On August 7, 1988, six mothers from the Glen Burnie area of Anne Arundel County were called together by Christine Scott Davenport. Forming a family-related organization to meet the needs of AfricanAmerican families in predominantly white Glen Burnie and its surrounding area was the topic of discussion. Previously, Mrs. Davenport had been in San Francisco attending a convention for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., which was held at the same time and in the same hotel as the National Convention of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Mrs. Davenport noticed that the speakers and agenda of the organization were dedicated to children. She was also impressed by the stature of women in attendance and the breadth and scope of their programming. Returning home, she was very excited and got together with Gloria Marrow and several mothers from the Baltimore County Chapter. They explained the goals and objectives of this family centered organization and Mrs. Davenport was convinced that this was the type of organization that her community needed.
The August 7th meeting took place at the home of Sylvia Tilghman in Severn, Maryland. A steering committee was formed to begin recruiting mothers with the same interest and vision as Jack and Jill of America, Inc. The Steering Committee consisted of Earnestine Butler, Christine Davenport, Doris Durrett, Nancy Jernigan, Erretta Morris, and Sylvia Tilghman.
These dynamic women started on a mission. In less than a week, the committee had identified more than 25 mothers who shared the same vision and objectives. During the following two years, several programs were implemented for the group and the children of the community; many continue today. The group fulfilled the requirements set forth by National and was chartered on October 27, 1990, with 15 founding members.
In 1999, the membership submitted a request to National for a chapter name change. Arundel Bay Area was chosen to better reflect the geographical region covered by the Chapter. The name change officially took effect at the 21st Biennial National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in July 2000.