YMSL Silver Star EBlast
10/15/16
From Titia Sivils, Silver Star President
The Fall season has begun and our schedules continue to stay busy with work, school, family and volunteering. I hope that you and your families are enjoying all of the great activities that a Texas fall brings. I also hope that includes some time to relax and enjoy the cooler temperatures we have had lately.
I have seen really great pictures on our private Facebook page. Please continue to post them to this location so we will have lots of pictures to choose from for our end of year banquet.
Thank you for all of your support and time dedicated to our communities!
From Melissa Chaiken, VP of Philanthropy
ULTIMATE GIFT
WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE GIFT PROJECT? The Ultimate Gift Project is a YMSL National service opportunity where ALL YMSL area chapters partner, plan and execute a special service project to effect a transformational change. We have concentrated our efforts with the needs of charitable organizations that deal specifically with homeless or in transition women and children.
What is OUR Ultimate Event?
SilverStar Chapter will be serving Buckner International by preparing their facility for Christmas, by sorting gifts for the women and children they serve and decorating their grounds for the holiday season. Saturday, November 12 from 10-12pm or 1-3pm. This is a wonderful time to work together with our sons. We would love to have 100% participation for this event.
Who is Buckner International?
Since 1879 Buckner International has been transforming lives by: providing foster care for vulnerable children, providing preventative care for at risk families and protecting families from disintegration by providing housing, support and financial assistance so single mothers can complete their higher education.
There are two ways to participate in Ultimate Gift.
1. Work a two hour shift, for which moms and their sons will each earn two hours of YMSL service credit. Boys will also earn one Boys’ Meeting Credit. In addition, BOTH mom and son will receive 1 hour credit for drive time.
2. Donate a $20 gift card from AMC Theaters or Darden Restaurants to earn 1 wish list credit. The Darden gift cards are for Olive Garden, Long Horn, Red Lobster etc. Moms and sons are welcome to donate $40 worth of gift cards and EACH will earn 1 wish list credit.
Before Volunteering
Because we are serving foster children who live on the campus, we will need each volunteer to complete an application and ethics form. When filling out your application, register as an individual NOT as a group. Please click here to register for the YMSL Silver Star Ultimate Gift Project, or go to volunteer.buckner.org. If you have participated in past years at Buckner International then we have your form on file, and you do not need to do this again.
Be sure to sign up on the YMSL calendar for the morning or afternoon shift on November 12th.
Location 5200 S. Buckner Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75227
Directions
635 East to 30 West. Exit 53A Buckner/TX12. Once you exit you turn left onto TX12 (which is Buckner). Stay on this for approximately ½ mile- you will pass a Sam’s and 7-11 on the right. Right pass Samuell Road is the start of the campus on the left. It has a black wrought iron fence around it. Take the first left into the entrance. Take an immediate left past the guard station and the Cababria building, where we will be working, is on the left.
If you have not signed up for an Ultimate Gift shift, please go to the calendar and sign up now! We want 100% of our chapter to participate in this year’s event!!!
WISH LIST
Buckner International would like to give the families a “date night” so that they can have receive some well-deserved respite from their foster children. We can all relate to just needing some down time to relax and rejuvenate. Please consider donating to this needy cause. Donate gift cards from AMC Theaters or Darden Restaurants. Darden gift cards are for Olive Garden, Long Horn, Red Lobster, etc., so the families will have several restaurants to choose from. Both of these gift cards can typically be purchased at grocery stores, CVS or Walgreens.
A donation of $20 from AMC Theaters or Darden Restaurants will earn one wish list credit. Moms and sons are welcome to donate $40 worth of gift cards and EACH will earn 1 wish list credit.
Elizabeth Minchew will be collecting these gift cards at the Boys’ meeting October 23 and at the Moms meeting on November 7th. If you cannot get your donation to either of these meetings, please contact Elizabeth at 972.841.0632 to make alternate arrangements.
SEVEN LOAVES/JOSEPH’S COAT
Please check the calendar for upcoming shifts; Joseph’s Coat has recently received a ton of donations as people are cleaning out their closets to prepare for the cooler weather.
Also, the director at Seven Loaves has asked that our chapter be reminded that boys under 18 must be accompanied by adult when working shifts at Seven Loaves or Joseph’s Coat.
From Suzanne Doucette, VP of Boys
Next Boy’s Meeting is Sunday October 23rd with an overall theme of Civic Responsibility. All classes will hold their meetings from 3:00 – 4:30. We have some exciting speakers and activities lined up for the boys. Here is the information by class:
Freshmen – meeting at Parkway Hills Baptist Church and will be hearing from a Plano City Council Member
Sophomores – meeting at Parkway Hills Baptist Church and will be hearing from Patrick Elko who is with the FBI
Juniors – meeting at the Tom Thumb at Parker & the Tollway. They will be hearing from Frisco Family Services and then experiencing the Face of Poverty by actually shopping for a family on a very limited budget. All food purchased will then be donated.
Seniors – meeting at Parkway Hills Baptist Church and will be hearing from Missy Bender, PISD School Board President
Please remind the boys to RSVP for the October 23rd meeting on the YMSL calendar.
From Mary Gaetjen, Membership
Sponsor Workshop
We are kicking off our recruiting season with our Sponsor Workshop on November 7th at 6:00 p.m. (workshop is immediately before Moms’ Meeting) in room A112. If you plan to sponsor a new mom, then you need to attend. Please RSVP on the calendar no later than November 3rd and indicate in Comments how many moms you intend to sponsor. You will also need to bring the completed "Recommendation Form” (link located on Home page) to the meeting for each prospective candidate.
New member candidates must be sponsored by an existing member in good standing, with a maximum allowed of sponsoring 2 candidates (only one candidate if this is your first year in YMSL). These must be moms of boys who will be a Freshman in the Fall of 2017 (8th graders this year). If you have any questions, please email Nancy Schein at thescheins@verizon.net.
From Lisa Raskin, Parliamentarian
The first official hours check is November 1.
The fall calendar is filled with wonderful volunteer opportunities for you and your son. Requirements for the year can be found on the website.
Let's hear from our boys!
Our first meeting went smoothly and was a great success. The guest speaker was Mr. Chris Bragg who spoke to us about aspects of banking such as building up our credit. The lessons taught by Mr. Bragg can be readily applied to our daily lives to prevent fraud and to build up our credit in order to secure loans in the future.
The next meeting will be on October 23, and we will be meeting at the Tom Thumb on Parker and the Tollway. This time, our guest speaker will be from Frisco Family Services and we will be participating in a shopping scenario in order to experience what people in our community face when they are trying to feed their family. Overall, the year is starting off well and I look forward to our next meeting.
-Cody Fang
Class of 2018
Seniors:
In our meeting at Kay Tait's house (who was very kind in having us), we began with the usual introductions but voted as a group that YSML meetings should start earlier in the day. After that we proceeded outside and learned how to make burgers on a gas and charcoal grill. Following that we were taught how to properly fold laundry and even held a competition for who could do it the fastest.
-Gabe Voelker
Class of 2017