Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown
Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown
Written by Beth Wade Friday, 10 October 2008
In March 2006, the Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown opened, providing a place for boys and girls ages 7 to 17 to spend time after school, Saturdays and during the summer.
The group is part of an organization of 5 communities, known as the Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas, and partners with the Georgetown Housing Authority, which provided the club’s building.
When it first began in 1860, the Boys and Girls Club was just the Boys Club of America and was aimed at getting boys off the street and into an organized and positive group. It was not until 1906 that the group, which began in Connecticut, began gathering steam across the country. The name changed to the Boys and Girls Club of America in 1990 to show that girls were also part of the cause.
The club runs its own programs, but must provide programs in five core areas that are mandated by the national organization. The key programs include education and career, sports and fitness, arts, health and life skills, and character and leadership development.
Because the club only has four staff members, two full time and two part time, the club looks to other groups in the area to help with some of its programming, Unit Director Daniel Anstee said.
The group works with Life Steps on drug and alcohol prevention programs. The Georgetown Project, a group focused on youth and education, helps the club with other educational and prevention programs.
The club has an open door policy, and club members are allowed to come and go as they please. Members are allowed to play games, do homework, have a snack or do arts and crafts.
“There is a lot of choice available for the kids,” Anstee said. “We provide a wide range of activities.”
To become a member, individuals must pay a $10 membership fee; however, there are scholarships available to anyone receiving public assistance. The group currently has approximately 400 members.
“The advantage to having such a low membership fee is that more people are able to be involved,” Anstee said, “but on the other side, you have to find ways to [make money for the club].”
Anstee and the club’s board of directors host several fundraisers throughout the year, but he said because the group is still young, it has not established a lot of annual events. The group does host an open house each year that showcases the club and the children involved.
In September the club celebrated the Boys and Girls Club National Day for Kids, an event held annually on the third Saturday in September. The event was created to encourage strong relationships between adults and children.
“What I like about the club nationally, is that the No. 1 priority is a very supportive program that relies on the adult relationships and staff,” Anstee said. “Adults play a primary impact role on kids. The more people involved, the more impact there will be.”
What's next?
Unit Director Daniel Anstee said he is looking at ways to provide services to the Williams Drive area beginning in fall 2009. He said the club hopes to build a facility on the west side of town in the next three years. Anstee is also trying to provide transportation after school.
Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown, 210 W. 18th St., 868-3700, www.stonehaven.cbgclub.org
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