Character & Leadership
Keystone Club
Keystoning is the Boys & Girls Club Movement’s ultimate teen program. This unique leadership development experience provides opportunities for young people ages 14–18.
Keystoners elect officers and plan and implement their own activities in six areas:
- Service to Club and Community
- Leadership Development
- Education and Career Exploration
- Unity Free enterprise
- Social recreation
Regional and national awards are presented annually to Keystone Clubs with outstanding programs and activities. Members can also be one of thousands of teens who attend regional and national conferences.
Each year, the combined action of hundreds of local Keystone Clubs results in a service project with a national scope.
The Keystone Club is for leaders who want to do more. Meetings are held in the evenings once per week. Keystone clubs are sponsored by Taco Bell.
Contact Aaron St. Cyr at astcyr@salembgc.org or 603-898-7709 x20 for more information.
Torch Club
Open to members ages 11–13. Torch Club members learn to elect officers and work together to plan and implement activities in four areas:
- Service to Club and community
- Education
- Health and fitness
Torch Club awards are presented annually to clubs with outstanding programs and activities in the four areas.
Contact Aaron St. Cyr at
astcyr@salembgc.org or
603-898-7709 x20 for more information.
Tuscan Brands Youth of the Year
Being named the Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. Established in 1947, Youth of the Year is BGCA’s premier recognition program for Club members, promoting service to Club, community and family; academic success; strong moral character; life goals; and poise and public speaking ability.
Each month the Club’s program staff meets to choose an outstanding member to represent the Club as Youth of the Month. At the end of the year, several “Youths of the Month” are chosen to prepare for the Club’s Youth of the Year title.
Throughout the process, candidates complete their applications, gather supporting documentation, ask mentors for letters of recommendation, compose essays and develop speeches to convey how the Club has helped them overcome perseverance.
Completed candidate packages are given to judges a few days prior to the judging event to give them an opportunity to read their speeches, essays and letters and be able to compile a small list of questions to ask each candidate. Judges rate candidates based on their presentation and poise. The winner of the Youth of the Year is chosen and kept confidential until being announced at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem’s Youth of the Year Dinner the following evening.
Our local winner continues on to complete in the State “Youth of the Year” competition, with the state winner continuing onto the regional competition.
Winners of the local competition (and all participants more often than not) receive scholarship awards from generous community supporters to celebrate their hard work throughout the process as they continue on with their education and civic service efforts.
Contact Aaron St. Cyr at astcyr@salembgc.org or 603-898-7709 x20 for more information.