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

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.

Youth sports + grants = a winning combination!

Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs Wanna Play

Mabee Red Shield Cowboys, right

A few weeks ago, Boys & Girls Club Executive Director David emailed me about a grant opportunity for the Boys & Girls Club of Tulsa for sports programming. Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA)and Buffalo Wild Wings has an "All Star" program which offers mini-grants to Clubs that have existing football and cheerleading programs, or that want to start one. After looking at each of our six area Clubs-- from Broken Arrow to North Tulsa-- I submitted the West Mabee Boys & Girls Club in West Tulsa for the grant. It would be primarily used to  buy new sports equipment such as football helmets and pads.

Boys & Girls Club basketball

We're also going to be applying for a "Wanna Play" mini-grant through the Major League Baseball Association's partnership with BGCA. Wanna Play includes weekly activities and a field day!

We're excited about the late summer/fall sports programs at our Clubs- they are a great outreach tool to the community and are super beneficial for the kids. Sports teach so much about teamwork, having a good attitude, and also get kids engaged in healthy movement and exercise.

I'm excited to hear back on these grants in the coming weeks!

-Vicki

~~~~
If you'd like to help financially support sports' programs at the Tulsa area Boys & Girls Clubs, you can call our Director of Development, Lindsay Sparks at 918-587-7801 to directly donate.

If you'd like more information on volunteering or coaching one of the Club's teams, call our Volunteer Coordinator, Jenny McElyea, at 918-587-7801, ex. 113.

If you'd like to get your child involved in a team sport, call the Club Admin office at 918-835-6902!

Charity Golf Tournament scheduled for July 22

Felix Jones with North Mabee Mustangs

Tulsa Metro Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs will benefit

Some of the best professional athletes in Oklahoma first learned how to play their sport in one of our six Boys & Girls Clubs: Philadelpia Eagles running back Felix Jones and San Diego Chargers receiver Robert Meachem are just a few of them.  Now a group of businessmen and women are using a sport to raise money and awareness for our Clubs.
The 14th Annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Tulsa Charity Golf Tournament is returning to Tulsa County Club on July 22.  This year, golfers will get an opportunity to play on the same course as some of the best female college golfers. In May 2014, Tulsa Country Club will host the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.
For the first time ever, the tournament will have a Women’s Division, which offers ladies-only teams a chance to win a separate title!
  

Golfers at the 2012 tournament

The Boys & Girls Clubs Charity Golf Tournament has two flights: the AM flight has a shotgun start at 8am, the PM flight begins at 1:30pm. Spots are still available in both flights.  Sponsorships ranging from a Hole ($200) to Gold ($2,500) are also still available.  A team entry is $800.  The entry fee includes a team photo, greens fee, cart, practice range, lunch, a complimentary gift and the awards celebration. Several door prizes will also be awarded, including a recliner from Mathis Brothers!
This golf tournament gets bigger and bigger each year and this is your opportunity to become a part of a great summer tradition for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Tulsa.
If you’re interested in sponsoring or entering a team, please contact me at carrie_salce@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 918-587-7801 ext. 121.

-Carrie

Summer Day Camp packed with fun

Mabee Red Shield members at Woolaroc

Salvation Army Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club ramps up program

The Salvation Army Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club is almost too busy for me to keep up with. Every time I visit, I see kids having fun in a new program. Plus, Mabee Red Shield gets a lot of support from the community. For example, Ross Dress for Less Stores assisted with the Club’s Mother Day Tea and Cox Communications donated all the computers and equipment for the club to open up the Cox Technology Center this summer.

Maj.Jim Taylor learns a video game.

"The computers will go a long way in helping them to keep up their skills during the summer and keep up in school next year,” club director Jerome Smith said.

Club program Melissa Gruszeczki has several special summer classes planned. The older members get to take journalism class from program aide Crystal Mastandrea and create a newsletter which is sent home to parents. In “Sports Club,” athletic director Jason weeks coaches the older kids on teaching the younger kids organized sports.

“The older kids take it very seriously and get a lot out of taking responsibility to teach the younger kids the rules of the game,” Jason said. Program aide Anthony Hall is coaching the kids in track and field sports.

Volunteers from Ross at Mothers Day Tea

So far the club has taken field trips to the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory and Woolaroc. Fun activities scheduled for later this summer are an outing to see the Tulsa Shock play and a trip to Frontier City in Oklahoma City. I’m just sorry I missed the trip to Blue Bell – I heard there were free samples! –Sallie

Summer Day Camps in full swing

Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club members enjoying day camp
At the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club, members got a treat on Wednesday when supporters from JP Morgan Chase Bank representatives brought by summer supplies including water pistols,  Slip ‘n Slides, a wading pool, beach balls and pool noodles. Program Director Melissa Gruszeczki said the supplies fit perfectly with her once-a-week water games program called “Splash Into Fun.” The Mabee Red Shield members also swim once a week at Chandler Park or the Broken Arrow Boys & Girls Club.  In the photo at left, three club kids unpack the gifts as JP Morgan Chase bankers David Stratton and Kristin Bohanon watch.

At the Broken Arrow Boys & Girls Club, Director Janis Fraley said she has 153 kids in Summer Day Camp. The cost is $100 a week with a $5 deposit to reserve a spot. The club also requires the $45 annual membership fee that includes a T-shirt. This club takes kids on two field trips a week, to the movies, Incredible Pizza, Laser Quest, horseback riding, and even a float trip. Janis said one of the favorite features of Summer Day Camp is Fast Food Wednesdays, when parents who are tired of packing their child’s lunch can send money for the club to provide a meal from local fast food restaurants.

It’s hard to believe that Summer Day Camp in Sapulpa has already been going on for a month! Because none of the schools had to use snow days this year, several Day Camps started earlier than usual. Sapulpa Boys & Girls Club Director Jake Law said the club has lots of fun events and field trips planned. When I talked to him he was busy setting up “Tent Day” in the gym. He said kids bring in their tents and sleeping bags and set them up in the gym just as if they were outside. I love the creativity of our Boys & Girls Club directors!

Celebrate Salvation Army Week by learning more about Boys & Girls Clubs!

What does The Salvation Army mean to kids and parents?

Roylee and his grandmother

This is Salvation Army Week and people are celebrating around the world.  At The Salvation Army Tulsa Area Command, one of the ways we are celebrating is to learn more about what The Salvation Army means to different people who use our services, volunteer with us or who are affected by The Savlation Army in other ways.

Friday,  I was at the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club for two events; the grand opening of their Cox Technology Center and  their Mothers Day Tea, so I got a chance to ask club members, their moms and grandmas about what the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club means to them.

“It does mean a lot,” Roylee, age 10 told me. “They call me out on stuff, help me with my homework, keep me active and give me a program. They are always nice,” he said. I think it says a lot that Roylee recognizes that getting “called out on stuff” is a positive thing. Any parent who wants to be “friends” with their child  take note!

Roylee’s grandmother, Sandra Gunnells, looks after Roylee’s younger siblings while he is at the club’s aftercare program and picks Roylee up every weekday. “Mabee Red Shield provides an outlet for Roylee. He can be rough and tough playing football and during baseball he pops, bats, runs and catches. It’s two different sports that develop different skills and keep him active,” Sandra said. She is also appreciative of the hygiene tips Roylee has picked up. “No more stinky pits,” is the way this down-to-earth grandma put it.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn, age nine, is in the third grade at Lanier Elementary. She said she was surprised by the number of members (250) and Mabee Red Shield’s Boy Scout troop. She also was surprised by all the art activities when she first started at Mabee Red Shield. “ I like coming here and taking the art class. I like to draw and my favorite is drawing funny people,” Brooklyn said.

When I first saw Brooklyn at the club Friday I thought she was in a time out because she was seated by herself in the game room and was wearing a pout. I asked her about it. "No, I was feeling sad because I was missing my mom," she said. I think it's great that our Program Aides let Brooklyn take time out from activities to feel her feelings without being scolded or made fun of by the other kids.

Three people, three different views of what The Salvation Army means to them. We can’t be all things to all people, and don’t even try to be. But what we do, we do well, and helping children grow into adults is one of those things. -Sallie

Million-dollar fundraiser a kids’ affair

Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club members played the key role in William Booth Society Dinner

The Boys & Girls Club Chorus

I almost felt as if I were in a Boys & Girls Club. I saw some of my usual club buddies but instead of hearing shouts of "Take my picture Miss Sallie!" when I saw them, they stood quietly wearing their party manners, coats, ties, and dresses. I can't take one iota of credit for that, but it still made me proud. The 20th Annual William Booth Society Dinner, The Tulsa Area Command’s major fundraiser, featured Boys & Girls Club members from all six metro Tulsa clubs.

Mason Pritzlaff, BA Club

The first clue to the kid-themed evening was a beautiful display of Boys & Girls Club art and photography which guests viewed as they walked to the lobby of the Tulsa Convention Center. Members from the clubs greeted guests and answered questions about their artwork, but that was only the start. At 7 p.m. when the doors opened to the ballroom for dinner, guests walked through a gauntlet formed by the winners of the Youth of the Year contest. I walked through the gauntlet several times because it was just so much fun. When guests found their tables, the first thing they noticed was the unique centerpieces, designed by Mason Pritzlaff, a nine-year-old member of the Broken Arrow Boys & Girls Club.

When event co-chair Charlotte Edmundson was researching options for the event last summer, she toured all six of the clubs and landed on the idea of a kid-centered event. At the start of the dinner, a Boys & Girls Club Chorus sang “God Bless America” and “The National Anthem” before Boy Scout Troop 995 from the Broken Arrow Boys & Girls Club led the Color Guard.

Nakylyn Walters, W. Mabee

West Mabee club member Nakylan Walters gave the welcome speech because Charlotte had met him when he took the stage at a club dinner she attended. “After all the adults and youths spoke and we were getting ready to leave, Nakylan unexpectedly asked to speak and took the stage to say what the club meant to him. He was the youngest one to speak at that dinner, and  I knew then that he was the one to give the welcome because I wanted to give him the biggest stage we had,” Charlotte said.

Youth of the Year Tulsa Anthony Wilson from the West Mabee Boys & Girls Club gave a speech in front of the crowd of almost 800 guests and guest speaker Bob Costas. How’s that for pressure on a 17-year-old? Anthony's come a long way since I first interviewed him and he seemed incredibly shy.

Anthony Wilson

But he was almost as poised as State Senator Jabar Shumate, who grew up in the North Mabee Boys & Girls Club and preceded Anthony with his testimonial. The fundraiser grossed $1,075,849. Much of the funding will go to help members of the Boys & Girls Club in addition to others who need it most. For a wonderful slide show of the event created by Tulsa World photographer Cory Young, click here. And don't miss the photo of Nakylan dressed up in his coat and tie! -Sallie
 

Start planning for summer!

 Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs need Day Camp volunteers

Water gun fights, spending all day at the movies, exploring museums, hanging out with a great group of kids all day while providing fun and entertaining learning experiences...

What do all these things have in common?

Learning to putt

This is the average day of a summer camp volunteer at a Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club!

Exploring exhibits at Philbrook

 Our Day Camps are open from early morning until evening and we always need extra hands to help us ensure the kids are having the best summer ever!

Picking out books

We have Clubs located in Tulsa, Sand Springs, Broken Arrow and Sapulpa and we are open all summer long! Last summer, over 827 children were served EVERY DAY across our 6 Club locations.

If sounds like something you would be interested in or would just like more information call 918-587-7801 or e-mail me at Jenny_McElyea@uss.salvationarmy.org.

And the winner is...

Boys & Girls Clubs announce the Youth of the Year!

Jamar Giddings, Anthony Wilson

You’ve read about the candidates for the Tulsa Youth of the Year; Anthony, Charles and Neariah. So here’s the big news: Anthony won!
First, I want to tell you about his speech. As he had told me earlier, it was from the heart.  I’m willing to bet that it touched the hearts of every person in the room.

After an introduction by Jamar Giddings, West Mabee club director, Anthony told about how at the age of six, Giddings and another club staff member protected him from a grown man who was beating him up in the park next to the club. Giddings got the man off Wilson and called police who arrested him. The man was Wilson’s father.

“With the club, I knew I was safe. I knew there was always somewhere I could go where I would be protected,” Anthony said.



Janis Fraley, BA Club Director
and Neariah Persinger

 The banquet was attended by about 100 people who enjoyed a buffet dinner and speeches from all three candidates. Boys & Girls Club Leadership Council Chair Aaron Massey served as emcee.

When Jamar introduced Anthony before he made his speech, he said Anthony was the only club volunteer who was willing to come to the club on Saturday mornings to prepare for athletic events.
“Anthony was at the club whenever it was open and he would volunteer to do anything – clean up, supervise kids – anything,” Giddings said.
 

Jerome Smith, Mabee Red Shield Director
and Charles Gordon



The runner up for the Tulsa Metro Youth of the Year was Neariah and the third place winner for the was Charles. Both youths can run for Youth of the Year from their clubs next year also. The next step for Anthony will be to compete in the statewide Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year contest held in Oklahoma City. If he wins that competition, he’ll compete for the Regional Youth of the Year. We’re cheering for you Anthony!

 – Sallie

Boys & Girls Spring Into Action!

Club kiddos 'spring' into action!

Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club members are Springing Into Action today as they sell QuarterShare beef sticks in the first citywide club fundraising project ever. All six clubs in the Tulsa Metro area are participating in "Spring Into Action" a Boys & Girls Club fundraising program to sell QuarterShare Gourmet beef sticks. QuarterShare will give 50 percent of the profits from the sale of the beef sticks for funding the needs of the clubs.

Club cuties with QuarterShare beef sticks!

Then club members decide what to buy with the money they raise. The beef sticks will be sold from the clubs, on line and at area Walmart stores. The club that sells the most beef sticks will win a pizza party and the club member who sells the most beef sticks from their club will win a bike.

An exciting pep rally kicked off the campaign Wednesday, with an appearance by Hornsby, the Tulsa Drillers mascot, who had fun with Major April Taylor, master of ceremonies for the event. About 200 club members watched from the bleachers of the North Mabee Boys & Girls Club gym. Club directors Bethany Pousinho, Sand Springs, and Jake Law, Sapulpa demonstrated selling techniques.

Hornsby and Major April kick off the pep rally.

The members were also fascinated as members of the Oklahoma Defenders, an arena football team, talked how they to set and meet goals. Then students from Apollo's Martial Arts demonstrated how to break  thick wooden boards with their hands and feet.  It turns out that Apollo is an alumnus of the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club!

After the rally, club members lined up to get autographs from Defenders members, one of whom is an alum from the North Mabee Club. Randy "Boom Boom" Blake, a world champion kick boxer, also signed autographs. Club members left the rally pumped up to sell beef sticks!

To learn more, watch for "Spring Into Action" commercials on KOKI FOX-23 with Jeff Bruccaleri and listen to K-95.5FM and MIX 96 radio stations talk about the campaign during morning drive time.

Apollo Martial Arts students overcome obstacles!

We’re very grateful to our media partners for supporting Spring Into Action. To buy QuarterShare beef sticks, ask a member of the nearest club, watch for them at Walmart stores on March 30 and April 6,or click here to order online.

Oklahoma Defenders arena football team talk about setting goals.

 

Meet Charles Gordon, Renaissance man

Charles Gordon

I have been an admirer of Charles Gordon since the first time I met him. He was 10 then and I asked him to appear in a golfing “Putt Off’ on KTUL-Channel 8’s Good Day Tulsa to promote the Boys & Girls Golf Tournament. Not only did he make a hole in one, to my surprise, he gave Keith Taylor quite a few useful tips on his swing, such as holding the club like a hot dog in a bun. Keith was surprised too.

But I don’t think anyone was surprised when Charles was selected as the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year, because Charles is a veritable Renaissance man. He creates art, he plays sports and he likes to dream big. “I want to be an executive chef in a restaurant that I own,” he told me yesterday. Currently, he is looking into Platt College and a school in San Diego to study for his culinary arts degree. And he’s only 14!

Charles and Kristin Dickerson

He’s been a member of the Mabee Red Shield Club since he was five years old. His dad, Jerome Smith, is director of the club and his mom, Jean Smith, is an administrative assistant to David Litterell, who manages all six Boys & Girls Clubs. In addition to liking to cook, Charles plays the violin and takes glass blowing classes through the club. His favorite sport is baseball, although he isn’t able to play this season because of a knee injury. Charles goes to school at Union School’s Eighth Grade Center. He told me Thursday that he’s already memorized the speech he’ll make at the Youth of the Year banquet Mon., March 25.
Break a leg, Charles, just watch out for your knee!
 –Sallie
If you are interested in attending the Youth of the Year Banquet, please call Jean Smith at 918-835-6902. Tables and individual tickets are available. If you would like to learn more about volunteering at a Boys & Girls Club, please call Jenny McElyea at 918-587-7801.
 

Kids celebrate MLK Week

Chrinasia

I visited the Mabee Red Shield Boys and Girls Club yesterday to talk to the kids about Martin Luther King, Jr. and find out what they know. Turns out that they know a lot, likely more than some adults!

Chrinasia, age seven, is a second grader at Hawthorne Elementary. I’m naming her the resident Martin Luther King Scholar of the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club. Here’s what she shared:

“He was a civil rights leader fighting for his country so that white people and black people could go in the same bathroom. Maybe he wanted to be president. He would walk with the national flag. He was a preacher and he also had a dream. He dreamed that his four little children could live in a good nation." Then Chrinasia recited the best known passages of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech, word for word, and with expression. Turns out that her 23-member reading group memorized the speech and recited it in front of the whole school.

Marcus

Marcus, an eight year old who attends Hawthorne Elementary, said Dr. King had a dream.
“He knew the world was not fair, because you couldn’t go to all the white restaurants. There was a colored sign at some. You had to sit on the back of the bus. Whites sat on the front of the bus. So he wanted to do a speech about freedom. He gave freedom to African Americans. Now can I tell you about the Civil War? “ Marcus said. I have to save that for a later date, and I hope by then that Marcus has learned that it did not involve George Washington.

Paint Brushes, Sketch Pads and Glue, Oh My!: Donation Provides Supplies for Arts Classes

It isn’t unusual to hear happy sounds coming from the children at the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club. (Except, perhaps, during homework time.)

But recently, those sounds were loud squeals of delight when the children watched representatives from JPMorgan Chase roll in a huge dolly overloaded with art supplies. They scrambled to get a closer look at the goodies that were being donated – reams and reams of paper, paint brushes, paint, crayons, markers, colored pencils, beads, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, yarn and more!

All talking at once, they were listing the many projects they were anticipating that would come from the gift – collages, paintings, drawing, paper mache – and on and on.
But the children weren’t the only ones with smiling faces. Kristin Bohanan, Analyst, Commercial Bank and Tulsa Volunteer Leadership Group Chair, David Stratton, Market President, Tulsa Commercial Bank and Aaron Massey, Vice President, Private Bank, all from JPMorgan Chase, couldn’t help but grin at the children’s’ reactions.


“It was fun to see how excited they were,” Bohanan said. “I wish all of our employees who donated could see the difference they’ve made with their gifts.” 

Collecting the supplies was an activity of JPMorgan Chase’s employee volunteer leadership group. The nearly 200 Tulsa area employees had the opportunity to fulfill the Mabee Center’s art supply “wish list.”

“Our employees really responded to this,” Bohanan said. 

Their gift will be put to good use. Nearly 50 children come to the Mabee Red Shield Club on a regular basis for fellowship, character development, and educational and recreational opportunities.
As with the six Boys & Girls Clubs located in the metro Tulsa area, every location is a fun place for people of all ages. Each club provides a positive place that kids can look upon as their home away from home.

-DJ

Golf Tournament A Big Success

Triple-digit temperatures did not slow down 160 golfers at the 13th Annual Boys and Girls Clubs Charity Golf Tournament. Golfers played in the morning and afternoon (four golfers played both flights) at Tulsa Country Club. This tournament ended up being our most successful yet, bringing in more than $64,000!Golfers were treated to breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack and plenty of goodies at the event. Games at the event included “Luck Be A Lady” where the golfers could take a closer tee shot to the hole. Money from that game benefits our Mabee Red Shield girls basketball team. 

A big thank you to our 2012 Golf Committee: Honorary Chairman John Harper; Commissioner Al Colby (also the 2013 Honorary Chairman); Gary Paxton; Jeff Sanders; Bill McKamey; Cason Carter; Aaron Massey; Steve Soule and Fred Daniel III.  These men worked very hard to ensure all of the players had a good time at the event.
 

Red Shield kid reunited with artwork

A few months ago, Advisory Board member LouAnn Potter Smith was at an auction to raise money for Tulsa Glassblowing Studio. She admired a glass sculpture in the auction and flipped it over. “ Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club”  was etched on the bottom. Kids from the Mabee Red Shield Boys and Girls Club took lessons from the studio last spring. Lou Ann was so excited that someone from our organization created the sculpture that she bought it and gave it to Major Jim Taylor to welcome him to Tulsa.

He asked me to photograph it for the blog, then decided to go one step further. Who created the striking piece?  I volunteered to find the artist and a few minutes later Jerome Smith, director of the Mabee Red Shield Boys and Girls Club walked into my office. I showed him the photograph and he shouted “That’s Charles’ sculpture!"  Charles is the son of Jerome and Jean Smith, Boys and Girls Club’s administrative assistant.

Take a swing!

FORE!!! Take a swing, help thousands of Tulsa area youth!

Did you know that you can enjoy a beautiful view of Tulsa, work on your golf game and help 5000+ youth in the Tulsa area?  Grab your clubs and be a part of our 13th Annual Boys & Girls Clubs Golf Tournament. Mark your calendar to hit the links on Mon., July 23 at Tulsa Country Club.  100% of the net proceeds will be distributed to our six Boys and Girls Clubs located in the Tulsa area. Our goal this year is to raise at least $50,000 to support the comprehensive academic and athletic programs.

The Clubs help children like eight-year-old Jay Carroll. Jay's older brother was in jail and his parents were worried about their younger son following in a similar path. Jay's parents turned to the Mabee Red Shield Boys and Girls Club. Club Director Jerome Smith says the 8-year-old acted "street" when he first arrived, but has now turned around."The kids think acting street is cool and that’s hard for us to combat. Jay didn’t want to be recognized as a good kid, because then he wouldn’t be cool. But he’s come a long way,” Smith said.