Jaycees Ready to Make Impact on Morris County With New Chapter

Dozens of Morris County's young professionals descended on Sona Thirteen Thursday night, Aug. 19, to meet, greet and network at the launch party of the Morris County Jaycees.

Tiffany Reddin was secretary of the Orange-Essex chapter of Jaycees before deciding to pursue a Morris County chapter, because that's where she's from, and there was no local affiliate.

"I felt like I could do so much more in Morris because I have such a large network," she said.

Now founder and president, Reddin contacted a group of friends to gauge their interest in starting a chapter, and within a few days the 25-year-old Rockaway resident had 20 charter members.

"It was solid support from all of my contacts … and it has been increasing ever since," said Reddin, a researcher at Celgene Cellular Therapeutics in Warren.

Within a week there were 30 members, and attendance at Thursday night's gathering topped 100.

"It'll be positive for the county. It's great for people starting a business, you get an instant organization and support," said Reddin.

Tiffany Smith, vice president of membership, said she is hopeful that membership will continue to grow once the core members network outside their own circle of friends. The 27-year-old Rockaway native, now a Morristown resident, has high hopes of getting to triple-digit membership quickly.

Established in 1920, the Jaycees (also referred to as the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce) have more than 8,000 active chapters in 123 nations and territories. The organization is open to people 18 to 41 years old to build bridges of success in the areas of business development, management skills, individual training, community service and international connections, according to the Chapter's Web site. Among notable Jaycees alumni are former presidents Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford, Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird and Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan.

The Jaycees have been revitalized, said Reddin, and one factor could be the downturn in the economy.

"We're here to help others," she said. "It's a beautiful way to meet people. Everyone helps each other."

Those who join the chapter have a goal of bettering themselves as well as the community, Reddin said.

"It's not competitive, we're interested in moving forward together. We're here to improve the life around us."

Randolph native Anthony Scognamiglio, who now lives in Morristown, remembers how the Jaycees were once an active force in New Jersey. The graphic designer recalls his parents, Charlene and Joe, being actively involved with the Jaycees before the movement waned in recent years.

But, now there is an upswing. New Jaycees chapters have begun sprouting up all over the Garden State, including Camden, Gloucester, Hudson and Mercer counties, among others. Orange Mayor Eldridge Hawkins Jr. is president of the New Jersey Jaycees.

"It was a very old organization that was dwindling" before the first new state chapter in some time was established three years ago, he said. Minimum membership for chapters is 20 but ranges to 60 or more in some areas of the state, Hawkins added.

"On the national level, they looked at states and asked to make a push to increase activity and chapters," said Hawkins, who has served as state president for about a year and a half. "We've taken an organization from broken to … creating a movement of young people realizing what it takes to bring hope and move things forward," he said.

The Morris County chapter holds monthly meetings at REI, 280 Route 10 East, East Hanover, to plan upcoming events. While there will be plenty of networking events, the chapter also aims to support other community organizations through events such as fundraisers, toy and turkey drives, and community cleanups.

Chapter members already raised $1,500 during the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in June and plan more charitable events in the future.

The focus of the Morris County chapter's efforts will be both business and volunteer, Redding said.

"One doesn't take over the other," she said, adding that some Jaycees are more business-oriented while others might be more volunteer focused.

Dorian Dunbar said he hopes to take the opportunity to give back to Morris County, which he moved to when he was 9 years old. The 27-year-old Randolph resident, who works as a sales representative for a water heater manufacturer, said he hasn't found anything similar to the Jaycees where he could give back to the community.

Annual membership dues for the Morris County chapter are $50 and the organization is open to anyone 18 to 41 years old.

For more information, including times and dates of monthly meetings, e-mail morriscountyjaycees@gmail.com, visit www.morriscountyjaycees.com, or call Tiffany Reddin at 973-445-0105.