The Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America is a positive organization that offers multiple types of programs for youth. The Clubs were established to ensure that youth are able to reach their full potential and grow up to be more productive citizens ("The official website," 2014). The organization helps youth set personal goals, build strong interpersonal skills, live to be self-sufficient adults and develop positive behaviors ("The official website," 2014).

The Boys and Girls Club began in 1860, created by 3 women who believed that boys who roamed the streets should have a positive alternative; they then organized the first club ("History of boys,"). Come the year 1906, several boys made the decision to join. The Federated Boys Clubs was formed, in Boston, with 53 organizations-this then started the nationwide movement and the national organization ("History of boys,"). The Boys Clubs of America celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1956 and received a U.S. Congressional Charter from President Eisenhower ("History of boys,"). Aaron Fahringer, a regional director for the west coast in the 1950s, scripted the Boys & Girls Club Code as part of the celebration of the golden anniversary of the Movement ("The official website," 2014). The code was adopted as official by the National Council in 1955, and was used extensively in the 50s and 60s. The Code is still displayed in many Clubs today. The Boys and Girls Club Code reads as follows, “I believe in God and the right to worship according to my own faith and religion. I believe in America and the American way of life…in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I believe in fair play, honesty and sportsmanship. I believe in my Boys & Girls Club, which stands for these things ("The official website," 2014). The centennial year of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America was celebrated in 2006, 100 years of providing hope and opportunity to youth across the country ("The official website," 2014).

Character development has...