After careful consideration and a full review of Massachusetts’ new Minimum Requirements for Health and Safety for Child and Youth Serving Programs which was released on June 1, 2020, James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn has decided not to open our traditional summer camp program in 2020.

The safety of our youth, their families and our staff were at the center of this decision, as it is our priority in everything we do at the Club. Health and safety will continue to be our priority as we move forward through this “new normal.”

We understand this is incredibly difficult for our families who have come to rely on our programs for childcare and enrichment. We know that kids need socialization and the support that our camp offers, but it has become obvious that the new guidelines would not allow us to provide the experience that our community has come to expect.

For those of you who have paid deposits for summer camp, you will receive an e-mail today laying out refund, rollover, or gifting options.

We are carefully looking at ways we might be able to welcome very small groups of children and teenagers into the Club soon, but the capacity and hours will be extremely limited.

All of us at the Club cannot wait until we can all be together again, and we wish you well during these difficult times. Thank you for your understanding.

Julie Gage, Executive Director

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn proudly announces that Lainey Gaiero of Burlington, MA is the winner of the 2020 PFC Joseph L. Drew Youth of the Year Award. Lainey was chosen from a pool of wonderful upper classmen who are members of the Boys & Girls Club and who are nominated based on academic success, commitment to leading a healthy lifestyle, passion for their experience at the Boys & Girls Club and overall character and leadership.

Locally, this award, the top honor bestowed by the Club on an annual basis, is named in memory of Private First Class Joseph L. Drew. Joe was an original member of the Woburn Boys Club in 1964. He served his community through his participation in the Key Club and the St. Charles CYO. Joe entered the United States Marine Corps and was shipped to Vietnam where he spent 214 days. He was featured in the CBS News documentary, This Day Has 12,000 Miles which aired December 23, 1965. He was killed in action December 27, 2965 – just days before his 19^th birthday.

Youth of the Year candidates are nominated in an open process and a group of finalists is selected by the Club’s professional staff. Finalists for the award in 2020 also included Caleb Sawicki, Brendan Tighe, and Matthew Tilly all of Woburn, MA. Finalists are asked to complete an application consisting of essays and letters of recommendation. They are then interviewed by a panel of judges composed of 2 staff members and 3 representatives from the community. The panel of judges make the final decision. Volunteer judges for this year’s difficult competition included Craig Iverson, Greg Murphy, and John Sheehy.

The Club’s 2020 PFC Joseph L. Drew Youth of the Year, Lainey Gaiero, is a junior at Burlington High School where she is a member of the National Honor Society and a participant in the field hockey program. She has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club for ten years and has been heavily involved in several programs, with a focus on character and leadership development. Currently she serves as the vice president of the Intrepid Keystone Club, a Jr. Staff member, and the advisor of the Gemstones community service club for elementary school students. Lainey is also passionate about helping others outside of the Boys & Girls Club. For a number of years, she has served as a team captain for Relay For Life of Burlington to benefit the American Cancer Society. This year alone, Lainey has completed 280 hours of community service.

Armed with a passion to help others, Lainey plans to attend a four-year college and hopes to have a career in social work one day. When asked about her experience at James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn, she says “The Club has acted as my second home and family along with giving me a lifetime of unforgettable memories. It has also helped me grow as an individual and give back to a place that means so much to me and my family!”

The Club is excited to offer Spring Dance Classes for members ages 8-12 years old! Enrollment is open now for intro classes in hip hop, jazz & lyrical.  Space is limited, so don’t wait to sign up!

UPDATE: The Club is NOT offering lyrical at this time.  Tuesday Hip Hop is FULL but we are offering a Wednesday Hip Hop class from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Members Dance Brochure Spring 2020 now and email Meg at m.gamblae@bgcwoburn.org to register or with any questions. We look forward to a fun session of learning for our members.

Please note that the Club’s drop-in program will be closed Monday-Friday, March 9th-13th.  The Club will take the week for cleaning and maintenance in preparation for our Pot of Gold fundraiser.  

Lucky’s Lobsters Swim team will practice Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday of next week.  All other Club programming will pause for the week.

We appreciate your understanding as this is the Club’s largest fundraiser and raising important funds in order to keep our programming accessible for all. Please consider purchasing a Pot of Gold raffle ticket to support your Boys & Girls Club!

See you Monday, March 16th!

2020 Summer Camp

**Please note that at this time we are NOT ACCEPTING ANY SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATIONS due to the COVID-19 public health crisis and the need for social distancing.  Information will be released when our local and state officials advise that it is safe to do so.**

Information about our popular summer camp program, including details on how to register your child is now available!

Check out the important dates and download all the paperwork you need to get started over on our SUMMER CAMP page.  We can’t wait for all the fun we’re going to have at our 2020 summer camp!  See you then!

Members of the Class of 2020 who are also members of the Jamie McKeown Boys & Girls Club are eligible for a number of scholarships.  While a few are determined by our staff team, a few are determined through an application process. Below are links to a few of our scholarship programs that are currently accepting applications.  Don’t miss the deadlines & good luck!

2020 Timothy Padulsky Memorial Scholarship – due March 9, 2020

2020 JLM Boys & Girls Club Alumni Association Scholarship – due March 23, 2020

2020 Sev 4 Scholarship – due March 26, 2020

Congratulations to the Pot of Gold Early Bird Winners! Thank you to everybody who purchased your ticket early, took a chance and supported our mission of inspiring youth to find their greatness.

$1,000 Prize: Ticket #496, Steven Kenney

$500 Prize: Ticket $650, Kevin Keane

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club’s Pot of Gold Raffle Tickets are now on sale! Our Pot of Gold Raffle is our largest fundraiser of the year & allows us to keep our doors open for more than 350 kids & teens each day.

You can purchase your ticket online today!

Purchase your ticket before 12/20/19 and be entered to win our Early Bird Drawing cash prizes of $1,000 and $500.

Early Bird winners go “back in the bin” for a chance to win these great cash  prizes at our Grand Prize Drawing on 3/14/20:

$20,000 – 1 winner

$1000 – 2 winners

$500  – 2 winners

$250  – 2 winners

May the Luck of the Irish Be With You!

Gemstones presents the Clubhouse Halloween Dance!
This Friday, November 1, 2019 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
$5 per ticket, all proceeds donated to support cancer research!
All Club members 7th grade & under are welcome.

Tickets are on sale at the Club this week and can be purchased from any Keystone member, just ask! Members who would like to purchase a ticket for 1 guest are welcomed and must complete a permission slip for their friend.

Dancing, games and more fun throughout the night including a costume contest. Snacks & pizza will be on sale at the event.

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn will offer swimming lessons to youth and teens this summer.

Registration takes place June 26, 2019 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Classes fill on a first come, first served basis. Registrations must be done in person at the Clubhouse.

Please visit our Aquatics Department page for more information and to download brochures and class schedules.