Camp CAMERA's First Meeting

Yesterday marks the first day of our nine week session of Camp CAMERA in partnership with Macalester College.  The members were very excited for this opportunity to start, so yesterday was filled with much anticipation.

We arrived at Macalester College around 4 pm at the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Building and were given a short tour of the campus.  Once completed, members met up with the college service intern, Max Guttman, and four other college volunteers to start the program.

In the beginning, they played a couple get to know you activities and asked the girls what they hoped to gain from this experience.  Many of our girls stated specific photography techniques they would like to learn, and all stated that they were excited in using photography for a medium to empower women and evoke a message.

Once the discusion was done, the girls split up into groups and took pictures on campus.  They then put these pictures on the projector screen and analyzed the different techniques used.

Great first day of Camp CAMERA and we look forward to next week!

Thank you, Bill Morrissey for your Generous Donation.

Yesterday at the West Side Boys and Girls Club we had the privilege to spend part of the day with Bill Morrissey, the owner and operator of Morrissey Hospitality House.  As Mr. Morrissey toured the facility and helped members with their homework, he made sure every member received a cookie.

More than that, we are appreciative of his continued support of our West Side Boys and Girls Club and dedication to the West Side Community.  We appreciate your willingness to come and visit us yesterday and present us with a generous monetary donation.  It is because of people like you that we are able to provide all of the programs and support to our members.  Thank you again, and please come and visit us soon!

Thank you, Olive Garden!

Today our members and staff had the privilege of being served Olive Garden for our dinner from the Maplewood Branch.  Olive Garden brought breadsticks, salad, and pasta to over 70 members today for dinner.

Thank you, Olive Garden for taking the time to bring us this wonderful dinner!  We appreciated it very much!

Having Fun in the STARS Room

The STARS members had a great time last week working on their homework during Power Hour as well as creating and building things in the STARS room.

After the members completed their homework, Miss Teria had engaging stations for members to work on.  Some enjoyed cutting out a body of a robot and putting it together, others enjoyed playing the Cootie Game, others enjoyed building things on the light up board, and others spent time working on their reading through our Tumble Books program.

Keep up the good work!

West Side Boys and Girls Club World Wide Day of Play

On September 18th, we participated in our Day of Play sponsored in partnership with Nickelodeon. Our Keystone Leadership Committee helped in running our concession stand for the participants and spectators.

Our members participated in an organized soccer tournament with four soccer teams participating. We also had several members playing football on the fields as well as an indoor flag football tournament that took place in the gym.

Our members had a great day filled with interactive and organized team sports on our fields.  This was a great day of play for those who played and the spectators that had the privilege to watch.   Below is a movie created highlighting our day!

West Side Boys and Girls Club Soccer League

The 2014 fall soccer season started on September 11th, 2014.  We have been lucky to have such a dedicated sports director in Rudy Lugo and dedicated volunteer coaches in both Barry Blomgren and Peter Rhoades.  Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our members. We appreciate it so very much.

The first two games of the season had the West Side Badgers, led by coach Barry Blomgren, taking on the West Side Hawkeyes, by Coach Peter Rhodes.  These two teams battled it out back and forth with great determination and might throughout the whole game.  The two players that stood out as our Key Players of the Game were Bjork Robeson and Luis Aguirre who both proved themselves to have both determination and strength on both sides of the field.  Although the game ended up being a 3-3 tie between the Hawkeyes and the Badgers, neither team ever gave up.

On field two, we had the Wolverines, coached by Rob and the Spartans coached by Rudy Lugo.  The two players that stood out as our Key Players of the Game, would be Uriel Reyes and Antonio Olivares.  Uriel Reyes showed great hustle and speed on both sides of the ball showing his all around athleticism.  Antonio Olivares was both dynamic and charismatic, leading the Spartans to victory with three goals.

Great week of tournament match ups and looking forward to next week!

World Wide Day of Play

On September 18th, the West Side Boys and Girls Club in partnership with Nickelodeon, will be hosting a Day of Play.  This initiative is a whole day dedicated to getting out and being physically fit.  There will be activities planned all day that encourage physical activities that are fun and interactive.  Please join us on this day and play!  Check out these videos and why many people have chosen to play: I Play Because...

Camp CAMERA

Our teen girls, as part of our SMART Girls program have the opportunity to participate in our Camp CAMERA program.  This is a fun, interactive photography class for high school girls that focuses on empowerment through art.

Each week college students from Macalester College prepare and lead lessons, field trips, dark room techniques, studio workshops that are geared towards learning the art of photography.  They incorporate guest speakers in the field of photography that give young teen girls the tools to be creative through photography and learn about photo journalism.

These teens are then given the opportunity to apply the techniques they have learned through these courses to create their own photography that will be on display in an art gallery show that will take place at the end of this nine week session.

In partnership with Macalester College and the West Side Boys and Girls Club, we are pleased to offer this opportunity quarterly.  Our first session will begin on Wednesday, September 24th from 4-6:30 pm at Macalester College.  All you need is a club membership to be part of this excellent opportunity and transportation and dinner will be provided.

 If interested, please contact the Program Director, Crystal Bieter, at the West Side Boys and Girls Club to enroll.  She can be reached at cbieter@bgc-tc.org or by phone at 651-222-2212.  More information can be found on the Camp CAMERA website at Camp CAMERA.  There are only nine slots available each session and are granted by a first come first served basis.  Open enrollment has begun.  Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity!

Passport to Manhood Meetings

We will be starting our Passport to Manhood program next week at the West Side Boys and Girls Club.  This program is for teen males aged 13-18 years old and discusses issues that are specific to them.  These teens will learn about creating healthy relationships, learning the value of personal decision making, personal wellnesss, substance abuse, leadership and community responsibility as well as creating positive self esteem and image.

Mr. Hardeman, our Branch Director, in partnership with Ramsey County Health Department and Century College have created a fun, interactive curriculum that is meaning ful to male teens.

Please come and participate in this program September 18th from 5:30-6:30 pm.  Look forward to seeing you soon!

SMART Girls Meetings

We have started our fall SMART girls meeting at the West Side Club.  SMART Girls is a program for 13-18 year old teens that meet twice a week and discuss issues that are specific to them.  The topics include creating healthy relationships, media/body image, self esteem, stress, anxiety and ways to stay fit.

Our SMART girls program is run by our Education Director Samantha Hausker in partnership with Centuy College and Ramsey County Health Department.

We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30 pm and food will be provided.  Look forward to another good turn out next week!

Homework First Initiative

As part of our Homework First initiative, I took pictures of random members working on their homework this past week.  It has been proven that members who do their homework first thing when they get to the club have better success in school.  Congratulations to these two members for putting academic success first!  Keep up the good study skill habits!

Bike Raffle for Academics

Last week we reopened the West Side Club and it was the first week of school for Saint Paul Public School Students.  In supporting our goals for graduation and powerhour, those members who worked on homework in the STARS Room and Education Center had the chance to have their names entered into a raffle for the chance to win two brand new bikes!

Each week, we will be raffling off two brand new bikes for those who set academic goals and get into the routine of homework completion.  Congratulations to our two new bike winners!  Keep up the good work!

August Staff of the Month

Congratulations to Laura Reyes!

We are pleased to announce that our August Staff of the Month is Laura Reyes.  Laura has been working at the West Side Boys and Girls Club for fifteen years.  Her dedication and hard work ethic are instrumental to our Club’s success.

Laura’s creativity and attention to detail are most prominent when she is planning special events.  This summer Laura did an excellent job of organizing Our National Night Out Celebration, Coca-Cola World Cup Soccer Day, as well as our Back To School Night.  She was a strong leader in set production, organization, and game development.

We thank you and appreciate your ongoing service and dedication to the West Side Boys and Girls Club!

August Members of the Month

Jaida Crawford

Jaida Crawford has been chosen as our STARS August Member of the Month.  She participated in our eight week swimming program at the YMCA this summer.  She also was part of several art programs offered at the Club.  She is always respectful and willing to help out in any way she can. Jaida is a strong leader in the STARS room working on educational games and our Tumble Books reading curriculum.  Keep up the great work!

Wilson Doh

Wilson has been chosen as our STARS August Member of the Month.  Wilson always comes to the club every day with a positive attitude and an award winning smile.  He is a significant contributor to our programs by being involved in the STARS reading program as well as participated in the Tumble Books reading program this summer. Keep up the great work!

Lakesha Roberson

Lakesha has been chosen as our August Teen of the Month because she always has a positive attitude and is willing to help others.  She is respectful to staff and members and participates in our programs such as Goals for Graduation and UPS Road Code.  

Juan Vasquez

Juan has been chosen as our August Teen of the Month.  Juan is always respectful to staff and members here at the club.  He is an active participant in our Programs offered here at the club and is always willing to help out members or staff when needed.