Happy Valentine's Day!

With a great big hug, we offer our best wishes for a Happy Valentine’s Day! Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is believed to celebrate one or more Christian Saints named Valentinus who gave their lives to perform marriages deemed illegal by the Roman Empire in the late 400s. Celebrated by the West on February 14^th, the day evolved in the 1700s to include the exchange of expressions of love and affection between individuals, and since the 1800s, has grown to include the expectation of a greeting card…minimum.

As Jaycees, we believe that Valentine’s Day is not only an excellent opportunity to show your love to those close to you, but also a chance to demonstrate your feelings for the well-being of your community by sponsoring or getting involved in a project. Your local chapter is a great place to share, learn, and work with others to develop ideas into clearly defined goals that promote positive leadership and change within your community (such as the United Nation’sMillennium Development Goals). Take a look at JCI’s gallery of recent Jaycee projects for some creative ideas and helpful tips on choosing and implementing the right venture for your group.

Michigan State President Jay Johnson commented on the value of getting involved with projects directed towards addressing local needs, “Community projects are an incredibly positive framework for promoting the values and mission of the Jaycees. Our members become more active and visible as leaders within their localities, and the community benefits with solutions to some of their real-life problems. Not only does it demonstrate that the Jaycees care, but it also encourages others to develop their own projects and get involved.”

Together with JCI USA,we are ready to provide you with the support and training to succeed with your next project. We’d love to hear about it first. Share your thoughts with the online community on our National Facebook and Twitter pages, or contact us locally to get started.

This Valentine’s Day take some time to think about not only the individual you love, but also your community and how it could benefit from some TLC. We’re excited to see your new ideas!