Submitted by Carolyn Edelman, Pearl #12, 2005-2006 Pearl President

The 1972 National Jaycee Convention in San Diego was the birthplace of the United States Jaycee-Ettes organization. The first President was Jill Mitchem from Alabama. Due to the enthusiasm expelled at that meeting, a few women came back to California and started compiling the by-laws for the California Jaycee-Ettes. It took two years to get these approved by the California Jaycees and the United States Jaycee-Ettes.

In 1974, at the Sacramento Convention, Marlene Larson was appointed the first State Coordinator by Walt Sadie, the new President of the Jaycees. We were given rooms to hold General Session, workshops and competitions. We followed the same guidelines as the Jaycees.

The second California State Coordinator was Paula Rolleri, appointed by Dick Davenport, Jaycee President. Her first general session had over 500 women in attendance. The third State Coordinator, was Jan Levinson Wight, appointed by Gene Tatman, and the forth appointed Coordinator was Casey Urqhart, appointed by Mike Deveso.

The women became a little aggressive in 1978-79. That year Barbara Smith from Pomona was the first elected California Jaycee-Ette President.

In the second year of the California Jaycee-Ettes, under Paula Rolleri’s reign, a group of Jaycee-Ettes met and wanted to have an award equivalent to a JCI Senatorship. The California Pearl Award was put into motion. A Pearl was chosen as the award title as it is derived from a grain of sand, and we were always a grinding force to the Jaycees. In 1979, the Jaycee-Ettes approved the California Pearl Award.

In 1980, the first Pearl was bestowed upon Marlene Larson and the second to Paula Rolleri. Jan Levison Wight was to become Pearl #003. After that, the Pearl guidelines, which were similar to the criteria of the JCI Senators, were created with one additional note to give a maximum of five Pearls a year. In some years, only one or two Pearls were presented.

There were ten years of Jaycee-Ettes from 1974-1984. There were also ten great leaders who changed the lives of women in California. The following were the Presidents of the California Jaycee-Ettes and the California State Presidents they worked along side.

1974-75 MARALENE LARSEN WALT SADY
1975-76 PAULA ROLLERI DICK DAVENPORT
1976-77 JAN LEVINSON WIGHT GENE TATMON
1977-78 CASEY URQHART ` MICHAEL DEVESO
1978-79 BARBARA SMITH BOB GEORGE
1979-80 ALYCE GARDNER DAVE NICOLET
1980-81 LYNN PATZOLD WAYNE BRUSHETT
1981-82 BARBARA SODITCH KEN FERGESON
1982-83 JEAN KOEHLER ED MOLLOY
1983-84 JUDI COUPAR MIKE IRVINE
1984-85 HOLLY MC DONAGH GREG STAVISH

Although, the Jaycee-Ettes were dissolved and many of these women became Jaycees, the Pearls are still in existence today. New Pearls are awarded annually at the California Jaycees November Convention.

Due to the Jaycees being a coed organization, a few men have been honored with a Pearl. The first man to receive a Pearl award, was Wayne Brushett, #042 for all his support to the Jaycee-Ettes in their early years of existence

Help us to recognize outstanding Jaycees and Alumni that you feel are worthy of being honored as a California Pearl. Contributions creating a sterling ideal of excellence and achieving a profound impression upon the California Jaycees should be submitted to the California Pearls for nomination.