February GMM Recap

February's general membership meeting (GMM) was held at Green Dot Stables on 2/19/19. In addition to reviewing our upcoming events, updated reimbursement policy, and breakdown of membership dues (all below), we were also graced with a very special guest, Kristine Kuhnert, Director of Ele's Place. 

Ele's Place was established in 1991 with the goal of serving children facing grief and loss. Ele's place has locations in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Flint, and Ann Arbor. During the school year, Ele's provides programming 4 nights/week that includes a potluck, age appropriate children's groups, and an optional adult support group. All services are provided free of charge with the support of many volunteers and donors.  

We were absolutely moved by Kristine's commitment to her work and her personal experiences at Ele's Place. We look forward to partnering with Ele's in the future to learn more about their services and provide volunteer support. Volunteer opportunities for JCI Lansing may include making a meal, assisting with cutting out materials, or helping out at an event. To learn more about Ele's Place and individidual volunteer opportunities, visit https://www.elesplace.org/.

Reimbursement Policy 

The JCI Board of Directors (BOD) has established the following requirements for receiving financial reimbursement:

• An Expense Reimbursement Form and proof of purchase need to be submitted within 7 days of purchase via email to reimbursement@jcilansing.org.  The Expense Reimbursement Form can be found in the Members Only area under File Archive.
• Any member seeking reimbursement over $100.00 needs to obtain approval from the Treasurer and Chapter President prior to purchase.
  • If purchasing for a project, members also need to also obtain pre-approval from project chair(s)).  All forecasted project expenses must be included in a preliminary project management guide (PMG) prior to seeking approval. These expenses can be pre-approved with the submission of you preliminary PMG to the BOD.
• For travel, general expenses, conferences, and any other reimbursement outside of “Typical Project Expenses”, the Expense Reimbursement Form must be submitted to the BOD for review at the monthly BOD Meeting, which is held the first Thursday of each month unless noted otherwise.  Please be sure to contact the chapter Secretary two weeks prior to the BOD to confirm your form review for the meeting agenda.
• The Treasurer or Chapter President may purchase requested items on your behalf, if necessary, provided the requirements mentioned above are met.
• Reimbursement checks will be sent to you via MSUFCU and will be automatically voided if not cashed within 90 days.

For further questions, you may contact the Treasurer via email at treasurer@jcilansing.org. Please allow 72 hours for a response.  For urgent matters regarding reimbursement, contact Austin Hawkins at (517) 574-0921.

Member Spotlight - Lisa Neumann

Where do you work/live?

I live in Lansing in a community established in the 1960s called Colonial Village. I work in Okemos right off Okemos road at an accounting firm.

How long have you been a Jaycee?

I joined JCI Lansing in June 2018.  That was also day I first ate both figs and dates because they were on a platter I ordered from Red Cedar Spirit—the meeting was held there.  All-in-all, it was a very exciting day.

What is your most memorable Jaycee moment?

So far, the most memorable was my first year participating in Stuff the Bus.  It pushed me outside my comfort zone.  At the same time, it helped me feel more connected to the community.  I wished I could have been part of the delivery process to see the project all the way through.

Favorite Jaycee project

My favorite JCI project is the Easter Egg Hunt.  Unfortunately, it will always be in peak tax season, so I will not be able to fully participate.  The history of that event is what makes it stand out to me.

Tell us about your family.

I live with my boyfriend, who has been known to frequent JCI events with me.  He has jumped into the pet adoption pool with me by helping take care of my two cats.  Last spring, we adopted a dog together.  The dog will be one year old in a few weeks.

What is your favorite book/movie/song?

My favorite books are Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier) and the Mistborn series (Brandon Sanderson).  The third book of the Mistborn trilogy was infuriating because I kept trying to guess the ending, and each chapter threw me further off.  I was so mad, I stopped reading it for a month about five chapters from the end before I finally finished it.  I have reread the series twice since.

What JCI events do you hope to be part of in the future?

I would like to be a part of fundraising events.  I missed out on a few of those last year, and I look forward to the summer and fall, when I hope to have more time to contribute.  I would also like to see how JCI Lansing could connect with some community programs.  I would enjoy being part of that process.  That could mean summer events or tutoring for kids whose parents can’t afford to send them to camps.  I really enjoy my adopted pets, so I would also enjoy doing something with the Humane Society, if that could become an option.  Mostly, I am just looking forward to making a positive impact on the community and having fun with good people.

JCI Lansing has a New P.O. Box

We have downsized our P.O. Box to a more appropriate size in order to save funds. Please note our new address: P.O. Box 12061, Lansing, MI 48901