As you can see from our cover, Club members of all ages are heading back to school filled with special memories of summer fun. Because our summer program is designed to be “drop-in”, the kids are able to partake in as many or as few activities as they wish. Every day this summer, we offered a mix of activities that appealed to members’ different learning styles, social skills and intelligence levels. Among the many options were the Marr-lin Summer Swim Team, Safe Summer Streets Basketball League, College Alumni Night, ReadBoston Storymobile, and the annual Disney World trip.

One of my favorite programs is Safe Summer Streets, a creative yet common sense approach to keeping our teen members safe throughout the summer. Teens face a myriad of choices when it comes to where and how to spend their leisure time. Keeping them interested and engaged during the summer months is sometimes challenging, but by projecting an image as a fun place to be, we keep them coming back. We provide an environment where teens enjoy the company of their peers, while remaining under the supervision of an experienced staff of youth development professionals.

One of the staff members that kids of all ages count on most is Bruce Seals, our Athletic Director. You’ll learn a little bit more about Bruce later in this newsletter, but you should know that he is just one of a dedicated group that have a tremendous impact on the kids they work with every day. Both during the summer and throughout the school year, making the Club experience the best that it can be for our 4,000 members – that’s our mission, and it would not be possible without your support. Thank you for all you do.

Sincerely, Bob Scannell President & CEO

PS. Our children and teens need the Club now more than ever. Please help Bruce and the other role models on staff save more kids’ lives. Thousands of Dorchester youth will have a brighter future because of you.