Stanford Hills

About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., Stanford Hills 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 Atherton, East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, and Woodside. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, Stanford Hills aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

The Stanford Hills Chapter was the first NCL, Inc. chapter to be established in Northern California. We currently have over 380 members providing hands-on volunteer service for 32 philanthropic organizations in our local community. Our members contribute thousands of hours to our local community each year. Last year alone, Stanford Hills contributed over 12,000 hours of service!

Some of our annual events include:

PHILANTHROPY FAIR
100% HEART WEEK
ALL LEAGUE TEA
SENIOR RECOGNITION
INSTALLATION BRUNCH
ALL LEAGUE RETREAT

OUR CHAPTER HISTORY

In December 1984, Deborah Boyd, prompted by her mother-in-law Ann Boyd, of the Burbank chapter, met with expansion Vice President Janet Killan, to explore the feasibility of a Northern California chapter of National Charity League-a first.

In April 1985 co-founders Deborah Boyd and Shari Emling hosted an informal coffee at which they shared the concept of NCL with 11 other women. The enthusiasm of Patroness Pat White from Westlake Village and that of former Ticktocker Linda Gardner-Crandall was contagious. Ten mothers and their daughters formed the Bay Area Prospective Chapter of NCL. Bettie Anle was assigned as our first regional director and our shepherdess.

By the end of the 1985-86 League year, we boasted 22 Patronesses with 17 Ticktockers. In 1986, we were granted Provisional Status for our chapter. In 1987, under the very able guidance of Gloria Ulrich, our name changed, as did our status: Charter Status was approved for the Stanford Hills Chapter. On December 16, 1988, Stanford Hills Chapter was incorporated as a tax-exempt non-profit corporation.

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.

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:

Abilities United
Acterra/Grassroots Ecology / 10th Grade Focus
African Library Project
Alzheimer’s Association
American Heart Association
American Red Cross
Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula
Disaster Response
Grateful Garment Project
Los Altos History Museum / 8th Grade Focus
Operation Care & Comfort / 11th Grade Focus
Operation Gratitude
Public Libraries
Reading Partners
Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT)
San Mateo County Health Foundation
Save Our Shores
Shoes That Fit

FOCUS – each grade supports several specifically focused philanthropies:

Senior Citizens
The Terraces of Los Altos & Animal Assisted Happiness, Crane Street Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. (7th Grade)

Children + Families
Palo Alto Art Center, Sunday Friends, Los Altos History Museum (8th Grade)

Communities in Need
Community Services Agency, LifeMoves, Ecumenical Hunger Project (9th Grade)

The Environment
Our City Forest, Hidden Villa, Grassroots Ecology/Acterra (10th Grade)

The Military + Families
Fisher House & Operation Gratitude (11th Grade)

Class Choice
Any NCL Philanthropy (12th Grade)

GLOBAL – all members support these philanthropies

Abilities United
African Library Project
Alexandra Chiles
American Cancer Society
American National Red Cross
Cake4Kids
Cantor Art
Children’s Health Council
COVID-19 Disaster response
Habitat for Humanity
Hope Services
Humane Society Silicon Valley
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Kids Read
Lend a Hand
Los Altos Community Foundation
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
One Step Beyond
Peninsula Volunteers
Period, Inc.
Princess Project
Public Libraries
Reading Partners
Resource Area For Teaching
Ronald McDonald House
San Mateo County Health Foundation
Save Our Shores
Shoes That Fit
Sunday Friends
Vista Center for the Blind
Westwind Riding Institute

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: Jessica Gowdy
Melissa Riley
President Elect: Luisa Smith
Secretary: Jill Kohlmeier
Treasurer: Wendy Chang
Parliamentarian: Phuong Phillips
Amy Heath
Vice President Communications: Veronica Eguiluz-Schmidt
Vice President Membership: Monique Edmondson
Vice President Philanthropy: Ellen Dempsey
Brooke Anderson
Vice President Ticktockers: Liz Bacchi
Andrea Jones

VP Chapter Engagement: Compliance Officer:

Courtney Labe Amy Heath

Members have opportunities to engage in experiences that build essential skills, such as confidence, consensus and team building, event planning, conflict resolution and parliamentary procedure.

Leadership activities in our Chapter include:

• personal development workshops
• team building activities
• class meetings
• meeting management proficiency
• job training

Age appropriate concepts include, but are not limited to, the following:

7th GRADE
Positive Self Image
• Team Building Activities
• Meeting Fundamentals

8th GRADE
Social Etiquette
• High School Preparedness
• Conflict Resolution

9th GRADE
Conversation Skills
• Personal & Online Safety
• Time Management Skills
• Interviewing Skills

10th GRADE
Body Language
• Safety – Public /Dating
• Automobile Awareness

11th GRADE
Personal Priorities
• Stress Management
• Life Balance

12th GRADE
Reflection of Core Personal Values
• College Preparedness & Safety
• Financial Management Skills

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.

We celebrate our history through traditions that honor the past while serving the future. Activities of our Chapter include:

All League Retreat
All League Tea
Cultural Events
VIP Event (formerly Father Daughter Event)
Grade Level Retreat
New Member (first year) Orientation
Senior Recognition
Ticktocker Awards
Ticktocker Leadership Training

7th GRADE
• Dance & Martial Arts

8th GRADE
• Theater: Musical / Play

9th GRADE
• Music: Choral / Instrumental

10th GRADE
• Fine Arts: Museum / Gallery

11th GRADE
• Stage: Comedy / Concert

12th GRADE
• Class Cultural Choice