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Announcement Regarding the Future of the Attic
January 01, 2007 - It is with regret that I tell you of the decision made at the January general membership meeting with regards to the Attic. There was a proposal presented to close the Attic. After thorough and thoughtful discussion, the proposal was voted on and the Attic will be closing effective March 17, 2007.
I wanted to share the process in which this decision came to be. At the end of the 2005/2006 League year, an ad hoc committee was formed to study the viability of the Attic in future years. The committee was charged with studying several objectives: keeping the Attic open in the current location and business model; moving the Attic to a new location to allow for better business development; keeping the current location and changing the business model to be more profitable; or closing the business.
The committee was comprised of the following active and sustaining members: Karin Janssen-Potter (chair), Barb Feider, Char Smollen, Nan Bloch, Ellen Easley, Laura James, Carrie Johnson, and Carolynn Powers . Many of these ladies have had a personal interest in the Attic and have had extensive working knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses as a business and as an extension of the Junior League of Racine. I believe their work was thorough and that they looked for every opportunity to continue operating the Attic.
There was one element of this equation that was beyond our control.
So, we are closing. Moving forward, the Attic committee and the ad hoc committee will work together along with the Board of Directors of the Junior League to ensure that the employees of the Attic are properly compensated for their service, that the business is dissolved in a respectable manner and that the archives of the Junior League are preserved.
I would like to take a moment to recognize Shirley Hermann, the Attic’s manager. Shirley has worked for the Attic for many years and is the spirit of the business. Her business sense and enthusiasm have greatly contributed to the success of the Attic and we greatly appreciate the association we have had with Shirley. We wish her well as she moves forward as well.
With one door closing, I believe this also opens a different door with respect to the Junior League. As our membership becomes comprised more and more of working women, it has been difficult to facilitate volunteer hours as well as the Attic commitment. Going forward, the Junior League will be able to offer our members opportunities that allow for more hands-on volunteer components. We will also be charged with implementing new fund raising opportunities to balance the loss of the Attic revenue. We are a group of dedicated and creative women. There are ideas floating out there right now that, with additional women-power resources, can be executed successfully to offset the revenue from the Attic.
For many members, past and present, the Attic represents much more than a business. It has been part of the fabric of the Junior League for 42 years. For this reason, it will be hard to close the doors on March 31st. But the passing of the torch from the responsibility of the Attic to new ventures will provide us with unknown opportunities to serve the community as well as engage our membership. I am confident we will be stronger for the challenge presented going forwarded.
I welcome any comments or concerns you have. You may reach me directly by phoning me at 414-967-5308 or via email at ktempesta@wkti.com. The Junior League of Racine appreciates the hard work and dedication of the many women that have made an impact on the Attic over the years and look forward to your support as we begin a new chapter in our organization’s endeavors.
With kind regards,
Kelly Tempesta
President, 2006/2007
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