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Regular Meeting Minutes

East Lyme Youth Services

April 23, 2008

Present:  Melissa O’Brien, Lawry O’Connell, Tiffany Hunt, Mike Manifold, Ashley Peterson, Linda Fecteau, Pat Larkin, Hayley Engleberg

Absent:   Torrin Ewers, Paul Lapides

Preliminary Business: Lawry O’Connell called Meeting to order at 7:05pm

1. Pledge was observed
2. Introductions; None
3. Delegations; None
4. Correspondence: None
5. Approval of the March 19, 2008  special meeting minutes

** Motion (1) Motion by Mike Manifold to approve the March 19, 2008 special meeting minutes.  Second by Tiffany Hunt.

Vote: 4-0 2 Abstentions

Motion passed

New Business

1. Director’s update:  Missy reviewed her full report.  Please see attached report for full update.

1       Programs- Current and upcoming programs were discussed with some of the highlights being:

·         The Beach Dances and Beach Parties will once again be held this year.

·         The Memorial Flower Garden project at the center being done in conjunction with, Parks and Rec, EL Gardening Club and EL Beautification Committee is taking shape.  Many donations have been received from area businesses .There will be a wishing well in memory of all children who have been lost in the area to cancer.

·         On June 4 Haley Engleberg and Amber Allen will be representing East Lyme Youth Services at a youth forum being held at Connecticut College.  The topic will focus on youth leadership.

2       Collaborations-

·         The “Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition” surveys are currently being collected at the high school and middle school.  Work is ongoing in development of a parent and child handbook.

·         Youth Services has merged with Parks and REC for the quarterly newsletter.   Youth Services will have an entire page in the upcoming newsletter.

3       Special Events-

·         The Flanders 5K race will be held on Saturday April 26.  Outback Steakhouse is once again sponsoring the event.

·         A Youth and Music Festival (Y.A.M.) will be held on June 28 at the Groton skate park.  Our high school co-coordinator, Alicia McAvay, is working with the student advisory board in planning this event.

4.      Budget update-

·         The director was instructed by the First Selectman of the need to reduce the payroll line item by $7,200 specifically in the part time seasonal staff area.

5.      Revenues-

·         The grant for enhancement funds in the amount of $6,250 has been received from the DOE and has been allocated to use for the Y.A.M. and high school activities as well as the coordinators payroll for high school activities along with supplies for these events. 

2.  Staffing:  Haley Engleberg and Bernadette Hebbel have been added to the staff as youth workers.

Old Business:

A.  501C3 close out / special appropriation:   Presentation was made to Board of Finance for a request of allocation for $2,500.  Due to a special adjustment be9ing requested this item will be going back to the Board of Selectmen for approval and then on to the Board of Finance for action.

B.  Technology / Computers:  The website has been updated.  Have not yet received a copier from the town.  Have been notified it will be available on July 1, 2008.

Public Discussion:  None

** Motion (2)

Motion to adjourn by Mike Manifold, second by Tiffany Hunt

Vote 6-0

Motion passed

Meeting adjourned by Lawry O’Connell at 7:55 p.m.

Directors Report

East Lyme Youth Services Association, Inc.

April 23, 2008

Dear Commission members,

I would like to give all of you an overview of what is happening here at Youth Services. Please feel free to call me to discuss anything further or with questions.

Current Programs- Our programs are running smoothly with many youth involved. S.P.A. is currently are kicking off an anti-drug campaign, recycling awareness, a multi-cultural display, and recently hosted the Lillie B. Haynes sun setter program for an Easter Egg Hunt.  They also planned two field trips over April break, which were Laser Tag and a movie and bowling. We started a new program called Girl Talk, which takes place on Tuesdays from 3-4. Girls come over and discuss issues they’re facing, give each other advise, hang out, laugh and support each other. Topics discussed range from fashion, music, to body image, feminism to schoolwork and stress.  A great project that we have started with help from Park and Recreation as well as the EL gardening club and the EL beautification committee is to design and make a memorial flower garden for the front of the community center. Salem Country gardens have donated a wishing well to us in memory of all the children we have lost to childhood cancer in the area. Kids Cancer-survive will donate the plaque. Along with the previous mentioned committees we are also going to start a Gardening club in April who will be in charge of the garden!  Many town greenhouses have already donated trees, plants, flowers and gift certificates to this great intergenerational community project. Flanders 5k is coming up on April 26^th. I need volunteers on that day, please let me know if you can help- I will need you there at 8am. We have 90 pre-registrations for the race and are expecting a big turnout.  Alicia and her Student Advisory Board will be hosting four incoming Freshman nights at the youth center from 7-9pm. The first one is this Friday night.

Summer Programs- We are currently in the process of planning our summer activities. We will be hosting our first Y.A.M. Festival this year. Alicia is working with her high school Student Advisory Board, and other youth serving organizations to plan and coordinate a Youth and Music Festival to be held on June 28^th from 12-8pm at the Groton Skate Park. Area youth bands will be playing, youth and adult vendors, food, and fun for all! 

We will be collaborating with the Parks and Recreation department in running “Hang out with a Cause”, a Teen summer community service group. Our Beach Dances and Parties have been set and booked, and we are working on running another Sitter Survival class and more field trips throughout the summer!

Collaborations: As you all know I serve on many committees both in town and in the area where youth are concerned. I have added this section to give you a brief update of any current activities scheduled through these committees and boards.

The “Substance abuse prevention Coalition” met last week. I am currently working with the administration at the high school and middle school to re-implement the surveys, which are taking place this week. The Coalition is also working on generating a parent and child handbook with support services in the area, parent forums and positive youth activities. I have a new committee member who is currently working on her Masters degree in Substance Abuse prevention and is anxious to facilitate some parent workshops, she is currently working on a proposal for a community conversation and youth forums. She attended our last meeting, the committee was very supportive and on board with her suggestions.  

CYSA- I am currently planning along with the committee a quarterly training. Both Sarah and I will be attending.

Teen Council – I recently volunteered for this new committee in town headed by our first selectman Paul Formica. We have been meeting bi-weekly. The Council has worked with Mike Manifold to place youth in government and business internships. The interns are working out great, and ours is exceptional! If anyone is interested in taking an intern and works within the town, please let me know. Also, we have two interns from Mitchell College on our committee who are working on the Skate Park for the town as well as a community dog park and a field!

Finance and Resource Development:

Grants

1. I submitted the application for $$6,250.00 enhancement funds through the DOE. We have received the check; and it has been allocated to our account to use for Alicia’s payroll for High School activities, and the Youth and Music Festival, as well as supplies for these activities.

      B.  I will speak in more detail at our meeting regarding the 501c3 funds.

Commission Recruitment:  We do not currently have seats available.

Publicity: Our spring/summer programs and events will be posted in the Parks and Rec newsletter.  We have also partnered with Park and Rec in their quarterly newsletter that is sent to each home in Niantic and East Lyme. Sarah now has a weekly update section in the Lyme Tymes.  Flyers, school newsletters and bulletin boards in East Lyme are still our main source of outreach. We also have a great website; www.elysa.org. 

Technology: Still no copier. According to the IT department, we will be getting a copier July 1.  Carmen has updated our website and it looks great! The town is still in transition with their website hosting and program. Once it is established what program we will be using in will be installed in my computer.

Facilities:  Nothing to report at this time.

Other:  Van- up and running.

Thank you for your support and hard work!!!

Submitted by:  Melissa O'Brien