Boys and Girls Country News Volume 41, Issue 2, Spring 2012
Inside... Pages 2-3 Message from the Executive Director Welcome, New Board Directors! Pages 4-5 Friend of Children Awards We Are Blessed! Page 6 Breaking Ground on a Campus Chapel We're Always Learning... Fun with Lemonade Day Friends!
Saturday, May 5th • 10:00 am to 5:00 pm • Free Admission!
Spring Festival is almost here! Mark your calendar and invite your friends and family for a Cinco de Mayo day of fun that will benefit our children! For details and updates, visit www.2012springfestival.org Join in the live, silent, and big board auctions and bid on a range of fabulous items...from great gift baskets to fine furnishings, restaurant and vacation packages, and more! Visit the website to see what's up for bid!
Auctions
Page 7 Memorials and Honorariums Page 8 Order Your Spring Festival Tickets Now! Wishes You Can Help Fulfill
Connect with us!
Win Great Drawing Prizes! Drawing prizes include:
www.facebook.com/ boysandgirlscountry www.twitter.com/ bgchouston
• Hotel and airfare for four at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (some restrictions apply)
• 37" LCD HDTV • iPad 2
It’s fun and games for all ages…from pony rides, train rides, face painting, bouncy castles, and dozens of midway games (and prizes!)… to obstacle courses, a race track ride, the slime machine, and the “Shark Slide.” You can buy – and make! – crafts, including “Build an Animal” and the crowd-favorite, Wax Hands...And shop the plant sale and bake sale for great deals!
Booths & Rides
Plus: Take a tour and learn about our Home!
Volunteer!
Be a Sponsor!
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Order Tickets! 18806 Roberts Road Hockley, Texas 77447 (281) 351-4976 Fax: (281) 351-4978 info@boysandgirlscountry.org
Donate Online!
www.boysandgirlscountry.org
To volunteer, contact Liz Bear at 281-351-4976, extension 105 or liz.bear@boysandgirlscountry.org.
To be a sponsor, please contact George O'Neal at 281-351-4976 ext. 225 or by email at george.oneal@boysandgirlscountry.org. Check our website for updated sponsorship opportunities!
You do not have to be present to win!
While admission is free, tickets for lunch, rides, games, and the drawing can be purchased at the event or in advance. Send in the order form on page 8 or visit www.2012springfestival.org and click on "Drawing Prizes," and then "Buy Tickets."
As an individual or with a group, you can sell raffle tickets, collect auction items, post flyers, staff a booth, help at the auction, or help set up on Friday!
Great Food and More Fun!
$50,000 $25,000 $15,000 $10,000 $ 5,000 $ 2,500 $ 1,500 $ 5,000 $200-$2,000
Title Sponsor Presenting Sponsor Sustaining Sponsor Supporting Sponsor Partner Friend Buddy Zone Sponsor Booth Sponsor
Don’t miss out on fantastic festival fare – from funnel cakes and cotton candy to barbeque and burritos…Enjoy exciting entertainment on three stages… Or find a bargain at “Priceless Pre-Owned Possessions” – the best yard sale in town!
Message from the Executive Director This morning, before the office opened, I started the day by completing electronic references for our kids’ scholarships. In the last newsletter, I shared how much I wished you could sit in on each child’s “Plan of Service.” I also wish you could be with us when we do our young adults’ scholarship applications. Not all of our kids want to go to college. We support each person’s individual abilities and aspirations. There is no one way to be successful. Some of our young adults will seek a trade, some will go to the military and some will go to school and we are OK with all of those. Because many of our students come from families where no one has gone to college before, they often don’t even consider college as an option. I’m not criticizing nor judging any family. I personally come from a family where I was the first person to attend and complete college. My experience has been that we all do the best we can with what we have. But these are very different times! The data is still very clear; even in a “down economy,” college is worth the expense. A college degree results in total lifetime earnings that are about $1 million more than those with a high school diploma. That equates to a long term projection of those with a bachelor’s degree, earning almost double that of their non-degreed counterparts. We are now into a rhythm where we are graduating a student from college nearly every 6 months! Jason graduated in December, Amy graduates in May and David is next with students lined up behind him. Preparations for our kids’ futures, college degree or not, start the day the child steps foot on our campus. It’s a long, dedicated process that begins with a focus on God and family, then on education. We do know that when students do not walk away from their education, they will eventually walk the stage to their diploma. Back to those scholarship applications! As part of the reference, the application requires us to “tell the story.” I’m constantly struck by the thought that our kids have every reason NOT to do well and have every reason NOT to graduate. They have the most dramatic excuses for NOT being successful and for NOT being competitive. The losses they experienced earlier in their lives is staggering. How do they compete with those other kids out there? How do they measure up with the ones who had a consistent, safe, protected childhood, free from that kind of disruption? Our guidance is to not be “too understanding.” We know that the keys to success are low tolerances and high (but manageable) expectations, delivered within the context of a loving, nurturing, Christian family home environment. We challenge our kids with “Don’t make excuses, make results.” They know just what that means. They soon learn that their only limits are those that are self-imposed. Building their confidence allows them to compete on an even level in a competitive world.
A Vision for Children You’re invited to take a tour of our Home and learn more about the children we serve – and how your support helps us to raise them. Bring only an open heart and a friend.
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We’d like to host at least 10 people at each of our upcoming sessions: Saturday, June 9 Saturday, July 14 10:00-11:00 am.
Everyone is welcome! You do not need to RSVP, but if you would like for us to know you’re coming, please visit our website at www.boysandgirlscountry.org and click on "Register Now". You can also find future Vision for Children dates on the site under “Events”.
That’s where you come in. Your support allows them to not only catch up, but to soar ahead. That’s why I wish you could be with me as we “tell their story” to the scholarship reviewers. From backgrounds that would seem to cripple them forever, our kids overcome and then out-perform. They become honor roll students. They go on to become leaders and officers in organizations like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the National Honor Society. They earn national level scholarships like the Horatio Alger Award (which, in the last two years, has selected both Rebekkah and Alex) and compete for scholarships like the prestigious GE-Regan Presidential Foundation award (just 20 awards each year, nationwide). Our young adults have turned their lemons into lemonade.
Alex, pictured here with her acceptance letter to the University of Texas, was awarded the Horatio Alger Scholarship this year!
Your support makes such a difference in what can be an overwhelming situation. Last year we had 1,129 requests for intake. That means for every child we accepted, 33 children were referred elsewhere. Thank you for making a difference with these youngsters, not only for our children and their families, but also for our community. Our children, who have overcome many adversities, go on to become “self-sustaining and contributing adults.” God bless you!
Welcome, New Directors! It is because of the leadership of our outstanding Board of Directors that we are able to help children from families in crisis create successful outcomes for their lives. Everyone on our Board of Directors is devoted to our mission, and they love each of our children. We recently welcomed Bob Kurtz, Bob Warren, and Jeremy Thigpen to our Board of Directors, along with two returning Directors, Craig Bunk and Jim Tomforde. We are grateful to each of them for committing their time, talents, and energy to our children and our Home!
Bob Kurtz Houston Foam Plastics Vice President
Bob Warrenn SOLIDexecutive, Inc. Senior Partner
Jeremy Thigpen National Oilwell Varco President, Downhole and Pumping Solutions
Craig Bunk International Bank of Commerce Vice President
Jim Tomforde Insurance Alliance Vice President
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Thank You for Being a Friend As we celebrated our 40th anniversary last year, we recognized more than ever that we have only made it this far because of the amazing friends we have in our community. In January, we honored some of those special friends, who have gone above and beyond to support our mission, with our Friend of Children awards. Clockwise from left: John presented Dr. Terrence O'Keefe, along with dental hygienists Cheryl and Karla, the award for Professional Services. Dr. O'Keefe's office has provided pro bono dental services to our Cottage 6 boys for 18 years! Billy presented Deslie Piercy of Cotillion Connection with the award for Community Partner, for offering her cotillion program to our kids free of charge, volunteering in other areas, and leading food and supply drives for our Home. Johnny Wells, Mike Owens, Robbie Dillon, Rev. Warren Miedke, and Rev. Justin Lindstrom of St. Aidan's Episcopal Church accepted the award in the Church category for the myriad ways they support our Home. Amazing volunteers from the Yellow Rose Chapter of the National Charity League, Karen Gentilini, Sharon Thomas, Kate Thomas, Audrey Gray, Kara Danford, Emma Mathieu and Gia Gentilini accepted the Club/Civic Group award. Suzie presents Kim Marling of Woodforest National Bank and Woodforest Charitable Foundation with the Corporation award. Ginny and Elaine present Leslie Wang, Houston Endowment, Inc., with the Foundation award for their generous support. Thank you for loving our kids and helping to make us who we are today!
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We Are So Blessed! We rely on private funding from friends in the community to help us raise our children, and we are blessed with wonderful donors – individuals, corporations, churches, civic groups, foundations, and others – who understand the needs of our children and give generously to help us meet those needs every day. We wanted to take a moment to thank those who helped us with specific projects in 2011. We are... Kicking up our heels Thanks to Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids, a grassroots giving program that provides children in need with new shoes - and the experience of shopping for them - all of our kids got to go shopping and pick out their own brand new pair of shoes! From left: Miron, Cash, and Erik are ready to check out...King shows off his new moccasins...
To celebrate new wheels In 2011, many of our cottage vans were approaching - or had surpassed - 200,000 miles. Thank you to the Timken Foundation, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, and the Texas Oilman’s Charity Invitational Fishing Tournament for helping us purchase vans so that our cottage families, who are always on the go, have reliable, safe transportation. Left: Mr. Lou presents the Cottage 5 family with the keys to their new van!
And new tables for tasty meals! Thanks to generous gifts from CGG Veritas, United Way of Greater Houston, and the Timken Foundation, we were able to purchase beautiful new dining room furniture, replacing the original tables and chairs with new ones that are built to last for another 40 years! Right: The girls in Cottage 3 got their new dining room furniture just in time for their Christmas party! Page 5
Breaking Ground On February 24th, we broke ground on the Joe H. and Sue S. Reynolds Foundation Chapel. This open-air chapel, a project of our Growing for the Future capital campaign, will give our cottage families a quiet place for reflection, prayer, and worship. The chapel will feature beautiful stained glass windows that were originally a gift from Mrs. Isla Caroll Sterling Turner of Sterling-Turner Foundation to Happy Harbor Methodist Home in LaPorte. Happy Harbor was destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008, and the Foundation selected our Home to receive the windows.
Sketch of completed chapel
At the groundbreaking ceremony, a few of our kids shared a few words about what the chapel will mean to them and their cottage family. Hannah, age 16: When my cottage found out about the chapel being built you could literally see excitement and hear a sigh of relief. We believe as a cottage family that being in such an eccentric situation can definitely be hard on our spiritual faith. But we feel nothing but pure joy for this safe haven to be built so close to home. Left: One of the beautiful stained glass windows that will be installed in the chapel.
From left: Quintes Stark, Director of Operations; Lou Palma, Executive Director; Denisha Bullock, President of our Normative Leadership Council; Robert Kneppler, Chair of Capital Campaign Committee; Elaine Petranek, Director of Development; and Susie Reynolds.
We're Always Learning!
More Fun with Lemonade Day
Our kids attend afterschool tutoring twice a week in our Education Lab, but sometimes, while the kids are at school, their teaching parents go to Ed Lab themselves to learn the latest and greatest best-practices for caring for kids.
Some of our kids had the unique opportunity to partner with our friends from Lemonade Day to create stopmotion animated movies about the business of running a lemonade stand. The wonderful folks at Aurora Picture Show worked with our kids to create stopmotion movies about four business principles. The kids had a blast creating scenes, characters, and scripts; setting up each shot; and editing the finished product!
Below, Dr. Lori Scovill leads a workshop on Setting Goals, as part of a series of trainings on children's mental health and wellness issues. We are grateful to the Hogg Foundation on Mental Health for this wonderful opportunity!
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Left: King and Katlyn set the stage while Jean Paul directs from above. Below: To see the video, visit, vimeo.com/36102454
In Memory Of
Received December 26, 2011 - February 10, 2012 Leta Atwood Kathryn Roark Edythe Bengtson Ralph & Noelene Birkelo Susan Brown Suzann & John Breed Mr. Lamar S. Crawford Sandy & Harold Rowe Dick Diamond Pamela Anderson Betty Dunlap Dennis & Wilma Butler Milton & Naomi Ellisor Tyrus & Nancy Bohler Milton & Rebecca Ellisor Susan Long Anne Everson Gloria Skelton Reed & Janet Wood Rosie Fehrle Della & A.A. Brautigam Bud Hadfield Bill Scott Roy Hohl Stephen & Lorel Hohl Vernon & Alice Holderrieth Hal & Brenda Doerre Dr. George Jackson Anna Slagle Adams, Alfred Adams III & family
Eron, Mark, Kasidy & Cullen Grant James Jones Dr. Rebecca C. Luethcke, Jamie, Britt, Tara & Cindy Premier OB/GYN of West Houston LLP – Dr. Sarah E. Andrews, Dr. Allyson T. Patronella & Dr. Kristin N. Schmidt Norma Jasken Suzann & John Breed Collin Kelly Suzann & John Breed John C. King Janida Rice-King Gloria Kirk Dr. & Mrs. Philip L. Leggett Shirley Kleb Albert & Hazel Tomchesson Mrs. Joy M. Kolbe Jim & Wilma Watkins Billy Joe Lee Jo Ann & Pat Harris Billy & Denise Lundquist Bill & Patty Jones Dot Martin Suzann & John Breed Sandra McCollum Cecil & Shirley Bishop Cal & Millie Reed
Randal McDonald Leonard Bedell Tracy Hale Mead Owen & Virginia Hale A.C. Miller Pamela Miller Mrs. Patricia Millis Willie & Orca Willhelm Lon Mitchell Martha Mitchell Christian Mohn Karen Haug Russ & Kara Haug Tiffany Haug Jeryl & Vicki Mohn Marcella Mohn Clarence E. Moore Donna Moore William Timothy O’Donnell Bill Brackeen Glen Prause Mr. & Mrs. A.C. VonMinden Joe Reynolds Mr. & Mrs. John Cameron Kristen Roberts Geneva Montgomery T.A. Robinson Larry & Billie Gardner
Bobbie Salinas Dr. Arlys Bing Ruth Sattem Sofia Adrogué and Sten Gustafson “Your table mates” Annette Barker & Roy J. Edgemon Boys and Girls Country Friends Fund Marcia Elrod Carol & Charles Emmons Carol & Doyal Gillespie Lu & Cliff Hackett Catherine Krejci Janette McDonald David & Jennifer Myres & family Doris O’Reilly Matthew Rotan Bonnie Ryan David & Geraldine Sattem Margie & Allen Schubert Nel Vickers Marilyn Wardenburg Harriette Whiteside Reed & Janet Wood William Zinser Todd & Hazel Scharnberg Sandra Klein Marilyn Schreiner Fern Basden
Johnny Schulte Springer Farms – Sonny Springer Kelly Springer Wayne & Joan Smith Kevin & Karen Thomas Joanne Watford Bill & Sue Ann Craddock Robert Gaston John Rathmell – Lockton Marine & Energy David Russell Scott Zormes Dale Wheeler Brian Desilets - Deep Waters Bookkeeping Fountainhead Municipal Utility District McCall Gibson Swedlund Barfoot Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott friends Dale McWilliams Thass Young Dan Whitty III Leonard Bedell Liby Wortman Nancy Davenport
You can make your next tribute gift securely online at www.boysandgirlscountry.org. Click on "Donate Now!"
In Honor Of
Received December 26, 2011 - February 10, 2012 Drs. Gloria & Wiley Biles Jo Canton Dale & Jan Wagner Stacie Blackburn Margaret Corey John Davidson Jennifer Ladner Julie Peterson Briley Kathryn Blackshear Paul & Debbie Blackshear Nancy Brennan Bryan & Neat Grubbs Jack & Carolyn Brewer Tom & Jane Liles
Reg Brockwell - Birthday Jennifer Brockwell Wayne & Michele Brown Robert Brown Barbara Brundrett David Brundrett The Board of Directors & Staff of Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Paul & Debbie Blackshear Community of Faith Stan Grant Patricia Curtis – 95th Birthday N. Gayle Sauer
Angeline Dai Banker’s Toolbox Jackie Eckersley St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Carol Gillespie Earl A. LeBlanc Betty & Ray Gipson Ginger E. Pace Leonard S. Hobbs Kenneth Hobbs David Koch Ben Pisklak Jacob & Kaleigh LeBlanc Juni Shepardson
P. David & Sharon Mantor David Mantor Janette McDonald Leonard Bedell Gary & CC Meistad Lisa Orsak Nancy, Donna & Sandra Norma Chaney Kay Oder Jeff Werderman Elaine Petranek Sofia Adrogué & Sten Gustafson Pat & Woody Evans
Includes gift(s) made to the Boys and Girls Country Endowment Fund. For information on how you can make a lasting gift for our children, please contact Elaine Petranek at 281-351-4976, ext. 219 or elaine.petranek@boysandgirlscountry.org.
Darrel & Glenna Pocock Melissa Morotini Jean Robinson Larry & Billie Gardner Mary Ann Gilchrist Regina Ruot Anne Reed Volunteers Grace Fellowship United Methodist Church Billy Wallin Jeannette Russell Mark Weber Kathryn Weber Martha Wiebe – 90th Birthday Tom & Jane Liles
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NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 11163 HOUSTON, TEXAS
Boys and Girls Country of Houston, Inc. 18806 Roberts Road Hockley, Texas 77447 Change Service Requested
g n i r p S
WISH LIST
Order Your Tickets for Spring Festival! May 5th, 10 am-5 pm
(General Admission is Free)
Our Activities Department Needs: Batteries (AA and AAA) XBox 360 Controllers and Games Bike Helmets
Please send me ________ Kids All Day Event Pass(es) at $15 each
Please send me ________ Adult Lunch Ticket(s) at $8 each
Please send me ________ Child Lunch Ticket(s) at $6 each
Our Clothing Closet Needs: In all sizes, except where indicated: Girls’ and Boys’ Black No-Show Socks Men's Undershirts (Size S-XXL, shortsleeved and sleeveless) Girls’ Training Bras & Women’s Bras (size C, D) Boys' and Men's Dress Belts Junior Plus Teen Girls' Clothing (S-XXL, especially church dresses and skirts) Straight Leg or Skinny Jeans (Size 13-19)
Please send me ________ Drawing Ticket(s) at $10 each*
Please send me ________ set(s) of 6 Drawing Ticket(s) at $50 per set*
I cannot attend but would like to donate $___________________
Our Commissary Needs: Taco Mix Brown Sugar and White Sugar Ketchup Salsa Salad Dressing Spices Laundry Soap Dryer Sheets Pine Sol SOS Pads Our Cottages Need: Twin Size Bed Frames Electric Roaster Ovens Rice Cookers Large Plastic Leftover Containers Laundry Baskets Alarm Clocks with Radio Ironing Boards Our Maintenance Department Needs: Compact fluorescent light bulbs 50' and 100' water hoses New or gently used dishwashers Full list at www.boysandgirlscountry.org Click on "Donate" and "Wish List"
Name________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________ City________________________ State______ Zip_____________ Phone________________________ Email____________________________________________________________ Signature__________________________________________________________
Enclosed is my check in the amount of $_______________ made payable to Boys and Girls Country
Please charge my: VISA MasterCard
American Express Discover
Account Number: ________________________________________ Amount $_______________ Mail your completed form to: Boys and Girls Country 18806 Roberts Road Hockley, TX 77447-9327
Questions?
For more information, please contact George O'Neal at 281-351-4976, extension 225 or by email at george.oneal@boysandgirlscountry.org. Or, visit our Spring Festival event website at www.2012springfestival.org. You can also order your drawing tickets online!
*You do not have to be present to win in the drawing!