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Rotary Boys & Girls Club

Holiday Honors for RBGC

In December 2007, at the year-end Holiday Party attended by all 14 Clubs, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County presented the Honor Awards for Program Excellence.

Awards are given for the most outstanding, innovative, and effective program in each of the five core programming areas. These programs are then submitted to the national competition, sponsored by Met Life, at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Conference, which will be held this May in San Francisco.
The Rotary Boys & Girls Club received the Honor Award (Core Area: The Arts) for our Music Program offered during the 2006 – 2007 school year. During this period, Club members participated in four distinct classes: Hip Hop Production, Piano, Guitar & Rock Drumming, and African Drumming. Several of the schools our kids attend have had their music programs cut entirely to accommodate WASL preparation. Classes at RBGC exposed our members to various instruments and lessons, and forms of music theory and production that enhanced their music appreciation. The Rotary Music Program was a success because it allowed our members to use their voices and explore their interests and talents. Performance opportunities such as recording in a professional studio, acting out a folktale in African drumming class, or composing a song, all help participants build confidence in themselves while trying something new.

Alumni Spotlight: Nate Burleson

While the Seattle Seahawks fell short of a Super Bowl appearance this past season, Rotary Boys & Girls Club alum and Seahawk wide receiver Nate Burleson won the admiration and appreciation of the RBGC kids this past December. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, Nate and his wife Atoya gave back to Nate’s local Club by taking 18 Club members on a shopping spree at Target in Renton.

Nate and his older brother Kevin and younger brother Lyndale, were all members of the Club. Kevin and Lyndale both played for Rotary Style, with Kevin eventually playing for the Charlotte Bobcats and Lyndale currently playing for the University of Nevada. As a member of the Club in the late 90s, Nate could usually be found either in the weight room, now our teen center, or keeping up with his studies in REAP (Rotary Educational Assistance Program).

Nate’s discipline in the weight room and focus on his studies gained him success as a student athlete at O’Dea High and later at the University of Nevada, Reno. At O’Dea, Nate won a total of eight letters playing football, basketball, and track. As a senior, he was named The Seattle Times City Athlete of the Year. After a successful college career, Nate was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, where he developed into a strong receiver and a stand-out on special teams. To date, he is the only player in NFL history to have three punt returns of 90 or more yards. In 2006, Nate Burleson came back home and signed with the Seattle Seahawks, helping his team progress to the NFC championship this season.

Nate hasn’t forgotten the people and places in his life that have helped him achieve the success he enjoys today. One of those is the Rotary Boys & Girls Club. This is why he and Atoya decided to come back to Rotary to help make a difference in the lives of our members and families. Nate spoke with members about the importance of family, hard work, and taking advantage of the opportunities the Club has to offer. He also brought along fellow teammates Marcus Trufant, Deion Branch, and Maurice Morris to take the kids shopping at Target. In addition, Nate and Atoya adopted five families for the holidays to help make their season a little brighter. They presented gifts to these families at the Club holiday party where Nate also played some basketball with the kids. The Rotary Boys & Girls Club is proud of all our members past and present, and are thankful for alumni like Nate Burleson who embraces his past and wants to give back.

Kelsi Bland: RBGC Star Wins County Youth of the Year!

Our own Kelsi Bland has been selected as the Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. Kelsi represented our Club as our own Youth of the Year at the annual banquet held February 12th, where candidates from each of the Clubs were interviewed by a panel of judges and gave a speech about the Boys & Girls Club experience. Kelsi will represent Boys & Girls Clubs of King County at the Youth of the Year competition for the state of Washington on March 19th. This experience will include breakfast at the Governor’s mansion in Olympia on March 20th.

Integrity, courage and commitment are words that describe Kelsi. When asked who inspires her, Kelsi said, “… my brothers and sisters, because I want to set a good example for them.” Kelsi has been a RBGC member for the past six years and during this time has grown and developed from a shy middle school girl into a driven and dedicated leader. Some of her most memorable experiences with RBGC have come from attending the National Keystone (teen leadership program) conferences in Washington, D.C. in 2006, and Minneapolis, MN in 2007. Kelsi was born in Seattle, and is the oldest of seven with three younger brothers and three younger sisters.

Sadly, Kelsi’s mother is battling cancer, so for the past year Kelsi has been shouldering the family responsibilities of caring for her brothers, managing the household bills, shopping, cooking, and chores while staying current with school and helping her brother with his homework. She was also attending weekly dance practice and working part-time at RBGC. Kelso never complains or gives up, and she’s quick to flash you her beautiful smile.

After graduating from Garfield High School, Kelsi plans to attend Bellevue Community College. Her current career interests are to become a therapist or an interior designer. Her compassionate personality and her flair for color and pattern put either goal within reach. Kelsi also has a desire to travel, and she is looking forward to experiencing new places as she begins her next venture.

Kelsi’s words of wisdom to share with others are: “Always try to do your best and don’t let people bring you down.” Kelsi also likes a similar quote from Maya Angelou: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” Kelsi is an inspiration to us all; we support her and wish her the best.

Staff News: Farewell to Jennifer, Welcome Back Derek!

In January we said goodbye to Jennifer Marshall, Operations Director. She leaves the Club after three years and begins a new venture outside the nonprofit world. Jennifer promised the kids that she would continue to serve as a volunteer and tutor, as Patrick Carter, Executive Director handed her the volunteer application form with a smile. Jennifer, the Club wishes you successful challenges and accomplishments on the path ahead. We will miss you greatly!

At the same time, Derek Smith has returned to Rotary Boys & Girls Club as the new Associate Director, after working as the executive director at the North Seattle Boys & Girls Club for the last three years. As Rotary continues to grow, Derek is charged with furthering resource development, grant management, and creating new fundraising opportunities to benefit our programs. In addition, he renewed the snowboarding program, “Chill,” sponsored by Burton, and has been taking youth to Snoqualmie Pass for snowboarding lessons on a weekly basis. We are glad to have Derek back home with us and welcome his experience, ideas and ability to fit right in to the mix of things.

Seattle Sonic Kevin Durant Visits Club

This winter the Club was privileged to be visited by NBA rookie sensation and Seattle Sonics star, Kevin Durant. During the visit, Kevin gave basketball lessons, running the kids through various drills. He also talked to the kids about how hard work and perseverance have helped his exciting career. “We are so lucky to have Kevin visit the Club,” said Patrick Carter. “We can’t wait to have him and the rest of the Sonics back soon!”

Program Highlight: Technology

With two state-of-the-art computer labs headed by talented staff and volunteers, every RBGC kid can find a program to be inspired by and embrace. The Microsoft and Best Buy sponsored curriculum – called the Digital Arts Festival – are popular sessions provided throughout the year. The curriculum teaches members age 6 -18 how to create computer generated art in five different areas: Photo Illustration, Music Making, Movie Making, Website Design, and Graphic Arts. In Digital Arts sessions, kids learn how to make collages of pictures with Adobe Photoshop, use a program called Acid Pro to make their own beats and music, and learn to write, edit, produce and film movies through Studio 9. There is a different theme for the Digital Arts festival each year. This year’s theme is “Our Changing World.” Our Club submits entries to the National Digital Arts Festival where our youth compete against other Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

Our Club Tech program is another national Boys & Girls Club program sponsored by Microsoft that creatively teaches kids the basics of some of Microsoft’s most popular programs such as Power Point, Excel, Word, and Publisher. Club members log on to www.bgcayouthnet.org to explore the Club Tech world. Knowledge of these programs give kids a head start in school and in the job world.

One of the more exciting things occurring at Rotary in our technology programs is the launching of two pilot programs for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America: a Claymation class and a Robotics class, both of which are designed for middle/high school members. The Claymation Class is a hands-on introduction to animation that uses clay characters and props. Over the course of the program, Club members work in groups to create storyboards, build characters, and then film and edit their own movies. At the end of the course, members can take home copies of their own movies, and will then show them in a Club film festival this spring. The Robotics class will use a program designed by Lego to actually build a robot that will interact with its environment. The greatest thing is that our kids will gain an understanding of electronics, mechanics, and software design.

Seattle University Students

During the fall and winter months, the Rotary Boys & Girls Club was lucky to have a wonderful group of Seattle University student-athletes spend their time tutoring and mentoring members of the Club. We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to each and every one of the SU student-athletes and let them know the time they spent with the members has helped set a wonderful example for all.