BONUS DAYS ARE HERE

Realize that we have 13, soon to be 16, sites. Getting these sites ready for the school year is a task, which is why we close Adventure Club in early August.

We had a single-parent casually mention to us that they have to use all their vacation to watch their kid until school starts.

That was troubling.

We always say that we are there 90% for the kids and 10% for the working parents.

This year we are going to host BONUS DAYS. We will remain open from August 11-20, which should basically leave parents two days, rather than three weeks, to fend for themselves. We will maintain the same summer hours of 7:30-5:30 in Marshall and 7:00-6:00 is Hallsville and Waskom.

While we are not trying to get extra money from anyone, but know that this is an unbudgeted expense, so the cost will be $70. We get a lot out of our staff, but with rent to pay, "free" isn't something that they can readily do.

We need about 60 kids signed up between all three sites, and we already have several, to make this happen. To sign up, please call the Club by July 31, 2014.

Be sure to tell your story

Recently, I received a call from a long-time donor. They wanted me to meet someone. Of course, I said "just send him over."

My visitor ran a tutoring service and wanted to engage our kids. He said that our donor told him our sports are top of the line but our educational opportunities are lacking. I was asked by my visitor "what do you do on the education-side?"

Now I wasn't offended, because I was acutely aware of our less-visible-but-definitely-as-impactful-as-sports numbers. We do a good job with the old smarticles. What troubled me is that this long time donor didn't know our successes. 

How could a guy that has bee a part of the Club as long as I have not know this? I have a big mouth, right? I regularly tell our story. How was this missed? Our goal is to get the word out that we are more than just a gym. We love our sports, but we offer opportunities in character and leadership, the arts, technology, and career development for kids. We do sports very well, but that is not all that we are about. Its just the most visible part. 

On a side note, since 2005 we have had one regular Club kid that has not graduated high school... one. This same kid has come back as a 22 year old and asked us to help him get through the GED. We have a partnership with ETBU (thanks to the departed Dr. Emberton and Blair Prevost) that helps us find Education Majors who can offer tutoring those teens that need help, we do Power Hour (homework help) every day, we take college trips at no expense to them...we do education not with shiny new uniforms and cool names like "The Falcons", but it is certainly in our repertoire.

To finish the story, I did tell our visitor that we would love to partner up with him in the fall since we love opportunity for our kids and he agreed that this would be good to discuss further. But he closed with "it sounds like you don't need to, though."

I am glad he noticed.

In the Top 10

Annually, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America gives out 10 Growth and Impact awards. It is generally known among BGCA circles that these are the top 10 Clubs out of the 4,200 in the world. 

We are currently a 2013 Growth and Impact Award winner. Now I am a self proclaimed marketing guru, but it was pointed out to me that I am not shouting this from the rooftops enough.

So here you go "THIS CLUB ROCKS IT BIG TIME AND WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR KIDS!"

 In being a Growth and Impact Award winner, not only are we in the .0023nd percentile, but we were #1 in the Southwest region. Dallas? Behind us. Denver? Back Seat. Little Rock? Albuquerque? Houston? Austin? I remember seeing them a while back when we passed them...

I am just kidding. I am certainly not gloating as I know every one of those Directors and they have been instrumental in my growth as an Exec as well as being able to utilize their knowledge to the Big Pines' advantage. 

I want everyone to know that we have a pretty good thing going for the kids in East Texas. They are getting enrichment from this Club in a lot of areas from education, career skills, leadership, fun, just to name a few. 

According to BGCA standards, we are doing something right and we are proud of that! We are changing lives in East Texas.

And by the way, we recently submitted our most recent numbers...and they are better than last years!

Notice of Intent to Submit: Marshall ISD intends to submit a continuation application for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant. The application will be available for public review after the submission date of June 3, 2014 at 5 p.m. 

GATEWAY GIVES BACK TO THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE BIG PINES

Gateway Tire has generously partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines in an effort to help the kids of East Texas as part of their Gateway Gives Back program.

Throughout the month of May, Gateway tire will donate $3 from every oil change on Tuesday to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines to support their work with children. These dates would be May 6, 13, 20, and 27.

“This is fantastic!” said Executive Director Bryan Partee. “My favorite fund raisers are the ones that we don’t expect. As a small Club, Gateway is really helping us make an impact with the kids that need us most.If you need an oil change, save it until a Tuesday!”

About Gateway Tire

Gateway Tire & Service Center is a pillar of the community. Gateway Tire & Service Center is a leader in offering name brand tires, wheels, auto repair and brake services. Our goal is to focus on customer service. It is the foundation of our business. Gateway Tire & Service Center employs a well-trained staff specializing in the sale and installation of passenger car, performance or SUV tires. Custom wheels are available at Gateway Tire & Service Center. Special wheels and rims compliment any tire or customer vehicle. Complete under-car services, such as oil changes, brakes, shocks, struts, alignment for both foreign and domestic vehicles are readily available at competitive prices.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines is in its 20^th year serving kids in East Texas. It began as the Boys & Girls Club of Harrison County in a single site to now having 13 sites in three counties serving 1,500 kids per day. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines was one of 10, 2013-14 winners of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s prestigious Growth and Impact Awards. The main unit is located in the Carlile Teen Center in Marshall with sites serving Elysian Fields, Hallsville, Jefferson, and Waskom. For more information, please visit www.BeGreatEasttexas.com or call (903) 935-2030.

Club Supports the MISD School Bond

Marshall’s Largest Non-Profit Youth Development Organization in Support of MISD Bond

MARSHALL, TEXAS—The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines (BGCBP) has announced its full support of the Marshall Independent School District’s May 10 bond election. According to an announcement made by Board Chairman Chris Clement, BGBCP board members voted at their March 25 meeting to publicly back the $150 million bond to upgrade Marshall ISD educational campuses.   

Chairman Clement said that it was critical for the BGCBP to show its public support in this way as Marshall ISD stands as one of the Club’s most vital community partners.

“The Club believes that if our mission is to ‘enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,’ then we cannot do so without the partnership of our local schools,” Clement said.  “We cannot support our young people without ensuring they are afforded healthy, effective environments for their learning and growth, whether that takes place during the school day or after the bell rings.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines serve approximately 1,500 kids per day at their 13 primarily school-based sites throughout Harrison and Marion Counties. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines is also a contractual partner with the MISD through the ACE grant.

“At Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines, we are committed daily to improving the lives of our area youth by providing a positive place for them to go each day after school. In doing so, we cannot neglect the environment where they spend most of their day.  We see it as a holistic approach to the development of the potential of all our kids when we support the improvement of the facilities being used to educate them,” said Bryan Partee, BGCBP Executive Director.

“We are encouraging the families that we serve to get out and vote for our kids, vote for this bond, and vote for the future of Marshall,” Partee added.

Early voting begins Monday, April 28 through Tuesday, May 6 and Election Day is Saturday, May 10.

for more information about the bond issue, please [click here].

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Little Contest

In an effort to have a centralized information system for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines, we thought we would have a little contest to drive people to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Here is the deal. Like us on Facebook: One entry. Follow us on Twitter: One more entry. A winner will be drawn from any one liking our Facebook Page or following us on Twitter and as a gift, we will give you a $250 Walmart Gift Card. The details are below, but it seems pretty easy to us!

                      

[Twitter - Click Here]                                                       [Facebook Click here]

DETAILS

1. Like the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BeGreatEastTexas) and/or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BGCBigPines) , and your name will be put in a hopper for each one. 
2. Contest runs from 2/4/14-3/2/14.
3. A "thank you gift" will be drawn on 3/3/14, which will be a $250 Walmart gift card.
4. To be eligible, you must be a part of our service area, primarily Gregg, Harrison, Marion, and Panola Counties.
5. If you have already liked or followed, you will be eligible as well.