One Club’s Award-Winning Participation Push

Helping Youth Become Good Citizens

Your Board: How to Create a Culture of Giving

in this issue

SUMMER/FALL 2012c o n n e c t i o n s

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Anyone who dedicates their life to working with kids, as we do in the Boys & Girls Club Movement, is frequently asked what benefits young people derive from their organization. More and more often, Clubs are able to respond with meaningful data and statistics. Nationally, we’re making significant progress to aggregate member outcomes that demonstrate Clubs’ collective impact, as well as data showing the impact of individual local Clubs. With the first National Outcomes Survey, we’ve taken a giant step forward.

Last spring, some 40,000 youth surveyed at more than 700 Club sites provided Boys & Girls Clubs of America with critical insights. For example, 70 percent of members believe Club staff have high expectations for them. We also learned that fully 95 percent expect to graduate from high school, while 73 percent expect to earn a four-year college degree.

These are indeed high expectations – much higher than national averages for college and high school graduation. These are the expectations we must make possible for our youth. That’s why we’ve embarked on a strategic plan with the Formula for Impact at its center.

It’s clear that Clubs make a difference for the youth they serve. The young people we surveyed compare favorably to national averages for physical activity and risky behaviors like alcohol and tobacco use. This is great news, and a great reminder: To realize our vision of every member graduating from high school with a plan for the future, a dynamic Club Experience that emphasizes the core outcome areas of Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles is essential.

We have these important preliminary results thanks to the Clubs participating in our National Youth Outcomes Initiative. To quantify our impact on a national level, and use the results to make critical decisions about how we serve youth, our goal is to have all Clubs on board collecting and sharing data by the end of 2013.

We know that serving more kids, more often is the gateway to achieving critical outcomes for youth. This year already, many Clubs are reporting impressive gains in average daily attendance. For myself, I believe every Club must strive to be the place children and teens want to be. Because inside Club doors, nothing less than a great future awaits.

Connections is published by Boys & Girls Clubs of America. It is distributed without charge to member Clubs of Boys & Girls Clubs of America as a service of their memberships.

Articles or article ideas should be submitted to the Editor, Connections, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 1275 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Use or return of material cannot be guaranteed and no remuneration can be made. Opinions expressed by contributing authors do not neces-sarily reflect policies of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Copyright ©2012 by Boys & Girls Clubs of America. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.Job No. 2051-12

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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA & FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA

Honorary Chairpersons

ROBBIE BACHRICK GOINGS

PETER L. HAYNESM. ANNE SZOSTAKChairmen Emeriti

EMIL J. BROLICKChairman of the Board

JAMES L. CLARKPresident and CEO

EVAN MCELROY Senior Vice President

Marketing & Communications

c o n n e c t i o n sv o l . 3 2 , n o . 2

KELLY GAINESEditor in Chief

JOHN COLLINSManaging Editor

MICHELLE McQUISTONWriter/Editor

BGCA CREATIVE SERVICESDesign & Layout

JAMES L. CLARK PRESIDENT AND CEO

Learn how your Club can get involved. Contact Ed Mishrell, Senior Vice President of BGCA Planning and Measurement, at emishrell@bgca.org.

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TSFEATURES

2 20 Years in Indian CountryRespect for tradition, hope for the future

6 The Royal TreatmentMLB and Kansas City rally for Clubs

11 The More Things ChangeA look at Academic Success through the years

12 Prosperity in Puerto RicoIsland Clubs enjoy unprecedented growth

18 A Civics AffairNew tools for helping youth become good citizens

22 Diplomas to DegreesHelping teens go from high school to higher ed

COLUMNS14 Chairman’s Report

From BGCA leader Emil Brolick

26 Excellence in ActionHow one Club developed a giving board

28 View from the PotomacState Alliances and other news from the Capitol

NEWS8 A Movement in Motion

National Conference highlights

16 Kids Vote with Their Feet Staff, programs and parents boost participation

20 Operation: WashingtonMilitary youth get close up look at democracy

24 In Praise of ProfessionalsClub professionals honored in San Diego

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w w w . B G C A . O R G

Clockwise from top left: Youth from BGCs of Southcentral

Alaska in Hydaburg; Club members celebrating SuAnne Big Crow BGC’s

20th anniversary in Pine Ridge, S.D.; Theo D. dancing during BGCs

of the Three Affiliated Tribes’ 10th anniversary celebration

in New Town, N.D.

By his own measures, Ernie Stevens was a grown man at 15 – driving a car and holding down a full-time job. It took his mentors at the Oneida

Boys Club near Milwaukee, Wis., to teach him how to be a kid again. And that lesson, says Stevens, saved his life.

A member of the Oneida Nation, the young Stevens faced many of the same dire circumstances still challenging Native American youth. Like roughly 50 percent of today’s Native students, Stevens had dropped out of high school. But Club staff provided the male role models he desper-ately needed and persuaded him to finish high school. Later, Stevens returned to his Club as a youth develop-ment professional, earning money for college.

Now a respected civil rights advocate and chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, Stevens was inducted into Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Alumni Hall of Fame this year. “You have changed lives; you have saved lives,” he told Club leaders and professionals at the induction ceremony. “You have made America and Indian Country better.”

In the years since Stevens was a youth, the Boys & Girls Club Movement launched an initiative to open Clubs on tribal lands. In the early 1990s, Clubs had established new units in public housing as a means of reaching out

20 YEARS IN INDIAN COUNTRYNATIVE AMERICAN CLUBS EMBRACE TRADITION, LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH HOPEBy Michelle McQuiston

“You have changed lives; you have saved lives. You have made America and Indian Country better,” said Ernie Stevens of the National Indian Gaming Council during his induction to BGCA’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Here, he stands with Leatrice “Chick” Big Crow, CPO of the SuAnne Big Crow Boys & Girls Club, at its 20th anniversary celebration this summer.

In Noorvik, Alaska, the Club is the fun place in town during the cold, dark Arctic winters.

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to young people most in need. Native American com-munities and tribal lands were clearly also home to youth with great needs not being served by other organizations, says BGCA Senior Executive of Special Initiatives Glenn Permuy.

In Pine Ridge, S.D., where the first Native American Club organization was established in 1992, there is virtually no commerce or industry. As a result, 80 percent of adults are unemployed, and 97 percent of families live below the poverty level. Fully one-third of Pine Ridge homes lack electricity and running water. Tribal communities all across the United States face alarming rates of alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and teen suicide.

Amidst these conditions, Boys & Girls Clubs in Indian Country provide children and teens with safe places and positive activities. Often, they are the only venue for youth in the community. Club staff provide critical mentoring and diabetes education. Suicide prevention programs quite literally save lives. Clubs collaborate with tribal agencies and elders to foster traditional knowledge, building both self-esteem and positive relationships between youth and tribal leaders. Through academic enrichment and leader-ship development, Clubs in Indian Country help young people find alternatives to gangs, violence and addiction – and a path out of generations of poverty and despair.

“We are warriors for our youth,” said Jacqueline Johnson Pata, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, at BGCA’s 2012 National Conference. A member of the Native American National Advisory Committee for the Movement, Johnson Pata was honored with the prestigious Jeremiah Millbank Award for her con-tributions to Native youth.

NEW BEGINNINGSIn 1995, there were 11 Clubs on tribal lands across the United States. Ramon Elias, presi-dent/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley in Tempe, Ariz., approached the Gila River Indian Community with a pro-posal. The Tempe organization would use a $75,000 grant and its 30 years of youth devel-opment experience to open a Club on tribal lands. If the community was happy with the outcomes for kids, the tribal council would provide funding for the Club to continue.

“Of course, once a Boys & Girls Club is in any community, they love it,” says Elias. Within a year, the tribal council was so impressed that it agreed to provide ongoing funding and a building for a full-service Club. Elias secured an additional $300,000 grant from Intel to renovate it. In 2009, the tribes funded a second, $6.5 million, 29,000-square-foot

Clubhouse in the Gila River village of Komatke.

The Komatke Club and its sister branch in Sacaton run Keystone, Youth of the Year and other core Boys & Girl Club programs. But they also incorporate specific, cultur-ally relevant offerings. Tribal elders volunteer to teach tra-ditional languages and crafts. They also play an important role in the local success of TRAILS, a national diabetes prevention program, says Elias.

Common in Indian Country, the high rate of diabetes in Gila River can be traced in part to the community’s agricul-tural past, says Elias. High-calorie diets once were needed to fuel physical work on the farm. With today’s more sed-entary lifestyles, such diets can lead to health problems. Elders can relate this history to youth and explain why it’s necessary to adjust eating habits. As a result, kids are more aware of the importance of diet and exercise, and they’re eating better – including fresh produce from the Club gar-den at Komatke.

That’s not the only positive outcome Gila River youth have achieved since the Clubs opened. A community-wide high school dropout rate of some 80 percent spurred the

Teen delegation from BGCs of the Three Affiliated Tribes to the Intertribal Youth Summit in Washington, D.C.

Tulalip Club kids interact via satellite with ocean researchers in Club’s new Immersion Center, which offers important STEM learning opportunities.

3CONNECTIONS

tribal council to offer full, four-year scholarships covering tuition and living expenses for any tribal member who pursues higher edu-cation. Elias urged the council to also create a program to employ returning graduates. “You don’t want your kids to grow up with their goal in life being to get out,” he told the tribal Governor. “You want them to come back and be role models.”

College enrollment has increased from 30 tribal members in 1995 to more than 1,000 in 2011. Graduates are returning to jobs with the tribal government and its businesses. “That is so good for kids to see,” says Elias, “that there is hope, and there are opportunities.”

COMING IN FROM THE COLDGeographic isolation is a chal-lenge for many Clubs on Native lands, but none are more far-flung than the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska. Just eight of the organization’s 35 Clubs are on a road system – the rest must be reached by boat or airplane.

In many of Alaska’s tiny Native villages, the Club is the only place for kids to meet and interact after school, says CEO Alana Humphrey. “Compounding the isolation in our communi-ties,” she explains, “is the long, cold winter.” Wind chills can reach 60 degrees below zero, and some areas experience months of round-the-clock darkness. At times, polar bears menace the vil-lages. The organization’s 25 Clubs on Native Alaskan lands provide kids with bright, warm, safe places to engage in positive activities.

Depending on the traditions of the community – Alaska is home to an incredibly diverse 196 tribes – Clubs may offer story-telling, Native dancing, drum-ming, beading or Native language

instruction. These activities take on added significance in the struggle against Alaska’s extraordinarily high suicide rate, which is three times the national average. Isolation and a loss of culture, hope and opportunity contribute to the epidemic for youth, says Humphrey, who serves on a statewide suicide prevention task force. The Clubs provide young people with sustaining connections to their heritage. Additionally, Club staff are trained to recognize signs of crisis. “Young people at risk are wrapped in prevention ser-vices,” says Humphrey – even if that means flying them to another town to access needed care.

Perhaps the most important thing Clubs do is simply talk about suicide, says Humphrey, bringing a very private sub-ject into the open. One Native Alaskan village had been so devastated by loss that community leaders erected a Suicide Wall to commemorate the victims. In 1993, a Boys & Girls Club opened in the village. After not one name was added for years, the village took down the wall.

BOOM TIMES BRING YOUTH RISKSWhat began as a small youth services program run out of a house trailer in New Town, N.D., the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Three Affiliated Tribes last year celebrated its own 10th anniversary. Six Clubs now serve 1,700 youth on the Fort Berthold Reservation, home to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation.

This community has seen another type of growth, too, with the discovery of some 4 billion barrels of oil under the res-ervation. Because of a complicated patchwork of property ownership and mineral rights, few tribal members have benefitted financially, says Executive Director Ryan Eagle. But the entire community faces new risks for its youth, as camps of oil workers have sprung up around the reserva-tion, driving new demand for illicit drugs, alcohol and prostitution.

Residents are also concerned about the potential envi-ronmental impact, the acute housing shortage and find-ing ways to ensure that financial resources generated by the new industry are managed to benefit the community. “When the oil is gone, the oil companies will leave,” says Eagle, “but this is our land. This is our home.”

How does a Boys & Girls Club address the complicated issues borne of an oil boom? One way is by cultivating the leadership of the community’s teens. Club teens participate in a version of BGCA’s national SMART Leaders program; they receive mentoring and training in public speaking. Teens in each Club design a community service project, and they have opportunities to speak before the tribal council. This summer, Club teens attended the National Intertribal Youth Summit in Washington, D.C., where they met with members of Congress and discussed ideas for making posi-tive change in Indian Country.

The Gila River teen program features horseback riding.

Gardening at the Komatke unit.

Tulalip Club kids greet BGCA’s Jim Clark.

Bright and warm in Alaska’s Emmonak Club.

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“We’re trying to break down those barriers where kids don’t feel they have the right to speak up and be involved in important issues,” says Eagle. In Fort Berthold, the Nation is in the process of adopting a new constitution. Eagle believes young people should have a voice in that process. “We want to develop our kids into well-rounded citizens of their tribe, their state and their country.”

THE “TULALIP MODEL”Thirty minutes north of Seattle and just a few miles from the Tulalip tribal community, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County’s Everett Club had long served tribal youth through outreach, mainly sports leagues. Over the course of 18 years, that relationship has grown into a robust partnership between the Club and the tribes that profoundly impacts the community.

The Tulalip (pronounced “TUH-lay-lup”) Boys & Girls Club opened in 1994 in an elementary school on the res-ervation. “Right off the bat, it was a vibrant place for the kids,” says Chuck Thacker, who was the school principal at the time and now serves as Tulalip’s unit director. The positive difference the Club made for youth was imme-diately evident, says Thacker. The tribal council and the community noticed, and soon decided to invest $1 million to build a freestanding Clubhouse on the reservation.

“I remember standing on the future building site, look-ing at the forest,” says Thacker. The tribal chairman at the time, Stan Jones, said to Thacker, “Have a safe place for kids. Make it for all kids. Feed our children well. Teach them to read. Have fun activities for them. Be a hub for the community.”

Those remain the guiding values of the Tulalip Club today. “The Club is a beehive,” says Snohomish CPO Bill Tsoukalas. “It’s the main gathering point of the reserva-tion.” The Club is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, six days a week, closing only on Sundays and eight holidays per year. Hosting some 250 kids daily, the Club also serves three meals per day.

“The community likes knowing these doors are open,” says Thacker. “The tribe is made up of very giving people, and one of their main concerns is their kids.” The tribal gov-ernment now funds the Tulalip Club completely each year, and two members of the tribal board serve on the Board of Governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County.

Tulalip can serve as a model for other partnerships, says Tsoukalas. The Tulalip Club has grown and thrived as the Tulalip community has developed a casino, retail and other local businesses. Not all tribal nations will have the same resources to offer, admits Tsoukalas, but the trust and spirit of collaboration between the Club and the Tulalip Tribes are critical keys that can be replicated. In fact, BGCA is working to add at least two more Native Clubs in the state by 2013, using the Tulalip Club as a model.

Today, there are 200 Boys & Girls Clubs on Native lands, serving some 88,000 youth in American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaskan Native communities. “As a Movement, we have had many great successes over the past 20 years,” says Eagle from the Fort Berthold Clubs. “Just think of all the lives we have saved in Indian Country alone.”

Michelle McQuiston is writer/editor for BGCA.

MILESTONE FOR THE MOVEMENTThe SuAnne Big Crow Boys & Girls Club celebrated its 20th anniversary this summer in a ceremony that also marked two decades of Clubs in Indian Country. Tribal activists established the Club in honor of a local teen leader who died in a tragic automobile accident, to fulfill her dream of “a happy place” for the youth of Pine Ridge, S.D. At the event, a Native dance troupe from the Club performed. Dignitaries from throughout Indian Country and Washington, D.C., were in atten-dance. Robbie Callaway, who was BGCA’s senior vice president of Government Affairs when the Movement embarked on its Native American initia-tive, honored Club founder and CPO Chick Big Crow. “Chick, congratulations on this magnificent day. You are a hero to so many,” Callaway said.

5CONNECTIONS

THE ROYAL TREATMENTMLB AND KANSAS CITY RALLY ONCE AGAIN FOR CLUBS

Local Club member Stefon Griddine waves to the sellout crowd after delivering the game ball to the mound.

Ron Vesely/MLB Photos/Getty Images

Like most of the country, Missouri endured a sizzler of a summer. On July 10, it was particularly torrid as the Kansas City Royals hosted Major League Baseball’s® 83rd All-Star Game. With a gametime temperature of 90 degrees and scalding base knocks throughout, K.C. had the hottest ticket in town. And once again, Boys & Girls Clubs were at the center of all the action.

The festivities surrounding MLB All-Star Week™ provided a lifetime of memories for all involved. More than 1,000 Club members and their families received complimentary passes to MLB All-Star FanFest®, the annual interactive celebration of all things baseball. The kids relished opportunities to swing away in batting cages, test out their arms in speed-pitch booths, and even simulate a base-stealing play by a favorite player.

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FACILITY FACELIFTEven as baseball’s best gathered to celebrate America’s pastime, MLB and the Royals took time out to celebrate the local commu-nity, including a renovation of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City’s Independence Unit. The massive makeover included new classrooms and restrooms, expanded kitchen, landscaping improvements, new furniture and upgraded HVAC system. The increased capacity means the unit can serve twice as many young people, about 140 kids a day. In the words of Greater Kansas City President Dave Smith, “The generous contributions of Major League Baseball and its partners will have an enduring legacy not only for Boys & Girls Clubs, but the entire metropolitan area.”

HOME RUN HELPThe night before the All-Star Game, eight of baseball’s strongest sluggers competed in the State Farm® Home Run Derby®. Each was paired with a local Club member, who joined them on the field for the nationally televised competition. Batting for 17-year-old Axton Buchta of the Harrold Youth Center at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, the Detroit Tigers’ Prince Fielder knocked 28 balls out of the park to win. As a result, the BGCA-affiliated Youth Center received a $50,000 donation for teen center improvements. The other Club teens also emerged victorious, taking home $10,000 each to renovate their teen centers. In all, 82 baseballs were launched out of Kauffman Stadium, raising $440,000 to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

By delivering wonderful opportunities for children and teens throughout All-Star Week, Major League Baseball once again scored the winning run for Boys & Girls Clubs and its members.

Club kids get a VIP welcome to FanFest from, left to right, Royals President Dan Glass, Hall of Famer George Brett, Kansas City Mayor Sly James, team owner David Glass and MLB Executive Vice President Tim Brosnan.

Robert Binder/MLB Photos/Getty Images

Axton Buchta, top right, with Prince Fielder and sons, Jaden, left, and Haven Fielder, celebrate the slugger’s Home Run Derby win. As the champ’s on-field partner, Axton’s Fort Leavenworth Youth Center received $50,000 toward teen center enhancements.

Kyle Rivas/MLB Photos/Getty Images

The Mariner Moose clowns around with Club youth during MLB All-Star FanFest.

7CONNECTIONS

At the opening conference session, Jim Clark delivered his first keynote address as BGCA president and CEO, in which he outlined his vision for the future. National Youth of the Year Nick Foley was on the dais, too, shar-ing how the Club Experience enabled him to overcome personal obstacles and become the successful college student he is today. BGCA Chairman Emeritus Robbie Bach was honored for his longtime board leadership at the local and national levels with the Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award, our foremost volunteer honor.

Boys & Girls Club members played prominent roles throughout the three-day event. As Conference Ambassadors, Nick Foley and our Regional Youth of the Year winners hosted sessions, engaged in panel discus-sions and did an outstanding job at all times! At the clos-ing night Grand Finale, talented Club youth from across the country treated a full house to top-notch singing, dancing and comedy performances.

Engaging Super-Sessions addressed the latest youth devel-opment trends and issues, providing Club professionals with valuable tools and practices for their organizations. Topics covered included bullying, social media and teens, board engagement strategies, and how to build a strong volunteer program.

We celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first Boys & Girls Club to open on Native American lands. Today, there are 200 Clubs in Indian Country, which serve some 88,000 youth in American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaskan Native communities. We commemorated this important initiative by presenting a resolution to Jacqueline Johnson Pata, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians.

Next year’s conference takes place May 1-3 in Orlando, Fla. It now has a new standard of success to live up to.

More than 2,500 Boys & Girls Club professionals and supporters poured into San Diego for Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 106th Annual National Conference, making it our best-attended conference since

2008. The great turnout for the May 2-4 gathering included some 500 board members from Clubs around the country.

AMOVEMENT IN MOTION

ENERGIZED ATTENDEES PRODUCE BEST CONFERENCE

TURNOUT IN FOUR YEARS

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1. At a panel discussion on youth bereavement, Darnisha Victorain shared how the 2010 death of her father affected her. The Pacific Region Youth of the Year was joined by Dr. David Schonfeld of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (left) and Joey Schueler, director of operations at the BGC of Ada County, Idaho.

2. Juliette Shipp of Pennsylvania’s North Penn Valley BGC brought the audience to its feet with her powerful rendition of Adele’s No. 1 hit,

“Rolling in the Deep.”

3. In the dynamic general session “Rediscovering Play,” author Kevin Carroll explored how the spirit of play can lead to more meaningful professional and personal growth.

4. BGCA President Jim Clark and National Youth of the Year Nick Foley were featured speakers at the conference opening session.

Facing Page: Elite to the Beat’s electrifying mash-up of gymnastics and dance set the crowd to buzzing. The dynamic trio hails from the BGCs of Thurston County in Washington state.

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9CONNECTIONS

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

On May 2, nine former Club kids were inducted to the BGCA Alumni Hall of Fame. To a person, they recalled how

the Club helped them achieve their long-term goals. How staff members provided guidance and structure to succeed in school, to stay healthy, to build strong character. As a result, each found the way to a uniquely great future, confirming the power of the Club Experience to change lives.

1. Cuba Gooding Jr.Actor and Academy Award Winner Boys Club of Tustin, Calif.

“I remember the whole organization being so open. Everybody was so, so helping.” 2. Anthony Lee ErvinOlympic Gold Medal Swimmer Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley, Calif.

“Club staff members were like older brothers, except they wanted to help you.” 3. David Lindsay-Abaire Writer and Pulitzer Prize Winner Boys Club of South Boston, Mass.

“I remember getting my Club card and feeling incredibly proud.” 4. Misty CopelandSoloist, American Ballet Theatre San Pedro (Calif.) Boys & Girls Club

“I really found my outlet and my voice in the Club.” 5. Ne-YoSinger, Songwriter and Grammy Award Winner Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas

“Life will put limits on you. But the Boys & Girls Club? Absolutely not.” 6. Powers BootheActor and Emmy Award Winner Snyder (Texas) Boys Club

“Our schools were segregated, but the Club was not. We got to know one another as human beings.” 7. Maj. Gen. Darren W. McDew Commander, Air Force District of Washington, Andrews AFB, Md.; Hampton Falls (Va.) Boys Club

“The Club built me into the confident leader I am today.” 8. Ernest Stevens Jr.National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Oneida (Wis.) Boys Club

“I was looking for a father figure. The Club is where I found it.” 9. CC SabathiaN.Y. Yankees Pitcher, World Champion, Cy Young Award Winner; Continentals of Omega Boys & Girls Club; Vallejo, Calif.

“The Club kept me off the streets and pretty much saved my life.”

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THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...

Helping kids develop their learning skills has always been a

top priority for Boys & Girls Clubs. In the 1920s vintage snapshot above, for instance, two members enjoy the Boys Club of Schenectady’s well-stocked library in upstate New York.

Nearly 100 years later, digital learning has become a significant part of the Club Experience. Below, Club kids learn critical hardware and software skills in the tech lab of the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe in Kings Beach, Calif.

As new learning strategies emerge, Club programs and opportunities evolve accordingly. What never changes is our commitment to give kids the tools they need – educational and otherwise – to achieve their great futures.

11CONNECTIONS

Isabela is a municipality of some 48,000 on Puerto Rico’s northwest coast. Its soft beaches, majestic mountains and rain forest are among the natural

beauty that makes tourism one of the area’s key busi-nesses. Even so, 55 percent of city residents live below the poverty line, a reflection of the island’s general economic condition.

In 2009, Mayor Carlos Delgado-Altieri decided to build a youth center to give Isabela’s children and teens a fighting chance against the chronic poverty. Then, after successfully raising funds for the project, Mayor Delgado hit a wall.

“Mayor Delgado had the vision to create a youth cen-ter,” says Eduardo Carrera Morales, vice president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico. “Once he secured the funds, he realized he didn’t have the time to run it. So he visited a Club to see what we did.”

A VISION REALIZEDFor 45 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico has helped strengthen the minds and bodies of island youth through guidance, athletics and academic support. In the past five years alone, the organization has increased the number of youth it serves to more than 11,000. By design, the organization does not own facilities. Communities wishing to establish a Club must provide the building and pay for maintenance and utilities – no small consideration with electricity three to four times the cost on the U.S. mainland.

Mayor Delgado’s vision came to fruition last April with the grand opening of Isabela’s Boys & Girls

Club. The ultramodern Clubhouse – the eleventh on the island – spans 44,000 square feet. It includes classrooms, state-of-the-art computer lab, art and dance studios, a well-appointed gamesroom, conference rooms and full-sized hardwood basketball courts.

The new facility is one of eight new Clubs established on the island since 2004. In addition, the organization main-tains six Clubs in public housing communities, with plans to open up to 12 more through a partnership with the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration. The extraor-dinary growth is the result of careful thought and analysis.

SMART GROWTH“Six years ago,” says Carrera, “we made the decision to be more intentional in everything we did. That meant metic-ulous measuring of progress at all levels.”

To start, a performance management tool known as the “balanced scorecard” was implemented at each facility. Each Club uses 16 objectives and 27 metrics to mitigate risk and monitor programs. Staff members collect and input the data, which tracks execution by Club staff and monitors the results of their actions.

At the conclusion of each quarter, senior leader-ship reviews performance results from the prior three months. After determining what went wrong and what went right, recommendations

From left: Modern façade of new Club in Isabela, P.R.; BGCA’s Jim Clark at grand opening; the soaring interior foyer; basketball game on new court; a look at the expansive new gamesroom.

PROSPERING IN PUERTO RICO COMPREHENSIVE MEASUREMENT LEADS TO UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH FOR ISLAND CLUBS By John Collins

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are made. Once the recommendations are validated, tasks are assigned to specific Club staff members to implement the necessary enhancements.

The remarkable growth in youth served is just one mile-stone achieved through outcome measurement. Over the past five years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico’s rev-enue has increased more than 200 percent, enabling it to reach profitability. As a result, the organization can afford to reinvest more of its resources in its young people.

The 11 island Clubs, for example, have 315 employees, 30 percent of whom work full time. Through a partner-ship with the Puerto Rico Department of Education, each Club has a full-time education coordinator and five part-time tutors. Each facility also has three part-time spe-cialty instructors who teach English, Spanish and math to members.

FUTURE FORWARDWhile the Puerto Rico organization has made great strides, it can’t afford to be satisfied with its achievements. Not with an island-wide poverty rate of 45 percent, roughly triple the U.S. rate, according to a 2012 Annie E. Casey Foundation report. It also found 56 percent of children live in poverty, compared with 22 percent for the U.S. mainland. Furthermore, one-third of island high school students do not graduate on time.

After considering how it could expand its long-term impact, leaders of the Puerto Rico organization con-cluded Clubs can only go so far to affect major change. To achieve real progress for young people would require all youth development professionals in Puerto Rico working together for systemic change.

“Working together to advance public policy and educa-tion is the best way to impact the young people of Puerto Rico,” says Carrera. “We have people who are constantly looking for ways to change the quality of life for youth.”

John Collins is senior writer/editor for BGCA.

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Emil J. Brolick

columns Chairman’s Report

EVOLUTION ENSURES GREATNESSAs we celebrate this great milestone, I can honestly say I’ve never been more excited about the future of the Boys & Girls Club Movement, and about our plan to increase our impact on kids. We know it’s time for our Movement to evolve. To ensure our continued relevance, we must address the criti-cal issues that will ultimately determine the future of our young people and of our nation. That’s why Clubs have wholeheartedly embraced our Formula for Impact and our new strategic goals. We heard this over and over from colleagues at the National Conference.

Growth remains an important theme, but it involves a different strategy than we’ve pursued in the past. We will continue to see new Club locations serv-ing communities where needs are great. This is cru-cial. The more significant indicator, however, will be how many kids go to Clubs every day, and how many hours and days they spend with us. That’s why

average daily attendance is one of our key metrics: we know our greatest impact is made on kids who attend the Club more often and stay there longer.

By serving more kids, more often – and providing outcome-driven programming in our core areas of Academic Success, Good Character & Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles – we will realize our vision for all Club members to graduate from high school with a plan for the future.

Across the country, Clubs are working to ensure they’re operating at capacity, that members are attending more frequently and for longer periods of time. These efforts are paying off, with average daily attendance increasing Movement-wide last year. We recognized the importance of these efforts at this year’s National Conference, where the inaugural Honor Award for Participation and Attendance went to the Smyrna Unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County, Tenn. (Find out how this Club dramatically increased ADA on page 16.)

OUR MOVEMENT WORKING TOGETHER

At our 106th National Conference in San Diego this past May, it was my privilege to preside over an important celebration honoring 20 years of Boys & Girls Clubs on Native American

lands. We know Native youth face exceptionally tough circumstances. Volunteers and professionals at tribal Clubs deal with extraordinary challenges every day.

These Clubs are saving young lives, bringing hope and opportunity to communities where Clubs truly are needed most. What began as an ambitious experiment two decades ago has blossomed into a vibrant national network of 200 Boys & Girls Clubs that serve some 88,000 Native American youth. I applaud the work of all the Club volun-teers and staff serving youth on tribal lands, as well as the dedicated individuals who serve on our Native American National Advisory Committee.(Read more in our cover story beginning on page 2.)

14 SUMMER/FALL 2012

Another paramount concern to all of us in Boys & Girls Clubs is child safety and protection. Clubs, first and fore-most, must be safe places where young people can gather. As the premier youth-serving organization in America, we are redoubling efforts to ensure the safety of our kids, and to advocate for the protection of all children.

LEADERSHIP AT EVERY LEVELAt the national level, our Board of Governors is working hard to enable us to realize the goals of our Great Futures Impact Plan. As always, we want to ensure we’re providing Clubs with the support they need to serve more youth, with greater impact. Toward that end, we are recruiting governors with specialized skills to fortify certain areas of the plan. We also formed a new committee to take a seri-ous look at technology needs Movement-wide. If we want kids to succeed in school and build great futures, we must ensure they have the tools and skills to do so.

To achieve our goals, we need strong leadership at every level. Nowhere is this more critical than on our local boards. In each of our Club organizations, the local board provides the direction and generates the resources that ensure a strong and effective Club. That’s why every board must have a strong fundraising culture and strive for 100-percent board giving.

Active ownership and engagement by local boards are crit-ical to ensure we can implement the Formula for Impact

and achieve our strategic goals. If you’re a local board member, examine your Club’s strategic plan. Ask yourself and your fellow members: Are you on track? Are there areas that need strengthening? What will it take to ensure your Club has the greatest impact on youth in our three priority outcome areas?

As business leaders and practitioners themselves, most board members understand the importance of Key Performance Indicators in their own businesses. Part of our evolution as a Movement is our embrace of these types of tools to increase our effectiveness as organizations and, ultimately, our impact on kids’ lives.

OUR UNIQUE OPPORTUNITYThese are some of the “big picture” issues that we’ll tackle, together, to keep our Movement both relevant and successful. In the final analysis, the reason each one of us commits to Boys & Girls Clubs as a professional, volun-teer or board leader is because America’s kids need us.

We’re uniquely positioned to have an impact on complex, serious problems such as the high school graduation cri-sis. No other organization has the experience, the scope, the knowledge – and the heart – to embrace the children who most need the chance to succeed. There’s no other group of people who transform the lives of so many youth others think unreachable. Together, we will accomplish this important undertaking.

At the 2012 National Conference, Chairman Brolick presents the Jeremiah Millbank Award to Jacqueline Johnson Pata of the National Congress of American Indians for her contributions to Native youth.

15CONNECTIONS

If it’s 6 p.m. at the Smyrna unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County, Tenn., there’s a good chance kids are train-ing to run a 5K. Or snapping photos, solving brain-teasers or sculpting clay characters for an animated movie.

They’re participating in the special programs offered every eve-ning from 6 to 7. They likely chose their activities during “Rush Week” – the first week of each school year, when Club youth get to sample and sign up for interest-based classes like Team Fit, Whiz Kids, Photography Club or Clay Tech. “Rushing” takes place in the front lobby, where parents, too, are drawn in to learn more.

Rush Week is just one of the ways this Club promotes its fun and exciting programs to kids and their parents. Does it work? The Club’s average daily attendance, which tripled in a little more than a year’s time, suggests that it does.

A PLACE IN THE COMMUNITYIn 2010, the Smyrna Club was located in a 10,000-square-foot storefront. Membership was on the rise, and attendance was sky-

rocketing at other Clubs in the organization. But the Smyrna branch had always been cramped, says Chief Professional

Officer Todd Bale, and it couldn’t serve much more than 100 kids per day. So the organization launched a capital campaign and raised the funds to build a new facility on a donated parcel of land.

Months before the $3.2 million facility opened, Smyrna Unit Director Kelly Rubin and her staff began meeting

with school administrators, volunteering at school events and setting up member registration booths at open house

nights. Through these early recruitment efforts, they built relationships with both school officials and parents. They also conducted an informal assessment of local families’ needs and interests that would inform their program offerings.

While the new facility was under construction, the Club pro-vided transportation for new members to its existing Smyrna

PROGRAMS, STAFF AND ENGAGED PARENTS PUSH ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION TO AWARD-WINNING LEVELSBy Michelle McQuiston

KIDS VOTEWITH THEIR FEET

A capital campaign enabled Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County to build a new Smyrna facility that could serve more kids.

16 SUMMER/FALL 2012

branch, which remained in operation. Then, when doors opened on the new

unit on Aug. 30, 2010, aver-age daily attendance imme-

diately doubled to 200. Club leadership set a goal of 250 youth

per day by May 2011. That goal was quickly surpassed, and, by the beginning

of the next school year, the unit had reached an average daily attendance of approximately 350.

The new facility is extremely accessible. The Club can be reached on foot from five schools; staff pro-

vide walking escorts for elementary children. Buses and vans bring in kids from eight more schools.

The Club also works hard to show parents how the Club Experience benefits their kids. The mandatory new-parent orientation covers not only the Club and its programs, but also the history of the Boys & Girls Club Movement. “This is more than just an after-school program,” says Rubin. “Parents can see they’re part of something bigger when their kids join the Club.”

And they become advocates, making sure their kids attend regularly and encouraging them to participate in programs. “Parents vote with their kids,” says CPO Bale, “and kids vote with their feet. So this is a real testament to the quality of the programs and staff at the Smyrna Club.”

GREAT PROGRAMS, GREAT STAFFBoys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County has committed to hiring a full-time unit director, education director and program director for each unit. The Smyrna Club also has a recreation director. The organization still relies on a large and talented group of part-time and seasonal staff members, says Bale. But each Club now also has a core staff in the areas key to implementing the Formula for Impact. As full-time professionals, they are less susceptible to turn-over.

At the Smyrna Club, Rubin wanted to make further improvements, so she reorganized her team. Rather than running all the programs for one age group of mem-bers, each youth development professional is now assigned to one program area, such as Academic Success or Healthy Lifestyles. Groups of members, who are still orga-nized by age range, rotate through the program areas. Club staff can now develop greater levels of expertise and take more ownership of their programs.

Rubin also wanted to keep kids fully engaged in the final hour, from 6 to 7 p.m., when the Club is open but the core program rotations are over. She challenged staff to develop their own special programs and recruit members to participate in them – the genesis of Rush Week.

Club staff track attendance and program participation on a daily basis with membership management software, reveal-ing which programs are popular and which may need to be tweaked. When the staff identify a member who hasn’t attended recently, they contact the family to invite them back to the Club. If the family is experiencing a financial or transportation challenge, the Club tries to help address it.

The Club continues to cultivate community relationships, including one with an alternative high school. When the school brought its students on a field trip to sample Club programs during the school day, 20 new teen members immediately registered. Now, the high school provides after-school transportation to the Club.

Whether it’s providing free memberships to homeless youth (there are an estimated 900 in Rutherford County) or open-ing its fitness facilities to family members, the Club has made itself an invaluable part of Smyrna. As Director of Communications and Special Events Michelle Clifford puts it, “A brand-new, world-class Club – full of kids every day – is a source of pride for this community.”

Michelle McQuiston is writer/editor for BGCA.

HONORING EXCELLENCEAt the 2012 National Conference in San Diego, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s President and CEO Jim Clark (left) and Senior Vice President of Program and Youth Development Services Judith J. Pickens (right) presented the very first Honor Award for Attendance and Participation. The Smyrna branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County has more than tripled its average daily atten-dance, grown Club membership and increased program participation.

Unit Director Kelly Rubin (second from left) accepted the honor, along with the unit director of the Club’s Murfreesboro branch, Ginny Wright. Rubin attributes the Club’s success to several factors: location, community support, transportation, dynamic programs and a reorganized, highly dedicated staff.

With attendance up, the Club is focusing on deepening impact in key areas such as reading and literacy.

Family movie night draws kids and parents.

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A CIVICSAFFAIRBy Marie Netto

18 SUMMER/FALL 2012

How’s your civics knowledge? Here’s a quick pop quiz: What are the three branches of U.S. government?

If you came up with executive, judicial and legislative, you are in the minority. Less than 40 percent of Americans can name all three branches.

Boys & Girls Clubs have always encouraged members to be civically active. After all, it’s our mission to enable young peo-ple to become caring, productive, responsible citizens. That’s why Good Character and Citizenship – along with Academic Success and Healthy Lifestyles – is one of our priority out-comes for youth. Service is at the core of our efforts to build the character and citizenship skills of Club members.

STRENGTH IN SERVICEBoys & Girls Clubs have a long, proud history of inspiring youth to become involved in their communities by volunteer-ing. Helping youth understand how they can make a difference provides a great start to a lifetime of civic engagement.

Consider the strategic expansion of service opportunities for members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove in southern California. A year ago, Club staff invited members to volunteer. The response was so positive, they were able to engage large groups of youth in community-wide clean-ups. Recognizing Club young people were ready to do more this summer, staff members helped Club youth launch a com-prehensive service project to help area families in need called Community Closet.

With a goal of providing essential food, clothes and toiletries to 10 local families by summer’s end, members are driving efforts to involve the entire Club in Community Closet. According to Program Manager Jackie Iofi, “Older members are delegating tasks to younger members so that everyone’s involved.”

Nearly as important is the feeling of community connectedness Club members are realizing through their service, as they learn that civic affairs involve everyone.

WE THE PEOPLEYouth who volunteer are more likely to vote, have a positive work ethic and become socially responsible adults. But, to be fully engaged in civic life, youth must understand how our democracy works.

To build Club members’ citizenship skills, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has created We the People. The engaging new ini-tiative combining civics education and community service is currently being pilot tested at eight New Mexico Boys & Girls Clubs.

Our focus on civics education couldn’t be timelier. According to The Nation’s Report Card for 2010 from the Institute of Education Sciences, less than half of U.S. eighth-graders know the purpose of the Bill of Rights, with just 1 in 5 eighth-graders considered to be proficient in civics.

Bolstering the initiative is our partnership with former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and her edu-cational nonprofit group, iCivics. Justice O’Connor created iCivics in 2009 to teach today’s youth how democracy works. Speaking at BGCA’s National Conference last May, she noted that Americans’ awareness of civics is “on the decline.” To counter this decline in civics knowledge, nine lessons designed especially for Club members are available at www.icivics.org/bgca.

This combination of civics knowledge and civic action will help Boys & Girls Clubs build a generation of well-informed, engaged citizens to strengthen communities and our country. As Justice O’Connor notes, “Every young person needs to learn how our government works, and how they can be part of it.”

Marie Netto is writer/editor for BGCA.

YEAR OF SERVICEAccording to the National Conference on Citizenship, adults and children who vol-unteer are more likely to engage in other elements of civic life. With seven signature events available throughout the year, BGCA’s Year of Service campaign makes find-ing volunteer opportunities easy for Club youth. From January’s MLK Day of Service honoring Dr. King’s legacy, to National Family Week in November that invites families to volunteer together, BGCA provides members with opportunities to plan and imple-ment projects to make a difference in their communities all year long. To learn more, contact BGCA’s Romero Brown at rbrown@bgca.org.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor discussed the importance of civics education at BGCA’s 2012 National Conference in San Diego.

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Visits to Washington, D.C., memorials and monuments sparked great conversations about history and public policy among Club and Youth Center teens.

OPERATION:WASHINGTONHUNDREDS OF TEENS SEE DEMOCRACY CLOSE UP DURING FIELD TRIP TO NATION’S CAPITAL

20 SUMMER/FALL 2012

More than 700 teens of military families and their mentors met in the nation’s Capitol in June for “Operation: Washington.” Over

three days, youth enjoyed fun learning experiences that gave them a firsthand look at America’s political system in action. The first-time event was co-sponsored by the Close Up Foundation – a nonprofit, nonpartisan citizenship edu-cation organization – and Boys & Girls Clubs of America as part of a partnership grant from the Departments of Defense and Justice.

Through visits to historic memorials and institutions, meet-ings with members of Congress, and other unique teaching opportunities, the young people learned about their coun-try’s history and government. With the help of Close Up instructors, teens reflected on how people and events repre-sented by several memorials impact their lives today.

At the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, for exam-ple, participants engaged in a dialogue about civil rights and citizens’ roles in shaping public policy. Visits to the National World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial generated discussions on the roles and responsibilities of citizens in wartime.

Teens also met with Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Discussions centered on the reasons that civic values and community involvement are essential components for a healthy democracy and economy.

As part of the experience, participants developed action plans to address issues in their communities. One group, for example, decided to raise awareness about the link between youth unemployment and juvenile crime. Teens and men-tors headed home with a goal to implement their plans, and a newfound understanding of how important it is to be an active citizen of their community and their country.

BGCA President Jim Clark discussed how BGCA’s priority outcome area of Good Character and Citizenship enables youth to reach their potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens.

From left: Close Up Foundation Board Chair Joel Jankowsky and President Tim Davis met with Attorney General Holder and BGCA’s Kevin McCartney, Jim Clark and Chair-Elect Ron Gidwitz.

National Youth of Year Nick Foley (left) with Attorney General Eric Holder, who spoke to youth about the importance of mentoring, and being an active and engaged citizen.

The teens developed community action plans to address issues close to home.

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To learn more about Diplomas to Degrees, contact BGCA’s Ava Cooley at acooley@bgca.org or Dee Hatcher at dhatcher@bgca.org. For program materials, contact Eva Harris at eharris@bgca.org.

A CELEBRATION OF EDUCATIONNEW COLLEGE PREP PROGRAM HELPS TEENS EXPLORE POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES

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More than 200 teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore were introduced to college life this past March. During a tour of nearby Bowie State University, the young people received help-

ful information about financial aid, the college application process, and other impor-tant steps to enroll in college.

The campus was the site for the national launch of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s new college preparedness program, Diplomas to Degrees. The program’s goal is to prepare youth to enroll at a four-year college, community college or trade school. Its curriculum addresses two age groups, 12 to 14 and 15 to 17, covering similar con-tent with different levels of engagement. An activity for the older group, for example, is “Developing a College Portfolio.” Other activities include academic prerequisites, acquisition of essential skills, seeking guidance from teachers and mentors, and the college search and application process.

Program materials include a Facilitator’s Guide, Teen College Guide, and online support includes tips, strategies and other resources at myclubmylife.com/d2d. An outcome measurement tool is also included to track changes in member knowl-edge, attitudes and behaviors as a result of participating in Diplomas to Degrees.

LONG TIME COMINGThe Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County introduced Diplomas to Degrees to local youth last April by hosting a Teen Summit. Open to Club mem-bers and non-members alike, it provided teens with information any high school student could appreciate: what to do after they graduate.

High school senior Alana Anthony volunteered at the Summit. She thinks Diplomas to Degrees helps to unravel the mystery college can seem to be. “The program has highlighted a way to enroll in college that caters to each type of college-bound student whether they are scholarship eligible or not.”

Lydia Ali, director of the Annapolis Club’s Junior Staff Career Development Program, says Diplomas to Degrees is long overdue. “Too many teens are left out of priority counseling in this county because of an unbalanced student-to-counselor ratio. Many curriculums don’t target this population’s lack of knowledge or readiness for college.”

TEAMWORKDiplomas to Degrees is made possible by the generous support of Toyota Financial Services and Darden Restaurants. Both sponsors also encourage their employees’ involvement at Clubs in their communities. As a result, numerous Darden and Toyota personnel have served as mentors, hosted experiential learning opportunities and helped implement Diplomas to Degrees at local Clubs.

Toyota volunteers, for example, helped present the Bowie State event. “We are com-mitted to helping improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work,” said Mike Groff, Toyota vice president and BGCA Trustee. “We’re excited to help youth graduate from high school and enroll in a post-secondary institution.”

Similarly, Darden volunteers contributed to the Teen Summit in Annapolis. In addi-tion, the company’s Recipe for Success initiative, which provides Club youth informa-tion and tools to pursue a higher education, is the tier-one curriculum for Diplomas to Degrees. “Educational opportunity is intrinsically linked to our company’s cul-ture of helping people achieve their dreams,” said Angela Woods, director of Darden Restaurants Foundation. “Post-secondary education is the access point for individual opportunity and success.”

With Diplomas to Degrees, Clubs nationwide can provide members with the resources they need to achieve their post-secondary education goals.

BGCA Sr. V.P. Judith Pickens and Toyota V.P. Mike Groff at the Bowie State University event.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley welcomes Club teens to Bowie State, the state’s oldest historically black university.

NBA Hall of Famer and Club alum A.C. Green meets Metro Baltimore teens at BSU event.

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IN PRAISE OF PROFESSIONALSEach year at Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Conference,

The Professional Association honors outstanding youth development professionals who have significantly impacted Clubs and young

people. The exceptional individuals honored in San Diego are noted on these pages.

2012 Masters & MentorsSince 1999, The Professional Association has recognized Club professionals for sustained contributions to the Movement and excellence in their field as a Master and Mentor. The four Club professionals profiled on the opposite page were so honored at this year’s National Conference.

PROFESSIONAL of the Year

BRAD OVERBERGBoys & Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley, Idaho

Brad’s enthusiastic involvement in programs and trainings has made

him a model for youth development professionals and administrators alike. He has used his experience as a gradu-ate of BGCA’s Advanced Leadership Program to strengthen and inspire fellow Club professionals. In 2008,

Brad was honored as his Club’s Administrative Professional of the

Year. An active member of TPA, Brad was instrumental in re-establishing his

once dormant local chapter.

EXECUTIVE of the Year

PAT VAN BURKLEOBoys & Girls Club of

Greater Baton Rouge, La.

As chief professional officer in Baton Rouge for more than 20 years, Pat leads 80 Club professionals who

annually impact more than 10,000 youth. He encourages staff members

to be closely involved in as many aspects of operations as they can. In recent times, Pat negotiated a

Department of Education contract for Louisiana Clubs that was used to implement BGCA’s Advanced

Leadership Program for chief profes-sional officers, program directors and

select program staff.

ADMINISTRATIVE Staff of the Year

JAMIE WILCOXBoys & Girls Club of

Oshkosh, Wis.

This former Youth of the Year has served in many capacities for sev-

eral Clubs during his 34-year career, including athletic director, unit direc-tor and executive director. As facility manager of the Oshkosh Club, he oversees all facilities, systems, clean-ing and safety. Jamie has also seen

his children grow up in the Club. In 2009, his son proved to be a chip

off the old block when he, too, was named Youth of the Year.

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Herman S. Prescott AwardLate Boys & Girls Club professional Herman Prescott was dedicated to the inclusion of all people in decision-mak-ing processes, both as professionals and citi-zens. The annual award honors a Club profes-sional who reflects Mr. Prescott’s commitment to inclusion.

SIDNEY BOYDBoys & Girls Clubs

of America

Sidney’s enduring Boys & Girls Club career began in Tennessee at the Boys

Clubs of Greater Memphis. Under his leadership, the Club won four national awards for program excel-lence. In 1994, he was named first

director of operations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Montgomery, Ala. He was recognized as Southeast Region

Professional of the Year in 1996. Sidney joined BGCA in 1999 as

director of training and professional development.

DR. ELIZA NESMITHAirman and Family

Services, United States Air Force (Ret.)

In 1994, Dr. Nesmith’s advocacy was key to the Air Force becoming the first military branch to affiliate

its Youth Centers with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Today, BGCA-

affiliated Youth Centers serve youth and their families in all five military branches. Over her 28-year career, Dr. Nesmith served as a mentor to many people, several of whom now

hold leadership positions in Air Force youth services and civilian

youth agencies.

GEORGE KRUPANSKIBoys & Girls Clubs

of Delaware

As president and CEO, George over-sees a network that serves more than 25,000 youth every year. His ability to inspire, engage and create a call to action to serve more children in

more neighborhoods is well known. Throughout his 42-year career,

George has been –and continues to be – an untiring champion of Boys

& Girls Clubs, continuously rallying support from local civic, business and

philanthropic sectors.

RUSSELL TRIOLOBoys & Girls Clubs

of Union County, N.J.

As CPO of the Boys & Girls Club of Union, N.J., since 1980, Russell’s

leadership has helped the organization mature from one unit serving 2,000

children to five Clubs providing services to 7,500 youth a year. Russell

is actively involved with the TPA Garden State Chapter. He also served

on the TPA national board and as executive secretary of the New Jersey

Area Council.

2012 PRESCOTTAWARD WINNER

DENISHA TATEBoys & Girls Clubs

of Greater Milwaukee

A self-identified program person, Denisha understands how impor-tant professional development is

to an organization’s growth. Since 1997, she’s helped Club professionals enhance and expand their skill sets. As vice president of programs and operations for Greater Milwaukee, she helps new and existing Clubs to expand programming and services. Denisha previously held leadership

roles with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City and the Illinois

Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, where she provided training and technical

assistance to Clubs statewide.

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We all know a strong board is critical to having a strong Boys & Girls Club. Of course, that is easy to say, but not always so simple to execute. At the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, Wis., we’ve made it our goal to recruit community leaders – people who have a passion for our mission and can also support the Club financially.

columns Excellence in Action

Doug Hyde has served on the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh board of directors for more than 10 years. A past board president, he currently serves as board secretary and Area Council Liaison.

HOW TO BUILD A STRONG BOARD RECRUITING COMMUNITY LEADERS FUNDAMENTAL TO FUNDRAISING SUCCESS By Doug Hyde

26 SUMMER/FALL 2012

To ensure your Club has the support it needs to impact as many youth as possible, you need board members who are committed to actively raising funds. With that in mind, we no longer hold board orientations after someone joins the board. Bringing people onto the board and then telling them what the job is just doesn’t work. From the start, people know what is expected from them as a member of the Oshkosh board. That stops a lot of people who aren’t committed to the work from joining.

We’ve been fortunate to attract people who are well known in the community. They know they were invited to join the board to raise money to help kids. They take that responsibility seriously. For example, the entire board participates in the annual individual giving campaign, “It Just Takes One.” In addition, each member has a list of community contacts they agree to solicit. Even given the economic challenges of the past few years, we’ve managed to raise more money each successive year.

We’re always open to new ways to enhance our resource development strategy. In 2010, for instance, we took part in a BGCA major gifts pilot program. It involved using personalized strategies to meet individual donor expectations and provide them with ongoing opportunities to help young people. It helped us to better focus. By the time the program concluded, we’d solicited 11 major gifts worth a total of $2.73 million.

THE ASKNot everyone is comfortable asking donors or potential donors for their support. Nonetheless, being able to make

“the ask” is an essential part of a board member’s role. So we work hard to help all 21 of our board members develop donor-relation skills appropriate to their individual style. This includes using a management tool known as AAA.

Kay Sprinkel Grace developed AAA to motivate nonprofit board members based on an individual’s skills as an Ambassador (strong at cultivation, stewardship), Advocate (good recruiters and strategic planners) or Asker (frontline fundraisers). The Oshkosh Club became an early adopter of AAA after hearing the noted fundraising expert and author of The AAA Way to Fundraising Success speak at the BGCA National Conference in 2008.

For example, we use an AAA survey tailored to our development plan to determine how each board member wants to be involved. Once a year, our board president and our chief executive officer review each board member’s survey with them. These frank discussions cover areas such as personal contribution, gifts solicited and event involvement. Sometimes a board member comes to realize our priority focus on fundraising, strategic planning and

policy governance is not what they really want to pursue. So it’s a way to determine those who aren’t a good fit and make room for those who are.

MAKE IT THEIR CLUBDeveloping a board member is not unlike raising money. That is, it’s rare you meet someone who just hands you a check. It’s not that easy. It’s about developing and nurturing people. Similarly, you have to nurture and develop new board members to come to really appreciate and love their Club, which takes work. It has to become their Boys & Girls Club.

In my mind, you start with a small circle of key board members. You tell them stories about the Club and make it personal; true stories of kids who have overcome challenges. You need to spend time with them and help them get to know the kids. It’s not just about introducing them to kids in the hallway; it’s really taking the time to allow board members to connect with these kids whose lives they can change.

One tactic we’ve found to be very effective is to have our young people attend board meetings. When board members meet them and hear their personal stories, learn what’s important to them and how the Club has changed their lives, they get to know our youth and our programs on a much deeper level.

JOB ONEI’ve had the privilege of knowing some of our Club members since they were 12 or 13, and then seeing them off to college. It’s a joy to witness such success, knowing things could have gone very differently if not for their Club Experience. We have the best mission of any charity in the country. To meet that mission, board development is job one. I can’t think of a better way to spend your time and money than by helping kids who need help.

Excellence in Action columns

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columns View From The Potomac

28 SUMMER/FALL 2012

They say great partnerships are the product of strong relationships. So it was gratifying for me and the entire Government Relations team to see several of our relationship-building efforts come to

fruition this past spring.

IT PAYS TO PARTNERBy Kevin McCartney

On April 28 in St. Louis, for instance, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America announced the formation of the American Innovation & Mentorship Agreement to advance science, technology, engineer-ing and math (STEM) education. The two organizations will work together to promote a series of FIRST robotics programs for kids of all ages. By 2015, it is expected that there will be some 3,000 robotics groups that could potentially reach up to 4 million youth.

The following week we were in San Diego for the National Conference and pre-conference State Alliance Summit. More than 100 strategists and volunteers attended the Summit for a full day of discussions on challenges, successes and issues unique to State Alliances. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen spoke about the value of working with Clubs to deliver programs that help kids avoid negative behavior. Danica Petroshius of the Penn Hill Group, a government relations firm, provided an insider’s view of the federal education policy land-scape, and how various policies and proposals could impact Alliances and Clubs. We also honored Thomas Norman as State Alliance Professional of the Year for outstanding service to the Mississippi Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs

During the conference, we collaborated with the Close Up Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Protection (OJJDP) to deliver four enlightening sessions for Club professionals. Topics cov-ered included a new EPA children’s environmental health curriculum, and a civic education program to complement OJJDP mentoring programming.

At the annual Board Members Luncheon, Government Relations presented the inaugural State Alliance Awards:

View From The Potomac columns

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• Board Member of the Year – For extraordinary service, including advocating for Alliance-funded Youth of the Year scholarships: Shirley Craft, Texas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.

• Champion Award – For significantly helping an Alliance further its position or secure funding: State Rep. Juan Hinojosa of Texas, who helped secure more than $6 million for academic intervention programming; and State Rep. Barry Hyde of Arkansas for the key role he played in obtaining a $3.5 million grant that will enable 4,000 more youth to be served over the next three years.

• Alliance of the Year – For excellence in stewardship and oversight of state funding to assure public trust, includ-ing securing more than $18 million to support dropout prevention efforts and gang prevention programs state-wide: the North Carolina Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.

Back in Washington, D.C., on May 31, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington hosted an event to raise awareness about the 7 million U.S. children who have asthma. Senior leaders from EPA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) led a discus-sion about efforts to increase coordination of federal pro-grams and improve the delivery of asthma care to youth across the country.

The Office of Government Relations is privileged to enjoy such productive relationships with these and other out-standing partners. We thank them all for their ongoing support of Boys & Girls Clubs and our mission to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Kevin McCartney is senior vice president of Government Relations for BGCA.

During his keynote address at the Board Members Luncheon, Michael Strautmanis, White House Deputy Assistant to the Presi-dent, spoke about the integral role Clubs play in furthering mentor-ing efforts across the country.

Those attending a Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington event to raise awareness of the 7 million U.S. youth with asthma included (from left) Administrator Lisa Jackson of EPA, Greater Washington President/CEO Pandit Wright, BGCA’s Kevin McCartney, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Nancy Sutley of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.

These happy teens were among thousands of young people who descended on St. Louis for the FIRST Robotics Championship. Behind them, left to right, are BGCA’s Jim Clark, Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2), and Dean Kamen and Jon Dudas of FIRST.

At the State Alliance Summit, Acting Assistant Secretary George Sheldon of the Ad-ministration for Children and Families, HHS, addressed how Clubs can work more closely with both entities to help families in need achieve self-sufficiency and to give children the support they need to realize a successful future.

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