GROUP GROUP YOUTH SOCIETY OF PINCHER CREEK

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

MARCH 10, 2025

​

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT 
 

​

Good afternoon everyone! It is the 38th Annual General Meeting of the Group Group Youth Society that you have joined us for today.  Yes, it was back in February of 1987 that our drop-in centre became incorporated under the Society’s Act of Alberta. A few years later, in 1994, we became a registered charity under the Federal Income Tax Act. For all those years GGY has been active in the community providing programming and support for local youngsters.

 

Again for 2024, approximately half of our operating budget came from Family and Community Support Services. FCSS funding has been crucial for our operations since our incorporation. That support is so
greatly appreciated.

Funds from The Joint Committee, Municipal District and Town of Pincher Creek, provided $5,000.00 to help support staff wages.  Donations from various local organizations were also very important to our youth programming.  Its been the Rotary Club and Chief Mountain Gas Co-op Ltd. that have made special projects like the new pool table, skateboard ramp recovering and building renovations a possibility for us.  Groups like the Carol Festival Committee and the Livingstone Ladies Social Club gave other special projects that extra boost!

Our Casino Event, the end of July, brought us over $37,000.00 to support youth programming and some renovations as well as some staffing.  We just recently heard from AGLC that our next next event will be scheduled for some time during the third quarter of 2027. 

Again, in 2024, GGY partnered with Community Safety Net. This organization promotes a “safety
awareness and educational initiative that creates a network of concerned individuals who want to
protect children and save lives" throughout Canada and the USA. Many local businesses donated
towards the printing of dozens of safety books to be distributed to our members and other
youngsters in the community.

Our RCMP Liaison Project saw Board Member, Constable Will Feran, spend an hour or so with the kids most weeks through our Gym and Field Program. During the winter months he met us at the Town Hall gymnasium.  During the summer months we would more likely be found at a local park.

​​

Our sponsored child, in Nicaragua, is eleven years old now. We have helped support him, through
Children Believe, for over seven years now (approximately a dollar a day from our “in-house” concession
goes to help purchase food, clothes, etc. for Joshua).  Our youth members help with preparing cards
and letters to send to Joshua – another way to bring a little more of the world in through our Drop-In
doors.

And here are a few more stats!! Over the twelve months of 2024, the recorded visits from our youth
members totaled 1,118.  The number of individual youngsters who came through our doors over the past year totaled 107 (individual youngsters recorded as attending the Centre in 2023 were 113.) Again for 2024, by far the largest percentage of our attendees were between the ages of 10 and 15.

And, yes, I continued as the one full-time employee during the year.  Throughout 2024, Liane was usually scheduled for a weekly shift to help organize arts/crafts and hands-on games etc.  We were fortunate to receive Canada Summer Jobs funding.  Talin Dodd became our CSJ worker over July and August.  Talin has continued on with us to help with our Kids Kitchen sessions on Tuesday afternoons.

And when it comes to getting things done, I would like to say a very special Thank You to the members of our Board.  You are such an essential part of our organization.  Our Centre just wouldn't be here without you.  All that time put in checking the emails, arranging to attend meetings and working on special projects is very much appreciated!

Now, we already have a good start on 2024. I am looking forward this year to additional funding for staffing and extra help with so many programs.  We would like to work in a few more field trips, develop a few more special projects and get a little more creative with our arts and crafts program.  We have applied for additional dollars to purchase sports equipment from ParticipACTION.  Casino proceeds will help with minor renovation projects around the Centre.  Yes, it will be another busy year.  Stay tuned as the months go by!

​

​

Lynne Teneycke
Executive Director

​

​

​