Good Morning Calistoga! If you've had the good fortune to be in downtown Calistoga on any weekday morning between 9:00 and 10:00 AM you've probably seen, been greeted with a hearty "Good Morning" and sung to by a group of 20 to 30 very enthusiastic Boys & Girls Club Members. Under the guidance of Club staff these young ambassadors of cheer have been taking to the streets every day of summer camp for an hour long promenade around town. The highlight for Club Members is seeing the smiles and greetings they give away so freely returned from passers by...and of course the 15 minutes at the playground.  If you see them make sure to smile and wave. Better yet, if you know the words to the song they're singing join in!

Welcome to the Garden. The Boys & Girls Club of Calistoga recently took over the cultivation of a quarter acre of garden space at the Elementary School and with it a new set of activities for Club Members. The Garden, in need of much work, is steadily transforming from a patch work of chest high weeds, a tangle of water lines and broken equipment into a mini oasis for people, plants and bluebirds. Club Members have raked, and pulled, shoveled and dumped wheel barrow loads of weeds and debris. Having cleared sufficient space strawberries, lettuce, squash, beets, tomatoes and peas were planted and are now being nurtured into healthy plants ready for future harvest. Where there was once bare dirt or mud is the start of a lovely brick patio that will serve as a work space during harvest and at other times, a place of calm to sit, daydream or just watch the plants grow.

The Calistoga Club could use your help with this ambitious project. If you have time, expertise or equipment to donate the Club would love to hear from you. Equipment the Club is currently most in need of is a 5 horse power (or greater)  roto tiller, trellises, wood for making raised garden beds and fun garden statues and kid sized garden benches. Call Greg Bouillerce at (707) 738-8197.

The Boys & Girls Club of St. Helena is a very busy place right now. We are at the mid way mark for our Summer Session and in peak performance. The Club's roster of wonderful activities, programs and awesome staff is making this the place to be. It shows in the daily attendance, up from 107 last year to an average of 123 this year.

On the first day of the Summer Session Club Members were sorted into age appropriate groups with names, Gnomes, Goblins, Elves and Trolls invoking images of all things Hogwarts. They spend their day engaged in Robot Making, Cooking, Gardening, learning Sign Language, finding out about Cool Science, and so much more. Every where you encounter Club Members you experience a palpable sense of excitement, engagement, big time fun and good old fashioned play. Club Members arrive ready for action and leave feeling satisfied with a day well spent.  This is what being young, curious, enthusiastic, filled with energy and having the right place to strut it in is all about.

We welcome you to peek in during the summer session when the action and Club Members are in high gear.

Three Cheers for our wonderful junior staff. This summer has seen a step up in responsibility for some of our older Club Members. Several of our Middle School Members have taken the initiative to lead by example. Encouraged by one another to a higher level of participation they are assisting our regular staff and making themselves helpful in many ways. You can find these fine young people passing out sports equipment and games, helping with lunches, cleaning up, assisting younger members with Tech Lab and the Art Room and being all around great role models. Where ever there is a need for help that's where you'll find this super set of junior staff.

Next Kid's Night Out, Friday August 5th, 5:30-9:30 PM. Click Here to Read More.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and WaterWorld Field Trips. Click Here to Read More.

Calling All St. Helena Parents, The Boys & Girls Club could use a few good volunteers. Click Here to Read More.

The Doctor is in, the bike doctor that is. The Teen Center is gearing up for another stellar enrichment program. The Bike Repair Clinic got a test run this past week and by all appearance it should be quite a success. Club Members rolled in with their bikes and under the expert guidance of Jason King, staff extraordinaire and professional competitive cyclist learned a few basic of bike maintenance and care. The Bike Clinic will have its' official kick off in a few weeks at the start of the new school year. The opening ceremony will include a group bike ride and a barbeque. The Bike Clinic will be held once a week through out the school year.