Youth and Government Wrap Up

The 2010 Maryland YMCA Youth and Government Session has officially come to a close and it was a wonderful conference! Most events of this size are not complete without some problems and stress but we hardly felt a bump in the road. The students this year were some of the best I've ever had the privilege to know. Their dedication to a job well done meant less for me to worry about and those pesky little problems just faded into the background far overshadowed by their leadership, success and accomplishment. This year, more than any I've ever attended, the students stepped out of their comfort zone to get to know students in other delegations. The Youth Governor and Youth Lt. Governor lead the way with their high energy and easy going attitudes.

The highlight of the trip for most of the participants was the Youth Lt. Governor's Banquet with Governor Martin O'Malley as the keynote speaker. Governor O'Malley also stayed to help hand out awards and take pictures with the students. Also in attendance at the banquet were CEO's, school principals, Y execs and many honored guests. We were privileged to have so much support!

As the summer approaches our students are preparing for CONA (Conference on National Affairs). Maryland will send its largest delegation in many, many years with 14 students and one advisor traveling to North Carolina for the national conference. I am so proud of our students and so thankful for our advisors. It was a great year!

Posted by Amy Maloy, State Director, MD Youth and Government, Y of Central Maryland

Energy to Burn!

I have a five year old son. If you have a son, that's all the information you need to know. If however you don't have the privilege of living with a boy, let me explain. He is overflowing with energy and, while capable of sitting still, doesn't enjoy it and would prefer to mimic a bag of microwave popcorn. He is loud - think rock concert mosh pit volume. He is curious and is always trying to figure out how something works. He loves tools and has taken apart numerous things in our home, like the chairs, and the banister. He likes to hide, when I'm running late, and he thinks it's hilarious when I can't find him. He teases his sister about 75% of the time, but the rest of the time (when he's not sleeping) he calls her princess and tells her she's beautiful. He is more than a handful, but I wouldn't trade his personality for anything... well, maybe for a couple more hours of sleep but that's it.

As you can imagine a child with such energy and enthusiasm for life just blesses his teachers and coaches each day by his presence in their class. Ok, maybe not. Maybe I find myself apologizing on a regular basis for his shenanigans. Maybe we have long talks in the car before his Y Tot's Day Out class about listening to the teacher. Maybe some days that works.

I am hugely grateful for his Tot's teachers and his Youth Sports coaches. Their patience with my son goes above and beyond the call of duty. The simple fact that he enjoys his time at the Y and asks to go back speaks volumes about their investment.
I picked him up from Youth Sports the other day to find that he had a new coach. I was opening up my mouth to offer an apology for his energy when Coach Mike said, "Christopher did great today! He showed me how high he could count by counting his jumps on the mini-trampoline." And THAT is why I love the Y. A brand new coach that saw a high-energy child and used the tools at his disposal to get that energy out. He managed to find it fun to work with my wonderfully crazy boy.

Posted by Amy Maloy, State Director, MD Youth and Government, Y of Central Maryland

Teen Leaders in Y Youth and Government Program

This past weekend I had the privilege to oversee the Maryland YMCA Youth and Government Pre-Legislative Session. Students from schools and Y's all over Maryland came together for a day of speeches, elections and debates. The Youth Governor and Lt. Governor lead with style and class and I was impressed all over again by these teenagers and their maturity.

In my experience as a Y employee I have never met a group of people as enthusiastic as high school students. When I am out of ideas, they have one more great one. When I see a dead end, they find an opportunity. When I am discouraged, they bring hope. When I am exhausted, they keep going until everything is finished. I am sure that any person who has ever griped about "those teenagers" has never spent time with these young people. I am honored to guide their program and excited to see their leadership shine. It almost seems unethical to take a paycheck when the students do so much hard work.

I am looking forward to the Legislative Session next month where we will spend three days in Annapolis using the actual State House and Committee rooms to argue legislation, pass Youth-Bills and experience our government first hand.

To learn more about Y Youth and Government, visit Chris Ader-Soto’s expert opinion blog on this program at http://ymdopinion.blogspot.com/.

Posted by Amy Maloy, State Director, MD Youth and Government, Y of Central Maryland

Youth and Government

My current position at the Y of Central Maryland is to oversee a teen program called Youth and Government. The program models the Maryland state legislature and gives high school students the opportunity to learn by participating in actual elections, bill writing and debate. Delegation meetings take place in Ys and schools all over the state and range in size from less than 10 to almost 40 students. In their delegation meetings students learn to research and write a bill, the rules of parliamentary procedure and how to properly debate. We meet together for a pre-legislative session where the students read and rank their bills, elect committee chairs and elect their officials. Then in April we head to Annapolis for three days where the students use the actual Maryland State House facilities to debate their bills. The Youth Governor and Lt. Governor take on great responsibility in leading the program as do the other elected officials, cabinet members and committee chairs.

I have been involved with Youth and Government for a number of years and each year I continue to be amazed at the level of professionalism and responsibility the students show during the program. As advisors and adults we could never do for them what they are able to do for the program.

While in Annapolis for the Legislative Session the Youth Lt. Governor hosts a banquet. Parents, school principals, Y directors and CEO's join us at the Lowes Hotel for dinner and awards. This year we are honored to have Governor O'Malley scheduled as the keynote speaker.

Please contact me if you or someone you know is interested in the Youth and Government program. Our registration is closed for this year but there are delegations all over the state that would love to have additional members in 2010-2011. If you are interested or want to know more, please contact me at amymaloy@ymaryland.org.

Posted by Amy Maloy, State Director, MD Youth and Government, Y of Central Maryland

Introducing Amy

I'd like to use my first Y blog post to introduce myself. My name is Amy and I've been a Y of Central Maryland staff person and member for 11 years. I started in the late 90's as a Camp Director, became a Program Director and am now the State Director for Maryland Youth and Government (a state-wide teen program). My kids attend preschool and Youth Sports programs at the Dancel Family Center in Ellicott City and I try to work out there four days a week (with an emphasis on the word “try”).

My family LOVES the Y! When I started I thought it was just a job I'd do for a summer and move on, how wrong I was! It didn't take long for me to drink the Y Kool-aid and buy into the values and culture of the whole organization. I credit the Y with my love of summer camping. The helped me find my way in my first professional setting and opened my eyes to all I could do as a trainer and leader of staff. I met my best boss and best employees at the Y. I got healthy, lost weight, learned new things and came into my own as an adult at the Y.

My future blog posts will give you a window into how we experience the Y right now—for me as part of the staff and my family as members. We love it here and I'm excited to watch my kids grow up in the culture I have grown to love.

Posted by Amy Maloy, State Director, Maryland Youth and Government, Y of Central Maryland