On Monday, February 22nd, members of the Mount View Unit put their spelling skills to the test in an Olympic-inspired spelling bee. Each Club member participating in the event was given one word at a time that they spelled in front of their peers. The crowd of respectful onlookers cheered for both victory and defeat, in true Olympic fashion. Congratulations to all Club Olympians for your hard work!

click here for more pictures of the event

On January 30, 2010, over 50 members from Boys & Girls Clubs headed to the Strategic Air & Space Museum in Ashland, NE to take part in the Nebraska First Lego® League Championship. At the event, Club members competed against other youth from across the state in a series of scenarios and obstacle courses – meant to challenge their reasoning, logic and problem solving skills.

Nancy Williams, information technology director of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, said team members must calculate turn angles, distances, the power necessary for certain tasks and other factors. “They don’t realize they’re doing physics, but there’s a lot of physics involved” in the project, Williams said.

“It’s like a puzzle,” said Andrew, 14, of the Westside Unit’s seven-member team. “We all work together as a team, and we get everything done as a team.”

Teams from the South and Council Bluffs Units and the Morton Middle School CLC brought trophies back to their Clubs. The South team received the “Against All Odds” award for persevering through technological difficulties. Council Bluffs took 3rd place for Teamwork and Morton CLC received the Judges Award for excellence.

Click here for more photos from the Championship

Quotes from Nancy Williams and Andrew courtesy of the Omaha World-Herald. Article can be found at http://www.omaha.com/article/20100131/NEWS01/701319918

The Winter 2010 edition of the Clubhouse Newsletter is available now by clicking the image below. Download the full version to read stories on financial literacy programs, Club celebrations, the State of the Clubs from President & CEO, Fred Schott and more.

Chancellor Smith, an 8 year member of the North Unit, has been named Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands Youth of the Year.

On Saturday, January 16, Chancellor “Chance” and representatives from the various other Club locations gathered at the Woodmen Tower in downtown Omaha to share their powerful stories of struggle, perseverance and triumph. Each candidate passionately described the part Boys & Girls Clubs have played in shaping them into the positive young adults they have become.

The winner, Chancellor Smith, is very deserving of the title. As a senior at Omaha North High School, Chance is the 2010 class president, captain of the varsity football team and has been recognized as an academic honor student. He is also a journalist for the student newspaper, the North Star.

In the Club, Chance is known for his volunteer work and for the positive example he sets for both his peers and the Club’s younger members. He hopes to be able to develop his passion for helping others by pursuing a Psychology degree and one day becoming therapist – a profession he believes will allow him to give back to others in need.

Upon receiving the award, Chancellor took a moment to thank his family and various Club staff for their roles in helping him achieve the honor. Now, with the full support Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, Chancellor’s next stop will be the Nebraska State Youth of the Year competition, where he will compete with other youth from across the state. Good luck Chance!

Click here to watch WOWT’s coverage of the 2010 Youth of Year event.

Below are videos of Chancellor and the rest of the Youth of the Year candidates giving their speeches.