Ted Baker: Good morning, it's 8.36, it's FLX Morning Wednesday, I'm TFG, the former guy, Ted Baker, Paul Small is on vacation, and we have an in-studio guest we love in-studio guests, especially ones who come around the corner and remind us when we think they're going to be on Zoom. Stephanie Hessel is here from the Geneva Boys and Girls Club, step right up a little bit closer there. Good morning.
Stephanie Hessel: Good morning, glad to be here.
Ted Baker: I think you're the OG. The original.
Stephanie Hessel: The original, well, that would be Mike Rosinko.
Ted Baker: Oh, yes, okay. I was a TSG, the second guy. Two Rotarians gathered together. Yeah. Oh, Johnny. Johnny O, hello. That's right, I forgot about that rule. Thank you for reminding me. Yeah. And I don't remember the last time I talked to you about Boys and Girls Club's business. I've seen you at Rotary, so how long have you been the director now?
Stephanie Hessel: It's been a while. So I've been in my role as director just over a year. May 1st was the official, 2025 is the official date. I was there a little bit ahead of that, but yeah, time flies. There's a lot going on, we're busy all the time. So it's been a brisk pace and exciting to be there.
Ted Baker: What have you learned about what kids and families need?
Stephanie Hessel: You know, I've learned that it's really quite varied. And I've learned that the staff that supports the kids has their own set of needs and interests as well. Yeah, kids need a lot. There's a lot going on for them, more than I can ever remember talking about or knowing about as a kid myself. A little more, a lot more aware in terms of mental health. We've got some social-emotional learning specialists contracting with us to lean in and help during program time for us. So we're glad to have them with us. Their school also might work at the school and lean in with us a bit.
Ted Baker: Well these programs take funding, and one of the big fundraisers is the golf tournament. We're in golf tournament season. It's the 30th annual Golf Classic, sponsored by Tradition Automotive Group at Silver Creek. Tuesday, July 4th, tell us about golfing.
Stephanie Hessel: Yeah, so we're coming right up on that date. And we do have room for at least two more teams, teams of four. And it's a lot easier for us if you come fully intact with a team. And we're also accepting, we've got two banners left and any amount of tee signs if people would like to support, they can't golf and they'd like to support, we would absolutely welcome that.
Ted Baker: I would say the sponsorship at these tournaments is terrific because it tends to be a lot of business people. If you do any kind of business-to-business sort of thing, it's a great way to reach those people in a relaxed atmosphere, walking around. A lot of times, sometimes they'll put foursomes together and maybe somebody hasn't played with the other ones before, so you're meeting each other and chatting.
Stephanie Hessel: Yeah, it's a great day. So yeah, great atmosphere, relaxed, like you said, and a lot of fun as well. And it benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs for all these great programs that we talk about, one of which, this has just grown and grown fantastically. I remember talking about this with Chris, the Food Link distribution, that's the day after the golf course.
Ted Baker: Yes, I know. Everybody has to run back from Silver Creek and go, oh, now we'll hand out 18 tons of food.
Stephanie Hessel: Right, poor Susan Tellison, who is the lead actually on both.
Ted Baker: Yes, and so first thing Wednesday morning, we'll have our food distribution.
Stephanie Hessel: Cars are welcome. We have cars that get there as early as 6 a.m., but it doesn't really start until about 10, 9.30, 10 o'clock once the Food Link truck has dropped our, you know, sometimes seven to ten tons of food, believe it or not. Drop it right there at the side of the pavilion, and then we can go. And so yeah, people are welcome to come by. And I know over the years you've been working, almost wiped out here on my floor mat, you've been working with a lot of different providers of food to try to round out your offerings.
Ted Baker: Yep, that does happen occasionally.
Stephanie Hessel: Our primary point people at this time is Food Link, and we really work closely with them on the different things that we need for folks to come through. This week, you just got underway with the Summer University Day Camp. So what age is that, and what kind of things are they secretly learning when they don't know they're learning?
Ted Baker: They are. Yes, yes, yes. So both of our sites, our Goodman site, which serves K-2, and our Carter site, which is three through about seven, and we also have junior staff, actually through workforce development over the summer, which is our high school, there's about six at each site who are working with us. They're members, kids actually learning as well and doing activities, but they're also helping. They're working with us to help with snack, distribute snack, and clean up, and do some different kind of basic, basic things. So all the fun is happening. The majority of our kids do attend summer school at Geneva City School District, and they come to us for a variety of fun and learning throughout the week. And then Fridays is the crown jewel of the week, which is our field trip days.
Stephanie Hessel: Oh, where are you going?
Ted Baker: So we have different field trips for both sites. I brought my list so I would remember because they're just both so great. So this Friday, our younger kiddos are going to go to the Rosamond Giffords Zoo in Syracuse, and our older ones at Carter are going to head to Roseland Bowl. Nice. Yep. And then both at different times are going to be at the Strong Museum of Play. We've got Syracuse Museum of Science, Seneca Park Zoo, Cummings Nature Center, Roseland Water Park, and they kind of, you know, each Friday they're at a different, going to a different site.
Stephanie Hessel: I know we've talked over the years about the partnership you have with the Geneva City School District. Talk about how you're working to strengthen and improve that partnership.
Ted Baker: Yes. Well, we work closely with them also on the academic piece, trying to have kids support the learning that's happening at the school district happening with us. We're sharing some data to make that possible. We also have a great partnership with Hobart and William Smith. We have tutors that come during the school year, the college school year, and work with us. So we're constantly looking for ways to really strengthen, you know, literacy is a piece of it, but it's also other academic components, and yeah, it's been great. The school district has been great.
Stephanie Hessel: Now at the young end of the age group, you have the toddler time program, which I think some of the Rotarians have helped out with that from time to time. I have not been able to do that. I keep telling myself I'm semi-retired here, so I've got to do it. Tell us about what the kids do at toddler time.
Ted Baker: So at toddler time, so we just switched our schedule. We have to do a lot of choreography in our building because of our school-age child care licensing. We work within those guidelines. So toddler time happens before the other kids arrive, so zero to four families can come in. Parents stay with children, and Ryan Hughes is our director there. She sets up our gym. It goes from a gym to this magical playland as she gets everything ready, so there's playtime in the gym, and then she offers a variety of things in the, like we call it our games room, our main area at Carter, where sensory bins, just a great variety of activities that families can do, moms, not always moms, but caregivers can do with their kids at the table, and we also provide like a light breakfast for families during the week, and then Saturday we really, we ramp it up and have a hot breakfast, which we're actually going to pause in August because it's hot, so we'll pick it up again in September, but that's where the Rotarians lean in, and the Rotarians are coming the third Saturday as a group and coming in, helping to cook, serve, and then clean up, so it's a great help to us. And then I know Robin Clark and some folks at the Presbyterian Church are managing other Saturdays and doing a wonderful job with that.
Stephanie Hessel: Do you offer resources for parents, information and things, especially for parents who might be new or struggling a little bit?
Ted Baker: Yes, we do. Ryan does a great job with that. She's got kind of a, like a rack of things where you might be able to take a brochure. I think there's a lot of parent or, you know, caregiver to caregiver information sharing, and then at least one time a year, she's hosted, we've hosted, but different groups have sort of led these sort of clinics where we might do some screenings for hearing and vision and different things like that to help really prepare our youngest to be successful going into kindergarten and, you know, Head Start and some of their next steps that they might take.
Stephanie Hessel: Now, this is exciting. The 30th Anniversary Gala is coming up for the Boys and Girls Clubs on October 17th, and you're going to induct the first class into the Boys and Girls Clubs Hall of Fame. So is this members, former members, people who've helped, or who are we looking for in terms of candidates here?
Ted Baker: The all of the above. Okay. We're going to have a few different categories. This is the first time we're doing this for the Boys and Girls Club. Things like Alumni Achievement Award, that would be a former club member who's demonstrated outstanding personal or professional success. So we're going back, you know, a lot of years this could apply to. I think I can think of somebody right off the top of my head for that one.
Stephanie Hessel: I think I can too, yes. And Community Impact Award, individuals whose service, advocacy, or partnership has significantly strengthened the club and its mission. Distinguished Service, which would be a long-time staff or board member or volunteer that's shown exceptional dedication, a youth development champion, an educator, mentor, or leader who have made a transformational impact on Geneva's young people. So that's, you know, kind of the four main categories. So we're just getting this out there.
Ted Baker: Wow. That's neat. Yes. I'd love help getting this out there. I'd like these to come back by August 15th with a committee of people will help score and determine, you know, in my mind, five to seven people that we can induct into this Hall of Fame. So we're excited about that.
Stephanie Hessel: Wow. Yeah. Of course, Mark Venuti, Town Supervisor, is a regular guest on this program, and you just dedicated your pavilion to Mark and Belinda. We did, yes. In late May, we did that, and it was a perfect night in terms of weather. I joked in my remarks that I was a little worried they wouldn't show up because they're so humble. You know, they were kind of, you know, didn't really want a big fuss, but we wanted to fuss over that.
Ted Baker: Yeah, sure. They really did a lot to make it possible, and you know, to give credit, I mean, there's a list of people on that sign. The Vance Medal did a beautiful sign for us, you know, the Rickeys, the Wycoffs, you know, some of our regular people in this community who have just done so much, and their names are, you know, are etched there, so people who come to visit, they can see it, and it really was a beautiful night. We had a nice turnout.
Stephanie Hessel: Yeah. Yeah, you mentioned Dave and Brenda. They're always giving back. I pulled into Mr. Twisty down the street here one day, and this big van comes up with about 15 kids in it, and they all pile out, and there they are taking kids out for ice cream.
Ted Baker: Yeah. That's just how they are. They're so down-to-earth and terrific. They've been great supporters of ours, and also in a special way, where they're really, you know, really care about the success of the Boys and Girls Club, so I really appreciate it. I mean, you know, they can ask some tough questions, but all underlying that is really their care for success.
Stephanie Hessel: I was looking on the website, bgclubgeneva.org. Is that hiring still going?
Ted Baker: We are still hiring. We've kind of just done a wave for our summer program, but we'll be ramping up again for fall. We tend to, you know, seasons tend to see people move on, or, you know, and then maybe a new school year, we'll always be adding folks, so yes, and that is in English, but we've also, you know, we're encouraging Spanish-speaking folks. We have many on our staff, bilingual staff, that are able to help. I am a little rusty. I took Spanish in high school and college, and so I, but we have great staff who kind of help fill the gaps if there's any, you know, so if anybody's considering it and isn't quite sure, there's a lot of support to help someone with an interview or an application.
Stephanie Hessel: So again, the first Hall of Fame nominees will be announced at the gala on October 17th, and remind us again how to nominate somebody.
Ted Baker: So I've got the form here. We're going to see it. It will be up on the website shortly, and I'm going to be getting it out in the community as best I can, but anybody could call the club as well, 759-6060-315, and I'd be happy to email them or share a nomination form.
Stephanie Hessel: Very good. Stephanie Hessler, Executive Director of the Geneva Boys and Girls Clubs. Great to talk to you. Are you going to be at lunch today?
Ted Baker: I should be there, yes.
Stephanie Hessel: All right. We'll see you again in a couple hours.
Ted Baker: All right. Thanks, Ted. Thanks for coming in. Thanks for having me.
