2018 Annual Report
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2018 Annual Report

Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County

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1

PROUD TO SUPPORT<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County<br />

1100 Freeway Dr., Mount Vernon, WA<br />

360-424-3231 • www.bladechevy.com<br />

2<br />

NEW &<br />

PRE-OWNED<br />

VEHICLE<br />

LIMITED<br />

POWERTRAIN<br />

LIFETIME WARRANTY

Dear Friends,<br />

I have the fortunate pleasure of serving our community as a Board member<br />

for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County. We are truly blessed by<br />

the engagement of our stakeholders as we work to further our mission:<br />

to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach<br />

their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Our Board of<br />

Directors takes our charge very seriously in providing strong governance,<br />

fiscal oversight, and leadership to our dynamic staff team who executes in<br />

the most professional way possible, each and every day.<br />

As our organization has grown so significantly in the last few years, we are<br />

fortunate to have continued growing as a Board to support this. In <strong>2018</strong>, we<br />

welcomed new members Ross Roberts, Brian Soneda, Eric Johnson, Kristen<br />

Keltz, and Dan Milfred, all of whom began making an immediate impact<br />

in strengthening our organization. Over the last year, as a Board, we have<br />

been quite active. Our Board members have been invited to present to other<br />

organizations about best practices in Board Development and Resource<br />

Development, and we have adopted new policies regarding access to, and<br />

privacy of Club donor records, CEO and Board succession policies, and a<br />

policy for serving members with special needs. In recognition of the efforts<br />

of the Board of Directors, our organization was once again honored with a<br />

League of Eagles Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America.<br />

I take pride in all that has been accomplished and thank you for your support,<br />

advocacy, and feedback and reflection which has continued to make<br />

us the best Boys & Girls Club organization we can be. Skagit County is a<br />

special place to live and work, and our Clubs are working hard to ensure it<br />

continues to be in the future, with a new generation of leaders ready to serve<br />

and be active in their community.<br />

Respectfully yours,<br />

Holly Shannon<br />

<strong>2018</strong> Board Chair<br />

Carson Law Group<br />

BOARD OF<br />

DIRECTORS<br />

President<br />

HOLLY SHANNON<br />

Carson Law Group<br />

Past President<br />

MARK LAWRENCE<br />

Simply Yards Landscaping<br />

Board Emerita<br />

ANNETTE BOOTH<br />

Booth Insurance/Allstate Insurance Co.<br />

President-Elect<br />

TINA ASP<br />

Image360<br />

Vice President-Historical<br />

MIKE GUBRUD<br />

Mike Gubrud Farmers Insurance Agency<br />

Vice President-Succession<br />

ROB MARTIN<br />

Chinook Enterprises<br />

Treasurer<br />

ERIC JOHNSON<br />

Stiles Law<br />

Secretary<br />

BRIAN SONEDA<br />

Retired - Library Services / Government<br />

Members<br />

DR. CARL BRUNER<br />

MVSD Superintendent<br />

PAT BARRETT<br />

Barrett Financial, LTD<br />

RAYMOND GODA<br />

DreamchasersRV of Burlington<br />

KELLY CODLIN<br />

Marathon<br />

BILL OVERBY<br />

Skagit Valley College<br />

MARK NILSON<br />

Retired, Education<br />

BRENDEN JONES<br />

Savi Bank<br />

JOSH AXTHELM<br />

Fisher Construction Group<br />

ROSS ROBERTS<br />

Shell Puget Sound Refinery<br />

KRISTEN KELTZ<br />

Hotel Services Group, LLC<br />

DAN MILFRED<br />

Pacific Woodtech<br />

3

The printing & mailing of<br />

this report was donated<br />

by K&H Integrated Print<br />

Solutions.<br />

THANK YOU<br />

TO OUR MANY<br />

SUPPORTERS!!!<br />

Anacortes Rotary Club<br />

Bob’s Chowder Bar<br />

Docking Bay 93<br />

Perdue Farms Inc<br />

Flyers Restaurant<br />

Island Hospital<br />

Jeff & Linda Hendricks Family Foundation<br />

Microsoft Matching Gifts Program<br />

Mount Vernon School District #320<br />

Navsukh Enterprises, Inc.<br />

Northwest Linings & Geotextile Products, Inc.<br />

Quantum Construction Inc.<br />

Eagles - FOE #2069<br />

Skagit Valley Marine Corps League-Detach.<br />

1043<br />

Andeavor Companies, Inc.<br />

Whatcom Community Foundation<br />

Alaska Airlines<br />

Alice Bohnker Insurance<br />

Alyeska Ocean<br />

City of Anacortes<br />

Angel of the Winds Casino<br />

Anthony’s Restaurants<br />

Barrett Financial, Ltd.<br />

Darrell & Stephanie Hooper<br />

Best Buy Foundation<br />

Birch Equipment & Sales<br />

Blade Chevrolet<br />

Bob’s Burger & Brew<br />

Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget<br />

Sound<br />

Boundary Bay Brewing Co.<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs of America<br />

Savi Bank<br />

Calico Cupboard Cafe & Bakery<br />

Cap Sante Inn, LLC<br />

Central Moving & Storage<br />

Children’s Museum of Skagit County<br />

Christ Episcopal Church<br />

Christianson’s Nursery<br />

Dear Club Friends and Family,<br />

As the <strong>2018</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> began to take shape, and I reflected on the<br />

year as a whole, I found there was much to celebrate again. There are also<br />

high expectations to continue our work with the momentum provided, and<br />

ensure every kid and teen that walks into any one of our Club locations<br />

have access to opportunity so they can realize their own great future.<br />

Personally and professionally for me, <strong>2018</strong> was just a whirlwind of excitement<br />

and emotion. In June, a magical confluence of events occurred<br />

that resulted in me finding my biological father, for whom I had no basic<br />

information with which to conduct the search. After 41 years of searching<br />

and craving a better understanding of my own identity, even as I work to<br />

strengthen that for our Club members, I met my dad and a sense of resolve<br />

washed over me. Just a week later, I received the call that our $1.6 million<br />

grant application to begin services in Concrete had been awarded. After<br />

more than a year of working with United General District #304 and the<br />

Concrete School District, I had the pleasure of calling our partners and hearing<br />

cheers erupt through the telephone.<br />

Fortunate scheduling allowed for the Grand Opening of our Concrete Club<br />

to coincide with our visit from legendary Seattle Seahawk, Steve Largent.<br />

As part of the festivities, an all-school Assembly occurred, and kids and<br />

teens heard of Mr. Largent’s own struggles in growing up in a household<br />

that included an alcoholic parent and how his involvement in the Club put<br />

him on the path to his realized journey. That same night, he would form the<br />

foundation of our most successful Great Futures Gala ever - an evening so<br />

special that it is sure to be a highlight for many for years to come.<br />

None of this would have been possible without you, and I am so appreciative<br />

of the trust and confidence you place in our organization to make a<br />

positive impact on the lives of youth ages 6-18 in our communities.<br />

Yours in service,<br />

Ron McHenry<br />

CEO/Executive Director<br />

4

IN THIS REPORT<br />

LETTER FROM OUR BOARD PRESIDENT ...3<br />

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ...3<br />

LETTER FROM OUR CEO ...4<br />

THANK YOU SUPPORTERS ...4-7, 11, 13, 18-19, 21, 26, 32, 39<br />

ON THE JOB: YOUTH EXPLORE STEM CAREERS ...8-11<br />

FORMULA FOR IMPACT ...12-13<br />

BY THE NUMBERS: WHERE OUR CLUB PARENTS<br />

WORK ...14-15<br />

SERIES: A PLACE WHERE I FEEL IMPORTANT ...16-18<br />

NEW CLUBS IN CONCRETE SEE STRONG<br />

ATTENDANCE ...20-23<br />

STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS ...24-27<br />

ADVANCED LEADERSHIP PROGRAM ...28-29<br />

GREAT PASSIONS START HERE ...31, 33<br />

BY THE NUMBERS: <strong>2018</strong> YEAR-END FINANCIALS...34-35<br />

GREAT FUTURES GALA BUILDS ON SUCCESS ...36-37<br />

YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY ASSESSMENT ...38<br />

YOUTH OF THE YEAR ...40-42<br />

About the Cover: Throughout <strong>2018</strong> we asked Club members about their favorite activities and<br />

Programs at the Clubs. Their answers were printed out and became part of an art project where<br />

they colored in the words so they could be arranged into a “Word Tangle”.<br />

Youth of the Year Photography by Sarah Arquitt. Gala photography by Cloud 9 Photography &<br />

Yvonne Bowman.<br />

Columbia Distributing<br />

Cook Road Shell<br />

Costco.<br />

CPI Plumbing & Heating<br />

Craft Stove<br />

Creative Celebrations<br />

E & E Lumber<br />

Eagles - Skagit Valley Auxiliary #3242<br />

Edco, Inc.<br />

Enchanted Florist<br />

Escape Salon<br />

Frontier Industries, Inc.<br />

Georgetown Brewing Company<br />

Hampton Inn & Suites<br />

Flowers on Woodworth<br />

Interwest Construction Inc.<br />

Kiwanis - Anacortes Noon Club<br />

Anacortes Sunrisers Kiwanis<br />

Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon<br />

Burlington-Edison Kiwanis<br />

Lakeside Industries<br />

Lowman House LLC<br />

Mac & Jack Brewery<br />

Majestic Inn & Spa<br />

MillerCoors<br />

Nell Thorn Restaurant & Pub<br />

Norm Nelson, Inc.<br />

North Cascades Health Council<br />

Oasys<br />

Oliver-Hammer<br />

Bart & Patty Smith<br />

Pacific Woodtech Corporation<br />

Porterhouse Pub<br />

Reisner Distributor, Inc.<br />

Burlington Rotary Foundation<br />

Sedro-Woolley Rotary Club<br />

Samish Tyee<br />

Seattle Mariners<br />

Seattle Seahawks Foundation<br />

ServiceMaster Clean by Roth, Inc.<br />

Shell Puget Sound Refining Company<br />

Sims Honda<br />

Dwayne Lane’s Skagit Ford Subaru<br />

Skagit Island San Juan School Retirees<br />

Association<br />

Skagit Ready Mix/Smokey Point Concrete<br />

Skagit River Brewery<br />

Skagit River Steel & Recycling<br />

Skagit Bank<br />

Dan & Debbie Boffey<br />

Skagit Valley Food Co-Op<br />

Smiley Insurance Services Corporation<br />

Soroptimist International of Anacortes<br />

Soroptimist International of Burlington<br />

Soroptimist International of Fidalgo Island<br />

Soroptimist International of Sedro-Woolley<br />

Keith Sorestad State Farm Agency<br />

State of Washington<br />

Stiles Law Inc., P.S.<br />

Stowe’s Shoes & Clothing<br />

Swinomish Tribal Community<br />

Swinomish Casino & Lodge<br />

The Drain Doctor<br />

Towne Foundation<br />

TRICO Companies, LLC<br />

Trident Seafoods Corporation<br />

TruckVault, Inc.<br />

United Way of Skagit County<br />

Van’s Equipment Company<br />

Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program<br />

WA State Boys & Girls Clubs Assoc.<br />

continued on page... 6<br />

5

Westminster Presbyterian Church<br />

Heritage Bank<br />

Williams & Nulle, PLLC, CPAs<br />

Worthington Foundation<br />

Wycoff Insurance<br />

Anonymous<br />

Arliss Abbott<br />

Tom & Pam Allen<br />

Kevin & Debbie Anderson<br />

Jerry & Elsie Annett<br />

Josh & Sarah Arquitt<br />

Joseph Bee<br />

Cookson Beecher & Dean Harrington<br />

Paul Benz<br />

Bruce & Dee Berglin<br />

Donald Bienvenue & Carol Scherer<br />

Robin Bird<br />

Cheryl Bishop<br />

Franklin Bjorseth<br />

Scott & JoAnn Blade<br />

Ray & Carolyn Bloom<br />

Boyd & Ginny Bode<br />

Annette Booth<br />

Jill & Daniel Boudreau<br />

Gerald & Bonnie Bowers<br />

Jayne Branch & Lee Strick<br />

Peter & Laurel Browning<br />

Paula Brownrigg<br />

Gordon Bruchner<br />

Carl & Carmen Bruner<br />

Fred Buckenmeyer<br />

Jeff & Erin Burkholder<br />

Mark & Jody Carabba<br />

Rod & Karen Carter<br />

Mike & Suzzane Casey<br />

Gerry & Susan Christensen<br />

Mark & Deanna Collins<br />

Sharon Cooper<br />

Erik & Jennifer Crawford<br />

Ian & Whitney Crawford<br />

Mark & Nancy Crawford<br />

Mike & Dianne Crawford<br />

Jeff & Mary June Curtis<br />

Barbara Dahlstedt<br />

Norman & Patricia Dahlstedt<br />

Jack & Nancy Darnton<br />

Gregg & Lea Davidson<br />

Brian & Caroline Davis<br />

Lou Ann Davis<br />

Homer & Rosette Dawson<br />

Len & Jimmie Lee Dawson<br />

Jim & Carma DeGroot<br />

Gene & Marilyn Derig<br />

Melissa & Hugh Dougher<br />

James & Katherine Duffy<br />

Susan Duffy<br />

Ann Dursch<br />

James & Janet Ebersole<br />

Diane Eiesland<br />

Nancy & Jerry Ellis<br />

Roy & Yvonne Engel<br />

Cory Ertel<br />

Mark & Pam Estvold<br />

Bruce & Margaret Evertz<br />

Jerry & Eva Fader<br />

Donald L. Fenton<br />

John & Mary Ferlin<br />

Fred & Sharon Fisher<br />

Jennifer L Day-Fix<br />

Brett & Eva Fox<br />

Duncan Frazier<br />

K.C. & Angela Freeberg<br />

Naun & Perpetuo Gallardo<br />

Kendall & Nancy Gentry<br />

Laurie Gere<br />

Warren Gilbert<br />

Bill & Gina Gillespie<br />

Paul Godfrey<br />

Michael & Jessica Good<br />

Kay Gordon<br />

Dale & Elaine Gorsegner<br />

Pat Grenfell<br />

Robert Gruber<br />

Claudette Gubrud<br />

Mike & Victorian Gubrud<br />

Nancy & Joe Halton<br />

Pat Hammond<br />

Frances Hansen<br />

Bryan & Carol Harrison<br />

MaryAnn Hatfield<br />

Dale & Ali Hayton<br />

Darrell & Elizabeth Heisler<br />

Jeff & Linda Hendricks<br />

Duane & Lynn Henson<br />

Jack & Joan Hilde<br />

Sally Hill<br />

Sherry Hill & Abby Jacobs<br />

Robert Hoare & Tye Roth<br />

James & Glenda Hobbs<br />

Steve & Felisa Hoglund<br />

Darrel & Bernice Homan<br />

Howard Huffstodt<br />

Les & Fay Huggins<br />

Steven & Rhonda Huggins<br />

Dan & Cori Hyatt<br />

Michael & Lisa Janicki<br />

Donald & Ora Jonasson<br />

David & Patricia Jorgensen<br />

Hugh & Diana Kendrick<br />

Tom N Kier<br />

Highwaters Media<br />

Aldi Kllogjeri<br />

Wayne & Ginny Kluth<br />

Margo Knorr<br />

Troy & Joyce Kunz<br />

Debra & Douglas Lancaster<br />

B.J. Larson<br />

Simply Yards Landscape & Design<br />

Thomas Lebovsky & Jane Billinghurst<br />

Barbara Legas<br />

Lisa Long<br />

Keith Magee<br />

Lee Mann Photography<br />

Rob Martin<br />

Kent & Christine Mathes<br />

Levon Matson<br />

Darren & Renata Maybruck<br />

H. Coleman McGinnis<br />

Matt McGraw<br />

Glen & Susan McInelly<br />

John & Colleen McIntyre<br />

Jordan & Kimberly Joy Mellich<br />

Mark Miller<br />

Ronald & Jamie Mitchell<br />

Victoria W Morell<br />

Frederick & Elaine Morton<br />

Arty & Elinor Nakis<br />

Richard & Linda Nelson<br />

Paul & Holly Nielsen<br />

Mark & Gayle Nilson<br />

Doug Noblet<br />

Emerson Nordmark & Kim Liebscher<br />

Jeanne D North<br />

David & Syd Olausen<br />

Richard Olds<br />

Authur Palmer<br />

Robert & Jeannette Papadakis<br />

Erik & Debbie Pedersen<br />

Greg & Karen Peterka<br />

Roger Peterson<br />

Erica Pickett<br />

Rick & Karen Pitt<br />

Maggie Potter<br />

Philip Prud’homme<br />

Tod & Sheri Queen<br />

William & Wendy Rabel<br />

Dale & Susan Ragan<br />

Kyle & Kelly Reep<br />

George Reeves & Rosann Wuebbels<br />

Carl & Jill Reid<br />

Betty Rockwell<br />

Michael & Andrea Rogers<br />

John Roozen<br />

Chuck & Toni Ruhl<br />

Scott & Angie Rutherford<br />

David Ryberg & Joan Penney<br />

Bob & Marian Sadler<br />

Colin Sands<br />

Gary & Bernice Santiago<br />

William & Patricia Sarvis<br />

Michael Schroyer<br />

Eric & Emily Schuh<br />

Michael Schweigert<br />

David & Eddylee Scott<br />

Dan & Margie Semsak<br />

Shirley Shanander<br />

Cynthia Simonsen<br />

Dan & Sandi Sims<br />

Donald & Colleen Slack<br />

John & Julie Small<br />

Colleen Smiley<br />

Rich Weyrich & Betta Spinelli<br />

Dennis & Mary Staberg<br />

Cheryl M Stewart<br />

Brian Stiles<br />

Brock & Kathrine Stiles<br />

Jack & Carole Straathof<br />

Albert & Penny Stubbs<br />

Becky & John Taft<br />

Gary & Claudean Talbert<br />

Ann Thompson<br />

William & Dolores Thomson<br />

Torolf & Anna Torgersen<br />

Lin & Carla Tucker<br />

Brad & Kristen Tully<br />

Cora Verrall<br />

Scott & Cinde Wakeman<br />

Carrie Wallace<br />

Ron & Jan Wesen<br />

Jerry & Carol Whitfield<br />

William Whittemore<br />

Don Wick<br />

Dave Wilder<br />

Isaac & Sarah Williams<br />

Susan Wilson<br />

Brian & Kathy Wolfe<br />

Doug & Gay Woods<br />

Jonna Zieber<br />

Aztec Self Storage<br />

Allen & Gwen Brown<br />

6

Save the Dates<br />

JUNE<br />

21st or 22nd<br />

Tickets at:<br />

www.skagitclubs.org<br />

Skagit Aggregates LLC<br />

Anacortes Eagles Lodge #1204<br />

Mark & Sandy Hagen<br />

Land Title and Escrow Company<br />

Jack & Shirley McIntyre Family Foundation<br />

Mexico Cafe<br />

Safeway<br />

Meredith Baker<br />

Joe & Diane Best<br />

John & Michele Burke<br />

Craig & Carrie Cammock<br />

Brian & Mary Clark<br />

Dan & Marie Donat<br />

Chad & Colleen Fisher<br />

Terica & Brett Ginther<br />

Jeremy & Jamie McCullough<br />

Vince Oliver<br />

Debra Peterson<br />

Sarah Rothenbuhler<br />

Thomas Seguine & Dianne Crane<br />

Edwin Sprauer<br />

Carol Strandberg<br />

David & Lisa Svaren<br />

Bill & Laurie Wallace<br />

Shesha Zavala<br />

Janicki Industries<br />

John Piazza Jr. Construction & Remodeling<br />

Jeff McInnis<br />

Skagit Farmers Supply/Country Store<br />

Jon & Teresa Ronngren<br />

Carol Brown<br />

Ken & Debbie Cheney<br />

Mike & Dana Webb<br />

Jason & Bobbilyn Hogge<br />

Jerald & Pamela Munson<br />

Kristi & John Chambers<br />

Jack & Stephanie Hamilton<br />

Dana Andrich & Brian Tiland<br />

Jim & Joyce Anderson<br />

Anthony Young<br />

Martha & Harold Clure<br />

Bill & Susanna Epler<br />

Tom Griffin & Lani Donohue<br />

Brian Hanrahan & Treva King<br />

Skagit Community Foundation<br />

Judd & Black Appliance<br />

John L. Scott<br />

Skagit Transportation<br />

Dwayne Lane’s North Cascade Ford<br />

Matt Lehman<br />

Nicholas & Kristen Vanjaarsveld<br />

Terry Johnsen<br />

Ed Perry<br />

Kohl’s<br />

Janet Malseed<br />

The Cambia Employee Giving Campaign<br />

Walmart<br />

Avalon Golf Links<br />

Renee Majumdar<br />

Debra Jones<br />

Lynne Jordan<br />

John & Marie Erbstoeszer<br />

Thompson’s Greenhouse<br />

Rob & Rachael Woods<br />

Pola Kelley<br />

Danielle & Michael Russell<br />

Josh & Marna Carpenter<br />

PSE<br />

Christine Johnson & Neal Ishihara<br />

Banner Bank<br />

Kurt & Brittany Swanson<br />

continued on page... 11<br />

7

8

ON THE JOB:<br />

YOUTH EXPLORE STEM CAREERS<br />

In <strong>2018</strong> Youth toured Mighty AI in Seattle, and locally, Dwayne Lane’s Skagit Ford, Skagit River Steel &<br />

Recycling, Sierra Pacific Industries, Olmstead Transportation, and the Heritage Flight Museum<br />

In <strong>2018</strong>, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit<br />

County were able to visit several businesses in Skagit<br />

County, and one in Seattle. These particular field trips<br />

were part of Boys & Girls Clubs’ science, technology, engineering,<br />

and math (STEM) programs, led by Nathan Allen,<br />

the Director of STEM Initiatives for Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit<br />

County. The STEM Initiatives provide opportunities for middle<br />

school and high school aged youth to learn about STEM<br />

careers and gain skills related to professions in those fields.<br />

In the weeks leading up to a tour, youth participated in activities<br />

that taught them about the aspects of technology, manufacturing,<br />

and engineering related to each destination.<br />

Field trips let youth see how the skills gained at the Clubs<br />

can be applied to “real life” jobs and also helps them pursue<br />

their career goals and develop a plan to reach them. Additionally,<br />

these tours get members out into the community<br />

beyond the Club—an exciting change of pace, and usually<br />

a memorable experience. “STEM education should always<br />

be fun—that is major element of these tours,” says Allen.<br />

Donning safety goggles, ear plugs, and helmets, youth<br />

entering the sawmill at Sierra Pacific Industries were immediately<br />

wowed. Ava Gage, a 6th grader from La Venture Club,<br />

noted, “At first I was scared, but the tour was really cool!”<br />

Sierra Pacific Industries is the second-largest lumber producer<br />

in the United States and their sawmill in Burlington,<br />

WA runs 22 hours a day with more than 180 employees.<br />

Further, they operate entirely in-house, hiring engineers,<br />

welders, accountants, and even programmers for software<br />

they write and run. “The mill was incredibly stimulating,” said<br />

Allen, “the saws are deafening, there’s a powerful scent of<br />

saw dust, and logs are literally being torn apart and formed<br />

into long planks by massive machines.”<br />

Youth who visited Mighty AI, a Seattle-based tech start-up<br />

that develops artificial intelligence for self-driving cars, got<br />

some hands-on experience with seeing how Mighty AI’s software<br />

interprets images. Club members took turns drawing<br />

an outline on a computer and the software would create a<br />

photographic-like image of cat within the boundaries of their<br />

drawing. “I liked learning about how they are using mostly<br />

physics” said Rhiannon, an 8th grader. One of the Mighty<br />

AI presenters explained that calculus, linear algebra, and<br />

physics are all used in the algorithms that work in artificial<br />

intelligence. Club members also spent some time one-onone<br />

with employees there, asking questions about how one<br />

would pursue a career in this type of tech field. “The speed<br />

networking was interesting and surprising,” remarked Zoey<br />

from the Anacortes Club, “it was cool because I found out<br />

why most of them work there.”<br />

“I am my dad’s best helper,” Jenna says, “I<br />

help him fix and load his truck.” On the way to<br />

tour Olmsted Transportation, a major trucking<br />

business in Skagit County, Jenna buzzed with<br />

excitement about different kinds of trucks and<br />

their various uses while using an impressive<br />

breadth of trucking terminology.<br />

During their tour of the Heritage Flight Museum, Club members<br />

stuck their heads inside airplanes that escaped Pearl<br />

Harbor, felt steel plating that protected soldiers from bullets,<br />

and learned about the unique purpose of each plane. “My<br />

favorite is the big green one,” said Nathaly, a 7th grade<br />

member, referring to a massive WWII bomber. The tour of<br />

the airport included an introduction to small private planes<br />

where Club members were allowed to sit behind the controls<br />

of a couple of airplanes and were shown basics of how to<br />

operate them. The tour concluded with information on how<br />

to enter aviation careers.<br />

Jenna, a member of the Sedro-Woolley Club is a large truck<br />

enthusiast. “I am my dad’s best helper,” Jenna says, “I help<br />

him fix and load his truck.” On the way to tour Olmsted<br />

Transportation, a major trucking business in Skagit County,<br />

Jenna buzzed with excitement about different kinds of trucks<br />

and their various uses while demonstrating an impressive<br />

breadth of trucking terminology. Teens from the Club learned<br />

about all the technology Olmsted uses to track drivers and<br />

maintain their business and got a look under the hood and<br />

inside some of the semi-trucks in the fleet.<br />

continued on page... 11<br />

9

10

Club member Pablo, another frequent participant,<br />

began to develop a picture of his future on the tours.<br />

He was drawn to the board rooms, and offices with<br />

comfy chairs. “I’m going to own my own business one<br />

day,” he would often say. “I have no doubt that you<br />

will,” answered Allen.<br />

At Dwayne Lane’s Skagit Ford, Club members got to experience just about everything<br />

short of actually driving the cars—but they did their best to get that opportunity<br />

too. The new Mustangs especially were captivating to them, with technology<br />

systems installed that they had never seen before. In the Service Department,<br />

they were able to examine a truck that was completely taken apart, exposing all<br />

the inner workings of the machine. Not only were the kids motivated to work with<br />

cars, they were motivated to pursue STEM careers that might help them purchase<br />

their dream car.<br />

Some of the Club members participated in more than one tour in <strong>2018</strong>. Zoie, a high<br />

school sophomore from the Mount Vernon Club, went on two of the tours. She was<br />

recently selected as Mount Vernon’s Youth of the Year. The Youth of the Year program<br />

focuses on continuing education and career-readiness. Youth prepare essays,<br />

present speeches, and sit for interviews, Through this process they find their own<br />

personal voice and brand, and develop their interests for the future. Youth of the<br />

Year is the highest Club honor a youth in the Clubs can receive. Youth compete at<br />

regional, state, and national levels for increasingly larger scholarship prizes.<br />

Tours to visit local businesses help motivate high-achieving youth like Zoie to find<br />

careers to pursue new ambitions. “I never thought about a field like this for my<br />

future,” Zoie expressed during the tour to Sierra Pacific Industries. Club member<br />

Pablo, another frequent participant, began to develop a picture of his future on the<br />

tours. He was drawn to the board rooms, and offices with comfy chairs. “I’m going<br />

to own my own business one day,” he would often say. “I have no doubt that you<br />

will,” answered Allen.<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County is grateful to these businesses who put in the<br />

extra time and effort to get youth excited about new technologies and help them<br />

understand how to pursue STEM careers for their futures. The Clubs hope to increase<br />

these types of tours for 2019. Anyone interested in helping youth become passionate<br />

about an industry can contact Nathan Allen at nathan.allen@skagitclubs.org or<br />

at (360) 419-3723 x4.<br />

Full page photo on page 8, L to R: Jeret, Pablo, Ava, and Nathan Allen (Director of STEM<br />

Initiatives, BGCSC) outside the mill at Sierra Pacific Industries. Opposite page top to bottom:<br />

Olmsted Transportation CEO Bart Smith shows youth the engine on one of their semi trucks. Riley<br />

sits in a Cessna 172 at Skagit Air Field. Bricen behind the wheel of a brand new Ford Mustang at<br />

Dwayne Lane’s Skagit Ford. Ceanna draws the outline of an animal to be interpreted by Mighty<br />

AI’s software.<br />

Columbia Bank<br />

Everett Silvertips Hockey Club<br />

Shirlee Christensen<br />

Kristi Lindquist<br />

Amanda & Josh Cecotti<br />

Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods<br />

Carolyn Howe<br />

Christine Youngquist<br />

Guy & Sandra Davidson<br />

Mark & Julie Wenzel<br />

Ken & Jenni Morrison<br />

John Walgamott<br />

Karl & Karen Yost<br />

Tulip Valley Winery<br />

Sharon Wright<br />

Melissa Pearson<br />

Julie Buchanan<br />

Carol Herbert<br />

Larry & Susan Forsythe<br />

Peter Goldfarb<br />

Don & Marie Ibsen<br />

Susan Krienen<br />

Scott & Karen Terrell<br />

Michael & Elizabeth Jackets<br />

Douglas & Linda MacGregor<br />

Car Care Clinic Gateway Transmissions, Inc.<br />

Wendie Granberg<br />

Apothecary Spa<br />

Kristin Knopf & Brian Hanners<br />

Marjorie Kilbreath<br />

Jim & Mary Jermyn<br />

Stacey Salyer<br />

Washington Federal<br />

Alyeska Design, LLC<br />

Jerald & Carol Zavalney<br />

Mary Perry<br />

MJB Properties, LLC<br />

Shane & Amy Collins<br />

Dr. Teak Martin<br />

Eva Aragon<br />

Phil & Tamera Brockman<br />

Sundarah Hammontree<br />

Frank Marzec<br />

Concrete Theatre<br />

Lorenzo’s<br />

Temcov Foundation<br />

Joshua Anderson Insurance, Inc<br />

Wendy Rohrbacher<br />

Ron McHenry<br />

Paul Woodmansee<br />

Steven & Sarah Dahl<br />

Dan Fisher<br />

Donnie & Kristen Keltz<br />

Ken Codlin<br />

Fred Meyer<br />

JoAnn Fabrics<br />

Tara Dowd & Steven Nelson<br />

Rob & Erin Reiger<br />

Nels Strandberg & Colleen Craig<br />

Bert Clay<br />

Brenden Jones<br />

Paula Fors<br />

Amazon Smile<br />

Bernadette Halliday<br />

Terri Maik<br />

Sarah & Adam Nuanes<br />

James & Cathryn Griffith<br />

Kroger<br />

Karl & Debra Pankaskie<br />

Tracy Dugas<br />

Katie Stamwitz<br />

continued on page... 13<br />

11

FORMULA FOR IMPACT<br />

Our Clubs are a safe, positive, fun place for youth to go during after-school, and summer hours. Through regular<br />

attendance, youth create lasting friendships with their peers, and can look to staff as trusted mentors to turn to<br />

for support. Programs at the Club are choice-based and focus on our three Priority Outcomes. These programs are<br />

designed, through curriculum support from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, to offer fun with a purpose.<br />

PRIORITY OUTCOMES<br />

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County offers Targeted Programs<br />

to meet the significant and specific needs of our<br />

members at each of our Clubs. The goal of all our programs,<br />

as outlined in the Formula for Impact, is to help our<br />

Members achieve success with three Priority Outcomes:<br />

Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Good Character<br />

& Citizenship.<br />

Programs are pulled from our five Core Program Areas: Education<br />

& Career, Character & Leadership, Health & Life Skills,<br />

the Arts, and Sports, Fitness & Recreation. The Boys & Girls<br />

Clubs of Skagit County also offers other Specialized Programs.<br />

These initiatives focus on meeting additional needs<br />

identified within our communities and schools.<br />

YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED<br />

US MOST<br />

Who are the young people who need us most? At first, we<br />

may not know. Our job is to provide the opportunity for<br />

youth to come through that blue door. We may not see the<br />

impact of our Clubs right away, yet the spirit of our mission<br />

is renewed each time we see a young life changed for the<br />

better. We have the data from National and local surveys<br />

and studies that tell the story of how our Clubs positively<br />

affect youth. And we have our personal success stories and<br />

moments that we continually witness.<br />

OUR MISSION: To enable all young people, especially<br />

those who need us most, to reach their full potential, as productive,<br />

caring, responsible citizens.<br />

OUR VALUES: Fun, Respect, Integrity, Community, and<br />

Acceptance.<br />

OUTCOME-DRIVEN CLUB<br />

EXPERIENCE<br />

REGULAR ATTENDANCE: Attendance serves as the<br />

foundation of the Boys & Girls Club measurement strategy.<br />

To effectively demonstrate impact, Clubs must know who is<br />

in their building, how frequently they attend and in which<br />

programs they participate. In order to attract new members,<br />

retain existing members and encourage members to attend<br />

more often, we know that a Club must provide a powerful<br />

Club Experience. Therefore, measuring attendance and participation<br />

also helps the Club assess the effectiveness of its<br />

Club Experience.<br />

12

Studies have shown that Club Members who attend at least 52 times per year are<br />

most likely to reach our priority outcomes. Each of our Clubs strive to increase our<br />

average daily attendance (to get as many Members in our Clubs as possible each<br />

day) and to improve our retention/renewal rates (keeping our Members in the Club<br />

through high school graduation).<br />

HIGH-YIELD ACTIVITIES: Fun with a purpose! These activities are designed to<br />

provide Members with fun experiences that are hands-on, interactive and intentionally<br />

develop critical thinking or other skills.<br />

Supporting all three Priority Outcome areas is the responsibility of every Club staff<br />

member. Our goal is to infuse Academic Success, Good Character & Citizenship,<br />

and Healthy Lifestyles outcomes into every Targeted Program at each of our Clubs.<br />

TARGETED PROGRAMS: These curriculum-based programs combine elements<br />

of fun and learning, while working towards helping our members achieve the<br />

following priority outcomes.<br />

FIVE KEY ELEMENTS: Through extensive research, the Boys & Girls Clubs of<br />

America identified Five Key Elements that make it possible for Clubs to assure positive<br />

developmental experiences for our Members.<br />

A SAFE, POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT: Our Clubs are a safe haven where Members<br />

feel physically and emotionally secure at all times. Club Staff, facilities, program<br />

offerings and age-appropriate settings create stability, consistency and a sense of<br />

safety for members.<br />

FUN: Attendance at our Clubs is choice-based, and so are our programs. Our<br />

members vote with their feet, and engage in the programs that appeal to them. That<br />

is why fun is key to participation.<br />

SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS: Youth at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit<br />

County develop meaningful relationships with peers and adults. Staff members<br />

actively cultivate such relationships to ensure that every member feels connected<br />

to one or more adults and peers. Staff members demonstrate warmth,<br />

caring, reliability, appreciation, acceptance and proper guidance in their interactions<br />

with Members.<br />

OPPORTUNITY: Our Club Members acquire physical, social, technological, artistic<br />

and life skills through attendance at the Clubs as well as the tools to develop<br />

moral character and behave ethically. Staff members establish and reinforce high<br />

expectations and help our young people to do well in school and to pursue a<br />

post-secondary education that fits their career goals.<br />

RECOGNITION: We recognize and affirm our young people’s self-worth and<br />

accomplishments. Staff members encourage our youth and provide positive reinforcement<br />

as they make improvements and experience successes. We showcase &<br />

recognize their achievements through our Youth of the Month and Youth of the Year<br />

programs, awards presentations, and healthy incentives and rewards.<br />

Steve & Teresa Fulton<br />

North Coast Credit Union<br />

Dick’s Sporting Goods<br />

Drina McCorkle<br />

Kecia Fox & Brian Adams<br />

Mary Gleason<br />

Patrick Harrington<br />

Home Depot<br />

Sierra Pacific Foundation<br />

Cargill Incorporated<br />

Andrew Mayer<br />

Mike & Dawn Durham<br />

Sean & Diana Bartlett<br />

Thomas Bluhm<br />

Tom & Cathy LaCroix<br />

Mike McCallum<br />

James & Michele Tangaro<br />

Mark & Tammy Burris<br />

Eugene & Doris Benson<br />

Holly Swanson & Tammy Findlay<br />

Bret Pugmire<br />

The Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, Inc.<br />

Rod Cann<br />

Debbie Shaffer<br />

Anne Perry<br />

Donna Sitts<br />

Zane Morrison<br />

Dan Roupe<br />

Enterprise Rent-A-Car<br />

Andeavor Foundation, Inc.<br />

Holly Shannon & Josh Johnson<br />

Woods Coffee<br />

Christopher & Cassandra King<br />

Katie Mauricio<br />

Triple Play Family Fun Park<br />

Thurston Wolfe Winery<br />

Tony & Tina Asp<br />

Kari & Steve Ranten<br />

Roland & Ramie King<br />

Jim Davison<br />

Heather Powell<br />

Ken & Susan Johnson<br />

Travis Hernandez<br />

Charlie & Ute Collins<br />

Dustin & Dreabon Knowles<br />

Wendy Gray & Mac Madenwald<br />

Sushi By Chin<br />

Shelly’s Shack<br />

John & Carol Mosier<br />

George & Suzanne Santino<br />

GAP<br />

Gap Foundation<br />

Christina Jepperson<br />

Betty Romtvelt<br />

Diederick Bron<br />

Lynn Wade<br />

Jim & Kay Zielinski<br />

Tamara Straub<br />

Sherry Hendrix<br />

Chad Fisher Construction, LLC<br />

Terje & Jessica Culp<br />

Darcy Swetnam<br />

Karen & Douglas Fryer<br />

Robert Shrumm<br />

BYK Construction, Inc<br />

Alicia & Glenn Huschka<br />

Dan Berard<br />

John & Bonney Howe<br />

DreamChasers RV<br />

Windermere Foundation<br />

Cassidy & David Dent<br />

continued on page... 18<br />

13

WHERE OUR CLUB<br />

FAMILIES WORK<br />

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County provides<br />

economic development support for the communities<br />

in which we serve. By providing kids and<br />

teens ages 6-18 a fun, positive, and safe place to<br />

be during out-of-school hours, families can focus<br />

on finding and maintaining employment to support<br />

themselves, contribute to the economy, and rely<br />

less on public assistance programs. In preparing<br />

the figures to be used within this publication, there<br />

was some intuitive and observational knowledge of<br />

what the outcome would be, but the data and facts<br />

were also surprising in some ways.<br />

Understanding that many in our demographic<br />

served come from families which see a higher<br />

percentage of individuals employed in the trades.<br />

Finding Draper Valley, Janicki Industries, and<br />

Dakatoa Creek Industries was not a surprise. Based<br />

simply on overall employer size in the community,<br />

finding many working in Health Care, Government,<br />

and Education was also to be expected.<br />

Continued growth at Naval Air Station Whidbey<br />

Island has been pressing more and more families<br />

to seek housing in Skagit County, especially in the<br />

valley. Populations of military youth in our Clubhouses<br />

in Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley have<br />

grown significantly, and in Sedro-Woolley, it will<br />

soon overtake Anacortes with the number of Club<br />

members that have one or more family members<br />

employed by the US Navy.<br />

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Knowing this information is helpful to staff in many<br />

ways. When meeting with businesses and corporations<br />

who make community investments, it helps<br />

to tell the story of how Clubs are not only a valuable<br />

investment for the community-at-large, but also<br />

providing services directly to the employees of that<br />

company or agency. Seeing the sudden year-overyear<br />

increase of families dependent on the United<br />

States Navy for employment and services also<br />

informs staff as to our changing demographics and<br />

need for additional training and professional development<br />

so we can best serve the children of these<br />

military families.<br />

14

BY THE NUMBERS:<br />

where our club Families work<br />

19<br />

17<br />

15 ea<br />

14 ea<br />

13<br />

12 ea<br />

11<br />

10<br />

9<br />

8ea<br />

ea<br />

ea<br />

Skagit County, Walmart<br />

Sierra Pacific Industries<br />

City of Anacortes, Skagit Valley College<br />

Fred Meyer<br />

# of Club members EMPLOYER<br />

Where Club Families Work<br />

who have a family earner working for the following employers<br />

26<br />

36<br />

Peace Health<br />

Regence Blue Shield<br />

Boeing, Draper Valley Farms<br />

Sedro-Woolley School Dist.<br />

Janicki Industries, Shell Puget Sound Refinery<br />

Island Hospital<br />

United States Navy<br />

Skagit Regional Health<br />

Life Care Center of Mount Vernon, Swinomish Tribe, Mount Vernon School Dist.<br />

Dakota Creek Industries<br />

47<br />

58<br />

55<br />

Fidalgo Care Center, Port Of Anacortes, PSE, Marathon Anacortes Refinery<br />

15

16

A PLACE<br />

WHERE I FEEL<br />

IMPORTANT<br />

What is a day like at the Boys & Girls Club? In our<br />

ongoing new series, we spend a day with a Club<br />

member to give our audience a snapshot of what our<br />

Clubs provide to members.<br />

Concrete is a truly beautiful area, nestled where the<br />

Baker river converges with the powerful Skagit river<br />

and surrounded by the Cascades. Heading south<br />

on Superior Ave., the road travels right underneath<br />

the High School building before opening up to a separate<br />

valley and a crisp view of a lone snow-covered peak. The<br />

entire Concrete School District sits on one campus, with K-6<br />

and 7-12 separated by a vast field. Each now has a Boys &<br />

Girls Club that operates from when school gets out at 2:30<br />

pm till 6:30 pm, Monday thru Friday.<br />

Days at the Concrete Elementary Boys & Girls Club start with<br />

a snack in the cafeteria when school lets out. Then, members<br />

line up by grade and head over to an adjacent modular<br />

building. This particular Friday was clear and cold. When Site<br />

Director, Lela Kennedy, announced the day’s activities, she<br />

added at the very end “...and yes, we will get a chance to<br />

play outside,” an announcement met with cheers by Club<br />

members despite the frigid temperature. “But first,” continued<br />

Lela, “it’s time to announce some awards.”<br />

All Clubs give monthly awards to members who display<br />

exemplary behavior in several categories such as Youth of<br />

the Month, Homework All-Star, Good Sportsmanship Award,<br />

and Artist of the Month. “Can I get a drum roll please,” Lela<br />

announced before each was award was given, and each<br />

drum roll seemed to carry on longer than the next, as kids<br />

seemed eager to get out their wiggles. Then it was time to<br />

break out into the days’ activities; wreath-making, flag football,<br />

basketball, and a spelling bee.<br />

Kenna chose wreath-making to start. Kenna, age 10, is in 5th<br />

grade and became a member when the Club first opened in<br />

October. As she cut out her paper plate wreath and began<br />

to paint it green, Kenna was eager to share about her Club<br />

experience. “I used to not know how to do division, and I<br />

was doing bad at math, but here they make you good at<br />

continued on page... 18<br />

17

Nancy Wong & Thomas Decker<br />

Michael Fredlund<br />

Laura Riquelme<br />

Josh & Stephanie Hoines<br />

Leanne Shannon<br />

Kati Shannon<br />

Haggen Food & Pharmacy<br />

Bobbi Castro<br />

Evelyn Syverson<br />

James Bobb<br />

Grocery Outlet<br />

Bill Irving<br />

Andrea Shick<br />

Sue Harrington<br />

Craig Crawford<br />

Marni Shockey<br />

Kurt & Suzan DelBene<br />

Judy & Ed Hjort<br />

Christina Molina & Eduardo Martinez<br />

Dagnija & Marv Johnson<br />

Joseph Chong<br />

Empire Ale House<br />

Shannon Patt & Suzanne Butler<br />

Kelli & Daniel Segars<br />

Image360<br />

Cedar Country Lumber<br />

Seattle Theatre Group<br />

Janet Whalen<br />

K Lee Johnson<br />

Julia De La Cerda<br />

Patrick & Jean Ward<br />

Richard & Margaret Hudson<br />

Jeremie Serrato<br />

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction<br />

Ivett Cano<br />

Desni & Josh Fonoimoana<br />

Ashley Flores<br />

Brian Gustafson<br />

Erik Pineda<br />

Manuel Smith<br />

Mindy & Mark Holland<br />

Peggy Stowe<br />

Rite Aid Foundation KidCents<br />

William Overby & Tee Davis-Overby<br />

Kaylee Hersch<br />

Keith Wagoner<br />

Bart & Holly Bunnell<br />

Willard & Jennifer Larson<br />

Savannah Phillips<br />

Lee & Leslie Wilson<br />

Brian & Sara Fish<br />

Sarah & Joel Ward<br />

Kristin Schmidt<br />

Jason Solie<br />

Keiko McCracken<br />

Mark & Becky Tournie<br />

Brandon & Laura Carter<br />

Michelle Hurteau<br />

Carolyn & Andrew Conner<br />

Rodney Delseg<br />

Alex Harmon<br />

David & Mary Lynne Courtney<br />

Mike & Laura Taylor<br />

Kurt & Julie Kolmos<br />

Manny Nevarez<br />

Allen Workman<br />

Duane & Diane Hudson<br />

Elizabeth Fletcher<br />

Nick & Gina Walsh<br />

Dan & Lori Maul<br />

Entertainment News NW<br />

Paula Shafransky<br />

18<br />

“I get bored at home, it’s just my sister there. At the<br />

Club there is always something to do. The Club makes<br />

me feel safe inside. If you don’t feel important, this<br />

place makes you feel important.”<br />

learning. Now I love math! We do a lot of STEM projects here. I love STEM! One<br />

time we were seeing who could build the tallest building with sticks and tape, but<br />

then Bryar said we had fifteen minutes, and I was like, okay, no pressure.” Bryar is a<br />

staff member at the Elementary site, and according to Kenna, is always making her<br />

laugh. “Just last week,” continued Kenna, “I didn’t know how to make a snowflake,<br />

but Bryar showed me, and now I make great snowflakes, and I show the other kids<br />

how to do it.”<br />

After Wreath-making and clean-up, Kenna went outside for a short time before it<br />

got dark, decided it was too cold and came back in to join a new round of the<br />

spelling bee. For the spelling bee, each youth had a dry-erase marker and tablet to<br />

write their word on. Words were given according to grade level. If the first person to<br />

try spelled the word wrong, another youth could go for the “steal” and points were<br />

awarded for correctly spelled words. Lela added them all to a big dry-erase board<br />

at the front after each was spelled. Finalists were awarded a piece of bubble gum.<br />

Following the organized activities, it was time for free-time where the Club members had<br />

time to take out board games, play foosball, read, or create art. Kenna and her group<br />

were so into the Spelling Bee that they asked Lela if they could do another round.<br />

At the end of the day, it was time to clean up and head back to the cafeteria for<br />

dinner. Kids returned with full plates of beans, chips, cheese dip, cucumber slices,<br />

and oranges. Kenna sat with her friends and shared more. “I get bored at home,<br />

it’s just my sister there. At the Club there is always something to do. The Club makes<br />

me feel safe inside. If you don’t feel important, this place makes you feel important.”<br />

Overall Kenna seemed hopeful, often expressing there are subjects and activities that<br />

she isn’t great at yet, but is confident that she will be much better at soon, because<br />

of the Club and the staff there. The Concrete Clubs are in a unique position to make a<br />

marked impact on Concrete youth, as the Clubs are new to the area, and the community<br />

was in great need of a more comprehensive solution for after-school options for<br />

youth. Kenna is one of more than 140 members at the Concrete Club who can now<br />

look forward to a safe, fun, and positive place to go to after school.

Join the Heritage Club<br />

The Heritage Club is an association of friends of Boys<br />

& Girls Clubs from all across the country. Like you,<br />

these people seek to ensure that the future needs of<br />

our nation’s youth are met by including their local<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs in their estate plans. This planning<br />

might include a will, charitable gift annuity, a trust<br />

arrangement, a real estate gift or a life insurance policy.<br />

Your support through a planned gift will ensure<br />

that future generations of our children will have<br />

the opportunity to live successful lives in a safe,<br />

positive and caring environment.<br />

Joining The Heritage Club is easy! Simply<br />

communicate your intentions by printing, signing<br />

and returning the enrollment form available at<br />

www.clubgift.org<br />

or contact Ian Faley at<br />

ifaley@skagitclubs.org or 360-419-3723 x7.<br />

Sally Ryan<br />

R.L. & Jeri Prange<br />

Lydia Bridge<br />

Chuck Pennington<br />

Anne Marie Wells<br />

Darrell & Kitty Mintz<br />

Joseph & Debra Newby<br />

Elizabeth Oshiro<br />

James & Beverly Mowrer<br />

Robert & Sonja Hild<br />

Albert & Sue Berger<br />

John Adamson<br />

Dual State Investments, LLC<br />

Denny & Denise Lowery<br />

Ben & Frei Burton<br />

Kristina O’Brien<br />

Philip Cohen & Debbie Amos<br />

Sheryl Carman<br />

Aaron & Kathryn Starkovich<br />

Seon & Stephanie Wright<br />

Angela Speer<br />

Rob & Lisa Pate<br />

Alexa Bush<br />

Elizabeth Graham<br />

James & Barbara Dusevoir<br />

Lopez Island Creamery<br />

Joanie & Steven Moe<br />

Catherine & Mike Price<br />

David & Barbara Bostrom<br />

James & Julia Moores<br />

Melissa White<br />

Alex McKinlay<br />

Susanna Alway<br />

Wayne Barrett<br />

Sam Summerhill<br />

Carol Lawson Insurance Agency, Inc.<br />

DeWaard & Bode<br />

Brad Methner Insurance Agency<br />

IMAC, Inc<br />

Skagit Regional Health<br />

Alaska Marine Lines<br />

Sakura Restaurant<br />

Steven & Jewell Harmon<br />

Erik Fulwider<br />

Laura Spehar<br />

Susan Yang<br />

Gerald & Jodi Swanson<br />

Rick & Leslie Adelstein<br />

Richard Vannoy<br />

Bill & Sophia Johansen<br />

Kelly Schols<br />

Anne & David Clark<br />

Ray & Carol Larsen<br />

Kris & Jonathan Callis<br />

Travis McGrath & Christine Cleland-McGrath<br />

Marty & Kristi Martin<br />

Cody & Ed Ellison<br />

Kathy & Keith Thomson<br />

Derek Sylte<br />

Josh & Aiden Axthelm<br />

Eric Johnson<br />

Gregory Mustari<br />

Floral Arts Club of Mount Vernon<br />

Brandon Williams<br />

Kelly Libby<br />

Roger & Mary Ann Mercer<br />

Robert & Marie Alaya<br />

Guemes Island Community Church<br />

Eric & Renah Stevenson<br />

Chinook Enterprises<br />

Starbucks<br />

continued on page... 21<br />

19

Brian Gustafson (East Area Director, BGCSC) poses in front of the Concrete Boys & Girls Club with Kassandra Harrison (Academic Coach, BGCSC),<br />

and Cheryl Weston (Assistant Site Coordinator, BGCSC)<br />

NEW CLUBS IN CONCRETE<br />

SEE STRONG ATTENDANCE<br />

In January 2017, Club leadership responded to a phone<br />

request from staff at United General District #304 and<br />

the Concrete School District to meet with them about the<br />

potential for expanding<br />

services to youth and teens<br />

in eastern Skagit County. The<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit<br />

County works at the pleasure<br />

of the community, and so it<br />

was easy to make the time<br />

and sit down to discuss any<br />

and all possibilities for reaching<br />

new families who would<br />

benefit from Club programs<br />

and activities.<br />

Already each year, difficult<br />

decisions must be made in regards to budgeting and sustaining<br />

Club operations in current communities. That is<br />

where the organizational focus is held, but the culture of<br />

the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County also embraces new<br />

Most great projects and accomplishments<br />

have commonalities: A champion or<br />

champions from a local community who<br />

personally understands both the challenges<br />

and possibilities, a focused desired outcome,<br />

and a full willingness to leave ego and pride<br />

outside of discussions and negotiations.<br />

challenges with an eye for innovative strategies for execution.<br />

In this first meeting, it was clear that a need existed for<br />

Club services, perhaps more so than any other community<br />

currently engaged, but also<br />

that the limited resources<br />

of the eastern Skagit County<br />

made a traditional operating<br />

model outside the realm of<br />

likely success.<br />

Most great projects and<br />

accomplishments have<br />

commonalities: A champion<br />

or champions from a local<br />

community who personally<br />

understands both the challenges<br />

and possibilities, a<br />

focused desired outcome,<br />

and a full willingness to leave ego and pride outside of discussions<br />

and negotiations. Throughout the evolution of what<br />

would become realized as the Concrete Boys & Girls Club,<br />

opened on Monday, October 1, <strong>2018</strong>, this was fully present.<br />

20

As part of the Concrete Clubs’ Grand Opening, Seahawk legend Steve Largent visited with Concrete<br />

officials and local youth. L to R: Steve Largent, Ron McHenry (CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit<br />

County), Wayne Bartlett (Superintendent, Concrete School District), and Randy Sweeney (Athletic<br />

Director, Concrete School District). Pages 22-23: A day at the Concrete Club—Youth engage in a<br />

variety of activities at the Elementary School Site.<br />

The pathway to a Club in Concrete could only occur one of two ways—as a heavily<br />

fee-based model with earned revenue through licensed childcare services or major<br />

funding as a 21st Century Community Learning Center. Club staff was open to either.<br />

However, it was clear early on that the economy could just not support a fee-based<br />

model to the extent required, so all parties focused on attaining the necessary<br />

federal funding. This would be a significant challenge, as the funding is prioritized<br />

largely toward areas with significant minority populations, and a section of the grant<br />

scored by reviewers contains this. It meant knowing that essentially, all other elements<br />

would need near-perfect scores because that section would be a zero for<br />

Concrete, as it doesn’t even reach a 10% threshold in the minority population.<br />

Because of initial research and data collected by staff in the School District and<br />

United General District #304, together with staff from the Boys & Girls Club, the<br />

three partner agencies worked hard toward this audacious goal. With support from<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs of America, who provided facilitation infrastructure and internal<br />

objective reviewers, what was submitted was a culmination of eighteen months of<br />

hard work and dedication. Shouts of glee greeted Club CEO Ron McHenry when he<br />

called on July 2nd, <strong>2018</strong> and told all the partners and stakeholders of the successful<br />

outcome. There was even more work to do, in a shorter time-frame, to get opened<br />

on-time, but the promise of a great future for all youth in Concrete provided all the<br />

inspiration necessary. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County is incredibly honored<br />

to have been invited to serve more kids and teens in our area, and thanks to our<br />

many partners, especially in the Concrete School District and United General District<br />

#304, more than 150 Club members, out of a total student population of just over<br />

500, are regularly attending programs at Concrete Elementary and Concrete Middle/High<br />

School. Their futures look bright, indeed.<br />

Ace Hardware<br />

Melissa Davis<br />

Douglas & Mary Lu McFadyen<br />

Kathy & Tim Randell<br />

Kathy Brown<br />

Scott Dickison<br />

Vickie & Robin Wammack<br />

Brad Tuininga<br />

Ross & Susie Roberts<br />

Jackie Johnson<br />

Melissa & John McCanna<br />

Kati & Greg Collins<br />

Danielle & Anthony Stock<br />

Jarrod Ball<br />

Bob & Angie Guffie<br />

Adam Schecter<br />

Croft & Candice Bracken<br />

Richard & Patricia Smith<br />

Hal Ellis<br />

Cathy Petersen<br />

Molly Gerhard<br />

Ellen Kaiser<br />

Jean Hughes<br />

Annette Boerner Estate<br />

Michelle Wiles<br />

Geoffrey Hirsch<br />

Donna Schoonover<br />

Jonathan Grant<br />

Mountain View Dental Center<br />

Dave Torretta<br />

Julie Skeen<br />

David & Jennifer Arquitt<br />

Alysa Stewart<br />

Jennifer & Hal Berner<br />

Tiffany Luchetti<br />

T-Mobile USA, Inc<br />

Cornwall Church - Skagit Valley<br />

Barb & Casey Thompson<br />

Karin Wigen<br />

Nathan Allen<br />

Gabriela Flores<br />

Elizabeth Hanna<br />

Judy McManus<br />

Stefano Perruccio<br />

Evan & Heather Greenlaw<br />

Leah Van Burkleo<br />

Anne Kinney<br />

Travis Logrande<br />

Mark Franklin<br />

Michael & Kelsey Stannert<br />

Debora & Charles Short<br />

Jennifer Phay<br />

Sara Holahan<br />

Darlene MailliardAdrian Smith<br />

Magnolia Grill<br />

Richard Merry<br />

Cynthia Brune<br />

Cassandra Fitzgerald<br />

Wendy Bartholomew<br />

Danza Studio<br />

Tammy Cimoch<br />

Perfect Nails<br />

Jitterbug Coffee<br />

Kirsten Hansen<br />

Baird Foundation, Inc<br />

Bryce Nickel<br />

Julia & Eric Johnson<br />

Tori Grace<br />

Andrew Flores<br />

Deborah Maxwell<br />

Tom Williams<br />

continued on page... 26<br />

21

22

23

STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS<br />

Skagit Clubs were able to add 3 vehicles to the fleet in the last couple of years—with 7 Club sites, it was a<br />

much-needed upgrade in maneuverability, safety, and logistics.<br />

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County is many things.<br />

At the core, it is a mission-driven social service provider<br />

of out of school programs for youth ages 6-18<br />

in our local communities. Clubs are a safe, fun, and<br />

positive place for members, and families take comfort in<br />

knowing their children have engaged in new opportunities<br />

regularly that help with their pathway to a great future. The<br />

organization is also a business, significant provider of food<br />

services, facilitator of resources, convener of advocates and<br />

much more.<br />

Sustainability is an interesting concept for a non-profit<br />

organization. Unless it is an agency that has the ability<br />

to generate revenue from fee-based services, ongoing<br />

grants, or contracts, the need to raise money is constant.<br />

Currently, approximately $1.7 million must be raised each<br />

year from the community to continue to operate. This is<br />

a significant amount, and we are blessed that the area is<br />

so philanthropic in nature. However, until an endowment<br />

is built to generate that required revenue, and more, as<br />

Clubs regularly operate with waiting lists, and the known<br />

need for more capacity is tremendous, the fundraising<br />

must continue. For perspective, to simply maintain current<br />

operations solely with an endowment would require that it<br />

be funded to a level exceeding $40 million. Until someone<br />

wins the lottery, that day is a long way off.<br />

Complicating matters is the very different funding streams<br />

available. Nearly all personal contributions are made<br />

unrestricted, which supports the necessary overhead to<br />

maintain compliance and business functions, and more<br />

importantly, funds the Club leadership and front-line staff<br />

that works hard every day to create change in the lives of<br />

our 1,800+ Club members each year.<br />

Some corporate and grant funds are more restricted,<br />

to align with the values and investment interests of the<br />

funder. These are typically manifest in special projects and<br />

initiatives, and capital purchases. The funds cannot be<br />

used to increase capacity or space available, nor lessen<br />

the responsibility of the local community toward the mission.<br />

Instead, they support our mission, to enable all young<br />

people, especially those who need us most, to reach their<br />

full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.<br />

Essentially, as the staff has worked hard at donor reten-<br />

24

One key investment this year was the<br />

purchase of a mini-bus. Over the past several<br />

years we have worked to diversify our small<br />

fleet of vehicles so we have access to what<br />

we need, when we need it, with a focus on<br />

vehicles that can serve multiple purposes.<br />

tion and growth to ensure the annual operating needs are<br />

taken care of, additional opportunities for partnership that<br />

may be more restrictive, but still greatly support our mission,<br />

has been sought out.<br />

One key investment this year was the purchase of a minibus.<br />

Over the past several years we have worked to diversify<br />

our small fleet of vehicles so we have access to what<br />

we need, when we need it, with a focus on vehicles that<br />

can serve multiple purposes. The Employees Community<br />

Fund of Boeing has a very targeted funding priority, and<br />

Club staff had been working to develop a relationship with<br />

representatives. At the time, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit<br />

County owned two 15 passenger vans and two 7 passenger<br />

vans that double as food/supply shuttles (all courtesy<br />

of the McIntyre Foundation).<br />

An immediate need was for another 15 passenger vehicle,<br />

as growth in our Clubs has put pressure on being able to<br />

deliver all programs and services to all Clubs simultaneously,<br />

but also, a vehicle that was more suited for overnight<br />

small group trips. A bus was identified for this purpose, and<br />

will not only provide quick on/off shuttle capabilities, but<br />

with a segregated luggage compartment, it is safer in the<br />

event of an accident, and all 15 seats can be taken by<br />

youth, where previously only 11 could travel because of<br />

the space taken by bags.<br />

Thanks to the Employees Community Fund of Boeing (ECF),<br />

the necessary resources were secured for the purchase.<br />

As a part of this, a specific wrap was designed based on<br />

one completed by image360 at SchmoozeFair in 2017 and<br />

donated to the Clubs, that would also honor the contribution<br />

by ECF. The outcome was so amazing that Image360<br />

offered to complete the wrap on all vehicles over Winter<br />

Break, making an attractive addition to the roads in Skagit<br />

County, and bringing attention and awareness to the mission<br />

of the Clubs.<br />

The consideration for safety is one taken seriously, as Boys<br />

& Girls Clubs strive to be considered as the fun, positive,<br />

and safe place to go for kids and teens during out-ofschool<br />

hours. It is often hard to balance program needs<br />

with those surrounding the physical place in which they<br />

continued on page... 26<br />

25

26<br />

Jennifer Durney<br />

Jim & Sabrina Enright<br />

Rich Oickle<br />

Barbara Holmkvist<br />

Cathy Grant<br />

John & Carmen Voth<br />

Kris Morse<br />

Steve & Patty McQueary<br />

Al Chandler<br />

Dale & Randi Freidig<br />

Betty Foster<br />

Collin Guildner<br />

Kjell Carlsen<br />

Patrick Dougher<br />

Strandberg Custom Homes & Design<br />

K&H Integrated Print Solutions<br />

Ian & Theresa Faley<br />

Barb Weymouth<br />

InFaith Community Foundation<br />

Elizabeth & Harley Theaker<br />

Eaglemont Golf Course<br />

Swinomish Golf Links<br />

Charles Fine Jewelry<br />

Teresa Cardenas<br />

Steve Lipe<br />

Rhonda Tingley<br />

Rebecca & Steve Murray<br />

Rachael Sylte & Ben Heckendorn<br />

Erinn & Scott Welliver<br />

Steve & Lori Halverson<br />

Tim Lewis & Ronaye Kos<br />

Tracy Peterson-Foy & Chris Foy<br />

University of Washington<br />

Coconut Kenny’s of Burlington<br />

Taproot Theatre<br />

David Riddle & Joy Cangemi<br />

Holly Parkes<br />

Jennifer Wilson<br />

Thorne Metal Studio<br />

Whidbey Coffee<br />

Rejuvenation MD<br />

Brian & Laura Faley<br />

Envy Salon<br />

Showline Beagles<br />

Travis & Vicky Huisman<br />

Eleven Vexler & Richard Brocksmith<br />

Kathie Roll<br />

Paul & Diane Cocke<br />

Mary Johnson<br />

Anthony & Kimberlee Smith<br />

Dolores Snelson<br />

Barbara Ward Thompson<br />

Germaine Kornegay<br />

Dolores & Tom Holtcamp<br />

Cameron & Jodi Rose<br />

Clinton & Kerri Carlton<br />

Kara & Justin Symonds<br />

Keith & Rosemary Kaholokula<br />

Dennis & Joanne Steinman<br />

Sara & Matthew Gill<br />

Robert & Jane Hyde<br />

Scott & Laura Breckenridge<br />

Jack Sather<br />

Travis Collins<br />

Animal House Pet Grooming<br />

Jim & Paula Glackin<br />

Raymond & Debbie Goda<br />

All About Hearing<br />

Brian & Elizabeth Soneda<br />

R.W. Baird<br />

continued on page... 32<br />

[E]ach Clubhouse is now equipped with an Automated<br />

External Defibrillator (AED) device, as well as our<br />

new minibus, and our Administration Office. The AED<br />

located in our Administration Office will also travel<br />

to our special events when they occur, increasing our<br />

ability to respond in a health emergency involving<br />

any of our staff or guests in attendance.<br />

take place. Clubs are cognizant that dollars invested in facilities take away from<br />

funds that can increase the number of staff mentoring Club members and can<br />

limit enrollment at Clubhouses as a result. Restricted funds can also be a good<br />

source in this area.<br />

In <strong>2018</strong>, the Rotary Club of Sedro-Woolley made a significant investment in the Clubhouse<br />

there. The facility was beyond needing a simple update; due to the nature<br />

of the facility itself being modular and not built to house nearly 150 kids each day,<br />

wear and tear had started creating health and safety issues. Because of the generosity<br />

of the Rotary Club, the Sedro-Woolley Clubhouse saw replacement flooring<br />

installed eliminating floor seams that had caused tripping hazards, as well as more<br />

appropriate materials for the functional space, such as rough carpet at the entryway<br />

to eliminate slipping concerns, as well as capture more dirt and debris in one<br />

place. With the meals programming at the Sedro-Woolley Clubhouse expanding to<br />

also serve dinner each night, the new flooring allowed for additional food storage<br />

and preparation space that would meet building requirements.<br />

Continuing with the theme of safety, each Clubhouse is now equipped with an<br />

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device, as well as our new minibus, and<br />

our Administration Office. The AED located in our Administration Office will also<br />

travel to our special events when they occur, increasing our ability to respond in<br />

a health emergency involving any of our staff or guests in attendance. It is hoped<br />

to never have to use these investments, but if it is necessary, staff are also under-

IS PROUD TO SUPPORT<br />

going advanced CPR/First Aid training that integrates AED<br />

functions and usage.<br />

Thinking ahead to upcoming strategic investments, Clubs<br />

will be working to install some limited cameras that will<br />

allow for constant observation and monitoring of blind<br />

spots within buildings, specifically in Anacortes and<br />

Sedro-Woolley, and prepare for the adoption and implementation<br />

of MyClubHub. An integrated, dynamic Club<br />

management system, staff from the Boys & Girls Clubs of<br />

Skagit County has been deeply involved in all facets of this<br />

system development, taking on national leadership roles<br />

after recognizing the value it will provide everyone.<br />

JACK GUBRUD<br />

Memorial Fund<br />

A legacy of giving and community investment lives on<br />

through the Jack Gubrud Memorial Fund, providing ongoing<br />

support for youth development programs, and creating<br />

opportunities for the next generation of leaders.<br />

Currently, several different systems process members,<br />

resource development, finance, human resources, and<br />

more. All will be housed within MyClubHub, and through<br />

this, efficiencies in training and development will be realized,<br />

and a much better experiential interaction for our<br />

stakeholders. Parents can receive automated incident/<br />

accident reports immediately upon data entry, and make<br />

acknowledgment of the occurrence digitally. Emergency<br />

contact information can be constantly updated through<br />

a user-friendly parent portal, and families can easily track<br />

Club attendance and program participation. Initial adoption<br />

of MyClubHub will stretch the organization, through<br />

additional staff time needed for data migration and building<br />

the necessary policies and procedures for implementation.<br />

Minor investments in hardware will need to occur to<br />

support the launch, in addition, to allow for taking advantage<br />

of the full functionality of the program.<br />

It is only because of you that funds can be secured and<br />

leveraged to tackle these Strategic Investments, projects<br />

in the planning stage, and those not even yet imagined.<br />

Thank you for investing in the lives of more than 1,800 kids<br />

and teens in Skagit County, each year.<br />

27

ADVANCED<br />

LEADERSHIP<br />

PROGRAM<br />

Who will be the next leaders for Boys & Girls Clubs<br />

of Skagit County? Staff & Board members travel<br />

to Portland to participate Boys & Girls Clubs of<br />

America’s week-long Advanced Leadership Program.<br />

by Evan Greenlaw, Development Coordinator, BGCSC<br />

As a Club organization, I can say that the Boys & Girls<br />

Clubs of Skagit County really stands out amongst<br />

regional peer organizations in terms of visionary<br />

leadership and commitment to excellence in serving<br />

kids and teens in Skagit County. Being recognized for<br />

our values & diversity is pretty cool, as well. But I’ll get back<br />

to that.<br />

In November, the leadership team from your Skagit Club<br />

organization convened in Portland with other Club organizations<br />

from Washington and Oregon for a week-long retreat<br />

devoted to leadership development called the Advanced<br />

Leadership Program (ALP). Fresh off the record success of<br />

an incredible <strong>2018</strong> Great Futures Gala, Skagit Clubs’ CEO<br />

Ron McHenry, Board Chair Holly Shannon, Associate Executive<br />

Director Ian Faley, Director of Operations Manny Smith,<br />

Director of Marketing & Stewardship Tammy Findlay, and<br />

I came together to discuss, debate, define & develop our<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> Campaign renewal project. The <strong>Annual</strong> Campaign<br />

is the basis for providing the significant funds it takes to<br />

provide high-quality Club programming to our 1,800+ Members<br />

across Skagit County. Because the Clubs serve at the<br />

pleasure of our community, we can’t do our work without<br />

you, and we’re dedicated to growing that support in order to<br />

make sure that we can eventually serve every kid in Skagit<br />

County who wants to be a Boys & Girls Club Member.<br />

What is leadership? Before I talk about the intensive work<br />

(and fun!) we engaged in, the key takeaways from our ALP<br />

experience and how those will impact your Clubs and our<br />

Members’ experiences, it’s important to know what we<br />

mean when we talk about being a leader. It’s not about<br />

directing & managing, though these are components of<br />

leadership. It’s not about getting people to do things. It’s<br />

about helping them succeed as professionals & individuals.<br />

The keys to leadership lie in five principles: leaders must<br />

Model the Way, by establishing principles and standards;<br />

they must Inspire a Shared Vision, by communicating<br />

effectively & equitably; they must Challenge the Process,<br />

finding inefficiencies & innovating to improve even successful<br />

operations; they must Enable Others to Act, by inspiring<br />

& strengthening others with mutual respect & dignity; and<br />

they must Encourage the Heart, by recognizing individual<br />

contributions to a collective endeavor.<br />

MODEL THE WAY<br />

Benchmarking<br />

Benchmarking policies & procedures is a critical process<br />

to success in change management. Just as leaders must<br />

Model the Way for their staff, an organization looking to<br />

improve must look to other leaders for best practices. For us,<br />

benchmarking is broadly implemented: we cannot compare<br />

ourselves to other non-profit organizations alone, but businesses<br />

of all kinds. In addition to learning best practices from<br />

some of our compatriot organizations, such as strategies for<br />

communicating with the Board of Directors or planning &<br />

scheduling tools, we also have to look at what other leaders<br />

are doing—and sometimes, this means finding inspiration<br />

from unlikely sources, as Ron, Holly, & Tammy discovered<br />

when they used their night off to visit Darcelle XV, a local<br />

drag cabaret hosted by an 82-year old Korean War veteran.<br />

INSPIRE A SHARED VISION<br />

A Teachable Point of View<br />

Effective collaboration requires commonalities amongst<br />

differences, bringing diverse talents and views together for<br />

a common good. This is one area where the leadership of<br />

the Skagit Clubs really stands out. Diversity comes in many<br />

shapes, sizes, and flavors, and this is something we exemplify<br />

in Administration, Club Leadership, and program staff.<br />

It’s something we’re proud of, and something our community<br />

can also take pride in. A teachable point of view is simply<br />

the combination of Ideas to define goals, Values to dictate<br />

process, Emotional Energy to connect, inspire, and encourage,<br />

and an Edge, because sometimes hard decisions<br />

28

must be made. To be effective in inspiring a shared vision, a<br />

teachable point of view is necessary.<br />

CHALLENGE THE PROCESS<br />

360° Feedback<br />

Part of the ALP process includes detailed, intensive, and<br />

often emotionally challenging feedback. As participants, we<br />

requested feedback on our behaviors and actions at work<br />

from a supervisor, a supervisee, and 5 peers. Through this<br />

process, we each learned a great deal about ourselves in<br />

terms of how our colleagues see us and experience working<br />

with us: some things were not surprising, but there were for<br />

each one of us some realizations of how we interact with<br />

others that inspired us to work with a real commitment to<br />

improving. This was the most difficult, but also the most beneficial<br />

aspect of ALP.<br />

ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT<br />

I-SPEAK<br />

More than just another personality test, the I-SPEAK assessment<br />

we took helped us realize not just some things about<br />

our own styles of communication—both receiving and<br />

transmitting—but also helped teach us about our colleagues<br />

and their favored communication styles. For example,<br />

a couple of us scored highly as “Intuitors,” while a couple<br />

others were “Feelers:” some of us prefer direct engagement<br />

with issues and frequent feedback, while others need time<br />

for reflection & discussion before taking considered action.<br />

This exercise was immensely valuable in learning about<br />

each others’ communication styles so that we can be more<br />

effective at collaborating professionally & honoring each<br />

other individually.<br />

ENCOURAGE THE HEART<br />

Celebration and Recognition<br />

Part of the ALP process was regularly dining together at breakfast,<br />

lunch, and dinner. This helped us share insights, build<br />

community, and cross-pollinate ideas across organizations.<br />

The last night, each organization drew another organization<br />

present and we were asked to recognize a strength of<br />

the organization we drew, and celebrate them for their successes.<br />

We were celebrated by the only other organization<br />

from Washington, and they chose to celebrate us for our values,<br />

diversity of thought & background, and for our ability to<br />

maintain positive attitudes and a good sense of humor at all<br />

times. I don’t think any one of us could be more proud about<br />

this recognition, because we live our values of Integrity, Fun,<br />

Acceptance, Respect & Community each and every day.<br />

29

GREAT PASSIONS<br />

START HERE<br />

A Club Alum, 2015 Anacortes Youth of the Year, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County<br />

Public Relations Intern reflects on her Club journey and career path.<br />

My mother always told me that she doesn’t have a<br />

job, she has a passion that she happens to get<br />

paid for. When I was younger, I always wondered<br />

if I would be able to find a career I love so much<br />

that I’d be willing to do it almost for free.<br />

Thanks to a strong foundation fostered at the Anacortes<br />

Boys & Girls Club, I began to find my passion, and last<br />

summer, I was able to practice it every day during my<br />

Public Relations and Marketing<br />

internship with the Boys<br />

& Girls Clubs of Skagit County’s<br />

administration team in<br />

Mount Vernon.<br />

I didn’t realize it at the time,<br />

but the Boys & Girls Club<br />

really gave me my start on<br />

this path that I am passionate<br />

about. Since I was seven<br />

years old, the Club gave me<br />

opportunities to go up to a<br />

podium, and present in front of an audience. I started with<br />

a poem that I wrote to present at the Anacortes Breakfast.<br />

I moved on to small scripts the Club staff gave me. I then<br />

explored writing my own experience pieces. Finally, as a<br />

teen, I began presenting other parts of event programs and<br />

even writing my own “case for support” speeches. I worked<br />

by Karen Gallardo, Public Relations Intern, Summer <strong>2018</strong>, BGCSC<br />

I didn’t realize it at the time, but the Boys<br />

& Girls Club really gave me my start on<br />

this path that I am passionate about. Since<br />

I was seven years old, the Club gave me<br />

opportunities to go up to a podium, and<br />

present in front of an audience.<br />

on different types of writing and speeches in the Youth of<br />

the Year program. I began giving Club members who were<br />

nervous tips on public speaking and on presentation and<br />

speeches. I loved every bit of it.<br />

Little did I know that all of that had been practice in speech<br />

writing. I made the connection in my first communications<br />

class at Skagit Valley College: Public Speaking. In that<br />

class, as I learned rhetoric, technique, and presentation<br />

argumentation, I began<br />

seeing some similarities. I<br />

remember at one point in the<br />

quarter, I pulled out some old<br />

Boys & Girls Club speeches<br />

I had written years ago, and<br />

was able to find some techniques<br />

and theory I was<br />

learning about in that class.<br />

Early on, I focused my career<br />

on becoming a corporate<br />

speech writer, based solely on<br />

how much I loved writing speeches for the Clubs. Now, as I<br />

have learned that corporate speech writer is a very niche job<br />

title, I have expanded my horizons to Public Relations and<br />

Risk & Crisis Communication, continuing to do what I started<br />

at the Clubs—writing speeches to present to audiences,<br />

and showing others how to present to audiences.<br />

continued on page... 33<br />

31

Michelle Evans<br />

Ian & Kate Mintz<br />

Breann Ackley<br />

Mary Hudson<br />

Monica Pavlovich<br />

Hector Miranda<br />

Carson Phillips<br />

Skagit Valley Farm, LLC<br />

Kurt Nelson<br />

Brett & Coral Greenwood<br />

Chad Paulsen<br />

Tim Lehr<br />

Michael Olson<br />

Leslie Exner<br />

Diana Pavek<br />

Debbie Wintermeier<br />

Mary Fine<br />

Phillip Yi<br />

Hayley Thompson<br />

Pam Davis<br />

Niki Walters<br />

Primac Electric<br />

Levon Yengoyan & Jane Cassady<br />

Steven Sexton<br />

Brittany Johnson<br />

Erica Littlewood<br />

Michael Luvera<br />

David Lukov<br />

Sedro-Woolley Family Dental Center, P.S.<br />

Ferry St Antique Mall<br />

Dan Milfred<br />

Nate Wolfe<br />

Burlington-Edison High School<br />

Alex Cobb<br />

Cameron Ostrom-Kelley<br />

Kestra Financial<br />

Robert & Sandra Taylor<br />

Domino’s Pizza Mount Vernon<br />

Greg & Angel Abbott<br />

Gary Laakso<br />

Jason Williams<br />

Archer Halliday, PS<br />

Barron Smith Daugert, PLLC<br />

Committee to Elect Jeff Morris<br />

Jonathan Perez<br />

Lori Clark<br />

Dustin Johnson & Trevor DiMarco<br />

Michael & Debbie Headrick<br />

Wade & Leslie Iacolucci<br />

Lisa & Peter Kuhnlein<br />

Gail Ebel-Higgins<br />

Stu Marshall<br />

Dan Stearns<br />

Becky Lewis<br />

Kara Gonzalez<br />

Ruth Barefoot<br />

Zachary Hunter<br />

Denny & Laurie Jardine<br />

Richard Crerie<br />

Rob & Amy Brandland<br />

Safway Services LLC<br />

Cascade Prosthetics & Orthotics<br />

Potelco, Inc.<br />

Sara Wilson<br />

Kristine Cleaves-Wollan<br />

Tom & Rachael Day<br />

Kurt Halvorsen & Jennifer Niblet<br />

Tod & Teri Schols<br />

“Mick” McKeen Cowles & Patty Munday<br />

Candy & Randy Rohrbach<br />

Amory Hiller<br />

David & Jessica Levine<br />

Aaron & Whitney Eastwood<br />

Kristi Coy<br />

Lani Arnone<br />

Ray & Yvonne Vermillion<br />

Susan & James Fay<br />

Justin & Kylee Dowe<br />

Chelsey & Tiffany Olsen<br />

Rick Knoche<br />

Jennifer Josephs<br />

Chris & Lindy Johnson<br />

Joe & Candy Marine<br />

Lindsey Shannon<br />

Lindsey Bowen<br />

Jim Boze<br />

Chuck & Jeanne Occhiogrosso<br />

Timothy Absten<br />

Kathy Mason<br />

Julie & Steve Sager<br />

Neil Falkenburg<br />

Conni & Chuck Thompson<br />

Bob & Margo Frydenlund<br />

Charlotte Archer<br />

Strand & Pat Wedul<br />

Gus Fernandez<br />

Caroline Winfrey<br />

Sara Maloney<br />

Shannon McCarty<br />

Michael Roach<br />

Danya Parker<br />

Diamond Rentals<br />

City of Burlington<br />

Jayme Street<br />

Rosalie Matsumoto<br />

The Plumbing Guys, Inc.<br />

Bonnie Underwood<br />

Erica Vasquez-Mendoza<br />

Tess Lahrmann<br />

Local Union #191, I.B.E.W.<br />

Jeff Mosier<br />

Robert Richie<br />

David Ricketts<br />

Rick Postera<br />

Richie & Mia Green<br />

Jay Depree<br />

Corey Joyce<br />

Kevin Arendre<br />

Craig Welty<br />

Brian Baltzer<br />

Randy Jensen<br />

Milo Sligar<br />

Chuck Bowden<br />

Payson Peterson<br />

Russell Edwards<br />

Scott Hadfield<br />

WAFD Insurance Group, Inc<br />

Draper Valley Farms<br />

Corion Landscape<br />

Nic Wendland<br />

Chris Jensen<br />

Dave Kenote<br />

Marc Llewellyn<br />

Ryan Macartney<br />

Bryce VanderArk<br />

Bill Fure<br />

Andy Ferreira<br />

Diana Pearson<br />

Zack Collins<br />

Brian Shanks<br />

Eric Fohn<br />

Jake Cummings<br />

Liza Bott<br />

Robert Parsons<br />

Jason Vance<br />

Isaac Burrous<br />

Jim Darr<br />

Jeff Reider<br />

Stacey Pugmire<br />

Dan Cooney<br />

Lisa Beitler<br />

Village Books & Paper Dreams<br />

The Sandwich Odyssey<br />

Oregon Shakespeare Festival<br />

Vicki Hawkinson<br />

Victoria Arquitt<br />

Anne & Jack Middleton<br />

Coastal Farm & Ranch<br />

The Truss Company<br />

Diedrich Espresso<br />

Mills Electric<br />

Lake Quinault Lodge<br />

The Cheesecake Factory<br />

Lin McJunkin Glass Studio<br />

Hair & Body Mechanix<br />

Chuckanut Brewery<br />

Nordco Group, LLC<br />

Nancy Shipman<br />

Raptor Group<br />

Crowne Plaza Seattle Downtown<br />

Tami Deines<br />

Jeff Ritter & Rachael Garcia<br />

Starbucks<br />

Baker Septic<br />

Susan Coberly<br />

Steven Sylte<br />

Rachelle Eason<br />

Heritage Distilling Company<br />

Escape Anacortes<br />

MOD Pizza<br />

Tom & Elizabeth Gregerson<br />

Debra Conner<br />

Ronda & Allan Oudman<br />

Dustin & Caitie Henry<br />

Dean & Becky Kummer<br />

Evy Kuehn<br />

John & Tanna Huntley<br />

Kevin & Jennifer Korthuis<br />

Jessica Mucha<br />

Cory & Angie Swatzina<br />

Marnie Taylor<br />

Brennan Patt<br />

Branden & Jaime Huss<br />

Janis Kuiken<br />

Mill 109 Restaurant<br />

Hoquiam Brewing Company<br />

Farmers Equipment<br />

James Ramos & Chrystal Delphia<br />

Kenneth & Robyn Saunders<br />

Robert & Robyn Nylander<br />

Heidi Pless<br />

Jack McKee<br />

Jon Aylesworth<br />

Tom & Sandi Browne<br />

Chuck & Renee Roozenkrans<br />

Michael & Susan Coker<br />

Darrel & Marla Reed<br />

Brad Gould<br />

continued on page... 39<br />

32

My passion had only been reinforced as I spent my time<br />

designing several different marketing materials for the<br />

Clubs. I spent my summer taking photos, finding stories<br />

and programs at the Club and writing about them. I put<br />

together newsletters and marketing materials and learned<br />

things that can’t be taught in a Lecture hall—that can only<br />

be learned through experience.<br />

24hr Service<br />

7 Days a Week<br />

I now continue on to my final year at Washington State<br />

University, where I have secured a job for the <strong>2018</strong>-2019<br />

school year in a similar position with an on-campus organization.<br />

Thanks to this internship experience, I am confident<br />

in my choice to pursue a career in Public Relations.<br />

Lic#CPIPLH850MN<br />

Water Heaters • Drain Cleaning • Plumbing<br />

Heating • Cooling • Replacement • Repair<br />

Furnaces • Thermostats • Radiant • Fireplace<br />

ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT<br />

Top: Karen speaking at the 2014 <strong>Annual</strong> Breakfast. Bottom: Karen<br />

presents one of her major internship projects, an emergency<br />

preparedness flipbook, to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County Board<br />

of Directors.<br />

33

<strong>2018</strong> YEAR END<br />

FINANCIALS<br />

The <strong>2018</strong> year-end totals are generated in-house,<br />

and come before a complete audit is conducted.<br />

Clubs, in accordance with IRS regulations and<br />

generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP),<br />

operate in an accrual accounting system. The<br />

I-990 is filed each year with the IRS, typically<br />

in late summer. These and all recent audited<br />

financial statements are available for review at the<br />

Administration Office in Mount Vernon or can be<br />

requested electronically from Sarah Arquitt, Director<br />

of Administration, at sarquitt@skagitclubs.org.<br />

As in all years, Personnel wages and benefits<br />

comprise the vast majority of expenses for the<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County. It is our<br />

professionally trained staff who work on the front<br />

lines with our Club members where the greatest<br />

difference is made. The purchase of the minibus,<br />

made possible by a restricted grant fund, is<br />

a significant variance within the Transportation/<br />

Travel line. If the vehicle was removed from the<br />

category, the total expense line shows a decrease<br />

against the year prior. Most other expense categories<br />

remain close to the year previous, except<br />

Occupancy, related to the major floor renovation<br />

in Sedro-Woolley, and Program Delivery, which<br />

includes start-up costs for the Concrete program.<br />

Proud supporter of<br />

In Income, a strong year for unrestricted personal<br />

contributions, as well as the tremendous engagement<br />

at the <strong>2018</strong> Great Futures Gala, provided<br />

for a new gross revenue income record to be set.<br />

Working toward further sustainability and preparation<br />

in the event of an economic downturn, an<br />

additional $50,000 was invested in the operating<br />

reserve, growing that safety net to $100,000 in<br />

total. Beyond these investments, a minor surplus<br />

is available to reinvest in our mission: to enable all<br />

young people, especially those who need us most,<br />

to reach their full potential as productive, caring,<br />

responsible citizens.<br />

*Figures are rounded to the nearest dollar<br />

34

$499,862<br />

$503,955<br />

$657,277<br />

$4,551<br />

$250,299<br />

$92,495<br />

$203,968<br />

$1,262,107<br />

$27,929<br />

79,838<br />

$144,726<br />

$76,643<br />

$24,126<br />

53,406<br />

15,337<br />

11,208<br />

$129,986<br />

$203,968<br />

$81,732<br />

BY THE NUMBERS:<br />

<strong>2018</strong> Year end financials *<br />

Membership Dues<br />

Miscellaneous Income<br />

Marketing<br />

Outreach<br />

Personnel & Benefits<br />

Depreciation<br />

Earned Income<br />

In-Kind Contributions<br />

Program Administration Supplies & Equipment<br />

Insurance<br />

Occupancy<br />

Transportation/Travel<br />

Finance & Administration Fees<br />

Donations & Contributions<br />

Events & Fundraisers<br />

Program Delivery<br />

Fundraising Expense<br />

Grants & Other Investment<br />

Total Income: $2,212,406<br />

In-Kind Expense<br />

Total Expense: $2,111,006<br />

35

GREAT FUTURES GALA<br />

BUILDS ON SUCCESS<br />

If it was said that we came out swinging with our first Great<br />

Futures Gala in 2017, featuring Evander Holyfield, then<br />

our second, which welcomed Steve Largent to our event,<br />

was certainly a touchdown! All puns aside, our recently<br />

re-imagined annual fall fundraiser, launched as the Great<br />

Futures Gala, has continued building upon original successes,<br />

and as a result, the<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit<br />

County has been blessed<br />

with additional resources to<br />

serve more kids and teens,<br />

with stronger programs<br />

and activities that deliver<br />

life-changing outcomes.<br />

The staff and Board of Directors<br />

for the organization<br />

takes pride in being innovative whenever possible, especially<br />

as it relates to guest experience and mission-centered<br />

activities while balancing our increasing need for funds<br />

and desire to maintain a low ratio of costs for production. In<br />

<strong>2018</strong>, a big change relating to event location was tackled,<br />

when we were honored to have Tim Lewis and his team at<br />

In <strong>2018</strong>, a big change relating to event location<br />

was tackled, when we were honored to have<br />

Tim Lewis and his team at Corporate Air Center,<br />

agree to our audacious request to host the Great<br />

Futures Gala at his wonderful venue.<br />

Corporate Air Center, agree to our audacious request to host<br />

the Great Futures Gala at his wonderful venue. This eliminated<br />

any potential for space rental costs, which can quickly<br />

add up to several thousand dollars, and had the added benefit<br />

of giving staff extra time for set-up and striking the event<br />

afterward. Gala week is already taxing on the staff and volunteers<br />

of any organization,<br />

so spreading out logistical<br />

components relieve a lot of<br />

pressure and stress.<br />

Guests were greeted by Club<br />

staff and volunteers, and<br />

the registration area had<br />

an electric buzz within that<br />

carried the momentum into<br />

the Social Hour and beyond.<br />

Many guests had taken<br />

advantage of ‘vaulting’ their credit cards in advance through<br />

a new process Club Admin Staff Tammy Findlay and Sarah<br />

Arquitt had set out to accomplish better guest experience for<br />

participants. With a full rollout planned for 2019, everyone<br />

will have an opportunity for just a brief stop on their way to<br />

the fun and games.<br />

36

Opposite left: Steve Largent delivers a powerful keynote speech at the Great Futures Gala. Above: Club members with Gee Scott (ESPN Radio) and<br />

number #80 himself, Steve Largent. Bottom L to R: Gee Scott ignites the audience during the Live Auction, Club members are ready to help our<br />

guests play games during the Social Hour, and a Club member shares from the main stage about some of his favorite snacks at the Club.<br />

Speaking of which, our kids and teens were the pride and<br />

joy of the organization, as expected. It is always a treat to<br />

include them in events, so they meet the people supporting<br />

their opportunities and experiences, and so our guests see<br />

first-hand the confidence and competencies Club staff and<br />

volunteers work to elicit each and every day. They ran the<br />

games and activities, helped in the background, and many<br />

spoke that night, from our tremendously talented Youth of<br />

the Year, Lusana Spitler, to younger members speaking just<br />

a few words in public, for the first time.<br />

So, THANK YOU! Thank you, Skagit County, for your support,<br />

encouragement, and confidence in our Club leadership<br />

to execute a unique experience that raises the necessary<br />

funds required for our important mission. You give so philanthropically,<br />

and from our Board of Directors, and staff, please<br />

know how much it is appreciated. Also, thanks to our many<br />

sponsors, including Title Sponsor, DreamChasersRV of Burlington,<br />

all funds raised went directly to programs that benefit<br />

our Club members.<br />

Our next speaker in the series is being finalized soon,<br />

and an announcement is expected in late May. If you are<br />

interested in receiving information about the announcement<br />

or would like to secure a sponsorship or table before<br />

they are all gone, please be sure to contact Ian Faley, at<br />

ifaley@skagitclubs.org.<br />

37

YOUTH PROGRAM<br />

QUALITY ASSESSMENT<br />

Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County staff travel to Vancouver, WA to meet with other Club<br />

professionals with the goal of strengthening Club Programs.<br />

by Heather Greenlaw,<br />

Executive Assistant & Program Quality Coordinator, BGCSC<br />

In mid-November, I traveled south with several of our Club<br />

Staff to attend training in Youth Program Quality Assessment<br />

(YPQA). This training marks the beginning of my role as Program<br />

Quality Coordinator for our organization, and is part of<br />

one of our priority goals from our new strategic plan, Opportunity<br />

2021: Improve Program Quality. Based on data that we<br />

have collected, we are confident that our programs are generally<br />

delivered at a high level. There is, however, always room<br />

to improve our practices and ensure that we are providing our<br />

members with the best club experience possible.<br />

Improve<br />

Assess<br />

The tools developed by the Weikart Center for Youth Program<br />

Quality have been used in our 21st Century Learning Centers<br />

since 2014, and we are expanding this to include all of our<br />

traditional Club sites as well starting in January 2019. Improving<br />

our program quality is a continuous cycle of assess »<br />

plan » improve. Programs are observed and evaluated, a<br />

plan is devised for how to improve based on the scores, and<br />

then the changes are implemented in our clubs based on<br />

those plans. Once the improvement plan is enacted, a new<br />

assessment starts and the cycle begins anew.<br />

Plan<br />

ASSESS<br />

The assessment portion of YPQA is probably the most time<br />

intensive portion of the process, and consists of two components:<br />

a self-assessment conducted through observations<br />

and reflections by the program staff themselves, and<br />

an external assessment conducted by someone outside of<br />

the program. The observation notes are then used to determine<br />

scores for 63 different components of program quality<br />

- these components range from is the space a comfortable<br />

temperature, to do staff encourage youth to try new skills, to<br />

are there mentoring opportunities.<br />

PLAN<br />

Planning for improvement uses the scores, from both the<br />

self-assessment and the external assessment to determine<br />

which areas need to be improved, and devising a strategy to<br />

effect changes to program quality in our clubs.<br />

IMPROVE<br />

Once the areas for improvement have been identified and<br />

a strategy in place, the club staff can then undertake the<br />

work of putting the plan into action: targeted trainings, staff<br />

coaching, discussions of best practices, which are all used<br />

to make adjustments to how our staff deliver programs to<br />

our members.<br />

So, what is my role in all of this, you might ask. As a member<br />

of the Mission Support Team, I am uniquely positioned to<br />

have both an understanding of all of our clubs with their idiosyncrasies,<br />

but also a detached view of programs since I am<br />

not on the front lines day in and day out. I have extensive<br />

training and experience in education and with the emphasis<br />

on Improving Program Quality that came out of the Strategic<br />

Plan work last year, it made sense for the organization to<br />

utilize my background and expertise in working towards that<br />

goal. While the 21st Century Learning Centers already have<br />

External Evaluators as part of their grants, our traditional<br />

Club sites do not. As Program Quality Coordinator, I am<br />

excited to fill that role for our clubs by observing programs,<br />

providing scoring data, and supporting our Club Directors<br />

and Program Staff while they work to improve the quality of<br />

the programs they deliver to our Members.<br />

38

Promise Big. Deliver Bigger<br />

for the kids of Skagit County<br />

Carl & Lacey Aylesworth<br />

Jason & Sarah Mehlum<br />

James & Kim Briscoe<br />

Pam & Bill Doddridge<br />

Kirby & Shirley Bertholf<br />

Josh Fetty<br />

Robert & Sherryl Thurmond<br />

Jessica & Josh Treat<br />

Betsy Kimball<br />

Teresa & Wes Thomas<br />

Kimberlee Anderson<br />

Danya Wolf<br />

Mike Dyberg & Connie Davis, MD<br />

Karla Klein<br />

MJ Tyler<br />

Diana & Alan Wynn<br />

Dave & Tina Goodman<br />

Jim & Laurie Swenson<br />

Phil & Susan McCloud<br />

Tara Havard<br />

Norm LeBret<br />

Emitt & Karin Hamm<br />

Nate & Elisa Strachila<br />

Troy Hanson<br />

Mark Reed<br />

David & Suze Kaufman<br />

Debbie & Jim Macy<br />

Steve & Lynda Stout<br />

Aaron & Jen Lee<br />

Tim & Lexie Woodmansee<br />

Kamyn & Kristen Serna<br />

John & Jinny Henage<br />

Keith & Jeanette Love<br />

Rob & Kim Miller<br />

Dustin & Gabby Small<br />

Concrete School District<br />

Fred & Dixie Burnett<br />

Jeff & Lori Maulin<br />

Tom Taylor<br />

National Financial Services<br />

Tony & Robin Pestarino<br />

Villaorba, LLC<br />

Skagit Tradition Realty, LLC<br />

The Renewal Center<br />

The UpCountry Restaurant<br />

Stephanie Boyd<br />

Wartchow Trucking, LLC<br />

Dana Benjamin-Allen<br />

Jennifer Tompson<br />

Noel Sorsdal<br />

Don Bates<br />

Don & Gena McDermott<br />

Margy Pepper<br />

Outback Steakhouse<br />

Bay Baby Produce<br />

Mark & Mary Kiser<br />

Sue Matto<br />

Georgia Coy<br />

Karen Eckardt<br />

Ipolitas Dunaravich<br />

Frontier Ford<br />

Sandra Paciotti<br />

Kenneth Osborn<br />

Jamie & Adam Bird<br />

Debbie & Darrell Cornelius<br />

Chad Fisher Construction<br />

cfisherconstruction.com | 360.757.0580<br />

39

YOUTH OF THE YEAR<br />

A new candidate is named for 2019—a youth who aspires to be a professional baker, and who currently works<br />

to create Club programs that all youth are able to participate in, regardless of ability.<br />

Youth of the Year is an interesting proposition, as<br />

it is certainly one of the most quality programs<br />

teens can engage in during their membership in a<br />

Club. Since 1947, Youth of the Year has been the<br />

premier recognition program for Boys & Girls Club teens<br />

as they progress toward reaching a Great Future. Becoming<br />

National Youth of the Year is an exciting and inspiring<br />

journey. Each year, thousands of Club teens participate in<br />

local, state, and regional Youth of the Year events. Six teens,<br />

including five regional winners and a national military youth<br />

winner, advance to Washington, D.C., for the Youth of the<br />

Year Gala & Celebration Dinner, when that one outstanding<br />

young person is named Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s<br />

national teen spokesperson. The National Youth of the Year<br />

is a role model, leader, and advocate for more than 4 million<br />

kids and teens served by Boys & Girls Clubs each year and<br />

all of America’s young people.<br />

In Kyla, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit<br />

County has a Youth of the Year who is<br />

a passionate advocate for others facing<br />

challenges with access due to any form of<br />

disability, and one that focused on how<br />

the Club has helped her overcome various<br />

obstacles by instilling a strong sense of<br />

determination while fostering acceptance.<br />

A Washington State Youth of the Year has gone on to win<br />

National honors three times since 1947 —Tony Agtarap,<br />

now an orthopedic surgeon in Olympia and founding Board<br />

continued on page... 42<br />

40

Top left, opposite page: Kyla W. (2019 Youth of the Year), Youth of the Year Program participants Johanna G. & Olivia E., Paula B. (2019 Youth of<br />

the Year Runner-up & 2017 Youth of the Year), and last year’s Youth of the Year, Lusana S.. Top left: Anne Clark (Executive Director of the Skagit<br />

Valley College Foundation) with Kyla & her prize check of full tuition from Skagit Valley College, and the infamous Skagit Valley Cardinal. Top<br />

right: Stephanie Hooper (Board Past-President) shares after receiving the National Service to Youth Award. Bottom L to R: Manny Smith (Director<br />

of Operations, BGCSC), Nathan Allen (Director of STEM Initiatives, BGCSC), Kyla W., Andrew Flores (Anacortes Club Director, BGCSC). Page 42, top<br />

left: Kyla W. delivering her Youth of the Year speech. Page 42, top right: Former Anacortes Club Director, Taylor Bannister, and former Anacortes Teen<br />

Director, Tori Grace look on with pride.<br />

41

member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County, Adam<br />

Cornell, Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney, and Liberty<br />

Franklin, currently serving as a pediatric dentist with<br />

the Yakima Farm Workers Clinic in Eastern Washington. All<br />

faced significant obstacles in their lives, and all had a story<br />

to tell about the Club helping them navigate through those<br />

obstacles because of the staff and volunteers working with<br />

them each day, supported<br />

by community investments.<br />

One thing that made this<br />

year’s program special<br />

locally were the mentors<br />

selected by the participants.<br />

Most Club organizations<br />

have a single person responsible<br />

for this role at each<br />

Clubhouse. At the Boys &<br />

Girls Clubs of Skagit County,<br />

as final preparations begin<br />

each fall for Club-level Youth<br />

of the Year, the teens select a mentor that will continue<br />

through the process with them. They can be anyone in the<br />

organization. In Sedro-Woolley, this was the Teen Coordinator<br />

which is the most common selection. For Mount Vernon,<br />

it was the Membership Coordinator, whose primary responsibility<br />

is managing data and the control entry area. Finally,<br />

at Anacortes, the candidate selected the Director of STEM<br />

(Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Initiatives for the<br />

organization, who is based in the Administration office working<br />

to build capacity for STEM at all Clubs, and visits each<br />

Clubhouse once weekly to provide higher level activities and<br />

programs like 3-D printing and the new drone program.<br />

When Kyla Whiton, a senior at Anacortes High School, was<br />

announced as the 2019 Youth of the Year, it was a special<br />

moment. All the candidates would’ve made excellent representatives<br />

of the organization, but when the scoring of<br />

In making the announcement, Anne Clark,<br />

Executive Director of the Skagit Valley College<br />

Foundation, also honored Ms. Whiton with<br />

the 2nd <strong>Annual</strong> Cardinal Award for Club<br />

Excellence, which will provide Kyla with two<br />

years of tuition and fees to attend Skagit<br />

Valley College, and is worth more than $9,000.<br />

the judges provided this result, new barriers were broken. In<br />

Kyla, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County has a Youth<br />

of the Year who is a passionate advocate for others facing<br />

challenges with access due to any form of disability, and<br />

one that focused on how the Club has helped her overcome<br />

various obstacles by instilling a strong sense of determination<br />

while fostering acceptance. Nathan Allen, her advisor, is<br />

an excellent example of how<br />

each of the professional,<br />

trained staff who work at the<br />

Club focus on building supportive,<br />

caring relationships<br />

with all members, regardless<br />

of role.<br />

In making the announcement,<br />

Anne Clark, Executive<br />

Director of the Skagit Valley<br />

College Foundation, also<br />

honored Ms. Whiton with the<br />

2nd <strong>Annual</strong> Cardinal Award<br />

for Club Excellence, which will provide Kyla with two years<br />

of tuition and fees to attend Skagit Valley College, and is<br />

worth more than $9,000. With this, she is well on her way<br />

to becoming a baker and entrepreneur and reaching her<br />

dream of opening her own bakery in Europe, where she<br />

came to love the area and culture while living in different<br />

places as a child in a military family.<br />

Following a round of engagements designed to<br />

strengthen even more her public speaking ability in<br />

preparation for the State program in March, Kyla will make<br />

one final appearance before State at the <strong>Annual</strong> Breakfast<br />

for GREAT Kids at McIntyre Hall on Wednesday, March<br />

13th. If you are interested in attending and hearing Kyla’s<br />

inspiring message for the first or tenth time, please contact<br />

Ian Faley at ifaley@skagitclubs.org.<br />

42

MARATHON IS PROUD TO SUPPORT<br />

STEM programs<br />

for the<br />

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS of Skagit County<br />

From engineers to pipefitters, chemists to accountants, IT specialists to welders,<br />

Marathon’s success relies on our ability to recruit and retain employees with<br />

exceptional STEM-related skills. As an employer constantly seeking out top-talent<br />

and as a socially responsible corporate citizen, supporting STEM education-related<br />

programs is the cornerstone of Marathon’s community investment strategy.<br />

We are proud to collaborate with the Boys & Girls Club of Skagit County on the<br />

establishment of the Marathon STEM Academy, and further its mission to enable all<br />

young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.<br />

43

PO Box 947<br />

Mount Vernon, WA 98273<br />

THE PRINTING & MAILING OF THIS REPORT<br />

WAS DONATED BY K&H PRINTING SOLUTIONS<br />

It’s not just about exploring the future...<br />

It’s about helping them build it.<br />

A place to become...<br />

A ballerina, an astronaut, an all-star<br />

athlete. If kids can dream it, Boys &<br />

Girls Clubs can help them become it.<br />

Because it’s not magic that makes<br />

dreams come true, it’s people. Like<br />

our youth development professionals,<br />

who tell every kid and teen who<br />

enters our doors that they believe in<br />

and care about them, and provide<br />

each with opportunities to become<br />

the person they want to be and<br />

achieve a great future.<br />

skagitclubs.org<br />

44

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