December, 2007
Summer/ Fall 2007 Notes

It's been a busy summer and fall for Novabigs. We have had a number of
successful activities, and our council continues to move forward with
some new officers and new faces at the meetings. We had great turnouts
for our trips to King's Dominion as well as our annual fishing trip
hosted by the Coastal Conservation Association. There was a big Flag
Football game this fall, and this summer's trip to the Ropes Course was
a hit. Littles got to test their swings at an outing to the Top Golf
Driving Range (thanks new volunteer, James!), and as always there were
dozens of opportunities for great seats at all major sporting events and
cultural activities thanks to our partners at Most Valuable Kids. The
activities don't end just because winter is here--there's an ice skating
trip around the corner, and we'll be heading off on our annual ski trip
after the holidays. Keep checking our calendar for all the events, as we
try to update it regularly.

March 20, 2007
February Meeting Minutes

The February Meeting of BBBSNVS, chaired by Pat Hoar, took place at 7:30 PM at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington, Va. There were 10 council members in attendance.

New Members were introduced by the chair.

March 5, 2007
Camps and Summer Programs
There is still snow on the ground, but believe it or not, now is the time to be thinking about summer activities for your Little.  In fact, the sooner, the better.  Camps and summer programs fill up quickly and if you are interested in pursuing a scholarship, those are often given out well in advance of registration deadlines.

Summer programs, and overnight camps in particular are beneficial for many reasons.  Camp offers children and teens the chance to develop their social skills.  Friendships are quickly formed and solidified in a 24/7 environment.  Being away from home offers children and teens the chance to build character; away from their parents and school friends, they can be someone, and try things they would be too insecure to try at home.  Schools can mean cliques; you’re a jock or a geek, drama enthusiast or popular queen bee.  Too often, those labels keep kids from trying something new.  Kids are afraid that their friend group might reject or chide them for doing something outside of their comfort zone.  Camp is a great equalizer.  When you arrive at camp, no one knows who you are; you are not bound by your circumstances or reputation.  In addition, being at camp can build a sense of responsibility and self-reliance.  It can also allow children to explore their independence in a safe and supervised environment.

For all of these reasons, I encourage you to talk to your Little’s parent about the possibility of finding a summer program for your Little.  Not sure where to start?  There are lots of options out there.  Wading through all of the options can be a lot of work, but well worth your effort. 

Where to begin?
The American Camp Association (ACA) is a community of camp professionals who are committed to ensuring the quality of camp programs.  While membership is voluntary, ACA-accredited camps meet up to 300 standards for health, safety and program quality.  There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps. Go to their website, www.acacamps.org. They have a comprehensive searchable database; you can search by location, day and overnight camps, as well as by interest.

Two additional useful resources are local parenting magazines, “Washington Parent” and
“Family Magazine”.  These magazines tend to do feature articles each year about camps in the area.   These magazines are free and are available in places aimed at families in the community.  They are occasionally in grocery stores, store stores and may be available at your Little’s school.  If you are unable to locate a paper copy, you can access most of the camp information at their websites: www.washingtonparent.com and www.thefamilymagazine.com.

Securing a scholarship
The bad news is that scholarship committees rarely appear at your front door, holding balloons and a cardboard check, like the prize patrol.  The good news is that lots of organizations have money available for camp, they just rarely advertise it.  The best way to find scholarship money is to call the administrative office of the camp and ask.  You’ll be amazed how many camps and organizations offer need-based scholarships.  Some private camps have minimal stipends, enough to help defer some of the expenses.  However, non-profit organizations tend to have the ability to offer more substantial scholarships.  Organizations like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts (although they stipulate that the recipient must be an active boy or girl scout), YMCA, religious-based camps, and the Salvation Army are good places to start.  Try calling your Little’s school counselor.  Sometimes he or she may have insight into useful community resources.  Does your Little attend any kind of religious training?  Ask his or her teacher, or the clergy; they often know of funds for such activities. 

October 16, 2006
Bios Added for Council Officers
A brief bio has been added for each council officer. Take a moment and get to know them a little better. Visit the Bio Page!

August 23, 2006
Mike and Brian in Alaska
A story from Big Brother Brian O'Neill - After five years together as a match, my little brother Mike and I decided it would be fun to go on a trip together in the summer of 2004.  Mike lives just minutes from Dulles airport, yet he had never flown on a plane before.  I, on the other hand, had spent much of my last few years commuting to Nashville each week, and had accrued thousands of frequent flyer miles.

I did some research and came across an 18 day trip to Alaska to build a house for Habitat for Humanity that sounded perfect.  The trip would be a great opportunity for Mike and I to experience the adventure of travel, and, more importantly, share the good feeling and satisfaction of helping others in need.

While my frequent flyer miles covered Mike’s airfare, the trip still had a price tag of $1,850 per person.  So, I applied for a grant from the Louis White fund to help cover a large portion of Mike’s expenses.  We were awarded a $500 grant from the Louis White fund and we were on our way!  (Oh, we also had to get permission from the BBBS National Capital Area office.)

Our itinerary was as follows:
July 2: Fly from Dulles to Anchorage, Alaska
July 3: Drive north to Denali National Park
July 4: Explore Denali in the morning, return to Anchorage in the evening
July 4: Arrivals in to Kenai, Alaska
July 5: Habitat & Alaska orientation tour
July 6-10: Work at site, evening Alaskan activities
July 11: Kenai Fjords (Prince William Sound) – marine wildlife and glacier boat tour
July 12-13: Work at site, farewell ceremony with affiliate
July 14: Homer, Halibut Cove
July 15: Homer, Kachemak Bay
July 16: Farewell activities and departures from Kenai
July 17: Fly from Anchorage to Dulles

The trip was definitely a trip of a lifetime, and Mike’s experiences wouldn’t have been possible without generous support from the Louis White fund.

Read more about the Louis White Fund

-February 21, 2006
Council Officer Position Available
UPDATE - The treasurer position is now filled. If you would be interested in other leadership positions, please contact Pat Hoar at pathoar@hotmail.com.

News and Notes from 2005.
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News and Notes from 2004.
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