Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia Announces 2019 Youth of the Year and Three New Members of Hall of Fame

Staff Report From Middle Georgia CEO

Tuesday, February 12th, 2019

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia announced its 2019 Youth of the Year winner, Mr. Cameron Gooden and inducted three new members into their Hall of Fame (HOF) during a ceremony on February 7, 2019.

The 3rd Annual Youth of the Year and Hall of Fame ceremony was hosted by NFL Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver, Andre Reed. The event honored youth, club alumni and community partners who have made major contributions in their communities, within their professions, or through their support of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia’s Hall of Fame (HOF) Class of 2019 inductees include: SERVICE TO THE CLUB HONOREE - Rosalind McMillan; SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY HONOREE - John Hiscox and CLUB ALUMNI HONOREE - Lamar Geddis, Jr. The 2019 inductees joined the 2018 HOF class inductees Beverly Knight Olson and Aubry Boyd, and the 2017 HOF class inductees Zelma Redding and Bobby Pope.

YOUTH OF THE YEAR WINNER: For the second year in a row, Mr. Cameron Gooden was named the 2019 Youth of the Year. Mr. Gooden, a Senior at Central High School and is a member of the Murphy Felton Tindal Club at the Buck Melton Center. Mr. Gooden has been an active member of the Club and was tapped to serve on the State of Georgia Student Advisory Council after being named a rising star for after-school programming. During his time at the Club, Mr. Gooden has been involved with many activities and being a member of the Keystone Club, a leadership program, was his favorite. Mr. Gooden will represent the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia at the upcoming statewide competition for Youth of the Year.

SERVICE TO THE CLUB INDUCTEE: Mrs. Rosalind McMillan

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia honored Mrs. Rosalind McMillan with the 2019 SERVICE TO THE CLUB Hall of Fame Induction.

Mrs. McMillan became aware of the services and programs provided by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia (BGCCG) in the late 1990’s while serving as a board member for the United Way of Central Georgia (UWCG), an agency which she would later lead as Board Chair from 2000 – 2001.

During her time as a board member with the UWCG, Mrs. McMillan worked very closely with Tammie Collins and was particularly impressed with the level of accountability of the BGCCG. By boosting strong evidence to support the investment made by United Way, Mrs. McMillan made the decision to become a viable part of the BGCCG Board of Directors.

For more than fifteen years, Mrs. McMillan devoted herself to helping BGCCG become one of the top youth development agencies in Middle Georgia. Her leadership was impressive by serving two terms as Board Chair, Vice Chair of the Resource Development and Executive Committees. Most recently Mrs. McMillan served as the Chair of the

Program & Operations Committee, leading that committee and staff through organization-wide After School Youth Development assessment (ASYD). Rosalind also participated in numerous other initiatives, including Advanced Leadership Program provided by the National Boys & Girls Club America, serving three-years as the lead Youth of the Year Coach and volunteering as a reading coach to 2nd and 3rd graders.

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY INDUCTEE: Mr. John Hiscox The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia honored Mr. John Hiscox with the 2019 SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY Hall of Fame Induction.

Mr. Hiscox began his service to the Macon community as Executive Director with the Macon Housing Authority (MHA) in 1981. Under his leadership, the MHA developed into one of the leading Public Housing Authorities in the country.

Through his visionary leadership, MHA partnered with the City of Macon and other community agencies in the non-profit/public/private sector to rehabilitate sub-standard housing and create greater opportunities for the thousands of underserved families.

Mr. Hiscox community leadership did not stop with the MHA, By serving as Chairman of the Board of BGCCG, he provided guidance and insight which created a strong bond between the agencies. Hiscox opened the doors of opportunity for the Boys & Girls Clubs to provide after school programming and services to hundreds of children and families across the Macon community. His leadership led to the Boys & Girls Clubs operating program sites within each MHA housing community, and ultimately to opening of the Murphy Felton Tindall club at the Buck Melton Center, the organization’s largest club facility today.

CLUB ALUMNI INDUCTEE: Mr. Lamar Geddis, Jr.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia honored Mr. Lamar Geddis, Jr. with the 2019 CLUB ALUMNI Hall of Fame Induction.

Mr. Geddis began his career at the Boys & Girls Club as a Vista volunteer, while he was a student at Mercer University. Upon graduating from Mercer University in 1975, he began his professional career as Unit Director of the Second Street Boys and Girls Club. Mr. Geddis worked there for 15 years, serving as a mentor, a counselor, a sports coach and most importantly a strong father figure for at-risk youth. He encouraged and supported many kids in the community by helping them to achieve their dreams to attend college and become productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Mr. Geddis was affectionally known as “Mr. G” by club members and club alumni. He was well respected and admired by community leaders and peers. Lamar ended his career at the Boys & Girls Club in 1988 to pursue helping victims and their families of domestic violence as Executive Director of Crisis Line. Mr. Geddis continued to support the Boys & Girls Clubs organization by serving on the Board of Directors for many years and was a pioneer in the Macon-Bibb County community until his untimely death in 2018.