New London — It was an afternoon for celebrating firsts at the Port 'N Starboard Banquet and Conference Center Sunday.

There, more than 100 members and friends of the New London County section of the National Council for Negro Women gathered, sharing laughs, conversations and food as they honored eight community members.

JoAnn Miller, state convener for the New London County section, said the local group has been celebrating Founder's Day in one way or another since right around 1976, when it was formed. The national council, which Mary McLeod Bethune founded in late 1935, is almost 80 years old, she noted.

"Every year we just take a timeout to honor (Bethune's) memory," Miller said. "Today we thought we would honor some people who have been trailblazers in their fields."

As each woman, from Norwich Mayor Deb Hinchey to 21-year-old clothing line creator Chaurielle Robinson, was named, she offered the crowd pieces of advice: don't let age be a limit, stay persistent, plan ahead.

One honoree, Regina Rush-Kittle — Connecticut's first African American woman to become, among other positions, a state police major — summed up their words.

"I want African-American women, African-Americans, minorities and women in general to continue to excel and aspire to be the first," Rush-Kittle said. "Open those doors, break those glass ceilings, go through. Don't look back to clean up the glass. Just look back to bring someone else up behind you."

Acting as bookends on the women's speeches were the spoken words of Naomi Jones, a 15-year-old Waterford resident whose two pieces relayed a similar message: let what's inside of you inspire your outward actions.

She said it was "really cool" to perform at Sunday's luncheon.

"It means basically I'm not only being noticed by my church family, I'm being noticed by everyone else, by the national council," Jones said. "That's a big thing."

Giving a brief history of the council and the New London Section, Sylvia Baird said recognizing and supporting youth is at the forefront of the organization's mission.

"Bethune's purpose of starting the NCNW was to harness the great power of nearly a million women into a force for constructive action," Baird said. "From those beginnings came programs that targeted racial injustice on many fronts and had a strong focus on education and developing programs for our youth."

Programs like that still exist today, Miller said, whether through the New London County section independently or through partnerships with other local organizations.

"We don't have to reinvent the wheel if (organizations) are doing something already that goes along with Bethune's legacy, which is to leave no one behind," Miller said. "We try to reach out to young people with educational needs and try to just build up women and girls in the community."

She wanted most of all for Sunday's event to be "fun and interesting" for all in attendance.

"We hope that we'll get people talking, networking and helping to support one another other in the community," Miller said. "That's what this is all about."

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle