Our Mission Statement
To foster mother-daughter relationships in a philanthropic organization committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Program
National Charity League, Inc. is a national non-profit organization of mothers and daughters, who join together in community involvement, within local chapters throughout the United States. The goal of National Charity League is to promote a sense of community responsibility in our daughters and to strengthen the mother-daughter relationship. The daughters, along with their mothers, participate in a six- year program of philanthropic work, educational activities, leadership training and cultural events.
Our History
In 1925, a small group of women who were interested in philanthropic work met together, calling themselves “The Charity League”. They worked very quietly, doing Red Cross work by making layettes and assembling and delivering food baskets to the needy at holiday time. A few daughters met with their mothers to help. One of these daughters was the future Mrs. Paul Lawrence who is considered to be the founder of National Charity League.
By 1938, so many daughters of “The Charity League” members had become involved that they decided to form their own group. They called themselves “Ticktockers”. In 1942, the name “Charity League” was registered in Sacramento by Mrs. Lawrence. Even though philanthropic endeavors increased, the focus in l942 shifted to World War II. Charity League and Ticktockers were put on hold.
In 1946, the group “Ticktockers” was reactivated. A year later, in 1947, “The Charity League” was reorganized as a mother/daughter league and renamed “National Charity League”. The mothers chose to take the name of “Patroness”. The Ticktockers and their Patroness mothers sent 500 pounds of clothing to needy people in England, Holland and Belgium, as well as participating in many local charitable endeavors. The newly formed group decided to expand its program beyond philanthropic work to include educational and cultural activities.
National Charity League was incorporated as a non-profit corporation, organized solely for philanthropic, educational and cultural purposes, on September 10, l947 in Los Angeles, California. It is the original mother-daughter charity. The National organization continued to grow with the additional chapters of: Glendale (organized 1942; chartered 1951); San Fernando Valley (organized 1948; chartered1955); Foothill (organized, 1955; chartered 1956).
Our Chapters
The Peninsula Chapter was founded in 1957 and chartered on October 29, 1958. The Peninsula Chapter’s first president was Mrs. Charles (Lynn) Ullrich, II. The Peninsula Chapter is a member of the “Quarter Century Circle”, chapters that were chartered during the first twenty-five years of National Charity League. The Newport Chapter was also organized in l957 and chartered in 1958.
From 1958 to 1980 seventeen additional chapters were formed and chartered from San Diego to Santa Barbara, inland to the Coachella Valley and as far east as Salt Lake City Utah (the first chapter outside the state of California). Today, growth is rapidly occurring throughout the country as people discover the unique characteristics of National Charity League. The Palos Verdes Chapter was organized in May, 2004 and chartered in 2006. It also consists of members who live on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
In all of these years, the standards and policies of National Charity League, Inc., Peninsula Chapter have been to foster community service and to strengthen the mother-daughter relationship through participation in a program of philanthropic work, educational and cultural activities and social events. As a result of the Ticktocker experience, many young women have continued to be involved in community service in college and beyond. Others have taken their Ticktocker experience and used it to define their college and career choices. It is the gift of National Charity League, Inc.