From the Director's Desk

Spring has sprung! And everywhere one looks there’s new growth, renewed energy, outbursts of color and green things. The same is true of the programs, activities and opportunities at your Westside Community Center.

It’s been a while since we had this much going on. Our membership has doubled since MLK Day, thanks to our annual renewal gathering to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday and the sale of “All That Jazz” tickets which include a year of membership. Our Seniors group has stepped up and taken the lead in planning and organizing activities relative to mainstreaming Black History, including the membership dinner we hosted last month, this month’s “How I will make American History” essay competition –offering hundreds of dollars in prize money to participating local students; and, upcoming events like Juneteenth (June 19-22) and a late summer Black and White Ball. Every activity I’ve mentioned was organized and executed by a diverse committee of volunteers dedicated to our mission of providing a safe haven of nurturing and opportunity for young people.

There is a place for you and your ideas in this season of growth and renewal at your come unity center. We are always in need of volunteers for our after school and summer vacation programs for kids – helping us supervise safe play and productive study, or provide tasty, nutritious snacks; Our Center for Fine Arts is open to your ideas regarding art exhibits, recitals and productions; The Center is constantly searching for quality arts and humanities opportunities for our memberships, our students and their families.

That’s how we got to know, and collaborate with Lee GrothOlsen whose second “ Show of Hands” Sign Language Concert will be presented at the Center Saturday April 12th and Oklahoma Wesleyan University on the 13^th. This summer will be the second year we offer Sign Language Performance at Summer Fine Arts. And we are pleased and honored to have the privilege of leading the way in cultivating the understanding and appreciation of a new genre in performing arts, offered by a special constituency.

Thanks to a history of creatively making the most of whatever little we have, “Making a nickel into fifteen cents”, so to speak, the Westside Community Center is comfortable with venturing unprecedented ideas. That is what enabled us to organize a diverse group of young actors, the Dustbowl Players, who produced a number of serious plays during the 90’s and enabled Bartlesville to take theater by young people seriously again. We are proud to be an incubator for creative ideas and efforts that, perhaps, aren’t consider feasible by other community institutions and agencies. This is an area where our historical experience with struggling through challenges with jazz-like creative improvisation is a virtue.

It echoes an attribute that we all possess, the ability to create our own way: The same way the Center can only reflect the input of its clients and membership. As we are what we do, our community center will, ultimately, be only what we do for it and within it. Take advantage of the momentum of this season of new birth and bring something new to your community center: Your energy; Your ideas; Your ingenuity; and, your participation in making your Westside Community Center what you think it should be for you , your loved ones and your neighbors.  We look forward to seeing you here.