Posted on May 23, 2019
Club to close May 27 – June 7 to prepare for summer activities
By Tia Lyons
Staff Writer
Beginning on Memorial Day, the Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado will be closed for two weeks in preparation of summer activities, which will include a series of youth camps.
Registration is underway for Summer Camp Sessions, a retooled Boys and Girls Club summer program that will offer a mix of educational and recreational activities and field trips that will begin June 10 and wrap up Aug. 2.
David Lee, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club, said Summer Camp Sessions will be open to children, ages 6-12, and will be based at the club’s North West Unit, 1201 N. West Ave.
Lee explained that the sessions will be held in two-week intervals, each with a different theme and activities and field trips that are related to the respective theme.
Kicking off the sessions June 10 – June 21 will be animal science, in which participants will learn more about the animal kingdom, including companion pets, and engage in hunting- and boating-safety education classes.
“They’ll be able to get their hunting certificates when they complete these classes,” Lee said.
Session two is scheduled for June 24 – July 3 and will focus on STEM education.
Children who attend the second session will have the opportunity to participate STEM projects and fun activities, including coding classes, to aid in learning retention over the summer.
Sports is the theme of the third session, July 8 – July 19, and rounding out the summer will be arts and crafts, July 22 – Aug. 2.
Lee said participants in Summer Camp Sessions will take field trips to Camp DeSoto Boy Scout Camp, the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, the MAD Playscape, Stars Cinema, Logoly State Park and more.
Camp sessions will be held from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Breakfast and lunch will be served.
The cost is $15 per twoweek session or $40 in advance for the entire summer. The deadline to register is June 10.
Area teens who are looking for summer activities may head over to the Boys and Girls Club Teen Center, 1401 E. Center, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. each weekday.
“With the leadership activities and character building program, we’ve got a lot of good things going on over there and it will continue during the summer,” Lee said.
Larry Yarbrough, director of the Teen Center, has other activities planned for the summer, including college tours, Lee said.
Lee also said the gym will be opened each day from 4 until 5 p.m.
Teens who are not members of the club and who would like to visit the Teen Center during the summer may join for free, Lee said.
The Boys and Girls Club will be closed for youth activities from May 28 until June 7 as the club readies for the summer programs.
However, the club’s administrative offices will be open during that time.
For more information, call the Boys and Girls Club at 870-863-8753 or visit the club’s Facebook page.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or tlyons@eldoradonews.com.