Organizational meeting held for Boys & Girls Club of America in Chickasha

By SONYA GORE

Staff Writer

Despite the snow and cold weather Wednesday individuals representing a number of community organizations attended a meeting set to look into creating a Boys &Girls Club of America (B&GCA) in Chickasha. Members from the Indigenous Nations Federal Charter Association (INFCA) organized the meeting, and are availing themselves to providing necessary organizational tools.

Cindy Villarreal. B&GCA Regional Service Director, detailed the benefits that the club could offer the community. “This is not a one-person show,“ Villarreal said. The club’s mission was described as the movement’s reason for being--To inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

According to Villarreal, a Boys & Girls Club will provide a safe place for the children of Chickasha to learn and grow, ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals, life enhancing programs and character development experiences. And more importantly, hope and opportunity.

Villrreal stressed that in many communities boys and girls are left to find their own recreation and companionship in the streets. “An increasing number of children are at home with no adult care or supervision,” Villarreal said. “Young people need to know that someone cares about them.” Boys & Girls Clubs offer that and more. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.

Organizing a club in Chickasha will require the community to look at the four key characteristics that define the essence of a Boys & Girls Club.

1. Dedicated Youth Facility

The Boys &Girls Club is a place, an actual neighborhood based building, designed solely for youth programs and activities.

Express-Star photo by Sonya Gore

In an organizational meeting for chartering a Boys & Girls Club in Chickasha, Rick Moore, CEO of Indigenous Nations Federal Charter Association (INFCA), addressed the group about the necessary steps for organizing and funding a group in Chickasha.

2. Open Daily

The Club is open daily, after school and on weekends, when kids have free time and need positive productive outlets.

3. Professional Staff

Every Club has full-time, trained youth development professionals, providing positive role models and mentors. Volunteers provide key supplementary support.

4. Available and Affordable to All Youth

Clubs reach out to kids who cannot afford, or may lack

access to other community programs. Dues are low, averaging $5 per year.

According to Villarreal, B&GCA is primarily aimed at disadvantaged kids. “Disadvantaged has no economic ties," she said. "He could be the richest kid in town and not have parental guidance or someone to talk to. A lot of the kids that we deal with are the ones that fall through the cracks.”

Another meeting will be forthcoming to appoint an advisory board and a steering committee.

The following organizations were represented at the meeting: Fellowship of American Indians, First National Bank, INFCA, Grady County

Sheriff’s Office, Chickasha Police Department, Sooner Council Girl Scouts, Grady Memorial Hospital, Chickasha Public Schools, Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, Grady County District Attorney’s Office, Canadian Valley Technology Center, Arvin Meritor, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and Chickasaw Nation.

For information on the organization of a Club in Chickasha call INFCA at (405) 292-5300 or Tewanna Edwards at 214-6231, or visit the INFCA Web site, www.infca.org.

For general information on the Boys & Girls Club of America  visit their Web site, www.bgca.org.