New Boys & Girls Club opens

POLSON - When an organization lists its alumni as former President Bill Clinton, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Michael Jordan, they must be doing something right. After all, these people have proven quite successful at their respective endeavors.

When that same organization opens its second location in the Mission Valley, the future looks bright for area youth.

That organization is the Boys & Girls Club, a national organization that first opened a club in Ronan 11 years ago and has now expanded to a Polson-based site just in time for summer.

Despite being a national organization, executive director John Schnase said the local franchise does not get much funding. Instead, he relies on donations, discounts and helpful community members that understand the need for his club to keep its doors open.

"We didn't steal but we begged and borrowed," Schnase said of the effort to open the Polson site. "This opportunity was pretty golden. The board stepped up and put faith in us to invest and the church provided a great facility."

At the Polson site in the basement of the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, kids have toys, games and even a computer lab. Outside time is usually held on the playground at Linderman Elementary School, a short walk from the site's Second and Sixth Ave. E. location. Unit director Christine Memmel said approximately 30 to 35 kids, aged 6 to 16, show up each day to take advantage of all the club has to offer.

"This is a great place for kids," she said. "It's positive, it's safe, it's fun. It's amazing to watch and hang out and teach these kids."

Most of the kids that now attend the Polson club were originally bussed to Ronan to use the facility there. The Ronan club, which has an outdoor area and two swimming pools, became overcrowded as close to 150 kids would attend each summer day, according to Schnase. Rather than just having the doors open, Schnase makes sure the kids are well taken care of. He aims to have one supervisor for every 10 to 15 kids, quite a ratio for a club that's only charge is $5 for a yearly membership. In Polson, Memmel has three staff members and herself to watch the kids, an even lower ratio of supervisor-to-children than in Ronan.

"We have a staff member in every room for every minute," she said. "If a room's open, there's a staff member in it."

Considering that nearly 19,000 kid-hours were logged at the club last summer, Schnase said the club's availability is a boon to the Mission Valley.

"If you equated [those hours] to child care costs, how much would that cost the community?" he said.

In addition, children who attend either program get a free lunch every day. In Polson, the children walk over to Linderman for their daily meal, while in Ronan, the school district stages at the club and serves everything from pizza to cheeseburgers, according to food service supervisor Marsha Wartick.

"The summer feeding program provides free lunch to anyone 18 or younger," Wartick said of the lunch, which runs until Aug. 20. "They don't even need to live in the valley, they could be from out of the country."

Funding resources are few and far between for Schnase. One third of operational costs come from the national organization while the executive director creates fundraisers and accepts donations to cover costs. Rent is relatively cheap in Polson and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes rent the Ronan building to the club for $1 a year.

Last year, the club raffled off a restored 1967 Mustang coupe, earning approximately $24,000 in operational funds. Schnase plans on a similar event this year, with another Mustang already sitting outside the Ronan club and tickets for the raffle available now.

"That was a good event last year," he said.

Other major fundraisers include the club's annual Mardi Gras party in February and, new this year, a barn dance hoe-down this Friday night on Finley Point.

Taking a walk around either site during their summer hours (12-7 p.m.), it's clear the organization is all about the kids. They seem happy and excited to be around their peers, having access to computers and certainly plenty of games abound.

And the fun won't stop after summer. The club will be open after school and will focus on helping kids with their schoolwork. The impact that the Polson site has had on the area operation is pretty apparent as well.

"We will eventually outgrow this site and hopefully we will have a building with outside access," Memmel said. "We're just happy to have this great one for now."