Boys and Girls Club provides structure for youth

The directors at The Boys and Girls Club of Faulkner County want to continue developing local youth with the best resources available to them.

There are about 70 youngsters who flood into the West unit of the Boys and Girls Club at the Grace United Methodist Church. According to Robert Wright, executive director of the club, there are 85 kids who attend the Bob Nabholz unit and 60 at the Mayflower unit.

"We serve around 250 kids everyday," Wright said. "Some parents don't have any where else to get their child some structure. It's not a babysitting place, but it's a place where kids can come and learn, and develop some self-confidence."

The Bob Nabholz unit has a library, technology room with computers, offices for club organizations such as Keystone, a recreational area with games and a basketball court.

"Of course, we take off all of the Web sites that kids shouldn't go to, and we have an adult in there supervising them at all times." Wright said. "We have a lot of organized and team-building activities, and we're going to continue to improve those programs. It's more than just get out there and throw the ball around. They'll learn to win, but they'll also learn to lose, too."

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Students from Hendrix College are volunteering their time and efforts during the club's summer program, beginning June 8. The students are going to organize a science program to help club members with science and math.

"I know the summertime is coming, but most parents don't want their kids to lose what they've retained in during the year," Wright said. "If some kids don't have any structure during the summer, they could lose it all. That's why the Boys and Girls Club is so important to keeping them focused. We have the resources to keep their attention. We also have groups set up specifically for little girls and little boys, showing them how they should carry themselves."

Wright said one of the goals of the club is to build leaders for the future.

"Some people see these kids come in after school and say, 'They are having so much fun,'" Wright said. "I look at them and see that we have some future doctors and lawyers. A lot of these kids are going to be the leaders of our community. Being a part of the Boys and Girls Club is definitely beneficial."