On Saturday, January 30th, from 11 AM to 5 PM, there will be a kick-off event for the ice skating pond at Salem Art Works. As a member of the Salem Area Youth Association, Anthony Cafritz of SAW has offered the pond for community use. People can come to use the ice for skating, there are hills for sledding, there will be a large bonfire, and refreshments will be provided by the Salem Rotary and the Salem Area Youth Association.
For those who do not own skates, there will be free "rentals" provided by The Shoppe Off Broadway, skates which have been donated by members of the community. To ensure safety for all skaters, it is recommended that children under the age of 12 be accompanied by an adult.
The pond will available for skating for the remainder of the winter, as long as the weather permits. We hope to see all of you there...out having some winter fun as a community!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Agenda and brief notes from Jan. 12th meeting
The following is the agenda from our most recent meeting. Included are some brief notes about the discussion that followed on each topic.
1. Welcome and introductions: several new faces, including some kids...great to see!
2. Secretary's report - review and approval of minutes
3. Incorporation - next step- 501c3: the Salem Area Youth Association became incorporated at the end of Dec. 2009. Now we are pursuing 501c3 status.
4. Ski/snowboard club: first event was Thursday, Jan.7th and it went really well. We discussed pursuing some grants to offset costs for next year. This year's program came together VERY quickly after kids expressed interest. Many thanks to Herb Perkins for all of his work in coordinating the efforts, and many thanks to all of the volunteers who will be helping to pull it off each week. Especially the bus drivers--this program couldn't happen without them!
5. Student members - meeting needed to review applications: quite a number of kids have expressed interest, and have taken applications to complete. Once the applications are received, several of the Y.A. members will meet to review them and make some choices. Even if a student isn't chosen for an official spot on the Y.A., anyone is welcome to attend meetings. Please do!
6. Homeschoolers and private schoolers: discussed how to reach out to these groups, as well as pre-schoolers, to make them feel welcome and get their input.
7. Snowshoeing - Keith: discussed the snowshoeing programs that Keith Kelley, from the Council for Prevention, has been doing with pre-schoolers and programs he's thinking of facilitating for school-age kids.
8. Skating at SAW: the community ice rink at SAW is well on its way to being ready! We talked about having a "Grand Opening" type of event on Saturday, Jan. 30th from 11 AM to 5 PM. This event will be free, there will be a bonfire and food, and folks can skate or sled. Free "rentals" of skates, donated by The Shoppe Off Broadway, will be provided. More details will follow on this...stay tuned!!
9. Ping-Pong Tournament: discussed event for week of February break. More details will follow on this. Julie Myler and Bri Thibeau, plus six other junior and senior high school students, will be working on this project.
10. Website: Herb Perkins set up our website. Susan Getty has been working on this project, and will also be setting up a blog (which you are currently using!). We already have a page on Facebook. These can always be accessed from this page under "Important Links" in the right-hand column.
11. Summer Swim Program: there will be changes made to the swim program as Hebron Camp will no longer be available. We are exploring the option of coordinating with the Cambridge Youth Commission and holding the swim program at Lake Lauderdale. More to follow on this.
12. Comments from guests
13. Action Plan: discussed the need for a formal action plan for the Youth Association as we move into the future.
14. Other: an item of significance mentioned was the possibility of a van for community use; for transportation of senior citizens, disabled citizens, and for youth activities. An organization in Greenwich has a van that they are finding a new home for. LOTS of details to be worked out on this, though.
15. Next regular meeting - Tuesday, February 9, 2010: 7PM at the Courthouse
16. Adjournment
Please feel free to click the comment link at the bottom of this post to leave your thoughts! Thanks so much for your interest and support!!
1. Welcome and introductions: several new faces, including some kids...great to see!
2. Secretary's report - review and approval of minutes
3. Incorporation - next step- 501c3: the Salem Area Youth Association became incorporated at the end of Dec. 2009. Now we are pursuing 501c3 status.
4. Ski/snowboard club: first event was Thursday, Jan.7th and it went really well. We discussed pursuing some grants to offset costs for next year. This year's program came together VERY quickly after kids expressed interest. Many thanks to Herb Perkins for all of his work in coordinating the efforts, and many thanks to all of the volunteers who will be helping to pull it off each week. Especially the bus drivers--this program couldn't happen without them!
5. Student members - meeting needed to review applications: quite a number of kids have expressed interest, and have taken applications to complete. Once the applications are received, several of the Y.A. members will meet to review them and make some choices. Even if a student isn't chosen for an official spot on the Y.A., anyone is welcome to attend meetings. Please do!
6. Homeschoolers and private schoolers: discussed how to reach out to these groups, as well as pre-schoolers, to make them feel welcome and get their input.
7. Snowshoeing - Keith: discussed the snowshoeing programs that Keith Kelley, from the Council for Prevention, has been doing with pre-schoolers and programs he's thinking of facilitating for school-age kids.
8. Skating at SAW: the community ice rink at SAW is well on its way to being ready! We talked about having a "Grand Opening" type of event on Saturday, Jan. 30th from 11 AM to 5 PM. This event will be free, there will be a bonfire and food, and folks can skate or sled. Free "rentals" of skates, donated by The Shoppe Off Broadway, will be provided. More details will follow on this...stay tuned!!
9. Ping-Pong Tournament: discussed event for week of February break. More details will follow on this. Julie Myler and Bri Thibeau, plus six other junior and senior high school students, will be working on this project.
10. Website: Herb Perkins set up our website. Susan Getty has been working on this project, and will also be setting up a blog (which you are currently using!). We already have a page on Facebook. These can always be accessed from this page under "Important Links" in the right-hand column.
11. Summer Swim Program: there will be changes made to the swim program as Hebron Camp will no longer be available. We are exploring the option of coordinating with the Cambridge Youth Commission and holding the swim program at Lake Lauderdale. More to follow on this.
12. Comments from guests
13. Action Plan: discussed the need for a formal action plan for the Youth Association as we move into the future.
14. Other: an item of significance mentioned was the possibility of a van for community use; for transportation of senior citizens, disabled citizens, and for youth activities. An organization in Greenwich has a van that they are finding a new home for. LOTS of details to be worked out on this, though.
15. Next regular meeting - Tuesday, February 9, 2010: 7PM at the Courthouse
16. Adjournment
Please feel free to click the comment link at the bottom of this post to leave your thoughts! Thanks so much for your interest and support!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
January 12th meeting
Just wanted to let you all know that we will be posting an update highlighting what happened at last night's meeting...stay tuned!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Welcome to our new blog!
Help us keep our blog up-to-date with news about what Salem area kids are doing in and for their community. If you have some news, please post it. If you have an idea for the Salem Area Youth Association to consider, post that! Ask questions. Give us your reactions to programs and activities we've sponsored. Let us know about things that need to be done to make our community better or to help individuals in need.
Thanks for checking us out. Keep checking back...there's more to come! You can also become our fan on Facebook!!
Thanks for checking us out. Keep checking back...there's more to come! You can also become our fan on Facebook!!
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