About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., River Road Chapter is a group of mothers and daughters who have come together in a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Members shall reside in the Greater Baton Rouge Area. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, River Road aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

Currently, the River Road Chapter has over 280 members providing hands-on volunteer service for over 30 philanthropic organizations in the Baton Rouge community.  Each year, the River Road Chapter contributes more than 5,000 service hours to these charities. 

Our Chapter History

The River Road Chapter began in 1999 with our founding member, Kit Coles. Kit was inspired to start our chapter through a Texas relative that was involved in NCL, Inc.  The River Road Chapter was chartered in 2001, and our first Senior Soiree was held in 2003.

In the News

• National Charity League honors 12 students for volunteer work (The Advocate, March 2022)
• National Charity League honors 19 high school seniors for volunteer work (The Advocate, March 2021)
• National Charity League to honor 15 local seniors for community service (The Advocate, March 2019)
• Community Champions: National Charity League Let’s Moms and Daughters Serve Together (InRegister, May 2018)
• In National Charity League, Mothers and Daughters Volunteer Together (The Catholic Commentator, May 2013)

Join Our Chapter

Interested in joining our chapter? Membership opportunities are dependent on chapter openings.

If you know someone in our chapter, talk to her about getting started, membership obligations and our membership drive timeline.  If you do not know someone in NCL, you are invited to complete this Membership Inquiry Form.

Membership Inquiry Form

For any questions regarding Membership, requests for transfers or assistance with connecting as a Sustainer, email us.

The Online Membership Drive for the 2024-25 year is currently closed. 

If you and your daughter have graduated from the NCL Program and wish to stay active in NCL, consider joining the Forever NCL Sustainer Program!  Become a Sustainer Today!

Community Service

We understand and serve communities in partnership with local and national nonprofits. Each NCL, Inc. chapter promotes social awareness by considering the local community’s needs and selecting appropriate non-profit organizations to support through different volunteer activities.

We work with the following philanthropies:

• ALS Association
• Alzheimer’s Association
• American Heart Association
• American Red Cross
• Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge
• Baton Rouge General Special event
• Baton Rouge Wheelchair Tennis
• Bishop Ott Men’s Shelter
• Brave Heart, Children in Need
• BREC
• Burden Center
• Cancer Services
• CASA
• Disaster Response
• Girls on the Run
• Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank
• HOPE Ministries
• Junior League of Baton Rouge Diaper Bank
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
• Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast
• Knock Knock Children’s Museum
• Miracle League at Cypress Mounds
• National Day of Service – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service – January 15, 2024
• Operation Gratitude
• Sweet Dreams Shelter
• Theatre Baton Rouge
• VOA – Atkinson House
• VOA – Bag Lunches for Oak Park Pl & Dumas House
• VOA – Dumas House Birthday Bingo
• VOA – Oak Park Plaza Birthday Bingo
• VOA – Oak Park Plaza Door Daze
• VOA Oak Park Plaza Holiday Surprises
• VOA Turkey Drop
• Volunteers of America (VOA)

Highlights include:

• Providing over 700 service hours with VOA Dumas House.
• Providing over 450 service hours with the Bishop Ott Sweet Dreams Shelter.
• Preparing and serving over 3,500 meals to residents of 4 separate agencies.
• Working with and for abused and neglected children, the homeless, victims of domestic violence, developmentally disabled children and adults, low-income seniors, and physically disabled adults.
• Working to eliminate hunger and homelessness in our community.
• Helping families struggling with medical issues including cancer, ALS, Alzheimer’s, diabetes including juvenile diabetes, and substance abuse.

Leadership Development

We build capable, courageous leaders through opportunities to learn, reflect and develop. Our leaders become successful in their education, career and communities by learning the necessary skills during their NCL experience.

Examples of skills developed include:

• Confidence
• Consensus building
• Team building
• Conflict resolution
• Event planning
• Parliamentary procedure

Our Chapter Board of Directors:

• President: Megan Canty
• President Elect: Jennifer Thibodeaux
• Secretary: Kelly Viator
• Treasurer: Kelly Ashworth
• Parliamentarian: Melissa Dotson
• Vice President Communications: Kristy Reine
• Vice President Membership: Emily Guidroz
• Vice President Philanthropy: Dawn Davis
• Vice President New Members: Christina Anderson
• Vice President Ticktockers: Keshia Rambo
• Vice President Chapter Engagement and Inclusion: Danielle Satawa

Cultural Experiences

We preserve National Charity League traditions and core values, while appreciating the growth that comes from connecting with different communities and cultures. We continually strive to build stronger ties with our communities and the individuals within them. It is through this understanding that we grow and develop broader worldviews that will shape and support our lives.

• Traditions – We celebrate the richness of our history through traditions that honor the past while serving the future.
• Values – We embrace values that make us strong as an organization of mother-daughter leaders.
• Community Connections – We build connections through experiences that impact our communities.
• Etiquette – We encourage and mentor kind, respectful and gracious social conduct.

Cultural Activities of our Chapter include:

• Attending or hosting Best Foot Forward – an etiquette and fashion event hosted by the 9th graders for the 7th graders
• Participating in group grade level trips to theater and ballet performances
• Providing an annual Father-Daughter outing planned by each grade level with fun activities like go-cart racing, scavenger hunts, and volunteering at a local philanthropy
• Learning about our rich Louisiana heritage including cooking classes and Cajun dancing
• Enjoying the outdoors, including grade level activities such as paddle boarding, swimming, and kickball games
• Attending the annual Mother-Daughter Afternoon Tea

Annual Celebrations

Mother-Daughter Tea

Each year, the River Road chapter of National Charity League, Inc. celebrates the end of another year of achievement in philanthropy service with a Mother-Daughter Tea.

Mother-daughter teams receive the Mother-Daughter Award for combined service of 50 volunteer hours or more. Each year, approximately 40 Mothers & Daughters, or 1/3 of our membership, attain this goal.

The Ticktocker from the Chapter earning the most philanthropic hours is recognized for her achievements.  We also celebrate a Ticktocker from each grade level who embody the NCL core values.  This Ticktocker is presented the Ticktocker Spirit Award, which is voted on by their peers.

The out-going Board of Directors are recognized at the annual event, and the new Board of Directors are introduced.

The Mother-Daughter Tea is a celebration of the community, leadership, and cultural components of the NCL experience.

Senior Soirée

The River Road Chapter hosts the annual Senior Soiree in March.

Each year, the senior class is recognized for their philanthropic service over their six-year NCL experience. A special honor is given to the Mothers and Daughters who together achieve more than 50 combined service hours over each of the six years.

Our chapter celebrates the positive impact that our young women have made and will continue to make on the Baton Rouge community!