About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., Texas Sage 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 or attend school inside the 610 Loop in Houston or in Bellaire. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, Texas Sage aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

NCL, Inc., Texas Sage 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 or attend school inside the 610 Loop in Houston or in Bellaire. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, Texas Sage aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

The Texas Sage Chapter has 375 active members, and last year we collectively completed over 5,500 service hours.

Our focus is in connecting hearts, hands, and minds so that every community thrives. The NCL program empower its members to succeed as confident, well-rounded contributors to society while making a positive impact in the community they serve.

The NCL Experience

We are a multi-generational philanthropic organization of mothers and daughters who volunteer close to 3,000,000 hours annually to over 6,000 charities in the United States. We practice philanthropy which is the active effort to promote human welfare.

Our programming pillars include:

• Philanthropy – Understanding and serving communities in partnership with local and national nonprofits.
• Leadership – Building capable, courageous leaders through opportunities to learn, reflect and develop.
• Culture – Preserving National Charity League traditions and core values while appreciating the growth that comes from connecting with different communities and cultures.

The Ticktocker (Daughter) Experience

The Ticktocker experience is designed to be a small group leadership program that provides opportunities for young women to know the joy of helping others, mature and build confidence, and to make new friends while volunteering and participating in activities in a safe, comfortable, and age-appropriate environment. Ticktockers apply during their 6th grade year and participate in the six year program during their developmental and formative years between 7th and 12th grade.

The Patroness (Mother) Experience

The Patroness experience allows mothers to work alongside their daughters as they broaden their own prospective about the world around them. Patronesses also have the satisfaction of working with other talented women to help our Chapter thrive.

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.

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.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE INFORMATION

The Texas Sage membership drive runs from mid-January to beginning of March, 2024. Around this time, prospective members are required to attend one informational meeting (Open House) to better understand the process, expectations for the membership, and philanthropic and financial obligations of the Chapter.

Please keep the following in mind during the Membership Process:

ELIGIBILITY: A prospective member must reside in (or attend school) inside the 610 Loop in Houston (or in Bellaire) and have a daughter currently in 6th grade.

TIMELINE: Applications for membership are only accepted during the Annual Membership Drive (January 15th through March 1st), and a Prospective Member may only apply to one Chapter.

SPONSORSHIP: Note that the sponsorship component has been eliminated; the Membership Committee will instead conduct a blind draw to select new members (if required).

OPEN HOUSE (Prospective Membership Informational Meetings): Interested mothers are required to attend one of the following Open House Sessions (sign-up link and location details coming soon):

1.       Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 6:30pm (Location TBA)

2.       Friday, January 26, 2024 at 8:45am (Location TBA)

3.       Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 2:00pm (Location TBA)

APPLICATION: A prospective Member may only apply to one Chapter, and a formal application must be completed by the prospective patroness.  While it is our strong preference to accept all applicants, space in the chapter is limited and we cannot guarantee a spot to all applicants. If the number of applications exceeds the spaces available, all non-legacy applicants will be entered into a “blind draw” to determine membership.

QUESTIONS? Contact Nicole Mordy, our Membership VP at MembershipTexasSage@nclonline.org.

What are the characteristics of a good NCL, Inc. Member??

• She will make NCL a priority for herself and her daughter(s) and take her commitments to NCL seriously.
• She will be a positive role model for her daughter(s) and other Ticktockers by exhibiting respect and consideration, both during NCL events and in other public settings when representing NCL.
• She will fulfill all required philanthropy, league, committee, meeting, financial, leadership and other chapter obligations by the required due dates.
• She understands the importance of all three programming pillars of NCL, Inc.: Philanthropy, Culture and Leadership.
• She understands that by virtue of being a member of a local Chapter, she is affiliated with a federated system, which mandates the belief in the core values of NCL, Inc.
• She will abide by all governing documents of the Chapter and NCL, Inc., including bylaws, policies and procedures.
• She will protect the NCL brand by honoring its core values with integrity and excellence.

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:

• Alzheimer’s Association
• American Heart Association
• American Red Cross
• Baker Ripley – Neighborhood Centers
• Books Beween Kids
• Buffalo Bayou Partnership
• Child Advocates
• Children’s Museum
• Disaster Response
• Emergency Aid Coalition
• Habitat for Humanity
• HeartGift Houston
• Holly Hall Senior Living
• Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
• Houston Food Bank
• Houston Welcomes Refugees
• Interfaith Ministries – Meals on Wheels
• Kids’ Meals
• Nehemiah Center
• Operation Gratitude
• Recipe for Success
• Small Steps Nurturing Center
• Texas Children’s Hospital
• The Brookwood Community
• West U Little League Challenger

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: Brittany Weisser
• President Elect: Courtney Tsao
• Secretary: Lauren DeFrehn
• Treasurer: Shannon Witz
• Parliamentarian: Grace Ebaugh
• Vice President Communications: Jessica Bartley
• Vice President Membership: Nicole Mordy
• Vice President Philanthropy: Suzanne Hays
• Vice President New Members: Vanaja Chilakapati
• Vice President Ticktockers: Courtney Bucy
• Vice President Chapter Engagement and Inclusion: Stephanie Kusinski

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.