Plymouth B&GC Board Selects New Executive Director

January 2, 2007

Marian C. Boudreau, president and Chief Volunteer Officer of the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth, announced today that Garreth J. Lynch, a former college administrator, state legislator, and mayor has been named as executive director of the Club. Lynch had been serving as the Plymouth club's interim executive director/CPO for the past two months.

Lynch said, “The Board of Directors and I have agreed that there needs to be an immediate emphasis on structured youth development programs at our club and greater community outreach. Boys & Girls Clubs instill in children a sense of belonging, a sense of competence, a sense of usefulness, and a sense of upward influence in their club. We attain these goals by providing programs that pay special attention to the needs of club members and their community. I am really looking forward to the challenge.”

Lynch, a former vice-president of Administration and Finance at Westfield State College until 1991, has most recently been director of development at the Boys and Girls Club of Westfield, Mass., after serving in 2002-2003 as that club's volunteer “Triennial” fundraising chairman and attaining a goal of more than $800,000. He had been a teacher of English at Westfield High School before he served as a member of the House of Representatives and as Westfield's mayor in the 1970s, and has taught graduate-level organization behavior and public management courses at the State University of New York at Albany, where he earned his Ph.D. from the Nelson Rockefeller College in Organization Behavior and Theory. He was a member of Governor William Weld's Total Quality Management advisory committee in 1992.

A former “Club Kid” himself, Lynch is well versed in the youth development strategy of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, having served previously (1971) as summer director of the Westfield club, a Board member, and recently as one of a team of program developers at that club. “Boards of Directors create clubs for children,” Lynch said, “just as forward thinking Plymouth residents began Boys Club operations in 1911, leading to a national charter in 1915, the current Board has provided a wonderful new facility. We are a donor-dependent organization that puts contributions into direct services for children, and we do it with purpose, passion, and patience. I'm old fashioned enough to understand that this opportunity is a sacred trust to serve the children of Plymouth in the fashion that the original Board intended.”

Plymouth Boys & Girls Club directors said Lynch's extensive professional experience in organization administration, youth development programs, and fund raising made him an ideal candidate for the post.

Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth Hosts BGC Day for Kids
September 8, 2006

The Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth is hosting a Day for Kids on September 16th for members and non-members from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Boys & Girls Club Day for Kids is celebrated nationally and annually on September 16th. This year’s event will take place at the 9 Resnik Road Clubhouse in Plymouth. It is open to children from Plymouth and surrounding communities. The Clubhouse and field will be open for activities and tours as well as, food, music, entertainment, themed moon-walks, face-painting, finger-printing by the Sheriff’s Department and more.

What is Boys & Girls Clubs Day for Kids?
BGC Day for Kids is a day set aside each year to celebrate and honor America's children by spending meaningful time with them. It's about celebrating kids – children, grandchildren or any child in need of mentoring.

Who supports Boys & Girls Clubs Day for Kids?
The BGC Day for Kids effort is led by Boys & Girls Clubs of America and other non-profit partners, our business partners throughout the year and the communities of the towns we serve.

How to get involved?
Plan time together with the children in your life; call your local Boys & Girls Club and volunteer to help; or use BGC Day for Kids as another platform to make your voice heard about the needs of America's children and the importance of spending meaningful time with them. Get involved locally by visiting us in person or calling for information.

Please visit the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth on Saturday, September 16. The Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth …. The Positive Place for kids! Call 508-746-6070 with any questions.

Plymouth Boys & Girls Club Has New Web Site
January 5, 2006

Nearly six years ago, the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth left its middle Street location and moved to an interim site for two and half years before moving to a brand new facility – more than five times its original size- on Resnik Road. With a computer lab, exercise room, game room, gym, field, full kitchen, and library, the club became more popular than ever – increasing its enrollment by 200 percent.

Increased enrollment meant keeping even more youth and teens – as well as parents- on the same page. And bgcplymouth.org helps the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth do just that. Youth and teens can go online to find out when the gym will be free and when web design, Lego robotics, nutrition classes, and other programs will be available in the next week, month, or season. They can find out about special events, when the club will be closed, and how they can bring guests. Bgcplymouth.org also provides parents with such important information as who will supervise their child, how much memberships and fee-based programs cost, and how to get involved through volunteering and donating.

Donated by Shift Gears Marketing of Plymouth, bgcplymouth.org gives its users easy-to-find, up-to-date information about the club and its activities. “The website gives kids and their parents a simple way to find out about everything going on at the club,” said Deb Falzoi, owner of Shift Gears Marketing. “Kids don’t have to take the time to call the club anymore to check on free gym time – they can look right online.”

“Our Web site now matches our ‘state of the art’ facility and allows the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth a phenomenal tool and viable medium to deliver Club-specific information. It is a great tool for communicating and disseminating our message of being the positive place for kids! We are incredibly fortunate to have Shift Gears Marketing adopt the Club and provide invaluable resources to the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth,” said Bill Hunt, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth.

Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth Flips Over Flicks This Summer
Regal Entertainment Group Gives Our Members Opportunity To Go To The Movies for Free
August 17, 2005

This summer, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Plymouth have enjoyed free admission to the movies two mornings each week. Thanks to the Regal Entertainment Group's Free Family Film Festival, Boys & Girls Club members took in their favorite flicks at their local Regal Theatre.

In addition, the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth also received funds to cover transportation and staffing expenses. This grant is very timely since it comes during a period when gas prices have reached an all-time high in most areas across the country.

"This generous offer from the Regal Theatre Group is a real lifesaver for us in the summer when the number of kids we serve often doubles," said Don Boudreau of the Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth. "Most importantly, this movie experience will be a first for many of our members, and our goal is to constantly stretch their imagination, while opening doors to a world of exploration and excitement."

Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth shares the joy at Regal Cinemas at the Independence Mall, where local members were exposed to summer fun at the movies.

"Regal Entertainment Group is very excited to have developed a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America that will provide support to local Clubs across the country. This program was designed to offer resources that will enable the local Clubs to take their members to free movies at our theatres during the summer," said Dick Westerling, Senior Vice president Marketing and Advertising for REG. "Our theatres across the country will be working with the local Boys and Girls Clubs to coordinate and enhance this experience."

The Boys & Girls Clubs have played an integral role in the Plymouth community since 1911, providing daily programs and services to thousands of young people. The Club has programs that emphasize education and career enhancement, character and leadership development, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation.