Good Cause: Mothers start first Illinois chapter of National Charity League

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(From left, front): Maureen Thomas, Caroline Thomas, Shauna James; (back row) Kendall James and Katelyn James are members of the National Charity League. | Courtesy of Juliet Jade Photography, Naperville

Updated: March 2, 2012 8:06AM

For mothers looking for a more meaningful way to bond with their preteen and teenage daughters, a new service organization is coming to Naperville and Aurora that aims to do just that. National Charity League is a philanthropic organization committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences while fostering the mother-daughter relationship.

“The best way to describe it is Junior League meets Girl Scouts meets college sorority,” said Maureen Thomas of Aurora, who read an article about the organization and became intrigued.

Thomas, whose 13-year-old daughter Caroline attends Granger Middle School, felt NCL could fill a niche for the time period after elementary school when many girls drop out of Girl Scouts. NCL specifically focuses on the components of leadership, culture and community service. What interested Thomas the most is that, while many people in our community are involved with their kids, or involved in community organizations, NCL brings both together.

“The main reason this group interested me was because it was an organization that allowed moms and daughters to work together toward a specific goal,” Thomas said. “As I’ve raised my child, I have done a lot of volunteering that just required my effort, and she has been involved in a lot of activities where I simply drop her off. This organization offers us a chance to share something.”

And while mothers will get the organization off the ground, it is the daughters, who are grouped by age, who will decide what charities they want to focus on, who will lead them and what activities they want to be involved in. Besides choosing a charity to serve, the girls also will focus on cultural activities, perhaps going to the opera or having tea, to expose them to fine arts and culture as well as foster their social graces.

“It’s designed to foster leadership within the daughters,” Thomas said. “The meetings are driven by ... (the) girls.”

NCL is well known in the west where it has been in existence for more the 50 years. When Thomas contacted the national organization, she said that representatives were excited at the prospect of expanding to the Midwest, and in fact, had been contacted by another mother from Naperville who also was interested in starting up the group here.

Shauna James, who has two daughters attending Madison Junior High and Naperville Central High schools, also contacted NCL about the prospect of starting a chapter here. James and Thomas were introduced and quickly put together their plans to move forward with a chapter of NCL here. Their daughters also were excited at the prospect of being a part of the start up.

“Through NCL I am looking forward to building a stronger relationship with my mom through the service we do together as well as making new friends,” Kendall James, an eighth-grader, said.

They already had one meeting where about 25 girls and their mothers said they would like the group to move forward. Thomas and James will host another meeting to provide more information and fill board positions with the anticipation of getting a charter from the national group. They hope to attract mothers and daughters from School Districts 203, 204 and Benet Academy, but stress that anyone who wants to attend from outside the area is welcome as well.

“It’s going to enable my child to meet girls from other schools,” Thomas said. “It’s going to force girls to develop relationships with girls outside their own circle.”

James said they are excited about establishing the first chapter in Illinois.

“National Charity League is a wonderful organization for mothers and their daughters,” James said.