MY VIEW
FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
By Greg McKechnie
What I remember most fondly from my childhood are the long summer days I spent on Nantucket full of effortless freedom. It is partially that feeling of freedom that brought me back here several years ago. Not long after I returned to live here full time, I was at a dinner party with Whitney Gifford, actually a past summer camp counselor from my carefree childhood, and I mentioned to him that I was interested in giving back to the community. A few months later, I received a phone call from Whitney inviting me to join the Board of the Nantucket Boys and Girls Club. Up until this point, my only experience with the Club was volunteering as a football coach. Armed with limited information, I agreed to join the Board. Eight years later, I am truly proud to be part of an organization that provides such a vital resource to our island.

I would venture to guess that the vast majority of people who drive by the buildings and grounds at 61 Sparks Avenue have little to no idea what happens daily at the Club. A leader in youth development for more than 61 years, the club has become the heart and soul of the year-round community. The mission of NBGC is to provide a positive place for kids - a safe, nurturing environment for children to continue to learn and flourish after the school day is done; a place where they are allowed to be carefree.

It's not easy being young today. Children battle a host of negative forces and societal pressures. Through creative programming and a proven youth development strategy, the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club helps young people develop the confidence and the life skills so vital in today's competitive society. Nantucket Boys & Girls Club is effectively fighting juvenile crime, alcohol and other drug use, premature sexual activity, alienation and apathy. The Club offers alternative activities and a variety of programs far beyond the ones we all hear most about such as football and basketball. An assortment of programs are offered daily that suit all areas of interests from Culinary Arts to Salsa Dancing. The Club is truly a diverse resource for our community.

Presently, we have over 600 members. Over 70 percent of the children attending Nantucket public school are members of the Club. The cost is a mere $25 per child per year. The Club strives to provide affordable services to as many of the island children it can reach, but these services come at no small expense. They require countless hours of volunteer time. My experiences have had me doing everything from driving 16ft tall Palm trees across the island to stuffing envelopes until two in the morning, but all the time and energy I have put in is easily repaid in a quick stop over to the Club to see the smiles of children. I am just one of many; I have had the good fortune of watching some of the truly talented volunteers in action. To name just a few, we have Lucile Hays who has given selflessly to the NBGC for more decades than many of the parents at the Club have been alive. We can all take a lesson from her belief that if you want to be a part of a community you must give back to that community. Or Sam Aloisi, who quietly steps forward to help out at the Club where he learned as a child to be the kind and generous man he is today. Or Maureen Hackett, who carves time out of one of the busiest schedules I have ever seen to reach out to a club half way across the country whenever we need her professional guidance.

Nantucket has changed some from my childhood but it is still a wonderful community that takes care of its own. The Nantucket Boys and Girls Club is an integral part of the development of the next generation of Nantucketers. It takes work and support from the community to make such a special place thrive. I enjoy doing it, because I think that children deserve to be carefree and I truly believe the Club gives them that freedom. If you doubt me, just stop by the club and the smiles you see will tell you all

you need to know. I

Greg McKechnie is President, Board of Directors of the Nantucket Boys and Girls Club.