A Builders Club is a student-run organization at the Middle or Junior High school level, sponsored by a Kiwanis Club and guided by a Faculty Advisor and a Kiwanis Advisor. That doesn't sound like a really big deal, but trust me, they are really big deals!
Puberty is a difficult time for young people. It's an age when they are extremely vulnerable. Kids going through this age are at an extremely crucial point in their lives and while wanting to be independent, they need direction and support from adults, but don't want to be told what to do! They are going through big changes in their physical being. They are attracted to the opposite sex, but at the same time, filled with self-doubt. Hormones are raging, energy abounds, they "know" they are grown up, understand so much more than adults give them credit for but often feel alone and misunderstood. Opportunity or disaster is just waiting to happen, which will it be? Think back to that time in your own life, and I'm betting it wasn't your favorite time either. So, what can you do about all this? I'm so glad you asked!
You and your Kiwanis club can help this age group develop into self-confident, productive, young adults filled with real self-esteem, capable of standing up to peer pressure, and even drug dealers; young people who are a credit to themselves, their families and their communities. And, it's easy to do! Just sponsor a Builders Club!
Builders Clubs are run by the members. The members decide what they would like to do, and how to do it. In this way, the Kiwanis Club, their advisors and their school show the students that we believe in them. The students are given the opportunity to prove to the world that they are capable and able to do something big, something worthwhile and something that will help others or their community. This experience not only makes them feel good about themselves but helps others to see them in a different light and feel good about them and the future too. That Really IS a Big Deal!
The choice is yours. You can ignore the situation and let Middle School students flounder, and hope for the best; you can complain about "kids" and blame their parents, the schools, drugs and the times. Is that what you want for your children, your grandchildren and your neighborhood kids? Or, will you step up and make a real difference in their lives by giving them the opportunity to do the things that will make a difference? That is how we truly "Change the World, one child and one community at a time."
Call me (585) 342-7657, e-mail me (hjoanne202@aol.com), write to me (91 Jewel Street, Rochester, NY 14621) or walk up to your Lt. Governor and ask them, "How do I start a Builders Club"? You'll be glad you did!
Column Posted on Web Site November 17, 2011
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