New Peachland Programs starting Fall 2010!

Begining this fall 2010, Okanagan Boys & Girls Clubs will be offering programs in Peachland at the Peachland Elementary School.

In addition to the existing Mobile Youth Program, parents can now enroll their children in the following programs: 

• Preschool (Ages 3 & 4 year olds)
  Our preschools encourage children to explore,learn, and grow in a stimulating and fun environment. Preschoolers develop and practice social and language skills, cooperative play, independent thinking and an awareness of self.
  
  Classes for 3 year olds T & Th
  Classes for 4 year olds M, W & F
  Time: 8:30 - 11 am
• After School Programs (Grades K-6)
  Join us for fun - filled, action packed programs and activities after school. Participate in sports, leisure, creative arts, personal growth and life skill activities. Programs are also available on professional days and during school breaks.
  
  Mondays to Fridays 2:30-6 pm 

For more information call 250-768-3049 or email webber@boysandgirlsclubs.ca or visit the Webber Road Community Centre page on this site.

EXTRA CAMP ADDED August 22-27

Due to popular demand Camp ArrowFlight has added AN EXTRA CAMP for summer 2010!

SUMMER ROUND UP, August 22-27 for ages 7-12
Cost: $300 (includes all meals, activities and 5 nights acommodation)


This 6 day/5 night over-night camp is the perfect way to enjoy the final week of summer - the Boys & Girls Clubs way! Campers will Learn Through Adventure by participating in fun and challenging activities including swimming, archery, rock climbing, bmx biking, mountain boarding, hiking and more!

Programs focus on helping campers develop a love and appreciation for the outdoors, the importance of being part of a team and encourage self-growth and personal development.

Campers are assigned cabins based on their age and development needs. Each camper has the opportunity to grow and learn within their group. Activities are planned uniquely for each group to ensure all campers enjoy the best that Camp ArrowFlight has to offer.

To register or for more information visit our website and CAMP page by clicking HERE.

OBGC Featured in MacLean's July 26th Issue

Imagine Canada's second supplement in Maclean’s for 2010, In Charity We Trust: Canada’s Charity Leaders on the Canadian Donor, is now on newsstands (July 26 issue). The supplement features Ethical Code Program participants including the Okanagan Boys & Girls Clubs CEO Craig Monley.

Every year a large majority of Canadians make financial contributions to one or more of the 85,000 registered charities that comprise the sector. Imagine Canada asked ten of the country’s charity leaders to share their perspectives on what matters to donors today, what they are doing to ensure that donor interests are taken into account, and, what they think the future holds for charitable giving in Canada.

Click HERE to read the article and find out more about the Canadian Donor in 2010.

SPACES STILL AVAILABLE AT CAMP ARROWFLIGHT THIS SUMMER

Children Learn Through Adventure at Okanagan's Newest Camp

Campers wanted! Enjoy the Okanagan’s newest residential camp for children and youth and have a true Boys & Girls Club camp experience. Campers will have the opportunity to learn about the environment, the importance of being part of a team and about themselves through programming based on recreation, adventure and experiential learning. Camps include special activities including swimming, rock climbing, bmx biking, archery, geocaching, mountain boarding and more.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS SAY MCTHANKS!

McDonald’s McHappy Day 2010 – Wednesday May 5^th - raised over $18,000 for Okanagan Boys & Girls Clubs from Summerland to Armstrong

WWW.OKPLAY.CA WEBSITE LAUNCHES!

Everybody Needs To Play - Everybody Gets To Play!

The Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs are proud to be part of Everybody Gets To Play Okanagan - an initiative committed to providing recreation without barriers in the Okanagan. Thanks to the support of the many organizations who have come together to make this initiative possible, Everybody Gets To Play Okanagan will open new doors for low income families and help us all take a significant step towards a healthier, more positive community.

Everybody Gets To Play Okanagan has created a new website at www.okplay.ca which features no to low cost recreational opportunities offered by organizations throughout the Central Okanagan. With the click of a mouse, users can view upcoming programs, activities and events taking place throughout the Okanagan - all of which cost $2 or less per person or $5 or less per family!

All the information and details regarding dates, locations and admission pricing, when applicable, is also available. Users can refine their search by area, age, date or activity type. A photo gallery will provide visitors to the site an opportunity to enjoy a showcase of recent shots from local events. The ability to share the site, emailing links to various activities to friends and families will produce a valuable means of delivering the Everybody Gets To Play Okanagan message throughout the community. A financial assistance page provides further help on how to access available funding for recreation opportunities. 

We invite you to visit www.okplay.ca and see for yourself the many ways Everybody Gets To Play!

OKANAGAN BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS BUY CAMP

Camp ArrowFlight Takes Flight Summer 2010 to Bring Outdoor Experience to Okanagan Children, Youth and Families

The Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs have been searching for property for the past decade to serve as an outdoor environmental education centre and camp for children, youth and families in the Okanagan. On Friday April 9, 2010 we purchased and took possession of a residential camp outside of Armstrong, BC.

Formerly known as the Circle Square Ranch, the camp has been in operation in the North Okanagan for over 20 years. This camp will now be Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs – “Camp ArrowFlight” - the epicenter of our camping and outdoor programs for children and youth throughout the Okanagan.

Every day at Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs, where no one is ever turned away because of an inability to pay, children and youth get the help they need to learn to develop positive relationships—with peers, family, teachers and the community at large.

As our ArrowFlight mission states, “Learning Through Adventure”, the camp will provide participants with the opportunity to learn about the environment, the importance of being part of a team and about themselves through programming based on recreation, adventure and experiential learning. Programs will include extended camps for children, youth and families with special activities including swimming, rock climbing, bmx biking, archery, geocaching, mountain boarding, canoeing and more.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our organization and a one of a kind opportunity for our members and the many other children and youth in the communities we serve. For more information about our upcoming Camp ArrowFlight summer programs please contact 250-762-3914 or email camps@boysandgirlsclubs.ca or visit our Camp ArrowFlight page on our website.

THANKS FOR GOING PINK!

The Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs would like to thank everyone who supported Pink Shirt Day 2010.

The day was a huge success across the Okanagan with thousands of Boys & Girls Club members, local School Districts and students, McDonald's staff and other community supporters joining together to wear pink and make sure that "Bullying Stops Here". Click here for a video from CHBC about anit-bullying activities in Oliver.

More than 32,000 pink t-shirts were sold by Boys and Girls Clubs across Canada and local London Drugs stores to commemorate the day.

In the Okanagan alone, shirt sales increased by over 100% with many more people wanting shirts than were available.  

Stay tuned for information about Pink Shirt Day 2011 and join the growing movement across Canada to raising awareness about how to prevent bullying.

GOODLIFE FOUNDATION HELPS LOCAL KIDS - Okanagan Boys and Girls Club in Vernon launch Alexis Park Recreation Program

Thanks to the Goodlife Kids Foundation, the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club and Alexis Park Elementary School, local children will have the chance to be more socially and physically active in 2010.

Staff of the Vernon GoodLife Fitness Club raised money in 2009 to fund a brand new program run by the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs of Vernon in partnership with School District 22 and Alexis Park Elementary. Starting January 7, 2010, qualified recreation leaders will run the free weekly sports and fitness sessions for 20 children aged 10-12 years who attend Alexis Park Elementary.

“The main goals of the program are to engage children to embrace a life long interest in participating in physical activity and healthy nutrition while providing a safe place to go, grow and belong,” said Craig Monley, CEO of the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs.

“Many families lack access to transportation and are unable to transport their children to activities,” said Jennifer Gardner, Alexis Park Principal. “As well, many families lack the resources to pay for activities for their children. A free, early evening recreation program will be a real blessing to the children in this neighbourhood.”

The program is targeted specifically for children who may have barriers that inhibit them from accessing other sport or recreation programs. Activities will be held in the Alexis Park Elementary School gym once a week in the early evenings for the remainder of the school year. Contact Kirstie Blanleil, Centre Director of the Vernon Boys & Girls Club for more information at 250-542-3121.

The Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs is a leading provider of programs to children and youth that support the healthy physical, educational and social development for over 5,000 young people and families each year throughout the Okanagan Valley. We provide services across the Okanagan in 30 locations from Osoyoos to Falkland. We operate community centres, pre-schools, child care centres, youth centres, emergency youth shelters, transitional youth housing, food bank services and outdoor programs. Each center creates a safe, supportive environment where children and youth experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships and develop confidence and skills for life. Our programs focus on an individual’s strengths and capabilities, and all programs embrace the principles of equality and inclusion. We help young people grow healthy, happy and safely from birth to adulthood, and are a resource and support for parents throughout their family’s involvement with us.

GoodLife Kids Foundation is a Canadian private foundation that envisions a Canada where all kids have the opportunity to benefit from an active life. They activate parents, role models, mentors, leaders and individuals to deliver the message to kids, that being active is not only good for their body and mind but also a lot of fun. Visit their website at www.goodlifekids.com for more information.

Cities Across the Okanagan Proclaim Boys and Girls Clubs Week

September 28, 2009
Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs celebrates 50 years of service this week with a special 50th Anniversary Celebration week of events and activities.

In 1959 Diefenbaker was Prime Minister, Barbie was born, gas cost only eight cents per litre, and in a remodeled pool hall on Lawrence Avenue, the first ever Kelowna Boys Club opened its doors.

While Barbie hasn’t changed much in the last half century, most other things have, including the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs. Originally created to fill a gap in organized activities for youth not already involved in minor sports or Scouts, the organization originally opened as the Kelowna Boys Club. Since 1959, the one Club with 166 young male members has grown to a present day membership of more than 5,000 children and youth (of both genders) and their families in 30 clubs or service locations across the Okanagan.

Programs such as “BB gun shooting” and “taxidermy” have been replaced with child development and recreational programs, youth employment and outreach services and family support programs. But not everything has changed, the current CEO, Craig Monley remarks. “Our success can be summed up in a word – club,” said Monley. “Fifty years ago in the Okanagan, people came together to bring the club experience to kids who didn’t belong to much else. Although much has changed in that time, very little has changed. What brought the first kids into our first Club are the same things that bring kids into our Clubs and services today: joining a club, being a member, going to a place that is fun, safe and where belonging counts.”

Herb Sullivan, executive director from 1959 to 1987, agrees. “The reason we started was to serve the greatest need, whatever it was,” said Sullivan. “We had an open-door policy. Any child who needed our services could come in – and that hasn’t changed.” Another aspect that remains the same is the reliance on support from the community. 

It’s with the continuing support of the community, Club staff and members that the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs look forward to another 50 years of fulfilling their mission: To provide a safe and supportive place where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships and develop confidence and skills for life.

September 28th to October 2nd 2009 is Okanagan Boys and Girls Club week in cities across the Okanagan valley from Osoyoos to Armstrong. Clubs will be holding special events and activities throughout the week. For a listing of events click here or contact your local Club location.