Ghana To yak! Teens Enjoy a sweet year when you join the Jewish 'Community Center during our... Apples 8t flopey Special One Week Only August 29 September 5 Get up to 30% off a year's membership* The first BBG chapter in Detroit was ormed in the 1930s as an auxiliary of AZA Chapter 63. Charter members were, fm left, Ann Kosozlad, Rose Lash, Minnie Goldstein, Sally Kosins, Shirley Mackey, Bea Koblin, Bernice Simons, Eleanore joseff and Pauline Freedman. been part of a BBYO chapter in the past 10 years. While the number of chapters remains essentially the same, the number of members has grown by 200 per year. Arnie Weiner, senior executive director of Michigan BBYO, said the emphasis on peer-led activities sets BBYO apart. Teen members plan meetings, coordinate trips, prepare for conclaves and regional conventions and hold elections while adult advisors facilitate. As members see other mem- bers taking on responsibilities, they decide they want to challenge them- selves to do the same. Rachel Williams, of Farmington Hills enjoyed planning and attending events with her BBG sisters. "We would work together, go away together to conclaves, work as a team for regional convention. That sort of stuff. I had all kinds of different expe- riences with the girls in my chapter," she said. The organization provides a wel- coming environment for members. For one, there is no requirement on religious involvement, making it a comfortable situation for those with less experience or from secular homes. Drugs and alcohol are not tolerated. While some members may try to cir- cumvent this rule, events and meet- ings tend to eliminate the pressure teens may feel in other settings. "This has to be a safe place and it has to be a Jewish place," Weiner said. "That doesn't mean that we don't have problems. If we didn't have problems, we wouldn't be dealing with kids." While the benefits are clear, a recent survey found the No. 1 reason , among teens for joining BBYO was finding friendship, followed by having fun and meeting other Jewish teens. Adam McDonald, a recent Berkley High School graduate who will attend Indiana University in the fall, recruited friends to join his AZA chapter as a "survival mechanism" because he didn't know many members. That quickly changed, he said. "You go to an event and meet five new people. Then you go to another event and meet five more people," McDonald said. "I definitely would not have been making nearly as many trips to West Bloomfield without BBYO." Another draw is the interaction of the AZA and BBG chapters. Members of the opposite sex are thrown togeth- er in non-threatening activities like regional convention and co-sponsored events. But leadership is the biggest BBYO benefit, members say. The chance to hold leadership positions and motivate others to work as a group is often the first time many members are given such an opportunity. The effect of this on Rachel Williams was transforming. She said she was a totally different person when she joined BBG in her freshman year at North Farmington High School. "I am still shy but I was much, much more shy and way less outgoing than I am now. I had no idea that I was going to hold high positions because I didn't really see myself as a leader," Williams said. "I realized I had become one with- out planning to." I I One-week complimentary guest pass available For membership information, call: the Kahn Building, (248) 661-1000 or the JPM Building (248) 967-4030 Ws a Honey of a Dea *Application fee waived. Some restrictions apply. Must not have been a member in the past 12 months. The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building • 6600 West Maple • West Bloomfield • 48322 Jimmy Prentis Morris Building • A. Alfred Taubman Campus • 15110 W. 10 Mile • Oak Park • 48237 JENNINGS BUILDING & DEVELOPMENT, INC. 10 West Long Lake Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 Residential/Commercial • Home Improvements • • New Construction • Roofing • Concrete • Brick Work • Additions • Basements • Textured Concrete • Buildouts High Quality at. Low Prices Free Estimates 4 • Licensed and Insured 248.330-0142 Why you're smart to advertise in The Detroit Jewish News. $20 / 800 000 a month in new vehicles! it in The Jewish News! We saw (*.re-yr-N.-L.) • •,, 7 t,,, \. Another sure-fire way to reach this affluent audience: The JN 5ourceBook, -- the annual guide to Jewish living in „ A N .:c metropolitan Detroit. .1..4ta Jewish News readers spend $250 million each year on new vehicles. Get your share by advertisng in The Detroit Jewish News. DETROIT JEWISH NEWS N Source: 1998 Simmons Jewish News Study 8/20 1999 Detroit Jewish News 105