LOMBARD – For the past 63 years, the Lombard Jaycees have established traditions within the village, but disagreement with the wider Jaycees organization recently led members to vote to dissolve their chapter and begin the Lombard Commonwealth.

"The state organization has gone in a direction that our members didn't like, so we were left with no other option than to leave the Jaycees and form a new organization," said Lombard Commonwealth President Jackie West, who served as president of the Lombard Jaycees for the past three years.

The new nonprofit organization plans to continue the community projects the Lombard Jaycees had led, such as the Taste of Lombard, Man of the Year and haunted house, which is currently open.

“We were basically paying to have the Jaycee name,” West said.

She explained the annual $60 dues collected by the Jaycees are paid to the larger organization. Local chapters don’t get to use that money for projects.

West said her chapter began discussing dissolution at the beginning of the year after new leaders took over at the state level. Initially, West opposed the idea and wanted to continue to operate the Lombard Jaycees as they had in the past.

Then, in September, the Illinois Jaycees changed their bylaws, which West said took away members’ rights.

In response, West posted a quote by Hitler on the Lombard Jaycees Facebook page about taking away people’s rights little by little so that they don’t notice.

West said she was told she had 24 hours to take down the post by the state social media group.

“I took down the entire page,” she said.

She thought the issue was over, but 10 days later, she was notified she would have a discipline hearing Nov. 15.

Earlier this month, the Lombard Jaycees voted to dissolve their chapter, and former members assembled the Lombard Commonwealth.

“A question we asked ourselves is what benefit do we get by remaining Jaycees, and the answer was none,” West said.

At the time of dissolution, the Lombard Jaycees had 29 members. As of Tuesday, the Lombard Commonwealth had 45 members.

The Lombard Commonwealth is open to those 18 and older and charges $30 in annual dues, which can be waived for those who lead projects or fundraisers.

The group also has a junior chapter open to people ages 7 through 17 for $15 in annual dues.

West said the Lombard Commonwealth wants to continue involving young people in their community.

“Our haunted house is different from any other haunted house there is because it is done by kid volunteers,” West said.

The Lombard Commonwealth’s junior chapter plans to redecorate the haunted house for the Christmas season. The new attraction, called “Frightmare Before X-mas,” will continue to surprise and startle.

West is looking forward to the new project and continuing other traditions.

“I just want to move forward...I want to focus on the good that Lombard Commonwealth is currently doing,” West said.