Community Development
- Easter Egg Hunt:
- The Jaycees stuff plastic Easter eggs with candy and gift certificates and spread them out on the ground at Vlasis Park in Ballwin. There are 3 separate areas for different age groups, so that the little kids don't get run over by the big kids! A member of the chapter is also drafted to play the Easter Bunny. This is also known as "The World's Fastest Project" since it takes 30 minutes to an hour to set up, but it's over in 45 seconds!
- Fishing Derby:
- Kids ages 4 to 9 participate in a fishing contest. Prizes are given in 2 ages categories, 4-6 and 7-9, for the most fish, biggest fish, and smallest fish. The Fishing Derby is held at the Vlasis Park pond in Ballwin, on the Saturday of Ballwin Days.
- Halloween Party:
- The City of Ballwin has a special Halloween party each year for young children. There are games to play, clowns to entertain, food & drink, and hayrides. The West County Jaycees provide manpower to run the games and serve soda & food. (We also supplied many of the 'decorations' from our Haunted House building days.)
- Junior Chamber Mission Inn:
- This is a National Jaycee project which started in St. Louis in 1995. The "JCMI" is a hospice where care is provided for children who are HIV positive or are affected by AIDS (through the death or infection of a parent or caretaker). Some children born drug-addicted are also cared for. The first JCMI location was in St. Louis, but we hope to eventually provide care nationwide. West County's involvement is usually raising funds for donation to JCMI.
- Punt, Pass & Kick:
- "PPK" is a football skills competition for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 15. Winners in each age category go on to compete in the Region PPK, the State PPK, and the National PPK. This project is sponsored nationally by the NFL and Gatorade.
- Santa Visits:
- West County members dress up as Santa Claus and visit area children in their homes. Other members are "reindeer" who drive Santa to his appointments. There is a small fee for each home, and all proceeds are donated to Wonderland Camp.
- Wonderland Camp:
- Wonderland Camp is a special camp in the Ozarks that is designed for access by physically and mentally challenged kids. Even the swimming pool has a wheelchair ramp! The camp is funded by the Missouri Jaycees, and accepts donations of both money and items like toilet paper, paint and lightbulbs. Twice a year, in the spring and fall, the Jaycees have "work weekends" to clean up the camp and prepare it to open and close.
Individual Development
- Church Exchange:
- This project lets members learn about other religions. We visit a religious service and sometimes have a church member speak to us about their religion.
- Communications Dynamics:
- One of the many Individual Development topics presented by the West St. Louis County Jaycees.
- Grave Visit:
- Not a Halloween project! The founder of the Jaycees, Henry Giessenbier, is buried in North St. Louis County. Each year on the Sunday of Jaycee Week, we visit his grave and re-dedicate ourselves to helping and promoting the Jaycees.
- New Member Orientation:
- A special meeting, at which newer members and prospective members are taught about the Jaycees, and the West County Jaycees in particular. Our New Member Orientations are usually patterned after a game show, so that the learning is done in a fun way.
- ID College:
- A project where several Individual Development programs are presented at the same location. This allows many people to come and choose which programs they feel would be most beneficial to them.
- Officer Training:
- Newly elected officers of the chapter are taught about their duties and given advice on how to be an effective officer.
Management Development
- Ballwin Days:
- Ballwin Days is a local festival with rides, games, food, crafts, and music. The West Co Jaycees have the beer concession, and we also run the Fishing Derby for kids and sell glow necklaces for chairity.
- Installation Banquet:
- A banquet at which the officers and President for the new Jaycee year are sworn in. Usually held in April, at the end of the Jaycee year. Year-end awards are also presented by the outgoing President.
- Planning Session:
- Usually held in May at the beginning of the new Jaycee year. This is a meeting of the Board of Directors and any other members that want to participate. The purpose of the meeting is to write the Chapter Plan for the new year. A Chapter Plan helps a chapter to decide what its goals are in the coming year and what the best projects are to accomplish those goals.
- Outstanding Young West Countians:
- This is a citizens recognition program sponsored by the West County Jaycees. We solicite nominations from area schools, churches, fire and police departments, and city governments. The nominees must be of Jaycee age. The awards are presented during Jaycee Week. Some award recipients are further nominated for the Ten Outstanding Young Missourians, presented by the Missouri Jaycees.
- Taste of Ballwin:
- The City of Ballwin sponsors a festival at which many local restaraunts have a booth selling samples of their food. The West County Jaycees sell soda. This is a public relations project for us, only because we don't make any money from it. The City of Ballwin collects all the money. We just provide manpower.
- Trivia Night:
- A fundraiser where the public is invited to compete in tables of 8 or 10. Trivia questions are written by Jaycees and prizes are solicited from area businesses. Questions are asked in 10 rounds of 10 questions, usually with each round having a specific theme. The table that gets the most correct answers, wins prizes. The proceeds come from the admission price for each table.
Membership Development
- Extension:
- The process by which a new Jaycee chapter is born. The 'Extending Chapter' finds an area that does not have a local Jaycee chapter, meets with mayors and govenment officials to gather a list of prospective members, then finds at least 20 members for the new chapter. The new chapter is guided through their first year or so by the extending chapter. There is also an "In-Chapter Extension", which is a chapter deciding to sign up 20 new members for their own chapter in one month.
- Informational Meeting:
- A special meeting held in a public meeting room, at which Jaycees speak about our organization for anyone who is interested. These meetings are usually published in the local paper and flyers can be sent to prospective members.
- M-Night:
- An M-Night (Membership Night) is an activity that is intended to get members to bring their friends, relative and neighbors, so they can learn about the Jaycees and possiblty join the chapter.
National, State & Region Activities
- Cradle Council:
- Like a Board Meeting for the Region. Held quarterly, 14 days before the Region Meeting.
- Jaycee Week:
- Usually the 3rd full week of January, from Sunday to Saturday. This is the week that Jaycees all over the country focus on their mission and get the word out about Jaycees to their community. West County usually plans one activity for each night of the week, with at least one activity in every area.
- Mock Legislature:
- A 'pretend' session of the Missouri Legislature. The Missouri Jaycees meet in the State Capitol in Jefferson City and use the actual House and Senate chambers to debate and pass mock 'bills'. All bills that are passed during Mock are submitted to the actual Missouri Legislature, and some become actual law. Any Jaycee can be a Representative. Senators, Speaker and Governor are elected positions. Any Jaycee can submit a mock bill.
- Region Meeting:
- A quarterly General Membership meeting held for all the Jaycees in a Region, where Region business is conducted and Region awards are given out. Region officers are elected at the May Region Meeting.
- State Meeting:
- A meeting of all the Missouri Jaycees. State Convention is held in May and elections for state officers take place. Summer Meeting is held in August. The Outstanding Farmer banquet is held at this meeting. The fall meeting is held at Mock Legislature in Jefferson City. Winter Meeting is held in February at the Lake of the Ozarks. Current location is the Lodge of the Four Seasons. The Ten Outstanding Young Missourians banquet is held at this meeting.
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Individual Development
Chapter History