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| Centennial Celebration Clubs make history in Boston By Lori McLemore
With great style and 100 years of history, some 4,500 Boys & Girls Club staff, volunteers and supporters gathered in Boston, May 3-6, 2006, for Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Centennial National Conference. The once-in-a-lifetime celebration broke all records, from registration to attendance at the finale dinner. A major milestone – the Boys & Girls Club Movement's first century of service – called for a spectacular celebration. The National Conference did not disappoint. From start to finish, Boys & Girls Clubs took Boston by storm. The excitement of the Centennial was experienced by thousands leaving Logan Airport as they drove by a huge billboard gleaming with a golden starburst promoting the Movement's 100 years of service to youth. As conference attendees checked into local hotels, they were welcomed by an array of colorful banners and signs. This year's grand event was held at Hynes Convention Center, surrounded by area malls adorned with more banners promoting the Centennial celebration. The Boston Red Sox, with their vast fan base and television audience, hosted a celebration to remember at historic Fenway Park, presenting a red, white and blue birthday cake to more than 1,000 Club professionals, volunteers and supporters during Boys & Girls Club Night on Friday, May 5. As the gigantic cake was rolled onto the field, some 30,000 fans broke out into a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday." Fourteen-year-old Cody Zimmer, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, belted out the national anthem, and Chelsea Felder, from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Huntsville, Ala., led the crowd with a festive rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Red Sox fans continued to celebrate the occasion as a giant red, white and blue banner remained draped across the "green monster," Boston's backfield fence, throughout May. As the conference came to a close, Clubs again took center stage as attendees were shuttled, complete with police escort, to the Boston Convention Center for a sophisticated and stunning black-tie finale dinner. Making a surprise appearance, BGCA Governor and national spokesperson Denzel Washington added to the star power of the evening as he honored his former Club executive and mentor, Billy Thomas.
An Inspiring Start Nationally known celebrities, leaders and youth development experts were on hand throughout conference week to help celebrate the Movement's past and plan for our future. While these experts lauded our achievements, all noted our responsibility and role in serving youth and, in so doing, changing our nation. During the opening session on Thursday, talented members from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove, Calif., took the audience on a journey through time since the Movement was established in 1906. From the roaring '20s and the war-torn '40s to the upbeat '80s and '90s, the performers illustrated changes within the country as well as Boys & Girls Clubs through lively song and dance. The teens, who wrote the historical script and designed their many costumes themselves, won the audience over, setting the tone for the entire Conference. "It is up to us to unite behind our vision for the second century of service," said BGCA President Roxanne Spillett in her opening session remarks. "It will change the course of history. Let's celebrate. Let's remember." Generally Speaking Keynote speaker Gen. Colin Powell delivered an inspirational call to duty for Boys & Girls Clubs in preparation for our second century of service.
"It is not enough to celebrate the past," said the former U.S. Secretary of State and four-star general. "You have to always look forward." He emphasized that children must be prepared to compete not on a battlefield, but within a global economy, saying, "We need to make sure all of our youngsters are prepared for this shift in competition." Powell, a strong supporter of our cause, stressed that young people must have a caring adult in their lives, a safe place to learn and grow, access to adequate healthcare, competitive skills, a solid education and the opportunity to give back to their communities. "We have a solemn obligation," he said. "If children are raised properly, have a government that invests in them, and have adults – like Club staff – who care, they can succeed. They should never be limited because we didn't help them learn and grow. Every child is our child." On Friday, BGCA Alumni Hall of Fame member Gen. Wesley Clark delighted attendees with his memories of the swim team coach at his childhood Club in Little Rock, Ark. "He made me prove something to myself," said the former U.S. presidential candidate. "It stuck with me a long time. I learned if you reached deep down inside, ordinary people can achieve." "Life's changed since I've come up in America," said Clark. "However, many things have not changed, such as the importance of self-respect, achievement, leadership and service. What Club staff do every day is so important. It is a real contribution to the country." |
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