On March 21, the Crowsnest Pass Boys and Girls Club held its annual general meeting at the Crowsnest Pass Municipal Library.

Club president Scott Warris made a presentation on the organizations 2015 accomplishments and 2016 goals.

Last year there were 88 kids in the club’s after school programs and 64 in its summer programs.

Kids in the after school program enjoyed All the World’s A Stage Drama Productions, rock climbing, hiking, swimming, horseback riding, yoga and a host of other wholesome activities.

During the summer they enjoyed planting and gardening, baseball, biking and soccer. They also enjoyed visits to the Bar U Ranch, Bellevue Underground Mine, Kootenai Brown Village, Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the Crowsnest Museum.

“What makes everything we do worthwhile, is when people remark on the difference we make in the lives of the kids and families we serve,” said Warris.

The Boys and Girls Club partnered with a number of other organizations to show the kids a good time including the Nippon Institute of Technology, the Agricultural Board, the United Riders of Crowsnest (UROC), the Cross Country Ski Association, the Curling Club, the Community Support Society, the Crowsenst Museum, the Municipal Library, Sinister Sports, the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre and Alberta Health Services.

Financially, their 2015 fundraising campaign raised over $13,000. Their reserve fund continues to grow toward their goal of 10 per cent of their average annual operating costs. They had over 15 different major funding sources in 2015 that contributed $130,000.

Their board has identified a new bus as a capital priority over the coming few years. Karey Lee Watanabe, program director, persevered and got her Class II license to become a qualified driver. Their current bus is a 1994 model and maintenance and operating costs continue to climb. Warris thanked Terry Graf Trucking for keeping it safe and on the road.

As of March 2016, the club has 56 members and summer program planning is underway. This year their planning a youth mountain biking program. They’ve purchased 15 new mountain bikes for $25,000 thanks to donations from UROC, Sweetriders and the Lethbridge Community Foundation.

There will be a six-week youth cooking program for the clubs’ 13 to 18 year olds. The popular Boys and Girls Club Duck Race will return this summer thanks to Crowsnest Pass Fire/Rescue.