The Boyz In My Hood

Boys Club

Building
Outstanding
Young men of
Strength

Boys fascinate me. I think they always have. Even as a child, I remember admiring the skill, determination, and intelligence of boys that I knew (although I probably wouldn't have admitted it then!). Sometimes, boys were just more fun to be around. It was, after all, the neighborhood boys who shared my affinity for football and baseball and the glorious pleasures of mud after a heavy rain. The boys that I played with were never satisfied with the status quo of...anything. They were constantly modifying and revising and challenging limits. What if we put another brick under the ramp? What would it be like to eat that? What happens to eyelids if you turn them inside out? How far can we shoot something, or spit something, or throw something? I didn't always have the gumption to pursue those kinds of questions, but I certainly enjoyed hanging out with those who did!

January 2008 marked the first full year since the inception of Boys Club at Meade River School. It's a local club, not affiliated with any state or national organization, but that doesn't seem to bother the boys involved. If you ask the boys what we do in Boys Club their answer won't be complicated. We talk…we eat…we swim! And that's pretty much it. A simple format, I know, but it seems to be enough, at least for now.

I never expected to start a club for boys and, even after a year, it's still a work-in-progress. But, I have to say, working with boys, away from girls, has been an enlightening experience. Obviously, gender-based differences among students can be distracting on many levels and with elementary children that distraction tends to be a negative one. But, within a homogeneous group, both girls and boys often seem to relax and participate more fully. It is as if they feel a little more freedom to be themselves without fear of ridicule or reproach.

Of course, managing the energy level during meetings can be difficult at times, but I really think it's a challenge worth facing. More than anything else, the club has given me an opportunity to know the inner workings of our boys on a completely different level. And I've learned that sometimes character education isn't as much a matter of pouring good stuff in as it is making the most of the good stuff that's already there. Our boys want to do what's right and they are capable of that. They want to make someone proud and they should. They want to be brave and challenge the limits of the life that they've been given. Like most boys, they want to raise the ramp and see what it feels like to fly. They just need the advantage of one or two well-placed bricks.

********************************

We talk...

Boys Club Creed

Every day I will be helpful and kind.
I will treat others with respect.
I will be brave and choose what is honest and fair.
I will be a true friend, a strong son, and a proud citizen of my country.



We eat...
Snack time is always an important part of our meetings! The good thing is the boys are never picky. Whether it's pizza or graham crackers, any snack is accepted with amazing enthusiasm. Of course, ice cream has proven to be the ultimate motivational tool.



We swim...
The pool is only four foot at its deepest point, but it might as well be the ocean as far as these boys are concerned. I dare say they may even like swimming more than basketball...and that's saying a lot!