About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., San Rafael Mission Belles 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 Marin County. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, San Rafael Mission Belles aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

The San Rafael Mission Belles Chapter began in May 2002 with a mother who wanted to introduce her daughters to the importance of community service.  She assembled her friends to listen to the experiences of founding members from the Marin Chapter of NCL.  After hearing the wonderful stories and opportunities that these women had with their daughters through the NCL program, seven women stepped forward to begin the process of establishing a new chapter.   Less than two years later, the San Rafael Mission Belles moved from Provisional chapter status to become the 107thchartered chapter of the National Charity League.

The structure of an NCL chapter is organized into two groups.  In our chapter, the mothers, known as Patronesses, meet once a month (8 times per year) and decide on programs, activities and philanthropic work, as well as understanding the business of the chapter and strategic direction.  Philanthropic participation with their daughters is a requirement and each member must fulfill 20-30 philanthropic and league hours per year with 75% of the required hours spent volunteering as a mother-daughter team.  Each member has some kind of role or position within the chapter which they must fulfill as part of their yearly participation requirement.

The daughters, known as Ticktockers, also meet 8 times per year, separately from the Patronesses.  Ticktockers range from 7th grade to 12th grade.  Ticktockers are organized by grade level and have their own set of elected officers and adult grade level advisors.  Their meetings are designed around the Chapter’s ‘Six Year Plan’ which assigns various age-related educational and cultural objectives for them to meet through programs, presentations, and field trips.  Each year, Ticktockers are required to devote 20-30 hours to philanthropic service and league activities.  The overall objective is to provide opportunities to learn the beauty of giving of themselves to others; to practice social and leadership skills within their peer groups; and to have an awareness and appreciation of the various forms of cultural education in our community.

NCL’s mission lies firmly in community service, education, leadership training and cultural awareness, and our goals are carried out through the commitments and partnerships between mothers and daughters.

 

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.

Our Annual Membership Drive is from November 1st to the end of February of the following year. We look forward to you hearing from you and happy to answer any questions you may have about the San Rafael Mission Belles.

First steps after reading about the National Charity League is to have two Sponsors. If you don’t have anyone to sponsor you, please contact Membership (New Member Inquiry Form) as to best guide and help you in this first step. Once you have two Sponsors, they will review the Membership Packet, answer any questions you have about membership, and send you an electronic Membership Application to complete.

Prospective Membership Packet (read only) 

 

In mid-March, Membership will send a confirmation email to all prospective members that have completed all requirements in the Membership Application and have been approved by the board. This welcome letter will include information on the Welcome Meeting, Annual Tea, and paying dues for the Calendar Year.

Thank you for your interest in the San Rafael Mission Belles and we look forward to hearing from you, 

San Rafael Mission Belles Membership 

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:

• 10,000 Degrees
• Aegis Living
• Aldersly
• Alzheimer’s Association
• American Cancer Society
• American Heart Association
• American Red Cross
• Angel Aid
• Bay Area Discovery Museum
• Blue Star Moms of Marin
• Bridge the Gap College Prep
• California Coastal Commission (Coastal Cleanup Day)
• Casa Allegra Community Services
• Cedars of Marin
• CERES Community Project
• Community Action of Marin Head Start
• CVNL / Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin
• CWPE Spring
• Disaster Response
• Edible Schoolyard Project/Conscious Kitchen Marin City
• ExtraFood
• GGNRA Cronkhite Marin Headlands Native Plant Nursery
• Halleck Creek Ranch
• Homeward Bound of Marin
• Jessica’s Haven
• Make A Wish Foundation / Brave the Bay Event
• Make it Home
• Marin County Parks
• Marin Food Bank
• Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival
• Mountain Play Association
• National Day of Service – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service – January 15, 2024
• Novato Baylands Steward
• ONE Tam
• Operation Gratitude
• PAASS
• Philanthropy Day
• REC Inc
• Ronald McDonald House Northern California
• Salvation Army San Rafael

Each NCL, Inc. Chapter promotes social awareness by considering the local community’s needs and selecting appropriate non-profit organizations to serve.  Each Chapter then supports its philanthropic service partners through different volunteer activities.  Philanthropies supported by our Chapter include:

• Aldersley
• American Cancer Society
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Canal Alliance
• Casa Allegra
• Center for Volunteers and Nonprofit Leadership
• CERES
• Halleck Creek Riding Club
• Marin Head Start
• Homeward Bound
• Lifehouse
• LITA – Love is The Answer
• Marin County Schools Volunteers
• Marine Mammal Center
• Mountain Play Association, REC Inc.
• RitterCenter, Senior Access
• Special Olympics
• St. Vincent de Paul
• The Marin Humane Society
• Whistlestop
• Wildcare
• Blue Star Moms of Marin

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:

NCL, Inc. provides both mothers and daughters opportunities to identify and develop their own leadership style and to confidently polish their skills by serving community partners and their Chapter in various roles.

NCL, Inc. provides opportunities to learn about, model and adapt to different leadership styles.

NCL, Inc. provides on-the-job training of various leadership skills, such as time and project management, organization, goal setting, public speaking, team building, budgeting, conflict resolution, communication, and working in collaborative work groups.

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.

NCL, Inc. traditions provide opportunities to learn about etiquette and confidently develop social skills. As future leaders, 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 world views that will shape and support our lives. We celebrate our history through traditions that honor the past while serving the future.  Cultural activities are integrated into our Six Year Ticktocker Plan, encompassing the following suggested areas of focus:

• Music (7th grade)
• Theatre (8th grade)
• Symphony (9th grade)
• Museums/Gardens (10th grade)
• Art (11th grade)
• Dance (12th grade)

Meet Our Board