Newsletter Archive
Summer 2003
Spring 2003
Winter 2002
Fall 2002
|
Issue 42, Fall 2003
FEATURE STORIES
Charger's Jammer gives kids tix
|
San Diego Charger Quentin Jammer (center in yellow) paid a visit to the Linda
Vista Club in September to sign autographs and hand out tickets to upcoming
Chargers games.
Quentin is donating tickets for 8 members and 2 chaperones to attend every
Chargers home game. As part of his commitment to San Diego youth, he plans to
visit seven local Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the season.
|
|
Encanto Learning Center Opens
|
Responding to the need for more safe spaces and educational activities
for young people after school, MetLife Foundation has awarded $2 million
to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to establish new learning centers
in more than 30 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. The Boys & Girls Clubs
of Greater San Diego, Encanto Branch is one of the sites
selected to receive funding for a new learning center, which opened September 25th.
"We were delighted to receive the MetLife Foundation Leverage for Learning
grant because it allows us to make education a top priority for the
children we serve," said Danny Sherlock, president and CEO of the
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.
The Encanto Branch never had a place completely dedicated to
homework aside from the computer lab where it was difficult to
set up homework sessions and other educational activities not related to
computers. Thanks to MetLife Foundation and matching funds from the
Boys & Girls Foundation, there is now a refurbished
room complete with new school supplies, paint, lighting and furniture,
that is solely designated for homework and other educational activities.
"We believe investing in the education of our nation's youth is an
absolute must," said Sibyl Jacobson, president, MetLife Foundation.
"We have chosen to make our investment in Boys & Girls Clubs because
they have a solid track record of reaching disadvantaged youth and
implementing education programs that significantly improve children's
academic performance."
|
|
Members go deep sea fishing
|
Volunteers from the San Diego chapter of NAIFA (National Association of
Insurance and Financial Advisors) treated 50 club members to an exciting day of
deep-sea fishing. All youth who attended had a great time. For many, this was
their first time on a deep-sea fishing boat. A
Ramona member caught the biggest fish, a 12-pound Tuna. All but seven or eight
members caught a fish.
 The volunteers had a great time interacting with the club members. They also gave
away 5 fishing poles for the most fish caught, biggest fish, etc.
Special thanks to Board member Scott Ashline for organizing the trip and his
friend Tim McQueen for taking care of all the logistical details.
|
|
Linda Vista pool repaired
|
On June 18th the Linda Vista branch reopened its pool for club members after
it closed last year. The club had closed its pool because of corroded copper
pipes, crumbling plaster surfaces and old pumps and filters, but
thanks to Mission Pools it was possible to repair and reopen the pool
for the summer months.
"It's great that we could open up this pool for our members.
The Linda Vista community doesn't have any other pools for our kids
to use, so it's exciting that we can provide this activity for them.
Over 150 members use our pool each day during the summer months, so we
know our kids appreciate the renovations," says Area Director Holland Conneely.
The repairs were funded mostly through the Boys & Girls Clubs and
the County of San Diego (via County Supervisor Ron Roberts) who made a
$50,000 donation to the Linda Vista Pool. Other Individuals made
personal donations to ensure that the pool was completed this summer.
Mission Pools, owned by Boys & Girls
Clubs Board of Governor Bruce Dunn, completed the
project for fees well under industry standards and had employees
working round the clock on the project for to make sure
that the pool was open at the beginning of summer.
Linda Vista's pool has been completely renovated and should be in
top working shape for years to come. Thanks to generous contributors
and Mission Pools the Linda Vista branch was ready for summer fun!
|
|
Club X is the spot for teens
|
Take two communities off the main track in eastern San Diego
County: one nestled in the mountains a half hour drive from Escondido, the
other planted in the Anza Borrego desert, a good hour to two-hour drive
from anywhere.
Add teen-agers with little in the way of positive activities outside of
school, and you have a recipe for trouble with a Capital-T.
This was the situation in Ramona and Borrego Springs several years ago
until the former Boys & Girls Club of Ramona (now part of the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego) began a program called Club X.
In Ramona, Collier Park, where the Club is located, had become a
"hang-out" for young people with nothing to do. Drug activity and
vandalism in the park property and to nearby private property became an
almost daily occurrence.
Youth in Borrego Springs were spending Friday evenings partying
just outside town with attendant alcohol and drug use and premature
sexual activity.
With the help of a three-year grant of $321,474 from The California
Endowment, the Club X programs for teens in Ramona and Borrego Springs
have made a positive difference. Club X provides substance-free
alternative recreational and social activities, counseling services, peer
mentoring, educational support, technology education, independent living skills and career exploration opportunities
for those ages 11-18.
Activities are offered in the late afternoon and evenings, when the risks for
anti-social behaviors are greatest. The goal is to empower teens with the skills,
knowledge, self-esteem and healthy characteristics needed to resist the negative
influences surrounding them. Partnerships have been formed with Palomar
Family Counseling, North Rural Recovery Center and Vista Hill, providing
teens and their families with access to healthy lifestyle education and counseling
services, which many of these families couldn't afford.
In the past three years, more than 1,000 youth have taken part in Club X in
Ramona and Borrego Springs. As a result of the Club X program, 171 teens
were involved in individual or group counseling, and 641 teens participated in
SMART Moves, a Boys & Girls Clubs of America resiliency training program
that equips young people with the skills to resist negative peer pressures.
Both communities have reported that the presence of the Boys & Girls
Clubs and the Club X program have greatly lessened the incidence and number
of teens involved in those activities that led to the formation of the program.
|
|
Rainforest Ranch gets County approval
|
Five years ago, a very generous family planted the dream
a Club camp in the minds of Club executives. On June 6,
that dream took its first step towards reality when county
officials unanimously approved major-use permit for the development
of the Rainforest Ranch Campground.
The vision of this campground was first seen in June
1998 when the Bronner family donated 1,024 acres of land
just outside of the Warner Springs area to the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego. The late Emanuel Bronner,
who developed Bronner's Soap, owned the property and years
ago attempted to change the climate by planting three miles of
trees in the Chihuahua Valley. Because of these efforts and his
passion for improving peoples' lives, this campground has been
named in honor of him.
It took five years and $200,000 to complete environmental
and habitat studies in order to apply for the land-use permit.
With no opposition at the June 6 hearing, the project was
approved and is now able to move forward.
Only 360 of the 1,024 acres will be used for the camp; the rest
will be left untouched. The $10-million camp will be built in three
phases. The first will be the construction
of the lodge, two care-takers' quarters and a storage
barn. The second phase will include dining halls, cottages, cabins,
bathrooms, a swimming pool and an equestrian facility. Improvements
to the buildings and the completion of landscaping,
service roads and a parking lot will mark the end of the project.
The goal is to have the first phase finished in late 2004 and
capable of accommodating campers by 2005. When completed,
the camp will be able to house 150 guests overnight and
200 during the day.
Thanks to the Bronner family and years of preparation and
diligence, Rainforest Ranch will be a retreat where thousands of
children will be able to experience some of their own dreams.
|
|
Construction begins at Poway Club
|
In July, Poway residents got their first glimpse of the
community's new Clubhouse,watching it take shape as the
pre-cast walls of the 20,000-square-foot facility were lifted
into place at the 5.78-acre site in Poway Community Park on
Bowron Road.
Competitive Edge Construction, Inc., construction
manager for the new facility that is part of the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego's family of clubs,
raised the 60-ton, 35-foot by 30-foot pre-cast panels using
a crane with a lifting capacity of 165 tons. The panels
constitute approximately 40 percent of the total facility.
The $3-million Sulpizio Family Branch, named after
local philanthropists Gaby and Richard Sulpizio, will accommodate
more than 1,000 members, and other community
organizations will be able to use the sports facilities for
league activities.
 The completed Club will be equipped with a full-size
gymnasium, sports courts, playground, childcare center,
nutrition center and technology center.
These facilities will house fitness and education programs
for youth ages six to 18 during after school hours and for day
camps.
|
|
Alumni Spotlight: James Hall
|
While growing up in Escondido, James Hall, who has had a stellar career
in the automobile industry, attended the Mitchell branch of the Boys & Girls
Clubs. He attended Lincoln and Felicita elementary schools and Grant Junior
High and graduated from Escondido High in 1964. After high school, he attended
the University of Southern California, and in 1968, he received a Bachelor of
Science Degree in Business Administration. Immediately after college, Hall
began a career at the Ford Motor Company that lasted 12 years.
During his time at Ford, he worked in manufacturing, production, engineering
and quality positions. In 1980, Hall made the transition from Ford to a Toyota
truck-bed manufacturing facility in Long Beach-the first Japanese automotive
manufacturing operation in North America. For four years he learned about
Toyota's manufacturing system through multiple tours of Toyota's factories in
Japan, training and implementation into the operations at that facility.
In 1984, Hall transferred to Toyota Motor Sales' national headquarters in
Torrance, CA. During this time he was involved with a number of projects and
was responsible for Toyota's first attempts at implementing the Toyota Production
System in the United States. He was promoted to corporate manager for
Toyota Vehicle Processors Inc., which shipped over a million vehicles annually
from six port and factory locations to Toyota and Lexus dealers all over the
United States.
From 1995 to 2002, Hall was the corporate manager of logistics planning
and administration at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. He was in charge of the
strategic planning, freight payment, contract negotiation and administration as
well as supply chain management and systems support for Toyota and Lexus
vehicle logistics operations. He was the manufacturing liaison responsible for all
Toyota North American vehicle manufacturing plants and was the chairman of the
Automotive Industry Logistics Steering Committee in 1997.
Hall retired from Toyota after 20 years of service in 2002. He lives with his wife,
Myrna, in Anaheim Hills, CA. They have been married for 34 years and are the
parents of Brian and Trisha.
|
|
Board Profile: Jim Oliver
|
Sometimes a board gets lucky and attracts a member who gives his or her all to
an organization. A person who puts in more time and effort than could ever be
expected of any volunteer. A person who cares so much about an organization's
mission that it becomes a priority in his life. Jim Oliver is one such person. Since
1988, Jim has been a member of the Metro region's Board of Directors, is a past
chairman of the Board and was a founding member of the Board of Governors after
the merger in 2002. He consistently and passionately devotes his time to the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego because he believes in its mission and the children
it serves.
After spending 20 years in the Navy as an attack pilot and after completing two
tours in Vietnam, he retired as a commander. During his years of military service, Jim
lived in seven cities, never having the opportunity to build a relationship with his
community or give back to the society that had been so generous to him.
His sense of responsibility and loyalty to his country and his community lead
him to volunteer at a number of different non-profits once he settled in San Diego.
One by one, Jim left these organizations, but he remained actively involved with the
Boys & Girls Club. He strongly felt then, and more so today, that "the Boys & Girls
Club has the best mission and strongest board, filled with an exceptional group of
people, all devoted to that same mission."
Today Jim is a senior vice president for Smith Barney, specializing in financial
management. He continues to be one of the most active board members and is a
dedicated advocate of the Clubs and firm believer of the services it provides.
"Our Clubs serve disadvantaged youth in the areas where they live," he says.
"The future of this country depends on its young people. It is incumbent upon the
leadership of this community to provide every possible opportunity to all kids."
|
|
