are greek. I would say, of who I've met, there are about 10 ADPi's (myself included), I've meet a DG, Gamma Phi, Alpha Chi, Kappa, DZ and KD. Oh and a Pi Phi. I remember my provisional year sitting at a table with other provisionals, out of the 12 at the table, 10 were greek (I say were because this happened like 2 years ago). What was funny is that only 2 people were of the same chapter (me and my actual chapter sister), so there were 8 different chapters represented at the table. It was pretty cool.

No older than 40 when you are proposed for membership. We have a very active sustainer group for those over 40!

Houston's provisional year has many more time requirements than the first active year. Also keep in mind that you are eligible to apply for pre-placed placements during your provisional year, so you can end up on a development committee your first active year!

bumping for more responses

Junior Sorority
 

Get off of the computer and into a library. Stat.

junior sorority does not = junior league

Hello. I'm looking into joining junior league as well. Can anyone share any personal experiences from the Dallas/Arlington TX leagues? I have been to both websites and will be moving to a city near Arlington but currently live in Dallas and wouldn't mind driving after I move. I have filled out the JL Dallas interest form and am awaiting a response. Follow up has not been done. The JL Arlington did not have an interest form on their website that I saw. At the earliest, I'll be joining in 2010; latest 2011. Thanks in advance for the advice.

I don't have personal experience, but I served on the board of a League I transferred into with a fellow transfer who came from the Dallas League. We shared stories a lot about our 'old Leagues' and she never had anything but glowing memories from Dallas. It always made me a bit jealous that I hadn't been in that kind of big, traditional, well-oiled-machine type of League. I think it's one of the biggest Leagues, if not *the* biggest.

I believe Arlington, while still a very good sized League, is probably much smaller. So I suspect the groups would have similar pros and cons as the giant chapters vs. the smaller chapters of sororities.

Don't know if this is remotely helpful, but I did want to reply and wish you the best of luck! JL is a wonderful experience, and I hope you have a lot of fun with it!

JL Update
 

LOL I feel like I'm writing a recruitment story. Anyway JL Arlington replied with lightning speed to my email Monday the 17th and invited me to their provisional retreat scheduled for today. I went and loved it!!! There were some greeks there. I told them I was waiting to get bumped and they laughed. Anyway I could go on for days but I'm joining in 2009 instead of 2010! :D

I'm from a smaller league in NJ and wanted to welcome you to the JL. your provisional year will be a wonderful experience!

Any provisionals have their retreat or orientation session yet? Mine is a week from Sunday...which also happens to be the first day of recruitment for the chapter I advise. That was fun to find out.

Our provisionals start doing stuff in the summer. They have some super
saturday's to learn about the league and to get to know their provisional group (to which they have meetings with that group as well). The rest of their super Saturday's are from September to February time frame (as they become "full" members in like March). Their bus tour is in like October and rummage is in February, with a bunch of other tiny things to complete in between.

Hello. I am getting set to join JL this fall. I am so excited...this has been thirteen years in the making:)

I joined the League about a year and a half ago. There's a lot of information to absorb (at times it felt like being a pledge again), but it's been a great experience!