Final Week- Boys and Girls Club

My final week at the club, I had decided to devote to more interaction with the administrative arm of the club. I spent time with the director of the club Skip Drouin. Mr. Drouin is an amazing person and he is so devoted to his work at the club. He devoted his life to a career as a school principal working in the Joplin School District for over 30 years, and has a vast experience with the nature of his work. More importantly, however, he has a great passion for the mission of the club and for the kids. My time with him made me think of the importance of devotion in top management and how much of a difference it makes when people are truly passionate about their work. We talked some about the sources of funding for the club and about the importance of social capital in such circumstances. We spent some time reflecting on my impressions from the club. I told him how great of a time I have had at the club and how many positive impressions I am taking away from there.
Even though I mentioned it in my last blog, I must mention it again I will really miss the kids and every one that works there. The time spent in the club is something I will definitely remember for a very long time!

Week 7 - Boys and Girls Club

Week seven was my last day with the kids. Being that I decided to spend it with my favorite age group, 5-7. The day went as usual, lots of play time, a fun game of dodge ball, and some interesting conversation. Later that day I spent some time with the 8-9 group playing soccer and getting to know them.
I began thinking about how much I will miss everyone there. Spending time in the club has become an important part of my week! I began thinking about all of the things which had made an impression on me during my time there! I remembered my first day and how new it felt to be surrounded by so many kids, and different it felt now. The Boys and Girls club is a very positive organization and it contributes to communities not only across the nation, but across the world. I am looking forward to my time of analyzing my experience and focusing on some specific aspects of the organization.

Boys & Girls Club- Week 6

Week six was fun as usual. I was having a really hard day, just being worn down and not in the greatest moods, but nevertheless I decided to go to the club today and not postpone the event. That I must say was the wisest decision I had taken that day. After just ten minutes or so with the kids I was already feeling so much better. The relaxed atmosphere and smiles upon everyone’s faces just changes your entire outlook. I remember one of the staff there sharing this experience with me on my first day, but now I really know what he was talking about. I felt so much better, just playing with the kids and sharing their laughter and careless afternoon. Away from the worries of the day, simply playing those games which kids play, it was the highlight of my day. What a blessing kids are, they remind us what life really is about. The simplicity of their play and joys in their actions can put a smile on anyone’s face.

Next week I have planned a visit with the administrative arm of the club. I will try to familiarize myself with the dealings of the local club and the sort of sponsors the club attracts in our area. I will also have one more day with the kids, sadly it will be my last. They have really grown on me and I will miss the time I spent with them. I think that if I have the opportunity I will go back and visit, and especially when I am having a bad day- I promise their smiles are the best cure for any stress or worry you might ever have!

Boys & Girls Club- Week 5

Week five, or Wednesday, I devoted entirely to the 11-12 year olds. Typically the group is supervised by two staff members, but this time one of them was missing so I had opportunity to feel in his place. We began the day by playing some games with the kids, UNO, and talking about how their day had gone. They shared different stories, and as kids do, had much to say.
Later that day we went to play outside, and to my surprise the kids chose to play soccer over the rest of the games- something quite counter intuitive to me. I was expecting a game of baseball or football, but the kids chose the one game which I least expected. This put a smile on my face, I was so happy to see that these kids were playing a game which I grew up playing, but more so, I was happy to see that this was no longer the foreign game it used to be. I remember when I first moved to this country almost no one had any interest in soccer, and the game was as foreign to them as football was to me. I played with the kids, and we had a really good time.
Later the kids had dinner, followed by some more games. What was interesting that day was the fact that it seems like something changed in the way I see them, and the way I see individuals my age as well. From the very first day in the club, I could not help but look at kids and try to envision them as adults. I would take different traits from their characters and try to picture what sort of things they would be interested in when they grow up. This proved a very interesting experience for me. I see many of the traits which we, adults, posses, and observing the kids interact is a rewarding experience in its own. Something else that I began doing, however, was to begin looking at adults and envisioning them as kids. Now that I had spent some time with the kids and observe them interact, I began seeing us adults in a different light. The games we sometimes play, the things we find entertaining, the things we find as vitally important. Interesting thoughts arise from such observations and I can help it but smile and ponder upon such things from time to time.

Boys & Girls Club- Week 4

Week four was, well , I did not have an experience during week for because the club was closed for Spring Break. Instead I attended the club twice this week to make up for the missed time. In this blog I will discuss my experience on Tuesday, and in the next one I will talk about Wednesday.
Tuesday was an interesting day for me. When I arrived I spend some time visiting with the youngest members of club- my favorite group. They, as always, were happy to see me. I was surprised to see how many of them remembered my name and recognized me immediately, they remembered the games we had played during some of my previous visits and immediately tried to draw my attention towards them. I would have liked to spend the day with them once more, but I had firmly decided I needed to visit with different age groups on that day.
Next I spend some time with the 11-12 year olds, however, they were not in the usual room they spend the day in, and instead they were playing pool and other such games in the big common area. I spend some time playing a game of pool with a few of them, and getting to know them, but what really drew my attention that day was a class which was being thought on the side of the play area. The club has a few education geared programs. One of them is called Citi, and as the name suggests, the program is sponsored by Citi Group. Basically, the kids are though concepts such as the power of branding, savings, and some management techniques. This however, was not some cynical scheme to get kids hooked on Citi Group products. Yes of course the odds are that when they think of banking activities they will associate that with Citi, but that merely seemed like a small perk for the firm. The program is geared toward the introduction of important financial concepts to kids, a process which I believe will greatly benefit them, and their environment in the long run. Kids are thought to think of the power of saving. For example they are given an option of spending their money on ice cream and other such pleasures of life, or saving the money and being able to purchase a bicycle. Some very important concepts come across thought the class and I could not help it but think of how this is a very beneficial way for factual knowledge to enter popular culture. I always find myself wondering of the ways in which this process occurs, and for ways of improving it, but this program seemed to be a prime example of a successful method for conducting this. I gathered some material from the courses and spoke with the person responsible for teaching them, and I am looking forward to an opportunity to analyze them a bit more.

Week 3

My third week at the Boys and Girls Club was another beneficial experience. I was planning on working with 11 & 12 year olds, but instead in the last moment I decided to work with the youngest kids- 5-7. I think every one should experience that. The kids are so incredibly welcoming, rather unaffected by the world surrounding them. Some of them come from unpleasant environments of unhealthy living conditions and disorderly structured families, but all of that does no seem to matter. At that age there still too young to understand it, every one seems as respectable and powerful to them, all it takes is the appearance of a grown up, as they and we used to refer to older individuals.
The previous week when I had worked with the 9-10 year old group it made an impression on me how much less they respected the authority of the regular staff and myself, its not that they were misbehaving, it was just the way they generally perceived the things told to them by us, the grown ups. Its not the same way with the young ones, for them all that matters is the appearance of age it seems like. I spoke to one of the workers about this, and he told me that he enjoys working with the younger kids especially because of that. What are the reasons for this I ask myself? What is it that kids experience after they reach the age of 8 or 9.
The most trouble creating group is 11-12. They cause more trouble even then the teenagers, which are intuitively expected to be the highest ranking when it comes to this criterion. I don’t remember this being the case with my generation, it seems like something has changed, something has made us go trough a period of self-searching at a slightly younger age.
In my next visit I am planning on working with this group of kids and see what exactly it is that is so different about them. I have not worked with them yet, I have only conversed with the staff at the club about them. This will be an exciting time for me and I am looking forward to it.

Week Two- an experience within

My second week at the Boys and Girls’ club was quite informative and fun. I have now begun to educate myself on the mechanics of the club, and its development over the past century. The Joplin chapter of the club was initiated in the middle of the 20th century, more specifically 1957. The building which the club took over used to be an orphanage. The club expanded the building, and over the years it carried out numerous renovations and some additions.
The most amazing aspect of this process is that seemingly every part of the building has a very amazing story. The newest addition to the building, for example, was donated by an individual who’s son used to love attending the club. From what I understood the club was something very special to him, and held a big part in his heart.
As another example, just last Monday, a lady walked in the club and donated a significant amount of money. Her husband used to live in the orphanage when he was a young boy, and that building, that institution, made a very strong impact upon his life. In fact, the memories were so strong that he was no willing to walk inside the building, and instead let his wife make the donation by herself.
There are so many amazing stories about the Boys and Girls Club. This organization has made such a large difference in so many lives.
On Tuesday, I had the chance to work with 7-9 year old kids. They were so different from the 5-7 year old group. They were not as warm and welcoming. Instead the relationship with the staff had turned a bit more technical, the kids realized the staff was there for them, to serve them, and it seems like that illuminated the environment into a different scheme.
There was a little girl whom asked me to help her with her home work. She was working on math, 3rd grade math to be precise. I was so excited to get the chance to help out with this. I began walking her through her assignment and after some time I realized she was really struggling with the topic. At first, I though it was the way I was conveying the ideas, perhaps I was not being clear enough, or I was not able to communicate the ideas in a way she could grasp. Later I found out that she regularly has trouble with her home work. That is not the point, however, the point is that this little girl comes into the club every week day knowingly she will have a really hard with her homework assignment. Nevertheless, instead of deciding to play on the computers the facility has, or spend time with the other kids there, she chooses to sit down and work on her home work. I point out she chooses to do this, she is not required by any one. I think this could possibly result in another great story for the generations one day. The fact that this little girl is so persistent and that the staff is there for her each and every day, leads me to imagine the impact this could have upon her life. I do not know her family’s demographics, or anything else about them or her actually, besides the fact that she has trouble doing her home work, but is so very persistent. Who knows she could one day become someone very important for the rest of us. She could invent the cure for that one decease everyone is fighting so hard with, or devise a plan for reduction of childhood illiteracy, or simply come back to the club and make a donation just as the old lady had done the day before.
The club is a self supporting organization. The individuals who pass through it, often times come to the realization of what an important role it has played in their lives, and they continue the possibility for many other kids. This of course is only one part of the financial structure of the club. Another part is received in the form of corporate philanthropy. I will discuss that in more detail in later blogs, as I gain a better grasp of how precisely it works in this club’s case.

Service Learning- 1st week

As many in our class, I was unable to begin work during the first scheduled week. During that time I was still in the process of making my decision, and evaluating my option. After much deliberation, I have decided to volunteer my time at the Joplin Boy’s and Girls Club, and I began this venture on Tuesday of this week.
When I arrived, I was welcomed by director of the club and he introduced to me the basic scheme of the organization. The club, as I am sure many of you know, is intended to provide care for children during the after school hours when many parents are still at work. The club works with kids from the ages 5 to 16, and the kids are divided into groups based upon age. Each age group has a different set of activities for the day which vary from play in the facility’s gym, to doing homework assignments. There are individuals responsible for each group and they work closely with the kids insuring everyone feels comfortable and that no problems arise.
I got a chance to work with the youngest group, 5-7 years olds, and it was a really great time. The kids are so welcoming and loving. While I was there, they got to play in the gym: throwing basketballs around, playing with jump ropes, and all of those fun things kids do. It had been a while since the last time I had a chance to spend time with so many kids in the same place, and being there flooded me with memories from my own childhood. I was learning the new games kids play now days, and remembering the fun times I have had in such situations when I was at that age. At one point we played dodge ball with the kids. It was me and the other two guys responsible for the group against approximately 30 kids. It was a really great time. The kids had so much fun but so did we.
The staff of the facility is composed mostly of young energetic guys and girls. Everyone I met that day seemed to love their job and everyone had something really nice to say about the club. While there I will have a chance to work with all of the groups and learn more about how the club functions. I will get a chance to learn how the administrative side of the club works as well, and I anticipate drawing a lot of implications from the experience. It seems like this organization serves as a very beneficial part of the local society, but I will have a lot more to say about that as time progresses. As for now, my next time in the club will be next Tuesday when I will get to work with a different age group.

Social Capital

After reading the text reflecting Robert Putman’s ideas one of the strongest concepts which made an impression on me was that of the description of social capital itself. I have always thought of social capital, as the existence of “resources” within a given society- by resources I mean the number of individuals, the intellectual and physical capital they posses, the level of satisfaction within the society and numerous other factors. However, the ideas portrait in the text took this notion to another level, namely that of the connection between the resources with in the society and no so much the importance of their existence. The other main idea which stood out as I was reflecting on the text was that of the nature of social capital. Social capital, it seems, develops when the necessity for its existence is present. For example, the author points out that the generation of the 1930’s could be characterized with a much better developed social capital then those that followed. The 1930’s were a time of crisis for numerous reasons, and much like the example of “Operation Survival” the necessity for cooperation was not only present but painfully obvious. The result was much stronger interaction between individuals, and hence the development of social capital. The following generations, however, did not face the harsh conditions of their predecessors, and with that the necessity for knowing our neighbor significantly weakened.

As for the Fable about social capital, as most Fables do, did involve some stretches of the imagination. Nevertheless, as the author points out, the merits of its moral are of great importance. Change begins at the grass root level, and I definitely agree with the conclusion that if one is unable to serve his own “nest” then how is one to serve a greater proximity of individuals. The values of social responsibility are clearly made obvious by this story, and despite the simplicity of its tone it does draw the point across quite successfully!

Language as a Tool for Survival

The general impression I get from reading this text is one of positive sentiment. Hayakawa observes the importance of language from a few different perspectives, namely its importance in the human existence, the externalities of its use, and the inevitability of its misuse.
If we were to look at life as a case study for language, as the author has, we can observe how language provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate our abilities and measure them against other’s abilities in the struggle for survival. Furthermore, and more importantly, it reveals the necessity for cooperation. What differentiates us from other living organisms is our ability to not only sustain knowledge, both in time and in space, but to develop it. The magnificence of our current progress is only possible through this ability of ours. One of the thoughts which the text triggered in my mind is the irony of how often we tend to not only take language for granted, but more importantly the knowledge generated through time. Taking the full implications of language for granted can be accepted as simply one of the many blessings we do take for granted, but taking the knowledge stored through langue over the course of our existence is simply inexcusable. As the use of the fictional character T.C. Mitts explains popular culture is merely a molded down reflection of the truth. We take ideas and concepts and by the time they weave their way through the social conscious of a given place they have become very different from the original. This is another generally accepted reality, however, it is very frightening to find a society which rejects the knowledge time has to offer!

Some Cultural Undercurrents

Since I arrived here in Sweden, I have been doing my best to understand this culture more and more. When I find myself in a new environment my initial response, as a social perceiver, is to illuminate the reality trough the lens of my personal perspective and build my initial impressions. As I have found out from past experiences, however, these initial impressions can quite often differ from reality. As you know, Sweden is a country with very unique characteristics, and a strong sense of neutrality on most controversial topics. I have always wondered how this society has been able to sustain an existence so different from most, with its focus not bases on human greed, at least not individual, or other such addictions. As I began to read about Sweden, and the Swedish values, there was one very odd "law" that kept reappearing in every book I read. The first time I read it, I simply disregarded it as something of a myth, but as I discovered it in a second and third book, I focused my attention on it, and its implications. This "law" is known as the Law of Jante and it goes as follows:
1. You shall not believe that you are somebody.
2. You shall not believe that you are as good as we are.
3. You shall not believe that you are smarter than we are.
4. You shall not think that are better than we are.
5. You shall not believe that you know more than we do.
6. You shall not believe that you are superior to us.
7. You shall not believe that you are good enough.
8. You shall not laugh at us.
9. You shall not believe that anybody cares about you.
10. You shall not believe that you can teach us anything.

As you can see why, at first I was very willing to dismiss these ten rules as some sort of bogus myth, however, they in fact are more like the Swedish "ten commandments" in a sense. Every one has heard of them, and they serve as a sort of a moral stem of the Swedish culture. These rules are not thought in a class environment; instead, they are passed down from generation to generation without much questioning. By the time, these "ten commandments" are fully perceived by the mind they have sort of boiled down to some sort of a mellow form of the original with the simple intend of reminding everyone that no one’s opinion should be regarded as irrelevant. The "you" and "we" in the ten rules remain undefined, and are left to take on a rather universal meaning. This sort of gives them the status of contract law, making them individually applicable to all situations, and all times.
I personally believe that this "law" is one of the key factors for the cultural uniqueness fostered here in Sweden. On the other hand, I am sure that there are many more mysterious such as this one that I have yet to discover, therefore, I will do my best to keep you up to date on my quest to discovering the bases of Sweden's mysteriously marvellous culture.