Every day after school, kids from across our community have a safe place to go and grow – the Boys & Girls Club of Palacios. Known as “The Positive Place for Kids,” the Club provides guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by our caring staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development, education and career exploration, financial literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation, and family outreach.

March 25-31 has been designated as National Boys & Girls Club Week. Every year at this time, the nation celebrates our organization, which has steadily saved lives and changed futures of young people for more than 100 years. Using a tried-and-true method of attracting kids with fun, wholesome activities, then involving them in a wide array of education, cultural and character-building programs, Clubs have helped millions of kids overcome barriers, dream of a brighter future and grow into responsible, productive citizens.

Two examples of our local outstanding community youth are Members Angelique B. and Danielle P.   These two girls entered a nationwide contest within our Youth for Unity program last spring to write about Diversity.  Both Palacios Club members poems were selected from the thousands who entered nationwide to be published in a book called Making One Good World: kids write about diversity.   The book is a compilation of writings on diversity from Boys & Girls Club members ages 6-18 across the United States and on U.S. military bases around the world.  Along with being published, both girls received $50.00 gift cards and letters of recognition from the Boys & Girls Club of America.  On Monday, March 19, 2007 they will be recognized by the Bay City Independent School District Board of Education for their achievement.

Not only did we have two of our members published last year, one of them Angelique Bigelow, along with Jacqueline Molina and Marco Zamora, was a National Award winning environmental Science Project Winner. The project, whose subject matter was based on the Tres Palacios River, was part of the Boys & Girls Club Dragonfly Quest Science Competition. As winners the trio was awarded a weekend trip to Disneyworld and the Johnson Space Center in Florida.   

It may seem to a few that nothing good comes out of our program but studies show that the most dangerous time of the day for kids are the hours immediately after school, from 3-8 p.m.  As a community, we’re lucky to have the structured environment of our Boys & Girls Club to keep our children safe and to implement programs that become a vital part of the lives of its members.

At the same time, we, the Boys & Girls Club of Palacios are lucky to have support from generous donors and our community. And we are lucky to have caring adults to lead the Club and its members. We are grateful for your support which makes it possible to fulfill our mission. Once again, we say, “Thank you” and invite you to celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week with us.

Shawn Mayfield
Club Director
Boys & Girls Club of Palacios