Several Junior Auxiliary of Columbus board members recently traveled to Greenville, Miss., home to the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries (NAJA) headquarters, to celebrate a milestone anniversary for the chapter, which has been diligently serving the children of Lowndes County since 1943.

2023 marks the 80th anniversary of Junior Auxiliary of Columbus, which has a rich history that dates back to the years prior to the official establishment in 1943.

In the fall of 1942, 36 local women who recognized a great need in Lowndes County, sought to establish a local chapter of the NAJA. The group was originally organized in 1940 and was known as the “Reveler’s Club.”

It was the sacrifice of these women, and the hundreds of women who followed in the decades to come, that shaped the local chapter into one of the most impactful and highly regarded NAJA chapters in the southern United States.

Junior Auxiliary of Columbus was granted an official charter by NAJA in the fall of 1943. The mission focus being to support and encourage the children of Lowndes County, with the strongest emphasis on ensuring that their basic human needs were being met.

The women of Junior Auxiliary of Columbus have diligently served the community for eight decades.

The continued dedication of its chapter members, along with effective leadership and the extraordinary amount of community support and sponsorship received, has helped the organization to thrive in this time.

While visiting Greenville, the board members met with NAJA Executive Director Melanie Livingston, who gave them a tour of the headquarters and reviewed the archives of historical documents relating to the Columbus chapter with them.

Tucked inside filing cabinets and bins of old scrapbooks is a wealth of history about the Columbus chapter, which is one of the oldest in the country. The constitution for the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries was drawn up in 1941, just a few years prior to the establishment of the Columbus chapter.

“It’s fascinating to see the exceptional history of our chapter,” said current Public Relations Chair Jaimie Beckham. “Our chapter was founded during extraordinary times and the charter and early chapter members worked so hard to establish a strong, lasting legacy. Their work and sacrifice are not lost on us. We recognize that we would not be where we are today if it wasn’t for those pioneering women.
Reviewing the old newspaper articles and documents was eye-opening, humbling and awe-inspiring all at the same time.”

The legacy of Junior Auxiliary of Columbus is currently being carried out by 55 active members and 16 provisional members. These 71 women attend monthly meetings and provide thousands of hours of service each year through nearly a dozen current projects. In 2022, Junior Auxiliary of Columbus members turned in 11,793 hours of service to the children of Lowndes County.

At the helm of leadership this year is fourth year active member and President Ashli Dunn.

“I am so grateful and humbled to have had the opportunity to visit NAJA headquarters. Reviewing the historical archives brought to life the rich history, hard work and dedication of the women that served to build the foundation of our great organization.”

For more information on Junior Auxiliary of Columbus, visit www.jacolumbus.org.

Special thanks to 2015-2016 President Bethany Hairston for her assistance with this article.