New Jersey Junior Chamber of Commerce

2. July 16th we will be attending Dems 2000 Beach Bash, for two years running they have been named by Politifax as the Event of the Week! This is going to be a great event for networking!! We will be supporting the many under-40 candidates for office in NJ this year! 7-9 I NEED A SOFT HEAD COUNT!!!!

3. Aug 9th will be our 1st annual Jaycees BBQ/Picnic held at Orange Reservoir West Orange 12-4 TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT MEETING!!!!

Recent Press Release:

All Rights Reserved
The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey)

September 19, 2007 Wednesday

New Essex chapter of Jaycees targets young entrepreneurs
KEVIN C. DILWORTH, STAR-LEDGER STAFF

Citing the need to get young Essex County men and women involved in volunteerism, community service, business development and job networking, Eldridge Hawkins Jr. has launched a new Jaycees chapter for 18- to 40-year-old aspiring entrepreneurs.

The newly formed Orange Essex Jaycees, based in East Orange, and the first of its kind in a New Jersey urban community, is pushing for its first membership meeting next month, said Hawkins, a West Orange police officer and real estate investor.

"I get bored very quickly and I'm always looking for challenges," said Hawkins, the son of former state Assemblyman Eldridge Hawkins Sr. (D-Essex), a prominent East Orange attorney.

The 28-year-old lawman chose to create the Orange Essex Jaycees - part of a worldwide federation of young professionals and entrepreneurs who promote volunteerism - and pave the way for it to join Nutley as the only other Essex County community to have a United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees) affiliated organization.

Kick-off activities for the Orange Essex Jaycees will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 4. That is when a membership drive meeting is scheduled at his father's law office at 55 Washington St., Suite 309, two blocks north of Main Street.

Discussions at that meeting will focus on doing "positive things in the community, such as voter registration, career fairs at high schools, generating interest to make our membership and network bigger, and learning how to network among ourselves," the younger Hawkins said.

"Typically, in New Jersey, Jaycees chapters are in suburban areas," Hawkins said. "The more urban areas are overlooked."

That is a key reason why forming the Orange Essex Jaycees is important, said Hawkins, a board member of the new group along with Kristie M. Howard, vice principal of the Essex County Vocational School's North 13th Street Center in Newark, and Ibrahim Bangoura, senior tour chief with the West Orange First Aid Squad.

"It's all about networking, and doing positive things for the community," Hawkins said. The organization's goals and objectives include helping people develop personal and leadership skills.

Other than East Orange and Nutley, other New Jersey Jaycees chapters exist in Atlantic City, Chatham, Cranford, Florham Park, Glen Rock, Lakewood, Lincoln Park, Phillipsburg, Westfield and Wildwood.

"Short of Nutley, there is nothing else here," Hawkins said of the Jaycees. "Everyone is welcome. This is by no means exclusive to people in urban areas. We want people from Caldwell, Livingston. It's open to everyone. Everyone's welcome from the entire county."

Membership dues are $35 a year.

"The more people we get, the more things we can do," Hawkins said. "The national mandate to have a Jaycees is to get 20 members to start a chapter, and we already have those 20 members."

Anyone wishing more information on the Orange Essex Jaycees or to fill out an application, before the Oct. 4 meeting, Hawkins said, can either email him at ppmanagementllc@aol.com or call him at: (973) 919-3613. Brochures and applications are available.

Founded in 1920, the nonprofit Jaycees organization has about 1,500 chapters throughout the United States.

Kevin C. Dilworth may be reached at kdilworth@starledger.com or (973) 392-4143