Supervisors not satisfied with vague financial statement provided

By Jeremy Weldon

The future of the Batesville Boys & Club remains uncertain as on-going discussions with the organization’s directors in Greenwood continue. At issue is the direction and leadership of the local club, which has seen staff upheaval and unanswered questions this year.

The matter was brought up Monday in the regular meeting of the Panola County Board of Supervisors by president Cole Flint, who said community leaders are not satisfied with a financial statement provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Mississippi last week.

“There’s a lot issue with the news of the takeover, and everybody is upset,” Flint told the board. “There was a meeting at First Security Bank a week ago and after that I think there are just two options now, either go back to the way it was in 1994 where the county runs it or have us removed from the Delta district to the Tupelo district.”

Cole said concerned citizens who have met together, and with a director of the Northwest Mississippi District (based in Greenwood), are most concerned about the change in leadership at the club and the financial statement provided by the governing district.

“They gave us a financial statement but it’s very general,” Flint said. “We want a true financial statement that shows details of Steak & Stake, and the contributions of the county and city.” Board attorney Gaines Baker was instructed, by unanimous vote of the supervisors, to request the statement from the Greenwood office.

Steak & Stake is the Batesville club’s annual fundraiser that raises thousands of dollars from Panola County businesses, industries, and individuals. Additionally, the county and city annual budgets always include large line items for support of the local Boys & Girls branch.

The City of Batesville donated $25,000 last year, and Panola County’s contribution was closer to $50,000 including cash and maintenance on the building, located at the corner of Hwy. 51 S. and Eureka Rd.

Community volunteers and supporters of the Boys and Girls Club are concerned that too much of the locally-raised and contributed money is earmarked by the Northwest District for use in Delta clubs, who don’t enjoy the substantial financial support the citizens and leaders of Batesville and Panola County have traditionally provided.

In recent months, longtime director Dennis Hoskins was relieved of his duties by the district office, leaving many to question the motives of the oversight board in Greenwood. The local Boys & Girls board of directors were largely kept in the dark about the changes, which included the termination of other local staff. Since then, at least one Batesville board member has resigned in protest.

Supporters of the Batesville Boys & Girls Club were unhappy to be included with the Delta District, the original name of the Northwest District, which also has clubs in Clarksdale, Lexington, Tupelo, Yazoo City, Jonestown, Tunica, Grenada, and Itta Bena.

Locals believe the Batesville Club would be better suited as part of the Tupelo District, which has two branches in Tupelo, and clubs in Oxford and Ripley.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national organization founded in Hartford, Conn., in 1860. Local chapters spread across the United States and are funded with federal and state funds, and with contributions from local governments, along with private contributions.

Concerned citizens of Panola County have indicated they will withdraw from the Northwest District (Greenwood) if not allowed to laterally move to the North Mississippi District (Tupelo). When the local club was first organized here in the 1990s, the group was funded entirely with local money before other grants and funds became available.

The matter is expected to be resolved, one way or the other, in the next 60 days, as parents with school-aged children who regularly attend after school activities there are anxious to have stability and confidence in the program restored before the fall term begins.