Brenna McAllister - U0740798

Position Paper 2 - February 1, 2014

The extensive benefits provided by The Boys and Girls Club of America easily merit
its continued government funding. The federal government is cutting down the national
budget, including funds allocated to parks and recreation agencies. While it is
understandable and reasonable that Americans want to keep their taxes at a minimum and
the nation to decrease its debt, the benefits gained by the continued government funding of
the Boys and Girls Club of America far outweigh the cost to the national government and
the American taxpayers.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America benefit their members in diverse and
innumerable ways. Carruthers and Busser (2000) completed a study in the Southwest
United States that identified several of these benefits. They found that the Boys and Girls
Club provides its participants with a nurturing environment, which Carruthers and Busser
sub-categorize into providing a feeling of belonging and love, a sense of family, a safe haven
from the negative experiences of the streets, and meeting basic human needs. They also
found that the Club helps its members develop positive behaviors, including staying out of
trouble, getting along with others, discipline, leadership skills, and acquiring positive
values and role models. The last benefit the study identified was the development of
competence and self esteem in Club members.
Most Boys and Girls Clubs are located in communities where children often do not
gain these benefits from their home or school lives. The children involved in Boys and Girls
Clubs usually come from low-income areas, which too often equates to high-crime areas.
The Club acts as a refuge for these children, keeping them from the trouble they would
otherwise presumably encounter. In addition to the benefits for those youth directly
involved in Boys and Girls Clubs, the whole community is made safer and more pleasant
because of the Clubs efforts. High-risk youth, as well as their communities, need these safe
havens, despite the costs and taxes involved.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America benefit their members beyond their formative
years at the Club. Search Institute identifies 40 developmental assets that predict a childs
success. Possession of these assets is negatively correlated with high-risk behavior,
including alcohol abuse, violence, drug use and sexual activity. Furthermore, youth that
possess these assets are more likely to see success in school and the community (Search
Institute, 2008). The benefits given in Carruthers and Bussers study correlate with at
least 17 of the 40 assets, including safety, neighborhood boundaries, integrity,
responsibility, resistance skills and self-esteem (Search Institute, 1997).
Boys and Girls Clubs of America foster these positive developmental assets in their
members, giving them the tools they need for gratifying lives. These Clubs shape successful
individuals that go on to help their communities. The absence of these Clubs would lead to
an increase in high-risk behaviors, giving rise to individuals who negatively impact their
communities.
The continued funding of The Boys and Girls Club of America is essential, and will
only happen if both lawmakers and citizens understand the critical role that Boys and Girls
Clubs play. The most effective way to communicate these benefits is to prove them through
well-documented evaluation. Boys and Girls Clubs should prove that they are providing
benefits to their participants through surveys and other evaluative means, and then use
those results to convince government officials of the value of their program. It is also
important that community members and taxpayers understand the value of these
programs. This is more difficult since most advertising techniques require substantial
amounts of money. Despite the inability to aggressively advertise the significance of the
Boys and Girls Club, less assertive options still exist. For example, a good program website
including the evaluation reports will give community members an indication of the worth
of the Club, both to individuals and society. Another less assertive option to gain taxpayer
approval would be to regularly attend city counsel meetings. In these meetings, an
individual could promote the value of the Club to those active members of society in
attendance. This societal approval will increase the likelihood of continued government
support. Once communities recognize the importance of The Boys and Girls Clubs of
America, they should understand that the tax dollars invested in keeping these Clubs
running is a low price to pay for the immense good that these Clubs are doing.


Works Cited
Carruthers, C. P., & Busser, J. A. (2000). A Qualitative Outcome Study of Boys and Girls Club
Program Leaders, Club Members, and Parents [Abstract] . Journal Of Park &
Recreation Administration, 18(1), 50-67.

Search Institute. (1997). 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents. Retrieved from
http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescents-
ages-12-18.

Search Institute. (2008). Developmental Assets: Preparing Young People for Success.
Retrieved from http://www.search-institute.org/what-we-study/developmental-
assets.