Clear Lake Jaycees

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Clear Lake, IA
Clear Lake Jaycees

A group of young professionals between the ages of 21-40 that raise money, 'for the kids!' It all began when a 22-year-old St. In 1916, the Y.M.P.C.A.

Louis bank clerk and Herculaneum Dance Club president set out to attack such wild new dances as the grizzly beat, tango, and fox trot. From this modest beginning, Henry Giessenbier's dance clubs moved forward and on October 13, 1915, 32 young men formed the Young Men's Progressive Civic Association, turning its attention to civic affairs. changed its name to Junior Citizens, from which came the ni

ckname JC, or when spelled out, Jaycees. The JCs were quickly noted by various civic-minded businessmen and in 1918 became affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce and changed its name from Junior Citizens to the St. Louis Junior Chamber of Commerce, after which the fame of its civic work began to spread. The idea was contagious and, in January 1920, chapters in 12 cities met to form the National JC organization with Henry Giessenbier as its first president. After battling for its existence during World War II, the United States Junior Chamber boomed and today there are more than 6000 clubs and nearly 300,000 young people across the country. A world alliance of JCs was formed in 1944 in Mexico City, with the founding of the Junior Chamber International with the avowed purpose and one obligation of a "way toward world peace." The JCI now consists of a network of 119 free world nations with more than 250,000 members on its rolls.

08/18/2026

During our August meeting, we heard from both the Clear Lake Arts Center and Central Gardens of North Iowa.

Faith, the manager of the arts center, shared with us her passion for art, current projects they are working on, and how every little bit helps serve the mission.

When asked what the Jaycee's can do to best serve the Arts Center, her response was simple, "Any little bit helps, whether it be through membership, donation, or volunteering." They are so lucky to have someone as passionate as you on their team, Faith!

If you or someone you know has a passion for the arts, get a hold of the Clear Lake Arts Center and learn how you, too, can become more involved. BTW - there are no age limits! Young minds are encouraged to get paint on their hands. 😘(If finances are an issue, they do have a Scholarship Assistance program.)

Then it was Doug's turn. He gave us a brief history lesson of how Central Gardens came to be, what was there before, and their hopes for the future: a generational legacy.

Currently, they are in need of volunteers to help them w**d gardens, teach classes, and just help with various tasks. If you are interested, or know someone who might be, reach out to Central Gardens to learn more. Again, no age limits! Bring those kids out and let them roll around in the dirt! It's good for 'em. 👩‍🌾👨‍🌾

We will be having our monthly social tomorrow evening, from 4-6pm at Oak Hills Par 30 Public Golf Course ! Feel free to stop by and chat with us!

07/30/2026

Leadership Myth: "Leaders are born, not made."

If you've ever thought "I'm just not a natural leader," that's exactly the mindset the Jaycees was built to challenge.

Public speaking, running a meeting, organizing a project/event, leading a team through conflict, none of that is innate. It's practiced.

Every officer and committee chair in this organization started somewhere, usually a little unsure of themselves.

Leadership is a skill, and much like muscles, skills are built through reps. 💪🏼🏋🏻‍♀️

07/28/2026

Being a great leader does not mean that you have all the answers. Matter of fact, it's quite the opposite.

Some of the best leaders are the ones who ask the most questions. They seek to understand, serve, and grow.

Leadership isn't about walking in with every answer. It's about showing up, staying curious, and being willing to figure things out alongside your team.

That's what the Jaycees model is built on: learning leadership by doing it, not by pretending you've already mastered it.

You don't have to have it all figured out. You just simply have to start.

07/27/2026

This hot weather has us thinking about Paddle Fest from last month. Nice cool water, warm summer day = a blast.

We had 9 out of 10 participants place and earned prizes!

Luckily, the one who did not place is a Jaycee's member and only participated for the fun. 😅😉

T'was a beautiful day out on the lake, despite the headwinds. Huge thank you to everyone who participated and those who sponsored the event!

06/19/2026

Tomorrow we paddle 🛶🔥

The course is set, the water is ready, and Paddlefest is almost here.

We can’t wait to see everyone at Clear Lake as we race, connect, and support summer youth programs together.

Let’s make waves.

Paddlefest | June 20 | Supporting summer youth programs in Clear Lake

👉 There's still time to register: https://paddleguru.com/races/ClearLakePaddlefest2026

06/18/2026

Golf but add a little bit of…. 🌶️spice🌶️

BTW - it can be used with FIRE 🔥🔥

06/15/2026

Every year we host our annual Dive Bar Tour with the proceeds going towards a local organization in need. This year was no different, except it hit a place close to home.

I grew up at Lake Town Charlie Brown. My summers were jam packed with fun activities like walking to the park for balloons fights, swimming at the beach and feeling the sand between my toes, and eating lunch at East Park then walking to the pool, just to name a few. (Spoiler- this was all before the CL pool existed.)

It’s where I learned my social skills (still improving on that one 😅). It’s where manners were reinforced. It’s where I learned to stick up for myself. And it’s where I first learned about leadership vs. follower-ship.

Whether we realize or not, daycares teach our kids more than just their ABCs and numbers. They learn social skills, communication, ways to feel and understand their biggest emotions, and so much more.

It truly makes my heart swell with happiness that we were able to raise this much money for their daycare. Thank you so much to those who donated items for our raffle. We truly would not have been successful without your support.

If you see Ariel (pictured center behind the big check!), be sure to congratulate her on being promoted to Director!

And if you happen to see Laura Lester (not shown in the pic), be sure to wish her good luck on her newest endeavors. We learned that she had worked there for nearly 26 years, and her final day was last Friday. A bitter sweet goodbye, I’m sure.

Charlie Brown is SO blessed to have people like them care so much about our children.

They weren’t kidding when they said it takes a village.

06/10/2026

A few months ago, Healthy Harvest of North Iowa attended one of our meetings to spread awareness about their mission: to build a thriving network for locally produced foods. 🌽🍅🌶

Not only do they serve local producers by holding networking events and education classes, but they also serve our communities by educating children and encouraging them to partake in cooking classes.

It doesn't stop there. Their efforts reach beyond our local neighborhoods and have expanded to a regional and statewide level.

Food scarcity is an issue, one that is not as well known or advertised. Thanks to Healthy Harvest of North Iowa, that is a problem they are actively working on to resolve.

We are fortunate enough to have been able to donate to your cause and be apart of your story. It is truly our pleasure to help further your mission.

See what YOU 🫵can do to help:
https://www.healthyharvestni.com/support-us/

06/04/2026

30 seconds of nature to help clear your feed and reset your nervous system. ☀️🌊🐟

You’re welcome. 🫡

05/28/2026

They paddled for more than the view 🌅🛶

Every registration, every paddle, and every donation helps support summer youth programs right here in Clear Lake.

This is what it looks like when a community shows up for its kids.

We can’t wait to see you on the water.

Paddlefest | June 20 | Supporting summer youth programs in Clear Lake

👉 Register today: https://paddleguru.com/races/ClearLakePaddlefest2026

Address

Clear Lake, IA
50428

Website

http://www.jciiowa.org/

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