By Karen Cay

Significant Growth

Boys & Girls Clubs of The Battlefords Holds Virtual AGM

May 21, 2020 | 9:27 AM

SEE PHOTO BELOW

On Wednesday, May 20, 2020, Boys & Girls Clubs of The Battlefords held their Annual General Meeting virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic where the 2019 year was discussed and celebrated.

According to President, Neil Georget, and Executive Director, Nicole Combres, “ 2019 was a year of significant growth for Boys & Girls Clubs of The Battlefords. With continued focus on our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan and aligning strategic directions and objectives, we attained the four pillars set forth in our plan.

Strong Clubs Our focus on building a strong Club began with recruitment and retention of diverse Board Members and Staff. We worked hard to build on the already strong Board of Directors present and engaged in Board Governance Training led by our National Team with Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada (BGCC). Recruitment of diverse frontline staff led to staffing reflective of our membership, and with these skilled individuals we invested in more comprehensive training opportunities. Furthering our commitment to Strong Clubs and adhering to the BGCC Membership Agreement, we underwent a Peer Review, allowing for leaders from other Clubs, along with National Team Members, to visit our organization and engage in mutual learning and self-improvement while striving for operational excellence. With a plan for succession, intentional development of our diverse, young emerging leaders, and an emphasis on retaining high quality staff, we recognized and showed our appreciation to several excellent staff through our Employee Service Recognition Program (see page 3). Although we said good-bye to our Executive Assistant, Erin Cooper, and wish her well on her new endeavors, we are thrilled to have Tricia Kennedy join our team in that role. Kelsey Larsen has also joined our team in a new role as Operations Coordinator, and we cannot wait to see where this new team of employees will take our organization as we enter 2020 #ClubStrong.

Strong Voice Collaborating and participating in community conversations on issues facing children and youth has aided in effectively advocating for legislative protection and increased relevance. It has also led to increased partnerships with other child and youth serving organizations, thereby furthering our ability to holistically meet the needs for our families. Alongside BGCC being recognized as Canada’s leading service organization for children and youth, BGCB implemented several program expansions in 2019 with the creation of an additional fee-for-service After-School Program at Holy Family School; the growth of our Non-School Days Program; and increased variety in Special Programs with the addition of Lacrosse, Music (Guitar and Piano), Yoga and Kid Food Nation. We have demonstrated our impact to local governments about the Boys and Girls Club model, which resulted in a further commitment from the Ministry of Social Services. This government funding has been integral to the sustainability and growth of BGCB, and we are deeply grateful for this continued partnership. Continuing to tell our story and finding new ways to do so has us thrilled to see where 2020 will take us!

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Strong Communities Ensuring children and youth have access to Club programs and services is crucial, and was a priority for us again this year. Improving our retention of youth, particularly for critical early- and mid-teen years (ages 10-14), was achieved as we continued to offer our Husky Energy Youth Program. This program serves youth in a dedicated space, with dedicated staff and age-appropriate activities. Having a space to call their own, and positive role models in the form of our staff, has resulted in increased youth attendance, as well as an increase in retention of youth members. As we move into 2020 and 2021, we look forward to developing new ways to measure our impact, both within our membership and in our community.

Strong Together In order to consider an expansion of BGCB, capacity building and improved funding opportunities were necessary, and this year we did just that. After considerable work and careful analysis, we moved forward with a re-structure within our Administrative Team. This restructuring allowed for an increase in staffing to efficiently and adequately handle the present workload. It is with great excitement we announce the positions within our new Administrative Staff Team: Office Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Operations Coordinator, Nutrition Coordinator, Director of Programs, Program Manager and Executive Director. These positions and the individuals within them are the driving force behind our organization, complementing our incredible Program Staff who are making a difference in the lives of our children, youth, families, and community.

The year 2019 has come and gone, but the work completed has been fundamental, and the impact made will persist. Although not without growing pains, we are proud of the significant work accomplished in 2019 for our organization. With that, it is vital to highlight excellence in leadership. To our Executive Director, Nicole: thank you. Your continued leadership and optimism is moving BGCB on a positive path. To our Board of Directors, thank you. To see how far we’ve come is astounding, and our persistent hard work has enabled the Club to continue meeting the needs of our staff, members and community. Last, but definitely not least, to our community: THANK YOU! Without your continued input, support and belief in us, we would not have been able to proudly serve our community for over 43 years. We look forward to the decade ahead!”