Welcome to Highlander

Mothers & Sons Serving Together to Impact Their Local Community

Welcome to our Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League!

The four years of high school go by incredibly fast. Finding time to spend together with your teenage son gets harder and harder. When you join YMSL, you commit to spending quality time together with your son serving your community.

In these moments, he sees your dedication to serving others. You see his eyes and heart become open to the world around him. These are memories to last a lifetime and service projects that impact our community forever.

In addition to service, YMSL offers valuable leadership opportunities and a four-year curriculum that covers topics such as car repair, interview skills, cooking, hazing prevention, and more.

We hope you will consider joining us. The time to start the membership process is during your son’s 8th-grade year. We look forward to meeting you and serving together. Scroll down for more details.

About YMSL

The Young Men’s Service League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit national organization. Members of YMSL are moms and their teenage sons who volunteer together to serve their local communities during his four years of high school. YMSL currently represents over 27,500 members and young men as part of more than 160 chapters across 22 states. 

YMSL offers moms service opportunities and time together with her son(s) to grow their relationship and to instill in him a heart of service to last a lifetime. In addition to service, as part of its four-year comprehensive program, YMSL teaches leadership and life skills to develop our young men to become the capable, confident, and compassionate leaders of tomorrow.

The pillars of the YMSL experience are service, learning, and leadership. YMSL is a four-year comprehensive program. Requirements for membership include:

YMSL Mentor (Sponsor)

YMSL is a sponsorship organization; a prospective member needs to be mentored (sponsored) by a current member of the chapter she wishes to join. Contact membership for guidance. Enrollment is during the son’s 8th-grade year. 

4-Year Commitment

Joining YMSL is a four-year commitment. Young men and their mothers are expected to remain active in the chapter during his four years of high school. An annual Volunteer and Senior Recognition Banquet is held each spring.

20 Hours of Service

A minimum of 20 service hours is required annually at a variety of chapter-approved philanthropies. Half of these hours must be served as a Mother/Son team.

Job within the Chapter

Each mom and son must individually serve in a job or leadership position within the chapter. Positions rotate annually. Roles offer valuable experience and leadership opportunities.

5 Meetings

A structured four-year curriculum for young men covers a variety of life skills and brings in local speakers. Young men must attend at least 5 meetings per year. Moms must attend at least 3 meetings per year.

Membership Fees

YMSL annual chapter dues and banquet fee.

Contact membership for more details.

Joining YMSL

Ready to take the next step?

Enrollment for new members takes place in January/February/March of the son’s 8th-grade year.

If you do not know anyone in YMSL, please contact us to assist you.

YMSL is a sponsorship organization, which means a prospective member needs to be mentored and sponsored by a current member of the chapter they wish to join.

If you would like to learn more about joining, please click the contact membership button below to send us a message. 

Our Chapter’s Membership Dates & Deadlines for Enrollment:

    Contact Membership

    Testimonials

    Coming to America 41 yrs ago as a genocide survivor, we faced food insecurity, and relied on places like Brother Bill to help. Now I am lucky to be able to do my part with YMSL. Everything comes in full circle: now my boy and I are giving back.
    KunthearDallas, TX
    Some of the best conversations I’ve had with my sons has been on a drive delivering meals to seniors with VNA-Meals on Wheels! So grateful YMSL encouraged this opportunity and time well spent with my sons!
    ElizabethDallas, TX
    My son and I had a blast encouraging our local special needs community at the Buddy Bowl.
    RebeccaDallas, TX

    Leadership

    Our Chapter’s Leadership Board

    Kelli Wagner

    Board Member: President

    Laurie Shults

    Board Member: President

    Cara Pierce

    Board Member: First Vice President

    Amy Kovac

    Board Member: Parliamentarian

    Leslie Carroll

    Board Member: Parliamentarian

    Neely Thrash

    Board Member: Secretary

    Elissa Huff

    Board Member: Secretary

    Carmen Pou

    Board Member: Treasurer

    Laura Haag

    Board Member: Treasurer

    Elizabeth Miller

    Board Member: VP Communications

    Heidi Parker

    Board Member: VP Membership

    Lisa Daggs

    Board Member: VP Philanthropy

    Esther Choi

    Board Member: VP Website

    Margaret Danielson

    Board Member: VP Young Men Coordinator

    Kate Bryant

    Board Member: Assistant VP Membership

    Carrie Rosamond

    Board Member: Assistant VP Membership

    Lisa Lajous

    Board Member: Assistant VP Philanthropy

    Cindy Smith

    Board Member: Assistant Secretary

    Melissa Gerhauser

    Board Member: Assistant Secretary

    Anna Graves

    Board Member: Assistant Treasurer

    Jennie Elverum

    Board Member: Assistant VP Young Men Coordinator

    Marie Briner

    Board Member: Assistant VP Young Men Coordinator

    Philanthropies we Serve

    Alphabetical List

    • Bed Start
    • Bonton Farms
    • Brother Bill’s Helping Hand
    • C.C. Young Senior Living
    • Carry the Load
    • Feed My Starving Children
    • Highland Park United Methodist Church
    • HP BUDDY BOWL
    • Lovers Lane United Methodist Food Pantry
    • Operation Gratitude
    • Ronald McDonald House of Dallas
    • Sleep in Heavenly Peace
    • Special Olympics
    • Trinity River Audubon Center
    • United to Learn
    • Visiting Nurse Association of Texas – Meals on Wheels
    • Voice of Hope Ministries
    • Wesley Rankin Community Center
    • Wreaths Across America

    If you are a philanthropy interested in partnering with our chapter, we would love to hear from you. Please use the contact our chapter button below. 

    Contact our Chapter

    We look forward to hearing from you about membership or how our members can serve your philanthropy and our community. Click the button below to contact our chapter.

    If you are interested in joining our chapter, please use the contact membership button in the Join section.

    To learn more about the YMSL National organization visit: YMSL.org

    To see a full list of chapters visit: YMSL.org/find-a-chapter

    YMSL Privacy Policy

    Contact Our Chapter