West Lakes

About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., West Lakes 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 West Lakes area. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, West Lakes aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

OUR CHAPTER HISTORY

National Charity League, Inc. currently has a presence in 23 states across the country.  The West Lakes Chapter is proud to be the 175th Chapter formed and the first in Minnesota!  Our Patroness and Ticktocker members have volunteered over 25,000 hours with our philanthropy partners since our founding in September 2012.  Our members focus on fulfilling the NCL Experience–a 6 year plan focusing on the Philanthropic, Cultural and Leadership pillars of the organization.

The West Lakes Chapter currently has 19 philanthropy partners in our community; these partnerships will grow in number along with the Chapter.   We have chosen to partner with organizations that address genuine needs in the community and offer a variety of ways for our membership to volunteer.

 

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.

For the 2024-2025 chapter year, our open classes are 2028, 2029 and 2030.  Please fill out the Membership Inquiry form if you have a daughter in one of these graduating years.

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:

  • Alzheimer’s Association
  • American Heart Association
  • American Red Cross
  • Angel Foundation
  • Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
  • Crohns & Colitis Foundation, Minnesota and Dakotas Chapter
  • Disaster Response
  • Eden Prairie Parks
  • Feed My Starving Children
  • Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
  • Hope Chest For Breast Cancer
  • Humanity Alliance
  • Operation Gratitude
  • Operation Homefront
  • Second Harvest Heartland
  • Sharing and Caring Hands
  • Special Olympics
  • The Prop Shop
  • The Ronald McDonald House
  • The Waters of Eden Prairie
  • Urban Strategies

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: Jennifer Westerhaus
  • President Elect: Allison Checco
  • Secretary: Jenn Penney
  • Treasurer: Jennifer Stratton
  • Parliamentarian: Dena Meyer
  • Vice President Communications: Joy James
  • Vice President Membership: Tina Richter
  • Vice President Philanthropy: Becky Brandt
  • Vice President New Members: Jennifer Jiovanazzo
  • Vice President Ticktockers: Karen David

Activities of our Chapter

Activities of our Chapter include grade level focus areas such as:

* Friendship/etiquette

* High school preparedness

* Time management

* Interpersonal relationships

* College/career; choices/applications/interview skills

* Independent living skills

We also encourage mentoring: mothers and daughters and also girls mentoring other girls.

 

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:

Annual Chapter Tea

Provisional Mock Tea and Tea Training

Grade Level Cultural Events focused on:

  • 7th grade:  theater

  • 8th grade:  museum

  • 9th grade:  ballet/dance

  • 10th grade: symphony/opera

  • 11th grade: ethnic experience

  • 12th grade: cultural choice