Where do kids go in those critical hours?

By John Schnase
Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County

Every parent or guardian should be concerned about the idle time that kids have after school. The most critical hours for young people of school age are from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. In our communities there are alternatives to just sending our children home to an empty house.

Some parents choose to take advantage of a quality daycare provider. Others will enroll their children in a school-run after school program. The other alternative is to send them to the Boys & Girls Club, the only local five-days-a-week- non-profit organization for kids. Boys & Girls Clubs have been developing for over 100 years. Ronan and Polson clubs offer a unique alternative to “babysitting.”

The Ronan BGC unit is a traditional site-based program. In Polson the club unit is fortunate to partner with the Polson After-School Program run by School District #23. Both units encourage kids to take part in wholesome activities in a safe and fun environment. There are some differences due to the type of facilities and the administrative boundaries. Both BGC programs run under the same Mission Statement by the national organization. That is: “To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”

BGC encourages homework and academic success. It also encourages fun for its members while learning the basics of character building. The importance of getting along with each other and learning how to work and play individually or as a team is an important factor in being successful. All this is done in a supervised, safe environment where kids learn the difference between good and bad decisions.

At its site-based unit in Ronan where the building is furnished for a dollar a year courtesy of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Ronan club members enjoy a large games room, computer lab, art room, movie room, teen room and an outside playground and sport court. Emphasis is put on safety, homework, physical activity and fun. Memberships are $5.00 per year and run from January 1 through December 31.

The Polson Unit is run in conjunction with the after school program at both Cherry Valley School and Linderman Elementary School. The club employs two program aides who work with the after school program staff and present Boys & Girls Club activities as well. The after school program is run Monday through Thursday and the Boys & Girls Club runs solo on Fridays at Linderman Elementary. The Polson after school program is run through a 21st Century Learning Center grant and as part of the agreement there is no charge in that program for Boys & Girls Club membership.

Parents and community members are encouraged to look at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The local Board of Directors is looking into developing a site-based club facility in Polson. Ronan’s facility will also need to be replaced when Highway 93 does its reconstruction through Ronan. Both projects need community support for the future of our kids. Involvement has been the key to success for the 4000 clubs across America currently serving over 4,000,000 youngsters between the ages of 6 and 18 years.

To find out more information about hours and the schedules for either program or to get involved with this important work, please call (406) 676-5437 for the Boys & Girls Club; or (406) 249-2572 for the Polson After School Program. There is also a Boys & Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County website available with applications, rules and information at www.bgclynx.org.