October 2011 - Teens Graduate to Go College Experience Funded by Taco Bell Foundation

Thanks to a grant from the Taco Bell Foundation, Club teens were exposed to college life on the following college campuses:  High Point University, University of North Carolina  at Greensboro, Guilford Technical Community College, Davidson County Community College, Winston-Salem State University, and Universal Technical Institute.    They were informed and educated as to what it takes to attend each of the different colleges.  Many of our participants are from low income families and would be the first in their family to attend college.  For many of these teens the thought of college was out of reach due to not realizing potential for funding and financial aid. 

Two financial aid workshops were conducted for teen participants in both high school and middle school at the Carson Stout Club by Guilford Technical Community College.  Members gained valuable information as to what it would take to attend these institutions of higher learning as well as how to apply for scholarships and financial aid.  Members also researched other colleges and universities requirements and degree programs offered.  Many of the participants are in middle school and early high school years, allowing more time to research colleges and universities and all the possibilities.  This grant was the financial means to providing opportunities for our teens exposing them to a world they might not have had the exposure to without these funds.

June 2011 - "Little Chefs" is Big Success thanks to Dave Nicoletta, owner of Giannos Restaurant

June 2011 - Dave Nicoletta, owner of Giannos Restaurant in High Point, recently started Chef's Care, an organization that was founded to mentor local children and adults on how to make healthy food decisions and teach them basic cooking skills.  The nonprofit gathers the Triad culinary community together to perform hands-on community service with partner agencies such as the Boys & Girls Club of Greater High Point and Macedonia Family Resource Center.

The inaugural class of "Little Chefs" kicked off in April and ended in June.  Each Thursday afternoon, ten fourth graders from the Southside Boys & Girls Club were bused to Macedonia Family Resource Center where they prepared recipes and learned basic culinary methods.  Club members began each class by setting up all of the items they needed to prepare the recipes.  All Club members were required to participate fully each week and for the majority of the program they participated in teams, similar to how real-life restaurants operate.  Chef Dave said, "The kids know that my favorite part of the day is cleanup time.  We leave our workspace in better condition than we found it.  It's no joke. We talk a lot about respect when we are together.  We respect each other, the facilities and tools, and especially the food."  Of course, the student's favorite part is getting to eat the incredible food.  Chef Dave challenges the kids to try everything and then and only then make the decision of whether they like it or not.  He pushed the kids to always do their best; whether it was preparing a recipe, washing the dishes,  or sweeping the floor.  Without a shadow of a doubt, Chef Dave feels this program has been a success and is looking forward to doing it again in the fall.  "The more kids we can reach and the more local chefs that get involved, the stronger our community will become.  This is just the beginning and I am extremely proud that it started here in High Point." said Chef Dave. 

The program ended with a special dinner made by the Club members for their families.  Club members prepared and served the food.  Chef Dave donated his restaurant to host the event.  Thank you Chef Dave!

June 2011- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point Climbs Aboard the Movie Express This Summer

Summer is here again and parents want their kids active, engaged and entertained. With record summer heat, they also want some relief in a cool and comfortable place.  Thanks to the partnership between Regal Entertainment Group and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point will enjoy the movies with the Summer Movie Express.  Regal Entertainment Group is providing the Club with a grant to help cover expenses like transportation and tickets.

“Our Boys & Girls Club members are thrilled to participate in Regal Entertainment Group’s Summer Movie Express,” said Thomas Falgout, President/CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point.  “The number of youth we serve often doubles in the summer months; therefore we’re always grateful for opportunities that offer fun and engaging activities for our young people. Most importantly, we can leverage this experience to stretch their imagination, while opening doors to a world of exploration and excitement.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point shares the joy at Palladium 14 located at the Palladium shopping center, where Club members add fun at the movies to their summer activity list.

“Regal Entertainment Group is extremely proud of our relationship with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and we are pleased to continue offering resources for local Clubs to take their members to movies at our theatres,” said Dick Westerling, senior vice president marketing and advertising for Regal Entertainment Group.  “Since 2004, our theatres across the country have worked closely with local Boys & Girls Clubs to coordinate and customize this experience for each community.” 

At Regal's Summer Movie Express, moviegoers of all ages can climb aboard to enjoy a great selection of films. During this 9-week festival, select Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theatres will offer G or PG rated movies for only a dollar on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00am.

The grant from Regal Entertainment Group will allow 122 Club youth and staff to attend movies and enjoy a kids snack package each week during the 9-week festival. 

May 2011-Boys & Girls Clubs Wins National Marketing Awards

Recently, Holly Ferree, Vice President of Development and Thomas Falgout, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point received Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s prestigious MAC Award for exceptional marketing and communications efforts during the organization’s 105^th annual national conference in New Orleans, La.  Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point was selected among hundreds of local Clubs across the country for implementing the best marketing strategy for Interactive/Online Marketing.  Outside professionals with expert knowledge and leadership positions in the fields of marketing, advertising, publicity and media relations, website, publications and special events served as judges for the competition.

The local website (www.hpclubs.org) was designed and is maintained through a contribution from Ed Kemp Associates.  The site includes an area called "Kzone" that includes safe websites for kids and are categorized by subjects to help kids and parents navigate the pages.  Kzone is a service to the community for any child or parent to access at any time.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America comprises a national network of some 4,000 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving more than 4.2 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances.  Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation.

June 2010-New Beginnings

We would like to wish our best to Clarissa Young (formerly Clarissa Flowers), our Executive Director for the past two and a half years.  Mrs. Young recently married and moved to Chicago, IL to be with her husband.  Mrs. Young has enjoyed a thirteen year career with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point. Finding a replacement for her was not easy, but through much research and time, the Board of Directors hired Thomas Falgout as the organization's new Executive Director.  Mr. Falgout was most recently employed at the Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic in Lafayette, LA where is was the Interim Director of Volunteer Services.  He worked for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana as the Vice President of Operations, where he oversaw the daily operations of six Clubs and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana in Lafayette, LA as the Director of Operations.  Mr. Falgout brings with him to High Point over sixteen years of experience with the Boys & Girls Clubs.  "We are very excited to have Mr. Falgout on our team," said Clint Farabow, Chairman of the Board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point.  "With his diverse background in Club operations and fundraising, we are sure that he will be an outstanding addition to our staff!'

November 2009-Club Members Receive Baseball Equipment

Thirty-five members from the Carson Stout Club received their very own baseball glove on Wednesday, November 18 at 4:45pm at Carson Stout thanks to a donation from Wilson Sporting Goods.  The Club members are matched in the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring program with members of the High Point University baseball team.  The team hosted a baseball clinic at the Club prior to the donation presentation. 

The donation comes as a result of the movie, “One Good Man”.  The movie is about the passion and vision of one man’s broken relationship with his own son.  This passion fills him with the determination to give the young boys in his town hope and confidence. He seeks to accomplish this by forming a baseball team deliberately designed to involve both fathers and sons in a common effort. Unbeknownst to him, his actions will also bless and bring a new meaning in life to the father of one of the boys, a man serving a life sentence in the local penitentiary. The prison community and the town as a whole are powerfully changed as fathers reunite with their sons and realize their own ability to be One Good Man. 

The baseball equipment that was used in the film was donated by Wilson Sporting Goods.  When the production of the film ended it was suggested by Todd Morris, partner of Morris Marketing and Design, that the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point could benefit from the equipment.  Mr. Morris is the Marketing and Music consultant for the movie, “One Good Man” and secured the Wilson sponsorship for the movie.  Mr. Morris is quoted as saying, “Wilson Sporting Goods’ donation will positively affect over thirty youth in the High Point community.  With the relationship between Big Brothers Big Sisters, High Point University’s baseball team, Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Macedonia Family Resource Center, this donation fits like a glove.”

October 2009-North Carolina Awards

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point was recognized for outstanding achievement at the 2009 North Carolina Area Council Meeting of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  The meeting was held in Raleigh on October 9^th-10^th and was attended by over 160 Board members and staff from the 43 Club organizations in the state.  High Point received the 2009 Honor Awards for Program Excellence at the annual meeting.  One of the awards recognized a local program in the core service area of Health and Life Skills.  The program, titled, “Youth Fit Club,” is a twice a week fitness program that encompasses warm-up, fun fitness games and fitness journals. 

One annual state award is given in each of the five core services areas.  The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point is the only agency in NC to receive at least one program award for each of the past ten consecutive years and has received twenty-one honor awards over that period of time.  This is a testament to the quality and consistency of the program staff and overall strategy of the agency.

High Point Receives North Carolina Honors

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point was recognized for outstanding achievement at the 2008 North Carolina Area Council Meeting of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  The meeting was held in Raleigh on October 3^rd-4^th and was attended by over 160 Board members and staff from the 41 Club organizations in the state.  High Point received two 2008 Honor Awards for Program Excellence at the annual meeting.  One of the awards recognized a local program in the core service area of Character and Leadership Development.  The program, titled, “Celebrating Our Heroes,” was created to allow Club members to give back by participating in projects that honored and celebrated individuals who selflessly serve their community and country.  The other award was for Overall Program, which encompassed some of the following programs:  World of Work Tours, Celebrating Our Heroes, Youth Fit Club, and Power Hour.

One annual state award is given in each of the five core services areas.  The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point is the only agency in NC to receive at least one program award for each of the past nine consecutive years and has received twenty honor awards over that period of time.  This is a testament to the quality and consistency of the program staff and overall strategy of the agency.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America also presented High Point with the annual Board Team of the Year award.

2008 Youth of the Year!  Andrea Bonola

Andrea Bonola loves how Club staff support, coach and encourage her everyday. Andrea, age 14, was selected as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point’s 2008 Youth of the Year on March 26.  Andrea was one of four competitors for this year’s local Youth of the Year award.  Each month, Club staff nominates a Youth of the Month.  At the end of the year, the staff then nominates one of the Youths of  the Month to go on to represent their Club at an organizational wide competition conducted by members of the Operations Committee of the Board of Directors.  Every local Youth of the Year will receive a medallion and an opportunity to become State Youth of the Year, a regional finalist or even National Youth of the Year.

The competition was tough, but it is clear why the interview committee chose Andrea, who is an eighth grader at Penn Griffin Middle School. She has been a member of the Carson Stout Club for four years.  She was very quiet and shy when she first joined the Club.  Since then, she has blossomed and become very dedicated to serving her Club.  Andrea lives with her mother, Loana and her little brother, Jesus.  Andrea helps her brother with homework and is a positive role model to him.  She participates in community projects at the Club such as the Big Sweep, Elks Club carnival and volunteering at the Homeless Shelter.  She has even taken the initiative to schedule visits to local nursing homes to visit with the residents.  She has big plans for the future and has set many goals for herself.  She would like to write a book, help with the fight against AIDS in Africa and obtain a Master’s Degree. 

Three Cheers for Clarissa Flowers, New President and CEO!!!

In January 2008, Clarissa Flowers was appointed as the new President and CEO for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point.  After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1996, Clarissa began her career in the Boys & Girls Clubs as Education Director. Briefly, after working with Boys & Girls Club, Clarissa found her passion, which was to “inspire and enable all young people to become productive, responsible and caring citizens.”

Clarissa has been involved in many aspects of Boys & Girls Clubs, including Education Director, Club Director and for the past six years has been Vice President of Operations for the organization. 

Over the past years, Clarissa’s leadership has played a large role in the development and implementation of youth development programs.  Her leadership has also aided in the organization receiving Honor Awards for Program Excellence each year since the conception of the organization in 1999.  

President and CEO Farewell

I recently accepted the position of Regional Service Director with Boys & Girls Clubs of America effective January 2008.  I will be providing support and consultation services for Club organizations across North Carolina, as a telecommuter working from a home office.  One of the biggest advantages of this new position is that I will still be living in the Triad, so I can continue to support our local Clubs and kids in new ways.

I approached this career decision with mixed feelings.  My time with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point has been exciting and deeply satisfying as I reflect on the achievements of our program, staff, Board members and of course, our Club members.  I’m also excited about the opportunity to share some of our practices with other Club organizations in our state, so that they can experience some of the success we have achieved together in our community. 

My departure will result in new leadership, which will face new challenges.  As we continue to see the clear growth of gang activity in the Triad, the work of Boys & Girls Clubs will become even more critical.  As disadvantaged youth seek to gain a sense of belonging and usefulness, our community will need to insure those needs are met with quality after school and summer programs.  The alternative is to do nothing and allow youth to fulfill those needs through street gangs.  I have been distressed as I’ve watched dramatic decreases in local public funding for our Boys & Girls Clubs and kids over the past few years.  I can only wonder what the future direct and indirect costs could be for the destructive outcomes resulting from active gangs in our community.  I hope our government, business and community leaders will take action, before it becomes too late for prevention programs to be effective.

Even with the challenges ahead, I’m comforted in making this career change knowing that the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point is in good hands with strong Board leadership, as well as a skilled and dedicated staff.  This organization has been the highlight of my career and I’m forever thankful for the opportunity to have served this community.  I hope that everyone reading this newsletter will continue to support our kids, because their ability to reach their full potential depends on it!  

                                                           Steve Morris, President and CEO

October 2007 - North Carolina Awards Again

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point was recognized for outstanding achievement at the 2007 North Carolina Area Council Meeting of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  The meeting was held in Raleigh on October 4-5^th and was attended by over 130 Board members and staff from the 48 Club organizations in the state.

High Point received a 2007 Honor Award for Program Excellence in the core service area of Health and Life Skills.  One annual state award is given in each of the five core services areas.  The local Club organization is the only agency in the state to receive annual program awards for eight consecutive years and has received the most honor awards with 17.  This is a testament to the quality and consistency of the Club staff, as well as the overall program strategy of the agency.  Boys & Girls Clubs of America also presented High Point with the annual Brand Matters Excellence Award for outstanding compliance with the national graphic standards of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  These standards are used for development of agency publications, website design and operational documents.

In addition, Jon Kemp was recognized as the 2007 North Carolina New Board Member of the Year!  Jon is completing his second year on the Board, but has already had a huge impact.  He was able to obtain donations of paper, custom design, and space to display four Boys & Girls Club billboards around town during February and March 2007.  His company, Ed Kemp Associates, produced a local DVD presentation to use with civic club presentations, individual donors, special events, etc., which has also been attached to the agency website for viewing.  Ed Kemp Associates also donated their time to redesign the agency website and included a page called KZone - a website links page for children and parents.  The website received 35,429 hits in 2006 and over 22,000 so far in 2007.  Due to the work on the website, it was recognized through the National Marketing and Communications Awards program with Boys & Girls Clubs of America by receiving a Silver Award in 2005, Gold Award in 2006 and in 2007. Thank you, Jon!

November 2006 - A Very Special American Flag

On November 22^nd some special pen pals finally met and received some special recognition in front of High Point Regional Health System on Elm Street.  MGySgt (Master Gunnery Sergeant) Patrick Morris was in town to present some members of the Boys & Girls Club with a 3'x5' American flag that was flown over Camp Fallujah in Iraq.  This flag was purchased by his unit that served in Iraq for the kids in appreciation of the support they received from them through the Operation Snack Attack program.   

Boys & Girls Club members "adopted" the Marine Unit stationed in Fallajuh, Iraq in February 2006 with a new program called Operation Snack Attack.  Members manned various local stores, to collect snacks and drink mixes that the Marines had requested and were unable to obtain in Iraq.  The Club members were able to send six boxes to Iraq from March to August, with a total of over 79 pounds of snacks for the Marines.  Along with the snacks, Club members also sent cards and letters to support them and the Marines were great about writing back each child.  The unit also emailed back pictures of the country, sand storms, buildings, and themselves for the kids to post on bulletin boards at the Clubs.  The unit returned home safe and sound in September 2006.

The flag presentation was attended by Club staff, Club members and Board members with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point, as well as officials and staff with High Point Regional Health Systems.  This was the first time the children got to meet one of the Marines they had been supporting.  High Point Regional Health System flew this special flag for two weeks as another way to recognize and thank our military personnel for their service to our country. 

March 2006 - Ward Street Boys & Girls Club Opens

On Tuesday, March 21^st , the Ward Street Boys & Girls Club at 1619 Ward Avenue was officially opened by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point to serve children ages 6-18 in that neighborhood. 

The process of opening a Boys & Girls Club at that location began in February 2005, when the Ward Street United Methodist Church agreed to welcome a Club in their facility and provided the 3^rd floor of their education building for that purpose.  Then over $13,000 was raised to fund various renovations needed for the Club space including new lighting, painting, carpeting, windowed doors, etc.  Once work was completed, additional furnishings and equipment were purchased, and then the Club began serving children in January 2006. 

 This is an ideal location for a Boys & Girls Club for several reasons: It is across the street from Oak Hill Elementary School, within walking distance of several apartment complexes and other residential areas.  Also, Ward Street United Methodist Church has already generated several outreach and family programs for the community such as a food pantry, used furniture/appliance ministry, bike ministry, Kids Cafe, and a clothing closet.  The partnership of these programs with the Club programs will increase impact and effectiveness at improving the lives and future of disadvantaged families in the area.

 The Club includes an Arts Center, Learning Center, Technology Center, Social Recreation Center and some additional group meeting rooms.  Furthermore, the school is providing access to their fields and outdoor recreation areas for Club programs and activities.  As with the other Boys & Girls Clubs, Club staff will be working at Oak Hill Elementary School during the day to enhance the academic intervention efforts conducted at the Club afterschool.  The Club already has over 100 Club members and it is projected the site will serve well over 220 disadvantaged youth in the area by this summer.

February 2006 - Youth of the Year Selected by Board Members

Cryshaunda Rorie is a true example of an extraordinary youth in our community. At age 16, she has been selected as the 2006 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point by the Operations Committee of the Board of Directors. 

Cryshaunda has been a member of the Carson Stout Boys & Girls Club for eight years.  At the Boys & Girls Club, Cryshaunda has participated in activities and programs such as:  Keystone Club (teen character & leadership program); Fine Arts Program; Teen Leadership Camp; Power Hour Tutor and various community service projects.  Also, Cryshaunda has volunteered at special events such as; National Kids’ Day, Carson Stout Community Thanksgiving Dinner and the Triangle Lake School/Club Carnival.   

She is currently in the 11th grade at Andrews High School, where out of 267 juniors in her class, Cryshaunda is ranked at the top 15% of her class with a 3.75 GPA.  Cryshaunda is involved in various extracurricular school activities such as the Beta Club, Captain of the Dance Team and the Orchestra. 

The Youth of the Year program, which is administered by Boys & Girls Clubs of America and has been nationally sponsored by the Reader’s Digest Foundation since 1947, recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome.

May 2004  -  National Honor Award for Program Excellence

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High Point was recognized with the highest award given for Club programs by Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  The awards were presented at the 2004 Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Conference held May 18^th -22^nd in San Antonio, Texas.

The organization received the 2004 National Honor Award for Program Excellence for Overall Program, which recognizes excellence in all five of the national core service areas:  Education and Career Development; Health and Life Skills; The Arts; Character and Leadership Development; and Sports, Fitness and Recreation.   To put this achievement in perspective, there are currently 1,137 Boys & Girls Club organizations that operate over 3,000 Clubs throughout the U.S. and overseas.  To be selected as the best overall program is extremely difficult! 

The organization also received a 2004 Merit Award for Program Excellence in the core service area of Health and Life Skills.  Boys & Girls Clubs of America selects one Honor Award and two Merit Award national winners for each of the five core service areas each year, plus an Honor Award for Overall Program (requires entry in all core service areas for at least one Club).  Honor Awards for Program Excellence, generously sponsored by MetLife Foundation, provide national recognition for innovative programming that enriches the Boys & Girls Club Movement.

"This level of program recognition is additional confirmation that our personnel, programs and kids continue to make progress, in spite of the local challenges facing our organization and kids.  We are very lucky to have these Clubs in our community," stated Jeff Oves, Vice Chair of Operations with the organization's Board of Directors.

Rita Tisdale, Club Director of the Southside Club, and Leessa Black, Vice Chair of Finance with the Board of Directors, attended the conference to accept the awards at the National Conference Finale Dinner with an audience of over 2,000.