Kootenai County’s Youth of the Year
Robert Jones, a sixteen year old sophomore at Post Falls High School, was the 2010 Boys & Girls Club of Kootenai County’s Youth of the Year. This was a big responsibility for Robert as he was the first youth ever selected Youth of the Year that the Boys & Girls Club of Kootenai County has had attend the State Event. Robert felt a great deal of pride knowing that years from now, his name will be at the top of the Youth of the Year plaque and he understood the task put upon his shoulder’s to lead the way for future representatives.
Robert Jones, standing to the right of the Governor, in his red power tie
Robert lived with his mom and step-father along with his younger brother and sister. He would be the first to say that home was not always easy. Being the oldest often brought the most responsibility and when things went wrong, most often the blame.
Robert began attending the Boys & Girls Club in 2007. The Boys & Girls Club played an important role in his life as Robert and his two siblings have attended nearly every day the Club has been open. Robert has stated on many occasions that he does not know what he would be doing if he was not at the Club. Going home to an empty house would more than likely mean endless hours of video games and arguing with his siblings. The Club provides a continuous stream of activities for Robert, from Bike Club……to Power Hour and even attending North Idaho College basketball games, Robert was always involved.
I will never forget when Robert was selected as the Youth of the Year for Kootenai County… He was told that he would be flying to Boise to meet and compete with 5 other youth from Clubs around the state. After getting through the nervousness behind the thought of having to give a speech he quickly let us know that he had nothing close to dress clothes and did not know how a tie worked. With the help of our Board of Directors, Robert was quickly outfitted with a new black suit, dress shoes and a slick new red “Power Tie”!
Upon arriving to Boise via airplane, Robert and his staff chaperon were picked up in a limo and hurried off VIP style to the Micron Suite for the Idaho Steelhead hockey game, followed by dinner and a cruise around town. The next day found Robert in his new suit and his red tie neatly tied ready for a full day at our State Capital. Robert gave his speech on what the Club has meant to him in a hearing room at the Capital followed by a meeting with the Governor of the State of Idaho. Lunch was provided in the Rose Room downtown Boise where Robert once again delivered his speech to a room full of people then waited to see who would be selected for the Idaho State Youth of the Year.
While Robert just missed becoming the State of Idaho Youth of the Year that day, he did walk away making five new friends, meeting some of our States finest leaders and earned a $2,000.00 scholarship for college when he graduates from High School. The most important thing Robert walked away with? Robert was able to experience something that he never would have had the chance to do if he had not been a Club member. He learned that sometimes you don’t win everything, but you give it your all and you learn from the journey. Robert understood that there are people out there in the world that really do care about his future as well as others and they plan to be there for him to celebrate the successes in life but also to dust him off when times are not so easy.
Robert is just one example of the nearly 500 youth that the Boys & Girls Club of Kootenai County serves each year. A place where kids can learn, grow and have fun. A place where great futures begin.
