I attended the Youth Week event Retro Movie Night where we watched Back to the Future 2. However, it was also a throwback to the past because the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary are celebrating their 75th anniversary.
Shown above is The Hangar, a Boys & Girls Club space that was constructed back in 1929 for the Stanley Jones Airport, which was the first publicly owned airport in Calgary. Talk about a blast from the past! In 2008, it underwent a renovation and now includes a theatre stage, kitchen, music & DJ room, as well as a rock-climbing wall. In this case, the space was transformed for our movie-viewing pleasure.
As part of their 75th anniversary celebrations, they’re posting pictures to showcase the rich history of their organization. Shown left is the Hangar back in 1929 and below is the present-day facility.
Besides hosting fun events like this, the Boys & Girls Club offers a variety of other programs and events.
I had the chance to interview Grant, staff from the Boys & Girls Club, to get the inside scoop of what makes Boys & Girls Club “A good place to be.”
The Retro Movie Night was organized by the Keystone. What is the Keystone and what do youth do in the program?
Keystone is a program that promotes leadership and empowerment for youth aged 14-18. Its philosophy is very much dependent on solid teamwork and group support, where youths gain knowledge and skills to make positive choices in their lives. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary supplies a place where these youth can use their creative skills to make a difference in the community through volunteer opportunities and special events.
Besides the Keystone, what other programs does Boys and Girls Club offer?
We offer 47 programs at 27 locations, with trained, dedicated staff and volunteers who support children and youth, ranging in age from pre-school to young adulthood. Some programs offer physical recreation, technology, the arts and personal growth, while other locations provide nutrition services, family support programs, emergency shelter and other supports to children and youth at risk.
Interesting Facts
Out of the Boys and Girls Club across the country, Calgary is home to the largest one. It was originally founded with the onset of World War 2, when fathers were in a short supply. As a result, rising youth delinquency became a concern. In Calgary, civic leaders agreed that providing a healthy environment where youth could engage in purposeful activities with adult guidance would help curb youth delinquency. 75 years later, the Boys and Girls Club continues to nurture youth and benefit the community as a whole.
Speaking from personal experience, how do you think people in the Boys & Girls club have benefited from these programs, for youth and adults? What have you learned from working with youth?
Many of Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary’s programs are offered primarily during the after-school hours, when studies have shown that young people are most vulnerable at becoming drawn into anti-social behaviours. Many Clubs also offer programs during evenings and weekends. For 75 years, Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary has carried on a tradition of helping young people to discover, develop and achieve their full potential as adults, citizens and leaders, by engaging them in activities that challenge and enrich their minds, bodies and spirits and nurture their self-esteem. Our safe, caring Club environments and enriching programs have enabled thousands of young Calgarians to play, learn and develop valuable skills for life.
“There are a few things I have learned from my experience working at Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary. The first is the honesty and willingness of the children and youth to explain exactly how they feel about something or someone. Second, I have learned that every day is different, and challenges or successes can be seen on a daily basis. Through this, I have seen that I our children and youth are constantly learning and challenging themselves to be a better people. The final aspect, and definitely the reason I continue doing the work I do, is the way the children and youth think: their imagination, creativity and optimism in terms of their outlook on life, and coming up with solutions to problems is something we often lose when we reach a certain age. If we could all foster their ideas, and show that their voice matters, the future generation will continue to think this way, and hopefully make a positive impact on the world.” – Grant Fulford
The Boys and Girls Club was part of Youth Week again this year. What other projects where you partner with community organizations are currently happening? How about for the future?
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary partners with the Calgary community through various projects that support and celebrate our children and youth throughout the year. This year is Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary’s 75th anniversary and we are planning several events later on in the year to celebrate the successes of our children and youth. In addition to these anniversary celebrations, we will continue to partner with individuals, other community agencies and businesses with fundraising, volunteering and awareness activities.
One such example is the Keystone program, which is specifically working on ways to advocate the anti-bullying message through engaging youth their own age in the discussion. In the past, Keystone has worked with Waste Management to help clean up after special events at the Saddledome. Keystone also attends youth conferences in order to network, share resources, and develop fully as a team.
In the future, Keystone is going to be a part of the River and Pathway Clean Up in May, and we have events in the future that will promote Keystone and try to increase enrolment in our program. Through Keystone, youth learn how to foster respect between groups and individuals. They learn valuable leadership skills and form lasting friendships with other teens across the country.
What do you want to say to youth looking to get involved with Boys and Girls Club? Why do you think youth involvement is important?
We want to make sure that when youth have an idea about helping in the community that we are advocating on their behalf. It may be difficult to know the resources available or how to go about accomplishing a project, but with the network available to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary, we are able point them in the right direction and set them up for success. The council we currently have is completely youth driven, and ideas they come up with are planned and executed by them, and as leaders of Keystone we can help make the process fun and rewarding.
Youth involvement is key to us being relevant in our community work! We say “come on out and get involved”!
We have the Beltline Youth Centre downtown, which is an amazing place to just show up and hang out. They have access to a gym and basketball court there if you just want to hang out and be active. They also have art classes, and a professional hip-hop recording studio that you can access for free!
https://www.facebook.com/BeltlineYouthCentre
Then we also have the YEAR program which takes place in Bowness. It’s focused on working with youth in the Bowness, Montgomery, and Greenwood Village communities. YEAR helps youth play an active role in their community.
https://www.facebook.com/bownessyouth
Are there plans for Back to the Future 3 in the future? (pun intended) I’d love to come watch.
I think if anything we would have to go back… Back to the Past. This might help with those who haven’t seen the original to figure out what was actually happening in the second one. Saying that, everyone had a really positive experience working on this project so we could definitely do another one in the future with a different movie, and open it up to families!
Now, it’s your turn to get involved!
The Boys and Girls Club has something perfect for everyone.
Besides Bowness, there are also Club locations in Falconridge, Forest Lawn, Penbrooke, Pineridge, Southern Calgary, Thorncliffe and of course, The Hangar, which is not too far away from Crescent Heights and Bridgeland.
They also have their annual Capital One Race for Kids on May 31st. Teams of 4 will be competing in a series of fun challenges while also raising money for all boys and girls to have an opportunity for a bright childhood. Funds raised will go directly back into the communities in Calgary so that we can continue offering the types of programs that young people need the most.
For more info, click here
I’ll end off with a video about the Race for Kids and again: Go on out and get involved! Boys and Girls Club is a fantastic organization with a rich history and lots of exciting opportunities for all ages.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOtoXF_CpU8