January 2014 Newsletter

Club Notes

January 2014

Board of Directors R.J. Lindstrom President President

Darren Pannier Vice Vice President President

Todd Gerlt Treasurer Treasurer

Sharon Lowman Secretary Secretary

Matt Mellville

Missouri Missouri Alliance Alliance Board Board Missouri Area Council

Chuck Marshall Greg Nehring Dr. Dana Gillig Dale Malone Tye Jones Duane Martin Brad Pollitt Trish Henson Jake Gieschen Matt Moulton John Rooks Erin Wilson

Boys & Girls Club Prepares for 24th Annual “An Evening of Heart & Hope” presented by W-K Chevrolet

O

n the evening of February 8th, the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri will host the 24th Annual “An Evening of Heart & Hope”, presented by W-K Chevrolet. The auction has grown from its beginnings in 1990 of a few thousand dollars to setting a new record in 2013 with more than $163,000 raised.

“This is our largest fundraising event of the year,” said Director of Development Melissa Boeschen who heads up the auction. “The size and scope of what we’re doing each year is entirely dependent on the generosity of our community.

We’re fortunate to enjoy strong support from Sedalia and the surrounding areas.” Last year, more than 350 people attended and purchased 50 live auction items, hundreds of silent auction items, and countless gift certificates.

“The Boys & Girls Club is an organization that is very easy to support,” said Ken Weymuth, owner of W-K Chevrolet. “The difference the Club makes throughout Sedalia and the

surrounding communities is building a better future for all of us. We’re very proud to associate ourselves and our business with the Boys & Girls Club.”

Tickets are $50 each before January 31st or $60 the night of the event. Reserved seating can be purchased in groups of 8 or more at $65 each. Tickets can be purchased on the Club’s website at www.bgckids.com, at the Club’s administrative offices, located at 3100 Aaron Avenue, or at Preferred Properties on 16th Street.

“We expect tickets to sell quickly,” said Boeschen. “The MEC building on the fairgrounds is packed each year, and we expect 2014 will be no different. If you’re planning on attending, you should purchase your tickets as soon as you’re able.” Doors open at 5 p.m. with dinner provided by Bandana’s, and beverages provided by County Distributors, Glazer’s, Les Bourgeois, and Pepsi. The Silent auction also begins at 5 p.m. and the live auction will begin at 7 p.m.

Dear Supporters,

Letter From The Board

My name is Darren Pannier. I serve as the Vice President for the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri. I’ve been involved with the Club for several years now and will take over as President of the Board for R.J. Lindstrom in September of 2014. Though that change is still nine months away, all of 2014 will be a year of change and transition for the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri. A new executive director, a new director of operations, and a new director of development will grow the organization in new and exciting ways. And Brett Barth-Fagan, who has served with the Club for eight years as executive director, will be departing to join the team at Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The board has mixed feelings over Brett’s departure. We’re sad to see him go. His leadership brought the organization tremendous growth, extending our reach to many more kids and communities and diversifying our funding streams. His expertise is difficult to match, and he will be tough to replace. We are also excited, however, to see the heights the Club will reach in 2014 and beyond. A fresh perspective on the organization is always a good thing. We are eager to learn all about the new executive director’s vision for the future and plan for continued growth.

Even with all this change and growth, many things remain the same at the Club. Our staff consistently does an amazing job of delivering programs to kids, building relationships with donors, and telling the community of our work. Our mission, vision, and aim for the organization will also stay the same, as will our three organizational goals: elimination of fees, adding new programs at Smith-Cotton Junior High and High School, and sustainability. Our board will also continue to be highly involved in all the processes of the Club to ensure the continuity our communities have come to expect.

Finally, it is our communities’ continual and unwavering support of the Boys & Girls Clubs that proves to us the importance of the work we’re doing. Without them, we would not be where we are today— neither change nor stability could take place. So we thank all of you, along with our Club staff, families, and supporters, for making the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri a success! We hope to see all of you 5 p.m., February 8th at the MEC building on the Missouri State Fairgrounds for another great ‘Evening of Heart and Hope’ auction!

Sincerely, Darren Pannier Board Vice President

Mission:

To Inspire And Enable All Young People To Realize Their Full Potential As Caring and Productive Citizens

A Story Of Heart & Hope

Katie* was an angry little girl when she began attending the Boys & Girls Club’s Parkview site. She’d been removed from her home because her mother was neglectful. She was living with a relative that she didn’t know well. She didn’t want to be at the Club; or at Parkview Elementary School in general.

She had problems with school work, following directions, keeping her hands to herself, being respectful, and making friends.

As the Parkview staff got to know Katie, each of them noticed that Katie never smiled. She routinely threw temper tantrums, struck her classmates, and generally tried to cause chaos when she was frustrated or angry, which was most of the time. Our staff continually reinforced the rules to Katie, gave her examples of others who were doing what they were supposed to do, and rewarded her when she did what was asked. Yet, Katie’s behavior did not change.

Finally, in mid-October, Parkview Site Manager Kim Watkins sat down with Katie and said, “We want you to be happy. We want you to have friends,

fun, get schoolwork done, and do things you’re interested in. What do we need to do to make all of that happen?”

With a look of complete disbelief on her face, Katie asked, “You want me to be happy!?”

Kim told Katie that the entire staff wanted her to be happy. They traveled through the school speaking to each of our staff members. Katie asked each of them the same question, “You want me to be happy?”. Each time our staff reassured her that her happiness was important to them.

It was like someone turned on a switch.

Her eyes lit up, she waited her turn, she made efforts during Power Hour, and she’s stopped being angry all the time.

Since that day in mid-October, Katie has attended every day with a smile on her face. She has found people in our staff she felt she could trust completely.

Katie still has much progress to make, but the distance she’s come is amazing.

*Katie’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.

National BGCA Alumni Statistics:

57%

say the Club saved their life

78%

say the Club taught them self-esteem

67%

say the Club inspired them to have life goals

85%

say the Club taught them the difference between right and wrong

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Elementary candidates

Kaelyn Ray Site: Green Ridge Age: 8 Grade: 2nd Favorite Things: Volleyball, curly fries, and the color blue

Michael Castiglia Site: Skyline Age: 9 Grade: 4th Favorite Things: St. Louis Cardinals, family, and friends

Alivya Harshner Site: La Monte Age: 9 Grade: 3rd Favorite Things: Spending time with friends and jumping rope

Karmon Heyer Site: Skyline Age: 10 Grade: 4th Favorite Things: Family time, riding bikes, and riding four-wheelers

Jaclyn Brown Site: Heber Hunt Age: 8 Grade: 3rd Favorite Things: Boys & Girls Club, playing Uno, and helping others

Jasmine Amaya Site: Leeton Age: 9 Grade: 4th Favorite Things: Boys & Girls Club, animals, and school

Aaron Billbruck Site: Horace Mann Age: 9 Grade: 4th Favorite Things: Cooking dinner, Sweet & Sour Chicken Pizza, and the Chiefs

Jacob Ideran Site: Sedalia Middle School Age: 10 Grade: 5th Favorite Things: Sports, especially football, and honey BBQ chicken

Lacey Wilson Site: Smithton Age: 8 Grade: 3rd Favorite Things: Boys & Girls Club, especially Smart Girls and Art

Gannon Perkins Site: Parkview Age: 9 Grade: 4th Favorite Things: Boys & Girls Club, family time, playing with friends

Intermediate candidates

Dharma Godwin Site: Cole Camp Age: 13 Grade: 7th Favorite Things: Playing soccer, eating tacos, and mentoring younger members

Alexandra Phillips Site: Sedalia Middle School Age: 11 Grade: 6th Favorite Things: Playing softball, eating and making lasagna, and friends

Ada Tucker Site: Green Ridge Age: 11 Grade: 6th Favorite Things: Animals, the Boys & Girls Club, science, and the color orange

Tanner Martin Site: La Monte Age: 11 Grade: 6th Favorite Things: Hunting, fishing, camping, and generally spending time outside

Lila Davenport Site: Leeton Age: 12 Grade: 6th Favorite Things: Being creative, zebras, horses, and the entire animal kingdom

Teen candidates Breanna Dothage Site: La Monte Age: 16 Grade: 10th Favorite Things: Cooking, cheerleading, and being active in her church and youth group

Morgan Hetrick Site: Green Ridge Age: 16 Grade: 10th Favorite Things: Grilled cheese sandwiches, volleyball, FFA, and the color blue

Tristen Stone Site: Smithton Age: 12 Grade: 6th Favorite Things: Torch Club, Eco-STEM, and playing computer games

2014 Pink Flamingo Nominees We are very excited to announce this year’s Pink Flamingo nominees! As you can tell, we have a very difficult decision for you to make leading up to the night of February 8th when our winner will be announced at the 24th annual “An Evening of Heart & Hope” presented by W-K Chevrolet! Remember, $1=1 vote and you can vote as many times as you’d like leading up to, and the night of, the auction.

Sue Heckart

Friends will tell you that Sue Heckart’s mind is always turning and dreaming up the next project to meet the needs of her community. Sue embodies what it means to give back. Her philanthropic spirit has not only helped community efforts, but also encouraged others to be benevolent. She was once quoted as saying, “If we can help a young person through their education and fulfill their dream, that makes me feel good.”

Sue does not take credit for her generosity, saying donations are her family’s way of giving back to the community that welcomed them in and have supported their family business for more than six decades.

One could make the argument that Sarah Nail is the leading health advocate in Sedalia, Pettis County, and maybe even the state of Missouri. From creating Healthy U to implementing many programs during her time at Bothwell Regional Health Center, Sarah’s primary focus has been the health of her community. Why is she so successful? Because she has walked the walk, making the committment to change her own lifestyle and lose a significant amount of weight and setting the example for hundreds of others. Sarah’s devotion and love of the Sedalia community, and its continued good health, is seemingly neverending.

Bob Satnan

Sarah Sarah Nail Nail

If there is a face of the Sedalia community, you could make a very convincing argument that face is Bob Satnan. First as editor of the Sedalia Democrat, and now as the Communications Director of the Sedalia 200 School District, Bob seems to be everywhere. Through volunteering, his coverage of community events, and his advocacy of healthy lifestyles, he has touched the lives of thousands of people in the community. His love for the community is evident in the list of organizations he works with, from the Boys & Girls Club to coaching youth football. Bob is constantly giving back to the community with his time, actions, and attention.

A Note:

Dear Friends,

From Brett

As I look back on the last eight years of my tenure here at the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri, there is one thing that stands out to me over any other: the growing impact the Club has had on our kids. When I came to the Club in December of 2005, we were a small organization.

We served only the Sedalia elementary schools and Smithton from our administrative offices at 314 South Washington, but our organization did phenomenally well for its size.

I’ve seen our impact grow each year since 2005. The introduction of 21st Century Community Learning Center grant funding was essential to the direction of our organization. Expanding the reach of our organization into the lives of hundreds of more kids each year was critical to the direction of our organization. Everything we did was (and still is) guided by the questions, “What’s best for the kids?” “How can we transform their lives in a positive way?”

Helping answer these questions and witnessing these transformations (see Katie’s story on page three) have been the best part of my job.

Our staff is second to none in transforming the lives of our kids. The relationships they develop with our kids and their families are the reason we’ve grown so much in the last eight years. Our staff has been, and will continue to be, the most valuable resource we offer the community. I’m very thankful I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful and talented individuals during my tenure.

Those individuals extend to our Board of Directors. We have the finest set of folks on our board, and the list continues to grow. The direction the board gives to the Club cuts through many trees so our staff can see the forest. They are advocates in the community and supporters in every sense of the word. They are a resource for the Club and a resource for me in leading the organization. Without their support, we would not have accomplished the growth that has transpired since 2005.

There’s another group that plays a key role in the success of the Boys & Girls Club, and that’s the community. The level of support we receive from the public is unsurpassed. Just take a look at our ‘Evening of Heart and Hope’ auction.

From W-K Chevrolet stepping up as presenting sponsor in 2014, to all the businesses that sponsor us or donate items, to folks who volunteer hours of their time to the event and its preparation, our community support for this event is immeasurable. To our sponsors, donors, fundraisers, volunteers and supporters all year round, we are truly grateful for everything you do.

To everyone, thank you for all the support you’ve shown me in my time with the Club. I look forward to seeing the organization continue to grow and reach even greater heights. I’ll see you at the auction! This year, I won’t be the one wearing the tuxedo.

Sincerely, Brett Barth-Fagan

Volunteering Opportunities

The Club’s single largest fundraising event of the year continues to test the upper limits of its success. The Club has raised, with the generosity of both private and corporate donors, at least $104,000 each year since 2009. The last two years have raised $153,000 and $163,000. A good time is sure to be had by all in attendance, and it is the generosity of volunteers who help make the night magical.

If you’re interested in helping us make the 24th annual auction

one to remember, contact Melissa Boeschen at 826-8331 or mboeschen@bgckids.com.

April 2014: 3rd Annual Race 4 Reasons

Lace up your running shoes and join us for a run full of fun. We’re in need of volunteers to pass out drinks along the race course, keep participants on the right course, and record finish times. If you have any interest in helping us grow Race 4 Reasons, reach out to Melissa Boeschen (contact info above).

General Programming

Contact Melissa Boeschen at 826-8331 to work directly with kids at one of our sites.

Life

February 8th: 24th annual “An Evening of Heart & Hope” presented by W-K Chevrolet

Sedalia: Jacob Newell Heber Hunt Site Manager Shannon Harter Horace Mann Site Manager Kim Watkins Parkview Site Manager James Cramer Washington Site Manager Donal Buckner Skyline Site Manager Vicki Hart SMS Site Manager Outlying Sites: Tara Walker Cole Camp Site Manager Tyler Hudson Green Ridge Site Manager Mari Asbury La Monte Site Manager Stephanie McCoy Leeton Site Manager Judy Moore Smithton Site Manager

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3100 Aaron Ave. Sedalia, MO 65301