"Summer programming has begun! Just feet away from where Jeronda taped this video, summer campers were having fun; you may actually hear them in the background.
I'm incredibly proud that when a child joins one of our summer camps, they're getting the experience of a lifetime- going on exciting field trips, learning new games like chess, enjoying activities like kickball, flag football, and dance, and most importantly making new friends and lasting memories.
Another thing that makes all of us very proud, is that our programs celebrate diversity and teach tolerance. No matter where a child comes from, their race, gender, or socio-economic circumstances, EVERYONE is celebrated, and EVERYONE is welcome."
~ Kathryn Parsons, Board Chair
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CLUB MEMBER OF THE MONTH
Nathaniel is a 3rd grader at Hobe Sound Elementary School and has been a Hobe Sound Club member since 2019.
Inquisitive and a natural-born helper, his first question when he arrives at the Club is always, "can I help staff with snack time?" Consistently demonstrating the characteristics of a good citizen and a future leader, Nathaniel is eager to go above and beyond to help his friends and the staff.
Not surprisingly, Nathaniel is also a trivia buff. Constantly filling his mind with facts, he often fact-checks staff and fellow Club members, but all in good fun!
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Our 3 Pillars for Success |
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Good Character
& Citizenship
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STEM Saturdays
Setting the next generation up for success in math includes involving parents in the lab or classroom when math or STEM programs are happening. The Indiantown, Club recently hosted Muffins with Mom in tandem with STEM Saturday. Dads showed up too and the event provided a fun framework for engaging the whole family in STEM education.
At the Hobe Sound Club, members learned about the solubility of different substances like salt and sugar. Encouraged to follow the scientific process, they first formed a hypothesis and then they conducted experiments to prove their theories true or false. Logging their observations they observed differences between the crystals and using a dropper they counted how many drops of water it takes to dissolve each.
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Going Purple
For more than 30 years we’ve strived to build safe, supportive, and inclusive Club environments, where everyone can reach their full potential. Club members rely on us as a safe haven to guide them through difficult situations and help them make critical decisions that will have a lasting impact on their health and social and emotional wellbeing.
One such decision is being drug-free, and that isn't easy when opioid use is at epidemic levels. During National Drug Prevention Week, and just before Club members left for summer break staff tackled this difficult but important topic by conducting age-appropriate conversations with members. Helping them build up the skills that will help them remain drug-free as they go through summer and grow into young adults.
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Flag Football
According to the NFL, flag football is one of the nations fastest-growing youth sports. And like soccer, it provides many physical and emotional benefits in addition to being safer than traditional football.
All four Clubs now have a flag football team and members are enjoying the new athletic program thanks to generous support from the Andrew K. Dwyer Foundation.
While many of the participants are already involved in football programs outside of the Club, at the Club they’re enjoying the coaching, skills training, drills, and new exercises designed to strengthen their bodies, minds, and improve their teamwork.
Later in June, the Clubs will come together for a game day in Hobe Sound. Follow us on social media for an update and photos from the special day.
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Graduation, whether from middle school to high school, high school to college, or between grades- represents a significant milestone for children and their families.
After nearly three years of the pandemic, research reveals that graduation rates have dipped in as many as 20 states and that fewer kids are graduating on time. While Florida, while graduation rates have steadily grown for nearly a decade, unfortunately, growth has slipped back since 2021. (Source: ABC News, June 2, 2022, and ChalkBeat.)
Although today's young people face tremendous challenges, dreams have no limits when kids have our Clubs. Boys & Girls Clubs of America reports that nearly 100% of teens enrolled in a Boys & Girls Club are expected to graduate. And that's something to celebrate and an excellent reason parents should consider Club life for their teens.
Each of our Clubs makes a massive deal out of graduation, from kindergarten to grade one, middle school to high school, high school to college, or workforce certification. We celebrate all their hard work and achievements.
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(L-R) James L. Newland, Val McNeely, Jim Clark, President and CEO and Lorraine Orr, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. |
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It’s the highest acclaim the Boys & Girls Clubs movement can bestow in recognition of outstanding service by a volunteer leader. Earlier in May at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America national conference in Chicago, this tribute was granted to longtime board member Val McNeely.
Val McNeely received the James L. Newland Lifetime Achievement Award in Board Leadership for demonstrating extraordinary service and devotion to the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs, both locally and nationally.
“It's impossible to overstate the value of the positive environments in our Clubs. They exude an intentional balance of safety, security, warmth, and welcoming,” says Kathy Parsons, BGCMC Board Chair. "Congratulations Val!"
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Indiantown High School Partnership |
The Bill & Barbara Whitman Club in Indiantown is proud to partner with the Martin County School District and the Indiantown community to be the temporary home for the charter high school until the new campus is built.
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Well Earned Awards and Fletch's Perspective |
Last month, Master Gardner Paula Smith won an award from Keep Martin Beautiful for her dedication and work in the Indiantown Community Garden.
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SCHOOL'S OUT & CLUBS ARE IN |
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It's summertime, and we're ready! Ready for fun, academic enrichment, and exploration. While many of us fondly recall summer vacations and camps, that is not the case for many children in our community. Fortunately, we can eliminate that barrier for many with our Summer Enrichment Camp programming. Your gift will help children have a safe place this summer to learn, grow and explore this at no cost to their families.
Thanks to generous contributions from donors, we can invest in our children, their families, and the community at large. But the ongoing pandemic and related challenges have made this programming more critical than ever for the kids and more costly than ever to fund. Thank you for considering a camp contribution today. Your support will ensure that every camper has the summer they deserve.
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About Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County
For 30 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County has provided award-winning programs designed to guide and inspire young people ages 5-18 to learn, grow and mature in route to becoming successful adults. Each of the four Clubs and satellite Clubs enjoy strong partnerships with local schools and communities. Such cohesion ensures that Boys & Girls Clubs’ programs complement and enrich the curriculum our members learn in class as well as remain attuned to the challenges and opportunities they face on a day-to-day basis. The Clubs offer opportunities for fun, fitness, arts & culture, games of strategy, S.T.E.a.M. activities, robotics & technology, and certified teacher work with Club members on everything from tutoring and homework help to specialized project-based learning that prepares them for Bright Futures!
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