The Junior League movement started in New York City in 1901 as a social reform organization. The Junior League of Calgary (JLC) was formed in 1950 as a Junior Service League (JSL), and became a full member of The Association of Junior Leagues of America (now The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. - AJLI) in 1956. In 1972 the JLC also became a member of the Canadian Federation of Junior Leagues.
The JLC is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Its Vision Statement is “Women around the world as catalysts for lasting community change”.
Since 1950 the JLC has provided over 1.4 million volunteer hours and over $2.8 million to the Calgary community, addressing many of its unmet and critical needs. It has been instrumental in the establishment of many organizations in Calgary, among them the Golden Age Club, the Volunteer Centre of Calgary (now Propellus), Ronald McDonald House, the Boys and Girls Club, Kids Help Phone and the Children’s Cottage Society’s Crisis Nursery. It has also initiated and/or participated in many heritage projects, including the restoration of the Deane House, the 1981-1984 Oral History Project (interviews with prominent Calgary and area women, in collaboration with Glenbow Library and Archives) and the book “Calgary - A Living Heritage”. In 2001 it developed the Junior Chefs Program, aimed at reducing the incidence of childhood obesity. This program was adopted by AJLI and became the basis for its Kids in the Kitchen program, which is offered annually by more than 200 leagues throughout the AJLI organization.
For further information see “Celebrating Our Past - Creating Our Future: 50 Years of Service to our Community”, published by The Junior League of Calgary in April 2000.