Scott City may form a local Boys and Girls Club

Members of the Scott City community are coming together in an effort to bring a Boys and Girls Club.

The Boys and Girls club is an after-school program that helps children with their school work, feeds them and allows children to interact and participate in activities with their peers.

One of the main supporters, Paul Schock, said the idea for the club began more than a year ago.

"It's in the infantile stages," he said. "We're working with schools, the ministerial alliance and the city to get a board together."

Those involved are determining the best plan to get the program off the ground. Marty Haas is involved in the ministerial alliance in Scott City and is an advocate for making the Boys and Girls Club a reality.

"We want it to be a good presentation for the community, for community residents and to provide avenues to help Boys and Girls Club excel in the community," Haas said.

The setup for the Scott City program is being based largely off of what is done in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Schock said he's working with the Poplar Bluff program's executive director, Chris Rushin, to learn how their program works.

Rushin has shown the Poplar Bluff program to Scott City Mayor Tim Porch, council members, school board members and ministerial alliance members to give a better idea of what the community can expect.

"[At first], I was apprehensive to go. I completely support the Boys and Girls Club, but I didn't want to go all the way to Poplar Bluff," Porch said. "But I went, and I'll tell you, I almost cried. It was such an uplifting experience and it leaves you thinking, 'Wow, this is what we need.'"

Schock said numbers at the Poplar Bluff Boys and Girls Club have grown. Working with schools, the program serves 650 children. Helping children with their homework through programs such as "Power Hour," Schock said 90 percent of the children who were F and D students have improved to A and B levels.

Porch also was enthusiastic about the meals programs offered to the children of Boys and Girls Club. He said Scott City has an 80 percent reduced-cost lunch program, and he supported the idea of giving children a filling snack before beginning their homework.

A big part of Boys and Girls Club is working with teachers in the community. Haas said local teachers often are employed by the program to work with students with which they are already familiar.

Advocates for the Boys and Girls Club are looking into working with the Kiwanis Club and the Scott City Interactive Parks Program, including possibly using the old city hall building recently acquired from the city.

Schock said the next step is meeting with the new superintendent of Scott City schools, Brian Lee. He will assume his duties July 1.

"It's a slow-moving process," Schock said. "But hopefully it will impact that community in a positive way."

smaue@semissourian.com

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