Youth of the Year Banquet Offers a Glimpse of our Good Future

With the headlines each day screaming of juveniles in trouble, declining graduation rates (depending on which study you read) and general malaise about the next generation of leaders, it might be easy to get depressed and worry about the future of our nation. That is unless you took the opportunity to attend the recent Tulsa Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year Banquet. It could be also called The Banquet of Hope.

At the banquet last week six youth who are members of the Salvation Army Tulsa Boys & Girls Clubs were honored for their exemplary accomplishments as members of their respective clubs. Four of the six competed for the Youth of the Year title. All are winners.

Established in 1947 nationally and in Tulsa in 1949, Youth of the Year is the Boys & Girls Club’s premier recognition program for Club members, promoting service to Club, community and family, academic success, strong moral character, life goals, poise and public speaking ability.

Neariah Persinger

Sixteen-year-old Neariah Persinger of Broken Arrow was named 2014 Youth of the Year. The New Covenant High School senior is an honors student, holds six Oklahoma state swimming records and racked up an impressive 1,000-plus volunteer hours last year. She also created a 24-hour marathon swimming event that in two years raised over $1,200 for the Wounded Soldier Project. Her goal is to be an Olympic swimmer.


Miana McHenry

First runner-up was West Mabee nominee Miana McHenry, who has been a member since she was nine years old. At 17, Miana is a straight-A senior at Booker T. Washington High School, sings in the all-girl choir and is a member of the Student Council. She serves as the president of the West Mabee Keystone club and volunteers at all West Mabee sporting events and fundraisers. Her volunteer hours for the past year totaled 800.



Devin Duckett

Representing the “Mabee babies” was 17-year-old senior Devin Duckett, as second runner-up. Devin, a 12-year member of the Club, is a senior at Tulsa MET and volunteers at the Club with sports programs and Summer Day Camp. He also plays AAU basketball and wrestles for his school. He plans to attend Oral Roberts University or Oklahoma State University after graduation.


J'Day McIntosh

Third runner-up was Mabee Red Shield nominee J'Day McIntosh. Just 15, and a sophomore at Will Rogers High School, J’Day has been a member of the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club for eight years. She volunteers at football and basketball games and is a member of the Keystone Club. McIntosh plans on attending Oklahoma State University after graduation and wants to obtain a Master’s degree in Sports Therapy.

The honorees were awarded academic scholarships in the amounts of $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.

Also honored at the banquet were 12-year-old Hannah Farias of Sand Springs and 13-year-old Brittany Wilson of Sapulpa. Though too young yet to compete in the Youth of the Year, Hannah attends Clyde Boyd Middle School and is involved in band, horseback riding and softball and Brittany attends Sapulpa Middle School and is a member of Torch Club, Keystone Club and involved in many of the Club’s sporting programs.

Consistent throughout the competition, these youth used the words “family,” “second home,” and “a safe place to be” to describe their Club. That doesn’t just happen. It comes about through dedicated staff and volunteers.

Past B&G Club Advisory Council Chairman Danny Roe was awarded the Clay Satcher Award, named for Retired Major Clay Satcher, founder of the Tulsa clubs. This award honors a member of the community who has shown commitment and support for The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Tulsa. Maj. Satcher was the keynote speaker at the event and personally presented Roe his namesake award.

Major Clay Satcher, Danny Roe, David Litterell (Exec. Dir. Tulsa Boys & Girls Clubs)

Many of us attend countless events, banquets, anniversary dinners and other such celebrations that honor the lifetime or longtime achievements of professionals in our community.

What made this one different, and special, is we were tipping our hats to our future. And, if these youth are any indication at all, it’s a good one.

Thanks to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tulsa.

-DJ

Championship Wins for Two Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Tulsa Football Teams

After months of long practices full of throwing, tackling and wind sprints, the 2013 football season in the American Youth Football Conference came to a close.

It ended on a high note for two teams: the North Mabee Mustangs and the Mabee Red Shield Cowboys. The 4th grade Mustangs team and the 3rd grade Cowboys team both won their championship game!!!

The 4th grade North Mabee Mustang team has a lot of talent. This marks the third year in a row this team has won the championship, winning as Mighty Mites (1st & 2nd grade) and as a 3rd grade team. The 4th grade team has NEVER lost a game!

The 3rd grade Mabee Red Shield team won a hard fought championship game 13-6. Mabee Red Shield’s 6th grade team also made it to the semi-finals.

West Mabee’s football teams also had a successful season. The 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teams all made it to the semi-final rounds of the playoffs.

Congratulations to all of the football teams, coaches, parents and support staff involved in the 2013 season!


-Carrie

North Mabee Boys & Girls Club Celebrates 40 Years

Some call it a “shining star” in North Tulsa, which some consider the most economically deprived area of the city. The North Mabee Boys & Girls Club is celebrating 40 years of changing lives in Tulsa by throwing a party. A big one. The Club is combining Homecoming at North Mabee with its 40th birthday celebration!

North Mabee is a place where kids can feel safe. Staff and volunteers work hard to show these kids how to be good citizens and let them know they have a chance in life. With a dark room, ballet classes and a recording studio, the Club exposes kids to the arts. It’s a place where kids discover they can dream big and those dreams can come true.

Kids in the recording studio

ACT/SAT prep with Ms. Carol

Tiny ballarinas!

North Mabee has an impressive list of alumni, including professional athletes, journalists, musicians, lawmakers and city leaders. 

Club Director Latrice Fowlkes has been with North Mabee for 22 years.

“I’m most proud of our volunteers,” says Fowlkes. “We have volunteers who are long-standing. Some have been here for 30 years. They love the kids. Some started volunteering when their kids were members, but stayed around after the kids left.” 

Something else North Mabee is proud of: its sports programs. During a 12 year period, North Mabee won football championships nine different times. Several professional athletes, including Philadelphia Eagles running back Felix Jones and New Orleans Saints wide receiver Robert Meachum, started playing football at North Mabee. But if you talk to any of the staff and volunteers at North Mabee, they’ll tell you it’s not about the sports, it’s about the kids. 

 The sports may have got the kids to the Club, but then the staff work to teach them about life. Staff will take Club members on college trips so they can tour the campus and get the experience of being on campus. The ACT program prepares Club members for college and helps them prepare for tests.  

“Kids used to come here for sports, but now they’re coming more for academics,” says Fowlkes. “They see how other Club members have become successful, and they want that too.” 

Performances are scheduled for the Homecoming/40th Anniversary Celebration along with face painting, a Jupiter jump and a chili dinner. It costs $4 for chili and a dessert.
 

Friday, September 20th
6pm - Pep rally followed by dance
Saturday, September 21st:
9am – Football games start
9:30 (halftime of first game) – Might Might Cheerleaders
10am – Lacy Jammers
11am – KIPP Prep School Drumline
12:45pm – Pizzazz Line Dancers

Come celebrate the great achievements of North Mabee!
- Carrie

United Way Day of Caring brings help where it's needed most

Each year, The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs and Center of Hope are used by thousands of people. During that course our facilities can become in need of some special TLC. But when you have lots of projects to do, and only a few people available on a regular basis to help, what do you do?

Solution: United Way Day of Caring!

The United Way Day of Caring is a once a year event always in September (and the kick-off will be held at our very own West Mabee Boys & Girls Club on September 6) where,

 “United Way matches volunteers in workplaces to projects at agencies across the community, giving volunteers an opportunity to contribute in a hands on way to make a difference. Employers give their employees the day to work in the community as an expression of their commitment to their employees and to the organizations that support people all across Tulsa. Projects may include interior or exterior painting, yard work, preparing community gardens, building ramps, installing shelving or providing computer training.”

Each year partner agencies like The Salvation Army count on the United Way Day of Caring to help complete tasks that we wouldn’t be able to accomplish on our own. This year the United Way will be helping us with over 30 projects and will provide over 200 volunteers and estimated 1,000 hours of man power. And with the average value of a volunteer hour being $18.28 that provides a value of $18,280 worth of time alone. Not to mention that many companies donate the needed supplies to assist with the projects.

This is why we depend on volunteers and the United Way so much, they truly make the difference! We couldn’t continue doing the most good without them!

To learn more about volunteering with The Salvation Army contact Jenny McElyea, Volunteer and Disaster Resource Manager at 918-587-7801 or to learn more about participating in the United Way Day of Caring contact Maxine Street 918-583-7171.  

-Jenny

Youth Football Begins at Tulsa area Boys & Girls Clubs!

 Boys & Girls Clubs offer enriching after school activities to Tulsa area youth

 In addition to great after school activities, the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Tulsa offer a wide range of sports activities for children. 

Right now, we have football and cheerleading happending at our 3 urban Clubs.

At Mabee Red Shield, it's the Cowboys, with teams from 1st and 2nd grade (the Mighty Mites) all the way to 6th.

West Mabee Club is the Panthers and North Mabee is the Mustangs.

Check out these great action shots from last Saturday's game on the 24th.

The 3rd grade Cowboys vs the Trojans; a 25-0 win for the Cowboys!   Go Cowboys!

I love little kids in little uniforms!

To find out about upcoming sports and activies, you can follow each Club on their own Facebook page!

Mabee Red Shield

North Mabee

West Mabee

Sand Springs

Sapulpa

Broken Arrow

Viva la sports!
-Vicki

Back to School: Volunteer Needs

School is in session! Hearing this is music to any parent’s ears, to students…not so much. 

As we gear down and start getting our Boys & Girls Club members into a new routine it’s important to start establishing good habits. 

One habit that proves to be highly effective to improve students’ learning and retention ability is to have a study buddy or a homework helper to assist in what kids sometimes view as the mundane task of doing homework.  Study buddies or homework helpers are volunteers who assist our club members with homework assignments at any of our 6 Boys & Girls Club locations.

 A study buddy can help a student in many ways from just letting the child read out loud to you to you to reviewing basic math problems. As a volunteer tutor you can help as much or as little as you are comfortable with! 

There are lots of benefits for kids who have a study buddy!
•    Fewer distractions then in a traditional classroom.
•    Able to focus on a specific area of interest
•    Helps build confidence and self-esteem. Perhaps the single most important factor in learning.
•    Catch-up sometimes kids miss things in class, having a homework helper is the perfect way to review materials.
•    SHYNESS! Sometimes a kid who is shy will back away from asking questions in a classroom, having a tutor who is there just to help them makes it easier to ask questions.

Back to School!

Some of our Boys & Girls Club kids were selected from each of our 6 area Clubs to go on a Back to School shopping spree, on August 1st! Thanks to Target and Academy Sports for the gift cards and shopping help! We so appreciate your generosity!

Picking out uniforms!

Shopping!

What a haul!

Checking out at Target

Yay for post-shopping snacks!

Popcorn makes us happy!

A tired shopper is done for the day

Yay Target!

Silly kids are happy for new school supplies!

 Looks like these kiddos are ready for school! 
-Vicki

Pancake Breakfast Reveals Clubs’ Impact on Youth

An early morning United Way fundraising event gives us an inside view of the Boys & Girls Clubs in action...

Getting up at 4:30am to flip pancakes for a bunch of kids at the Broken Arrow Boys & Girls Club was something that didn’t really appeal to me. Don’t get me wrong: I love pancakes, sausage and kids. It was the 4:30am wake-up call that hurt.

We were having a pancake breakfast for Club members to raise money for the United Way. The kids started arriving at 7am, so we had to start cooking early. The aroma of pancakes and sausages attracted three young girls that we couldn’t get out of the kitchen. But while they enjoyed hanging out with the “older girls,” we learned a lot about their summer experience at the Club.

12-year-old Corrin, 10-year-old Madeline and 9-year-old Isabella never met before this summer. They are different ages and go to different schools. But they say they’re now friends for life and don’t look forward to saying good-bye to their summer at the Club.

“I will have to bring a lot of Kleenex next Friday, our last day,” says Corrin.
“Yeah, these people are like family to me,” says Isabella.
“These people are my family,” Corrin says.

Yet, they’ve only known each other for a few months. The girls say the experiences they’ve shared and the day-to-day conversations and interactions have made the summer of 2013 one to remember. For Corrin, the best part of summer camp was going horseback riding at Sequoyah Stables. Isabella enjoyed going to Incredible Pizza while Madeline loved Frontier City Amusement Park.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After cooking about 100 pancakes, I took a peek inside the Club’s gymnasium and started to understand why these kids were having so much fun. The kids were in different groups: some were taking turns shooting baskets. The smaller kids hopped on scooters and played chase on the other side of the gym. Some of the girls sat in the stands talking to each other. I counted about seven different groups doing different things, but all had one thing in common: they were smiling, having a good time and were entertained.

Thanks to me and a few of my co-workers, they were also full of pancakes and sausage.

I often talk to people about what our Boys & Girls Clubs do for our kids, but I don’t always get a chance to see that in action. Getting a glimpse of why Corrin, Madeline and Isabella say this was “the best summer ever” made that 4:30am wake-up call not so bad after all.

-Carrie

  
       

14th Annual B&G Club Charity Golf Tournament A Success!

Camaro from Jim Glover

 A sports car, dozens of door prizes and a random pop-up storm are just a few of the exciting aspects of the 14th Annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Tulsa Golf Tournament. The event was held Monday, July 22nd at Tulsa Country Club.

Title Sponsor Jim Glover Chevrolet added a little extra fun to Hole #14: a 2013 Camaro 2SS Convertible to the person who could hit a hole-in-one. Although a few golfers came close, no one was able to claim the prize. Mike Lewis from Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson LLP did claim a prize that has many co-workers excited: a recliner from Mathis Brothers. Lewis says there are a few pregnant women in his office that plan to put the recliner in what will be a “mother’s room.” As a new mom myself, I love that idea!

1st Place Midfirst Bank team

There are always a few surprises at golf tournaments but no one expected Mother Nature to put a halt on the tournament just before the second flight took off. A storm came through and knocked down a few limbs and the QuarterShare Beef Sticks tent! Many of the players checked their iPhones and grabbed a few extra beverages before their play began about 30 minutes later. The players got to enjoy cooler temperatures for about another hour before the July humidity came back!

The smallest volunteers present.

Club members from all six Boys & Girls Clubs got to interact with the players both on and off the golf course. The 2013 event is the most successful, bringing in 43 teams, several new sponsors and close to $70,000 that will go directly to our six Boys & Girls Clubs!

Keeping our kids 'Safe From Harm'

Staff and Volunteers trained on child abuse recognition and prevention

Each year thousands of kids pass through the hallways of The Salvation Army and Boys & Girls Club of Metro Tulsa.  With each kid that passes through those hallways is a promise, a promise that we will do our best to keep them safe from harm.  

Our top goal is to ensure that each child that comes to us is able to enjoy a fun and safe environment.  We are able to meet this goal through a class called “Safe from Harm”.  Safe from Harm is a training that is require of every volunteer and employee who work with children, in addition to passing a background check.  

Safe From Harm has six objectives:
 
1.      Educate leaders and workers about prevention of abuse or accidental injury.
 
2.      Enable leaders and workers to develop procedures and practices that reduce these risks.
 
3.      Protect adults from mistaken or groundless allegations.
 
4.      Reduce liability for Salvation Army units.
 
5.      Build parental confidence in Army programs, and
 
6.      Prepare Army representatives to respond should an incident or accident occur

Safe from Harm teaches volunteers and employees signs of child abuse and what to do if they spot one of the signs.  There are different levels of safe from harm classes depending on your position and how in depth you’d like your knowledge to be.  Safe from Harm teaches the most up to date research on abuse, prevention, and general child safety. 

We take our children’s safety seriously and do everything in our power to keep them “Safe from Harm”. 

- Jenny

 

New officers happy to be in Sand Springs

Captains Ben Jr. and Rhonda Walters

Captain Ben Walters continues his family's Salvation Army tradition

There was something very familiar about Captain Ben Walter's ear-to-ear grin when he talked to me recently about his wife and he being the new officers at the Sand Springs Corps and Boys & Girls Club. And then it hit me---it's the same kind of grin my son had after his wife gave birth to their first baby in April! To say Captain Walters is excited about being in Sand Springs is an understatement. He is elated.

I haven't had a chance to talk to Mrs.Walters yet, sadly, she couldn't come to the club that day because she had injured her back during their move. I'm looking forward to meeting her soon. 

The Walters moved from the Muskogee Corps where they managed a Family Store and a Boys & Girls Club which was eventually downsized to a Red Shield Club. They served there for two years.

The Walters family, front row from left,
Bailey, Ben, Raegan, Rorie

Captain Walters has a history of Salvation Army officers in his family. When he was younger, his parents were officers at the Citadel Corps in Oklahoma City where he met his future wife, Rhonda. She is originally from Shawnee and although Captain Walters lived all over the south with parents as Salvation Army officers, he considers Oklahoma home. He and his wife were married for five years before they entered The Salvation Army training college in Atlanta and were commissioned two years after that. They have four children. 

The oldest, Bailey, is 18 and is a lifeguard for the city of Wagoner. She'll go to Connors State College in the fall. Their son, Ben III, is 17 and will attend Sand Springs High School in the fall along with their daughter Raegan, age 15. Rorie, age 12, is currently at the Salvation Army Music Conservatory and she will enter seventh grade in Sand Springs in the fall. 

"I'm looking forward to getting to know the Sand Springs community. It has a hometown kind of feel and I like being surrounded by the beautiful hills and ridges," Captain Walters said. "I love people and I'm looking forward to getting to know people in Sand Springs." 

And I'm sure people in the Sand Springs Corps and Boys & Girls Club are looking forward to getting to know the whole Walters family.

-Sallie

North Mabee kids keep up their reading skills

Miss Trice reads during story time!

Even at Summer Camp, Salvation Army Boys &Girls Club helps kids with school 

It’s not easy to keep a group of kids still and attentive for 45 minutes when they are ages five to seven. But Latrice Fowlkes, director of The Salvation Army North Mabee Boys & Girls Club can do it and I enjoyed watching her work her magic one day last week. She read a book about lightning out loud to 25 members of Summer Day Camp at the Club. The book appeared to be at about a fifth-grade reading level, yet the kids listened intently and asked pertinent questions. It helped that the children respect “Miss Trice” and that she encouraged the kids to tell about their own experiences with lightning.

"Don't bother me, I'm reading!"

The story time is just one program Latrice uses in North Mabee’s Summer Day Camp to help prevent the “summer slide,” the new term for summer learning loss. Latrice has her own three children enrolled in the Club and she doesn’t want them to forget any knowledge or skills they attained during the school year, and she knows other parents are concerned about it too. Summer Day Camp enrollment is at capacity and attendance averages about 65 kids a day.

The North Mabee Boys & Girls Club partners with the Tulsa City County Library's Summer Reading Program, so every other week the library's Bookmobile parks in front of the Club and kids older than seven are able to select the books they're interested in. Every day all the kids have a forty minute reading time. I got a kick out of the girl in the photo above who is so interested in her book that the boy is going to have to "talk to the hand" until she's done!

In addition to reading time, the day campers spend 30 to 40 minutes each day in the computer room. They're required to use a learning program called "Kids College" for 15 minutes before they're allowed to browse the Internet. Of course, North Mabee, like all our Club's Summer Day Camps, offers all the traditional  fun activities for campers such as swimming, playing in the gym and field trips. Older North Mabee kids also get to enjoy photography, which professional photographer Turner Goodrum volunteer teaches year round. And, campers can stay over some evenings to take advantage of ballet and music lessons  the Club offers for a little extra.

I imagine there are some kids who will look back on their summer camp experience and fondly remember that their favorite activity was Miss Trice's story time. I know I would!

 -Sallie

Boys & Girls Club Golf Tourney has new title sponsor!

Jim Glover Chevrolet Makes Huge Commitment to The Salvation Army        

Jim Glover Chevrolet is known as one of the most reputable Chevy dealerships in the state.  The dealership’s commercials are some of the most popular on TV, especially in the Tulsa area.  But Jim Glover Chevrolet also gives back to the community and shows a lot of generosity toward The Salvation Army and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Tulsa. 

Jim Glover Chevrolet is the Title Sponsor of the 14th Annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Tulsa Charity Golf Tournament. By doing this, the dealership is ensuring more kids get exposed to a safe, positive and nurturing environment by attending one of our six Clubs.

            $1,000 = Provides a Club membership and scholarship for one child to the after school               
                           program for an entire school year.

            $2,500 = Purchases snacks for 40 kids for six months.

            $5,000 = Pays for 142 Boys & Girls Clubs memberships

In addition to being the Title Sponsor of our Golf Tournament, Jim Glover Chevrolet is providing a car as a hole-in-one prize: the 2013 Camaro 2SS Convertible, valued at $45,000!! During our 2012 Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary tournament, we had a golfer hit a hole-in-one and received a free trip, so maybe someone will drive away in this new car!

This isn’t the first time Jim Glover Chevrolet has shown generosity toward The Salvation Army. For the past several years, the dealership has been a major Christmas supporter, donating thousands of dollars toward helping families in Tulsa have a good holiday. 

We appreciate the kindness of the staff of Jim Glover Chevrolet and appreciate all that they do to improve our community.   

-Carrie

Sand Springs Campers have some serious fun

Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club keeps parents, kids happy

I seem to have a knack for visiting Boys & Girls Clubs when discipline is being administered, probably because it’s usually late afternoon before I can finish up my office duties and get there. When I went to the Sand Springs Boys & Girls Club last week, I found Program Aide Hannah Roberts supervising six rowdy looking little boys and one girl filling a piece of paper with sentences such as “I will be respectful in the chapel,” and "I will listen when my counselor talks," and various other compositions that fit the individuals’ "crimes." And I rejoice!


Why? I’ve taught Sunday School and endured rowdy little boys and without discipline there’s lots of chaos and little learning. I hear that kids aren’t disciplined much in school anymore, and there’s a kid I know who can single-handedly stress out every person at a family birthday party because her parents don’t discipline, so again, I rejoice.

But there’s a lot more going on  than discipline at the Sand Springs Boys & Girls Club Summer Day Camp. Field trips. Daily swimming. Arts and crafts.  A camper named Ardiss, age 11, says her favorite activities are playing in the gym and computer room. Garrett, age 10, likes hanging out with his friends.They all like going on field trips; the top two favorites were a trip to Purple Glaze, where they glazed their own ceramics, and Bounce U. They are all looking forward to the tour of the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory where they will be given free samples.

Bethany Pousinho, club director, says her favorite moments are when she asks the campers if they had fun after an activity and they “excitedly say yes.”

“Sometimes when their parents come to pick them up they don’t want to leave,” she said. “If the kids are happy the parents are happy. That’s when I know we’re doing it right.”

And despite the fact the some of the kids were disciplined, when I checked on them again, they were having a great time watching a movie in the chapel, without shaking the pews as they had before. Way to go Sand Springs!
 -Sallie