Sonoran Centennial

About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., Sonoran Centennial Chapter is a group of mothers and daughters who have come together in a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Members shall reside in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, Sonoran Centennial aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

Our Chapter is named “Sonoran” for the beauty and uniqueness of the Sonoran Desert in which we live and also “Centennial” as we were the 100th Chapter formed in the National Charity League, Inc. organization. 

Our Mission

We are dedicated to providing the NCL Experience to as many mothers and daughters in our area as possible, while volunteering within the community where many of our members reside.

Our Chapter History

The Sonoran Centennial Chapter was founded on April 5, 2001, as a Prospective Chapter of the National Charity League, Inc. and became a fully Chartered Chapter in January of 2003.

Our Commitment

National Charity League, Inc. (NCL, Inc.) is committed to the development of mothers and daughters as leaders and is dedicated to improving local communities through hands-on volunteerism.

The NCL Experience inspires and empowers women to succeed as confident, well-rounded and socially-aware contributors to society.

How the Program Works

Mothers (Patronesses) and daughters (Ticktockers) participate in a six-year core program of community service, leadership development and cultural experiences. Members who continue their affiliation with the organization after their daughters graduate high school become Sustainers.

Join Our Chapter

Interested in joining our chapter? Membership opportunities are dependent on chapter openings.

If you know someone in our chapter, talk to her about getting started, membership obligations and our membership drive timeline.  If you do not know someone in NCL, you are invited to complete this Membership Inquiry Form.

Membership Inquiry Form

For any questions regarding Membership, requests for transfers or assistance with connecting as a Sustainer, email us.

Our email address is membershipsonorancentennial@nclonline.org

Mothers and their daughters (grades 7-12) participate in a program that embraces:

Community Service

We understand and serve communities in partnership with local and national nonprofits. Each NCL, Inc. chapter promotes social awareness by considering the local community’s needs and selecting appropriate non-profit organizations to support through different volunteer activities.

We work with the following philanthropies:

  • Above and Beyond
  • Alzheimer’s Association
  • American Heart Association
  • American Red Cross
  • AZ Cancer Foundation for Children
  • AZ Magic
  • Back to School Clothing Drive
  • Ben’s Bells
  • Check for a Lump!
  • Childhelp USA
  • Cinderella Affair
  • City of Scottsdale Parks
  • Disaster Response
  • Family Promise
  • Feed My Starving Children
  • Foundation for Blind Children
  • Harvest Compassion Center
  • HEAL – Happily Ever After League
  • Help in Healing Home Foundation – The Village at Mayo Clinic
  • Hospice of the Valley
  • Maggie’s Place
  • Military Assistance Mission (MAM)
  • Miracle League of Arizona
  • Operation Gratitude
  • Paiute Neighborhood Center
  • Ryan House
  • Shoebox Ministry
  • St. Vincent de Paul
  • STARS
  • Westminster Village

Leadership Development

We build capable, courageous leaders through opportunities to learn, reflect and develop. Our leaders become successful in their education, career and communities by learning the necessary skills during their NCL experience.

Examples of skills developed include:

  • Confidence
  • Consensus building
  • Team building
  • Conflict resolution
  • Event planning
  • Parliamentary procedure

Our Chapter Board of Directors:

In 2015, our chapter implemented Ticktockers Take the Lead, whereby Ticktocker officers work with their Patroness officer partners, planning meetings and making decisions together on philanthropy projects and cultural experiences.  This gives each Ticktocker the chance to plan every Chapter-wide meeting during their six-year experience, providing opportunities to present on stage, work with committees, be creative, share talents, and be involved with speaker selection, themes and decorations, budgets, and follow through.

As a result of these efforts, the Sonoran Centennial Chapter was awarded the National Charity League, Inc. award for Best Ticktocker Programming in 2015-16.

Our Patronesses and Ticktockers bloom with our chapter’s Petals of Character, which lend form and content to each year of service:

Leadership: This petal represents our ability to step up and do what is needed in our community. We lead by our example, both the Mother and the Daughter. We can self direct ourselves at philanthropies to do any work needed with the best of ability and attitude.

Commitment: This petal represents our ability to be where we have promised to be, and that each of us can be counted on. We take to heart that we are depended on to be at all events we say we will be at, and to let others know when a situation arises where we cannot attend. We know our promise to the chapter in becoming a member and will honor our responsibilities.

Integrity: This petal represents our ability to hold ourselves to a high regard when representing NCL, Inc. and when we are out in the community. We understand there is a standard of behavior that is expected and we are proud to be a member of this Chapter. Our behavior, attitude and even our dress convey who we are to the outside world, so we take care in the message that we send out.

Respect: This petal represents our ability to respect our chapter and grade level sisters, our community and ourselves. We want to strive to show our appreciation of others’ talents and gifts, not look for the negative, and to conduct ourselves in a way to earn respect from those around us.

Generosity: This petal represents that we are all here to share our hearts, hands, talent, and time, and to give all we can to make our community a better place.

Responsibility: This petal represents our ability to have the maturity to accomplish any task to the very best of our ability. We are trusted to do our “jobs” and to ask for help when needed, to try and find ways to fulfill our obligations to the best of our abilities.

Cultural Experiences

We preserve National Charity League traditions and core values, while appreciating the growth that comes from connecting with different communities and cultures. We continually strive to build stronger ties with our communities and the individuals within them. It is through this understanding that we grow and develop broader worldviews that will shape and support our lives.

  • Traditions – We celebrate the richness of our history through traditions that honor the past while serving the future.
  • Values – We embrace values that make us strong as an organization of mother-daughter leaders.
  • Community Connections – We build connections through experiences that impact our communities.
  • Etiquette – We encourage and mentor kind, respectful and gracious social conduct.

2023-2024 Chapter Board of Directors

President – Nicole Paul 

President Partner – Jennifer Nuss

Immediate Past Presidents – Felice Amkraut & Carol Davis 

President-Elect – Erin Curley

Vice President Chapter Engagement and Inclusion – Bryn DeFusco

Vice President Communications – Rachael Mikalsky

Vice Presidents Membership – Leigh Anne Odinet 

Vice Presidents Membership Partner – Kim Valdivieso

Vice Presidents Philanthropy – Sarah Dorn

Vice Presidents Philanthropy Partner – Lauren Mackin

Vice President New Members – Beth Wiand

Vice Presidents Ticktockers – Jennifer Burns

Vice Presidents Ticktockers Partners – Rachelle Tomey

Ways & Means Chair – Tanya Kaiser

Parliamentarian – Jane Herthel

Secretary – Christine O’Donnell/Eliza Wilson

Treasurer – Jane Trapp (Assistant Treasurer-Andrea Augustine)