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Scene & Heard: Speakers enjoy camp meal, pay tribute to Boys and Girls Club
Ed Brown Photo
Berenice Gonzales (from left), Mary Jean Carlson, Antwan Hauser and Dr. Ken Carlson enjoyed lunch named after Carlson.
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Published: June 30, 2009
Denzel Washington, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby and Brad Pitt have at least one thing in common. As children, they all enjoyed The Salvation Army's Boys and Girls Club.
Tuesday, one year after the opening of the new Ken Carlson Boys and Girls Club on Reynolds Park Road, local campers shared their experiences during "Eat Lunch with a Camper."
As part of the afternoon's entertainment, campers portrayed famous athletes, actors and political figures who attribute their success to their experiences with the organization.
"I'm not a celebrity, but I have some nice stories," said Joel Oglesby, the Boys and Girls Club alumnus speaker. He gave a beautiful tribute to the organization, saying that it created an important outlet and backed up the valuable lessons that his parents taught him.
Oglesby especially thanked James Taylor, the counselor who influenced him in middle school. "He helped me understand the things I needed to do to be successful," he said. Oglesby is "on his way" to success at Wake Forest University. He will be a freshman this fall.
The committee that planned the luncheon was led by Lucy Paynter, a member of the advisory council. About 250 board members, advisory council members and other supporters of the organization enjoyed a camp-style meal. They lined up for hotdogs, potato chips, Moon Pies and ice cream. They sat at assigned tables with children currently enrolled in summer camp.
Mischi Binkley, an executive secretary at The Salvation Army administrative office, made the trip to help the staff. Dee Dee Caldwell, secretary to the executive director at Boys and Girls Club, did a fine job of helping folks find their assigned seats at tables decorated with miniature camp cabins.
Dr. Ken Carlson, for whom the facility is named, attended the luncheon with his wife, Mary Jean, and their friends John and Liz Brady. "This is such a fun time," Carlson said. "I am really thrilled with the support today."
Tricia Vaughn said that The Boys and Girls Club has been part of her life since she was a child and watched her mother serve on the board. Today, Tricia serves on the advisory council. "It's doing such important work in Winston-Salem," she said.
Martha Martinat, a board member, brought her daughter Karan Martinat and her grandson Gus Witt. Martha Martinat has supported the organization since the early '80s and called it "a real boon to Winston-Salem."
Martha Martinat is chairwoman of the social-services committee. She spoke about the work done at the women's and children's shelter on Trade Street. "You cannot imagine the despair of women and children who are homeless," she said. "At the Trade Street facility they are nurtured and feel safe."
Maj. Terry Israel of The Salvation Army welcomed the lunch crowd. "We thought it would be a great idea to invite you today to share what we do here," he said. "Welcome to Camp Ken Carlson."
Like all good campers, we said the Pledge of Allegiance. We were led by camper Rachel Hodge. Then camper Bernice Jauregui led us in a simple prayer of thanks for the food.
Sylvia Adams, the executive director, gave a brief overview of the Boys and Girls Club program, which was started in this country in 1907. It began in 1938 in Winston-Salem, she said, and serves children ages 5 to 18. "Teens love coming here," she said. "These kids are not running the streets." Instead, she said the counselors help them with homework and teach them life skills.
Adams' talk was brief so that the entertainment could continue. Music played a big part. Aurelia Eller enjoyed a front-row seat during a rousing performance by the drum line from the Jack T. Waters Music Conservatory. The drummers were led by Jason Walker.
On the other side of the room, the two tables at which Zanne Baker and Sam Ogburn were seated provided the best spots in the gym for when the advanced band cranked up. The cornet solo by camper David Ramirez, 12, received a standing ovation after the ending notes of "Deep River."
I had lunch with campers Lee Matherne and Danielle McDuffie. McDuffie, 14, is a rising sophomore at Glenn High School and has attended the summer camp since she was in kindergarten. "It's really fun," she said. "There are lots of different things to do." She said that her favorite activity is a field trip. She said she is looking forward to a trip to High Point City Lake and a tour of Forsyth Technical Community College.
Others at Table 10 included Louise Thomas, Elizabeth and Rob Welch and Wanda Oglesby, a member of the board and the advisory council. Most important, she is the mother of the alumnus speaker and looked mighty proud of her son.
"Eat Lunch with a Camper" ended with camper-led tours of the new facilities.
■ Have a social or charity activity that you would like Scene & Heard to share with Journal readers? E-mail features@wsjournal.com and type "Scene" in the subject line or call 727-7339. You may contact Leigh Somerville McMillan directly by e-mail at leigh@studiomcmillan.com.
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