The United States Junior Chamber Annual Meeting was held June 8 – 11, 2011 in Lisle, Illinois with delegates from El Dorado & Magnolia in attendance.

Past State President & current National Vice-President John Baine was recognized by 2010 National President Jeff Lank with a Presidential Medallion for outstanding service last year. John Baine also completed requirements to become a JCI Certified National Trainer earlier that week.

The 2010 Year-End Awards were presented on Saturday, March 5th by 73rd State President Jeff Deniston in Jonesboro.  The winners are:

Jaycee of the Year: John Baine, El Dorado Jaycees

Outstanding Chapter of the Year: Fort Smith Jaycees

Outstanding Local President President of the Year: Hannah Stephens, Magnolia Jaycees

Outstanding Local Officer of the Year: Josh Groner, Fort Smith Jaycees

Outstanding State Officer of the Year: Sam Abernathy, Jonesboro Jaycees

Parade of Chapters:

1. Jonesboro Jaycees
2. Magnolia Jaycee
3. El Dorado Jaycees

Local Jaycees run for office every election cycle.  A congratulations to the following Jaycees elected for 2011:

• Kevin Settle, Fort Smith Board of Directors
• Justin Hendrix, El Dorado City Council
• John Baine, Union County Quorum Court

We are proud to announce the election of our 2011 State Officers:

Toby Stephens, Magnolia, 74th State President
Jeff Deniston, Jonesboro, Chairman of the Board
Josh Groner, Fort Smith, State Vice-President
Kelli Harrison, El Dorado, State Vice-President
Kelly Privett, Paragould, State Vice-President
Jeff Taylor, Jonesboro, State Vice-President

The mid-year Arkansas Parade of Chapters rankings are:

1. Jonesboro Jaycees
2. Paragould Jaycees
3. El Dorado Jaycees

John Baine of El Dorado was elected as a National Vice-President of The United States Junior Chamber for 2011. The election was held at the 90th Annual Meeting on June 4, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

John Baine served as President of the El Dorado Jaycees in 2006 when he led the Chapter to #1 in Arkansas and #3 in the United States in the National Parade of Chapters. His work earned him the Charles Kulp, Jr. Memorial Award from The United States Junior Chamber and the Local Chapter President of the Year Award from the Arkansas Junior Chamber. He went on to serve as Business Development Vice-President of the Arkansas Junior Chamber in 2007 where he was recognized with the Dennis Hamilton Memorial Award for Outstanding Programming by The United States Junior Chamber. He served as the 71st President of the Arkansas Junior Chamber in 2008 and Chairman of the Board in 2009.

He is a JCI Certified Local Trainer and was appointed by The United States Junior Chamber President Jeff Lank as the 2010 Chair of The United States Junior Chamber Training Task Force.  The Training Task Force was created to develop training materials for state and local chapters.

He is an accountant with Murphy Oil Corporation and is serving his fifth term as a Justice of the Peace on the Union County Quorum Court.  He is also active on the boards of the Arkansas Association of Quorum Courts, Arkansas State University Alumni Association, and was appointed by Governor Mike Beebe to the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources Advisory Committee.