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

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.

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!

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

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 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!

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
 

Rocky reminisces about Daddy's Invitational Tournament

Robert Meachem, Rocky, Dominique Franks
and Rocky's son "Little Rock" front and center!

The Salvation Army North Mabee Boys & Girls Clubs hosts 20th DIT Friday night!

I always enjoy talking to Rocky Bright, a Mabee Baby and a North Mabee volunteer coach who founded the Daddy’s Invitational Tournament that will be held Friday evening. It’s the DIT’s 20th anniversary, so I thought I’d get the story of how the tournament started from Rocky himself.

“When I was a freshman at Booker T., I used to think ‘when I grow up and become a success, I’m going to give money to the club.’ Then I started wondering if I could actually raise money to help the club before I grew up.

“Along with March Madness, I  always watched the National Invitational Tournament, NIT, so I thought it would be cool to name a tournament the DIT, for the Daddys' Invitational Tournament. The ‘Daddys’ would be the fathers who coached their kids’ teams but who never got to play. They would play against each other, and the kids would get to call and referee the game and sell concessions.

“We saved money at the very first DIT by having baby blue and off, off yellow for the jerseys, even though the North Mabee colors are red and black. Mrs. Bright went to the Army Surplus store and bought them for 99 cents a shirt. Now they’re collectors’ items. Robbie Meachem’s Daddy has all 19 shirts.

“The first few years we used the money we made at DIT to fund sports equipment and uniforms. We still do that, but this year we’re also going to help support the Felix Jones II ACT Prep Program, which Mrs. Bright started.

“Last year Robbie (Meachem) showed up and brought Dominique Franks who had played for Union and now plays for the Atlanta Falcons. Every year I call these guys and ask them if they’re coming and they never know because their schedules are crazy, so I just never know who is going to show up. Felix (Jones) is going to try and come this year too,” Rocky said.

Rocky is seeking sponsors for the event. For more information call 918-0425-7534 or visit the club at 3001 N. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. -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.

Preppin for the ACTs

Do you remember taking your ACT? I do.

Even though it was well over a decade ago, I still remember the pressure to do well. I had prepped my heart out-- taken prep courses, bonded with my Princeton Review ACT prep book and become an expert at complicated analogy questions.

Remember, if WATER: OCEAN then SAND: ?? 

Yeah. Ick.

The ACTs loom again for local high school students and our Salvation Army North Mabee Boys & Girls Club is a beacon for college-bound teens hoping to get a little edge on the test.

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.

 

Boys & Girls Clubs have busy spring ahead

West Mabee girl cooks

BBQ, Basketball and an Army of Stars among the activities benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs!
As I prepare for another child in my household, I know my life is about to change. It’s going to get busier, louder and more fun. It’s a lot of work taking care of kids – so imagine having to take care of five-thousand!

That’s what the staff at our six Boys & Girls Clubs endures throughout the year. Each Club is unique and does a great job of helping children in its neighborhood. But these Clubs need your support – and there are several opportunities to help, while also having some fun. Take a look at some of the events and fundraisers planned in the next few months for Clubs:

BA's Bouncin' BBQ

Thurs., Feb. 21st, 7pm – West Mabee Thank You Dinner & Fashion Show – 2143 South Olympia. The West Mabee Boys & Girls Club has a cooking class and some generous people donated appliances to this program. The kids are going to cook a special thank you for these donors, followed by a fashion show.

Fri., Mar. 1st, 6pm-8:30pm - BA Bouncin' BBQ –BA Boys & Girls Club, on 91st between 145th and 161st. Inflatables, BBQ, live music, silent/live auction – everything you need to entertain your family on a Friday night! Tickets: $15 for Adults, $10 for Children, $40 for a Family Pack of 4. Benefits the Broken Arrow Boys & Girls Club – call 918-835-6902 to get tickets.
  
Sat., Mar. 2nd, 6:30pm – Sand Springs Army of Stars – 4403 S. 129th W. Ave., Sand Springs. The Army of Stars banquet is a wonderful tradition in Sand Springs honoring our outstanding Club kids. The event includes a silent and live auction and dinner. Tickets: $35. Benefits the Sand Springs Boys & Girls Club – call 918-245-2237 for more information.
  
Sat., Mar. 9th, 9am – West Mabee 2nd Annual Teen 5K Fun Run – Rogers State University, Claremore. Eat too much barbeque at Bouncing BBQ? Grab an extra dessert at Army of Stars? Then strap on your shoes and head to Rogers State University for a fun, 3-mile jog.  Tickets: only $10!!! Benefits the West Mabee Boys & Girls Club - call 918-582-4327 for more information.

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.
 

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.

N.Mabee kids tour Langston

All I have ever gotten out of Ramone Malone is a big grin and “Yes ma’am,” and “No ma’am.” That’s certainly not all bad. This is a young man with great manners who is a little on the shy side.  So when one of Ramone’s mentors e-mailed me a quote from him recently I was amazed. 

“College ain’t no joke. You have to do your own laundry, figure out where to get food, study, try to have a social life, but if you do have a social life you’re probably doing something wrong,” Ramone said.

Ramone spoke prior to a college tour for the kids in the Felix Jones II, "Running Back to Make a Difference" Foundation ACT Prep program taught at North Mabee Boys and Girls Club. Carol Ainsworth, below right, an ACT tutor and program aide, invited kids from the program to meet at North Mabee and hear what two college sophomores had to say about college life. After the discussion, the kids toured Langston University. Later on this summer, they’ll tour Tulsa Community College and University of Tulsa. Ramone is a sophomore at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. An athlete himself, he is majoring in sports management. He also told the kids that they will miss their family and that the first year in college can be lonely.

Boys & Girls Clubs rock Philbrook

Hello, I’m Niva Grayson, a Summer Day Camp staff counselor at Maybe Red Shield Boys and Girls Club. In 2011, I was the Mabee Red Shield candidate for the Youth of the Year. I am now a sophomore at Langston University -- but enough about me! I want to give you a chance to hear about our amazing experience at the Philbrook Museum of Art Tuesday.
The Boys and Girls Clubs have been attending “Rock Philbrook” for three summers. Ms. LaDonna, Mabee Red Shield’s “Young Rembrandts” art teacher, made it so exciting for me and the children from the Boys and Girls Clubs to see Philbrook for the first time in 2009. I can remember our first visit well. We were all excited and nervous because we all were being introduced to something new. Ms. LaDonna did an amazing job giving us the chance to be creative and understanding that art plays an important part in our history.

Circus comes to club kids

Step right up! See the Greatest Show on Earth! Two hundred kids from our six Boys & Girls Clubs and lots of staff members got a little taste of the circus Wednesday when Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Ringmaster Johnathan Iverson presented 200 tickets for the Saturday morning circus performance at Tulsa’s BOK Center.

Kids from all six Boys & Girls Clubs packed the gym of the North Mabee Boys & Girls Club and raptly listened to Johnathan’s inspirational story. He is the first African American Ringmaster in Barnum & Baileys long history. Johnathan stands six feet, five 

inches tall and his Ringmaster’s stovepipe hat gives him about a foot more. “How’d you get so tall?” one boy asked. “I ate my vegetables and did what my mom told me,” Johnathan said. Good answer! I got the impression he is asked that a lot.  

Johnathan brought along his friend Billy, the Ambassador of Laughter from Clown Alley, who led the kids in stretching and strengthening exercises. He also taught them to balance a peacock feather on their chins and juggle scarves. Billy said they will put on three shows on Saturday and by late Saturday night he will have walked nine miles. You have to be fit to be in the big ring!

The only kid with a beard in the audience was Captain Jay Spalding, who donned a clown nose and participated in all the exercises. He wasn’t the only adult having fun. I wrangled a couple of tickets out of Johnathan and took my son Robby to the circus Saturday morning. He’s 25, but we’re both kids at heart.

-Sallie