Jennie Award

The Jennie Award spotlights one clubwoman from each region who has been judged on club, state, region, and national levels for her outstanding performance as a volunteer within her club, community and (extended) family. The Award is named in honor of GFWC's founder, Jane Cunningham Croly, who wrote for national newspapers under the pseudonym Jennie June.

»Learn more about the Jennie Award in the program outline. (Download as PDF)

ABOUT THE CONTEST
For the first time during the 2004-2006 administration, GFWC awarded the Jennie Award, a medal of honor, to one clubwoman from each of GFWC’s eight regions. These women were chosen by their clubs, states, regions and a national Jennie Award Committee at Headquarters for their outstanding commitment to club, community and family.

Although GFWC has many awards for states and clubs and gives prizes to members who demonstrate excellence in specific fields the Jennie is the only national award that singles out and honors members for personal excellence. It is intended to spotlight those extraordinary clubwomen who perform their roles as volunteers within their clubs, elsewhere in the community and as members of a family or extended family.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Nominations will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Commitment to Club
The nominee should have an outstanding record of success and achievement not only in terms of her club’s volunteer programs and projects, but also her role in a leadership position, her activity to build membership and promote the club to others and her overall spirit of volunteerism. She should be kind, loyal and positive in her relationships with other clubwomen, and her commitment should be continuous, rather than a one-time activity.

Commitment to Community
Community service must address real community needs and concerns.This service should go beyond club activities and be carried out through other community organizations (e.g. schools, hospitals, an elected/appointed position, scouts, etc.) as well as through the workplace.Activities should reflect an innovative or unique approach to volunteerism.

Commitment to Family
Recognizing that families come in many different forms, the nominee might be a single parent, a grandparent raising her grandchildren, an adult caring for an elderly relative or an adult without children. The definition of a family member may include persons who are older or younger than the nominee. It may include nuclear as well as extended family members.The nominee should exemplify outstanding concern for the well-being, health and welfare of one or more persons by providing aid and comfort on an on-going basis, separate and apart from club and community work.

AWARD NOMINATIONS AND JUDGING
Club nominations must be submitted to state presidents postmarked by June 15, 2009, for state-level judging. State nominations (one per state) must be submitted to region presidents postmarked by August 15, 2009 for region-level judging. States will notify the GFWC Jennie Award Chairman regarding the names of those persons being forwarded to the regions.

Region nominations (two per region) must be submitted to the GFWC Jennie Award Chairman, postmarked by December 15, 2009, for initial judging. These entries will be forwarded to GFWC Headquarters where they will be judged by the GFWC International President and GFWC Executive Director.