BGCOP's Movers and Shakers Keystone Club members at the National Keystone Club Conference, from left, Paloma Guzman, Anna Heath, Advisor LaCresha McManus, Glenda Guzman and Kristen Manning. Courtesy photo.
OXNARD — Four members of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) were among the more than 1,500 teens who recently attended the National Keystone Club Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, the organization reported in a media release.
BGCOP’s Movers and Shakers Keystone Club members Paloma and Glenda Guzman, Anna Heath and Kristen Manning attended the conference with their advisor LaCresha McManus. The four Oxnard teens were chosen for their fundraising efforts and leadership skills.
To attend the national conference, a Keystone Club must charter either silver or gold, meaning they must meet certain criteria – three of which are academic success, career preparation, and community service – and cover the cost of the trip through fundraising. The Movers and Shakers Club, which has 14 members, was the first in the Pacific Region to charter gold this year. They did it through innovative service learning projects and fundraising efforts such as a wake-a-thon, where donors pledged money for every hour the girls stayed awake. They also sold chocolate-covered-strawberry grams and held an open gym for local volleyball players where they charged a small entrance fee.
“I had the best week ever,” Paloma Guzman, president of the Movers and Shakers Club, stated in the media release. “I learned so many things that will help me become successful in my future. Thank you to all the Keystone Clubs and everybody who worked hard to make all of this possible! We really appreciate it and are blessed to have gone.”
At the conference, attendees discussed issues involving teens in leadership positions with their peers and advisors and how to enhance their involvement in their communities and fundraising efforts for the future.
“It was an amazing experience to be at the National Keystone Conference with these four accomplished young ladies. They’re a motivated group who were inspired even more at the conference. I can’t wait to see the day when my entire Keystone Club can attend a national conference together,” McManus said.
The Movers and Shakers Club will attend the regional conference in the fall. Joining them will be Club P.H.A.T. of BGCOP’s Port Hueneme Branch. Club PHAT chartered silver, earning members the opportunity to attend the regional conference. The Port Hueneme branch recently hired Ivan Mendez, who will serve as the Port Hueneme Keystone Club’s advisor.
By involving parents, volunteers, educators and the business community, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme helps youth reach their full potential through a positive environment, lifelong learning and programs dedicated to the arts, education and career development, character and leadership development, health and recreation. Programs are based on physical, emotional, cultural and social needs, and are designed to expand participants’ areas of interest. For more information, visit www.positiveplace4kids.org