Chapter History

On January 19, 1997, a group of mothers gathered at the home of the Mid-Western Regional Director, the late Sharon Eubanks-Pope, for the purpose of forming an interest group of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. The meeting was hosted by Tanya Madison Downer, Chicago
Chapter, Chair for Chapter Establishment and Joan Wilson Epps, Co-Chair, Chapter Establishment. On June 8, 1997, the mothers selected the name Windy City Guild for the group.

At the next meeting (June 29,1997), officers were elected:
President, Pamela James Ford
Vice President, Sheila Wilkinson Sanders
Program Director, Denise Gresham-Knox
Recording Secretary, Ambra Beach Bryant
Corresponding Secretary, Pamela Talbott Creed
Treasurer, Michelle Holland Gilliard
Financial Secretary, Sheila Taylor Goins
Editor-Historian, Roberta Ramey
Chaplain, Beverly Bennett

The Windy City Guild quickly moved to adopt bylaws, a budget and plan program activities. The Program year kicked off September 1997 with a carnival celebrating Windy City Day. Some of the activity highlights of the first year were high tea at the Drake’s Palm Court, a cultural expedition to ETA Creative Arts Foundation, a ski trip to the Grand Geneva Resort, and a Black Family Day celebration at Navy Pier. In June 1998, our teens traveled to St. Louis for their first Mid-Western Regional Teen Conference accompanied by President Ford and the Teen Advisor, Denise Mosley-Martin.

On July 24, 1998, Pamela James Ford, Sheila Wilkinson Sanders, Darcel Stewart-Amos and Paula Thomas, presented Windy City Guild to the delegates at the 33rd Biennial National Convention who, in turn, unanimously voted to make the Windy City Guild a Provisional Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. The Windy City Chapter was chartered as the 215th chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., at an installation ceremony in September 1998, at the Omni Hotel in Chicago, Illinois.

From those 26 charter mothers and families, Windy City Chapter boasts a current membership of over 65 families.

The Windy City Chapter Associates Group was chartered at an installation ceremony in February 2013 at Chicago State University. The Windy City Chapter Associates continue to be an active group that supports the chapter and national organization. Currently, there are ___ Associate Jewels.

The WINdy City Chapter has been and continues to be a chapter dedicated to service in the national organization and the Chicagoland community. Since 1998, the chapter has co-hosted the 39th National Convention, hosted the Illinois Area Children’s Cluster, chaired numerous Winter Escape Ski Trips, hosted a Illinois/Indiana Mother’s & Teen Workday Cluster and most recently, the 2019 Mid-Western Region Teen Leadership Conference. Windy City Chapter also continues to support local organizations by supporting grant applications- over 7 organizations have been awarded due to the diligence of Windy City.