For 61 years, Les Novelettes Club has been instrumental in helping high school seniors in the Leavenworth/Lansing communities to realize their college dreams through scholarships. And from these good works many others have benefited.
This club’s ability to ease the financial burdens of so many is directly related to the generosity of this community.
In 1950, the idea to form the club was conceived by Geraldine Woods, Helen Jackson and Helen B. James, nine other interested ladies joined in and institutionalized their goals in a constitution to provide scholarships and lend charitable aid in the community.
In other words, these ladies began a history of turning good words into good actions or “Walkin the Talk.” One could also say that the concept of “Paying it Forward” became an infinite entity through the successes of many of the scholarship recipients.
Many times through the spirit of giving, we faithfully donate to our favorite charities and assume that good works are being done.
Through this series of “Where are they now,” I will highlight the activities of some of the past scholarship recipients and what they have accomplished to pay your good deeds forward.
Joyce (Jones) Williams, a retired guidance counselor at Leavenworth High School still recalls the moment when she was awarded a Les Novelettes scholarship way back in 1958 and she said, “I was so elated that I was one of three recipients of the Les Novelettes Club scholarships at Leavenworth High School, I could hardly stop smiling like the Cheshire cat from “Alice in Wonderland.” Not only was I being recognized for doing well academically throughout my four years of high school, I was one of three black students to receive awards that year and I believe that all three were Les Novelettes scholars.
“The Les Novelettes afforded me that important incentive that I needed along with my parents to go to a university or college. The year 1958 was a time of racial inequality and those dynamic Les Novelettes women had the faith in black children that if they worked hard, be dedicated to lofty ideas that they could also succeed even under the umbrella of adversity.
“The monetary award was important but the faith that these women had in us superseded the amount. I will always be grateful to this organization that still reaches out today to students by giving them the extra “push” to continue the journey. I can still hear my name being called that evening in 1958, “Joyce Jones please come forward. Yes!”
Joyce went on to earn many degrees and prestigious awards and her highly successful career in education allowed her to influence the career paths of hundreds of students.
She was instrumental in implementing and distributing millions of dollars in scholarships to high school seniors.
Even after retirement from her duties at Leavenworth High, Joyce continues to serve by teaching at a local community college and through her dedicated involvement with “Arts in Motion,” (AIM) an organization that fosters creative arts through teaching, speech and dramatic presentation.
Joyce has just finished an original three-act play that she hopes we will see on Broadway some day.
She continues to say that “The first incentive to go to college were my footsteps toward success as I envision success in “Walking’ The Talk.”
As you can see, Joyce (Jones) Williams continues in her walk to pay it forward by helping kids understand that “If you think you can, you will!”
By Cathy Lang
Copyright 2011 Leavenworth Times. Some rights reserved
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