San Dieguito

About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., San Dieguito 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 San Diego County area. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, San Dieguito aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

The San Dieguito Chapter had its formation meeting in February, 1998 and opened membership to the 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th grade girls with their mothers.

Some of the founding officers included: Peggy Ewing, Carole Comeau, Jeanine Everhart, Nancy Gordon, Sherry Dixon, Leslee Stauffer and Marsha Hester.

These women began many traditions that are still carried out today, including the Fashion Show and Senior Presents (now called Senior Recognition). These events encourage girls to work together, develop confidence and poise, and reflect on their philanthropic, cultural and leadership experiences. Other traditions that have emerged and continue to be popular include the Mother-Daughter Kick-Off Meeting, Ticktocker Day, Class Teas, and the Annual Chapter Tea. Through the years, the collaboration of mothers and daughters has added many meaningful programs and memories.

Great teamwork has contributed to the history of our strong and close-knit Chapter.  The mothers and daughters work together to support and encourage each other to carry on the NCL, Inc. Mission.

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.

Some things to keep in mind about our membership process:

  • Availability: NCL is a six-year program, with mothers applying for membership in the winter of their daughter’s 6th grade year. Upon acceptance, our program begins in June of the daughter’s 6th grade year.
  • Timeline: Our Annual Membership Drive begins in January 2024 and runs until March 1, 2024.  Prospective Member Meetings will occur in January & February 2024. Prospective members interested in receiving an invitation should complete an inquiry form (see link in pink above). Members are selected by blind draw through a Membership committee.
  • Application: We will be accepting applications in the winter of 2024 for 6th grade girls graduating high school in the year 2030 and 7th grade girls graduating high school in the year 2029.  The application process is completed online through a specialized link from our membership committee.
  • Boundaries:  NCL, Inc. has multiple chapters within San Diego County, and a member can apply to any chapter within the county.  San Dieguito has members living throughout San Diego County including but not limited to Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, La Jolla, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Carmel Valley, Rancho Santa Fe, Scripps Ranch, Escondido, San Marcos, and 4S Ranch.  A Prospective Member shall only apply to one chapter.

Thank you again for your interest in the San Dieguito Chapter. We look forward to meeting you!

Mothers and their daughters (grades 7-12) participate in a program that embraces:

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:

  • 92130 Cares
  • Alzheimer’s Association
  • American Heart Association
  • American Red Cross
  • Autism Tree Project
  • Cabrillo National Monument (CNM)/Weed Warriors
  • Coastal Roots Farm
  • Disaster Response
  • Father Joe’s Villages
  • Feeding San Diego – FSD
  • Fleet Science Center – FSC
  • Friends of Cats – FOC
  • Habitat for Humanity – San Diego
  • Helen Woodward Animal Center
  • Humble Design – San Diego
  • Jewish Family Service
  • Kitchens For Good
  • Labs and More
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Military Baby Shower Project
  • Miracle League of San Diego
  • National Day of Service – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service – January 15, 2024
  • Operation Gratitude
  • Pacific Southwest Community Development Corporation
  • PATH
  • Paws for Purple Hearts
  • Princess Project
  • ProduceGood – PG
  • Promises2Kids – P2K
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego, Inc.
  • San Diego Coastkeeper
  • San Diego Humane Society
  • San Diego Rescue Mission
  • San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy
  • SD LabRats – SDLR
  • Serving Seniors
  • Sharia’s Closet
  • Solutions for Change
  • Sports for Exceptional Athletes
  • Support the Enlisted Project

As NCL members, we cherish the special time we share with our daughters and friends we have made, but the heart of National Charity League is the meaningful impact we make on the community.

The San Dieguito Chapter is fortunate to have generous members who give of their time and talents to our many philanthropies.

We work diligently to provide a wide variety of volunteering opportunities that allow our members to explore the San Diego community, meet new people, and expose our daughters to a variety of non-profit organizations. Our goal is to instill in them the values of dedication, hard work, and service – the core of NCL.

We take pride in the amount of time we spend volunteering in our community—often serving over 8,000 philanthropy hours each year as a chapter. We find that as we help others, we also help ourselves. Our hope is that our daughters will continue this legacy of compassion and service to those who are in need.

As mothers, we will cherish this special time we have spent working side-by-side with our maturing daughters, tutoring them in values we hold dear.

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: Alison Gaconnet
  • President Elect: Jennifer Holder
  • Secretary: Megan Scanderbeg
  • Treasurer: Jessica Modir
  • Parliamentarian: Parastoo Rezai
  • Vice President Communications: Samantha Hubbell
  • Vice President Membership: Holly Hatt
  • Vice President Philanthropy: Alison Bushan
  • Vice President New Members: Elizabeth Odenthal
  • Vice President Ticktockers: Shannon Cheffet-Walsh
  • Vice President Chapter Engagement and Inclusion: Amanda Abbott

Whether she is the President who calls the meeting to order or the class Inspiration who provides inspirational motivation at the beginning of each meeting, each young woman learns to become comfortable with leadership. In fact, our six-year plan ensures that our daughters gain exposure to various leadership opportunities. Every year, the young women brainstorm, plan, and host events like “Father-Daughter” outings and age-appropriate programs like “High School Prep for 8th Graders” or “Healthy Study Habits.” These opportunities are whatever the young women can imagine!

In addition, the San Dieguito Chapter has created a “mentorship” program that enables our 10th, 11th & 12th Grade Ticktockers to meet with mentors (Patronesses) representing a variety of jobs/experiences (such as nurse, lawyer, teacher, marketer, etc.) to ask questions and learn more about that profession/expertise. This is a great opportunity for our daughters to gain knowledge in an interested area of study or career path.

 

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.

Activities of our Chapter include a wide-range of performing arts including musical theatre, modern or ethnic dance, opera, choir, ballet, symphony, dramatic theatre, and art museums/gardens. Our six-year “sampling” of the performing arts inspires our young women to have a life-long appreciation for art in our community.

Other cultural components we incorporate into the six-year program include meeting conduct, tea traditions, etiquette, public speaking skills, high school and college preparation, healthy relationships, peer pressure, anti-bullying, diversity, tolerance, self-defense, alcohol and drug awareness, driving safety, coping skills, and car care and driving skills.