Newspaper Page Text
Page 8A
■ Reporter
June 29, 2022
Forsyth-Monroe Boys & Girls Club welcomes new director
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Brayden Royer is the new
director of the Forsyth-
Monroe County Boys &
Girls Club. He came to
the position in May, just
in time to be immersed in
summer camp, when the
Boys & Girls Club provides
activities all day rather than
after classes as it does dur
ing the school year.
Royer said the Forsyth-
Monroe County Club is
full at 75 youth signed
up for summer, with an
attendance of about 50-55
each day. He said both
he and the campers are
enjoying the summer
camp, especially the special
partnerships and pro
grams. Papa Johns Pizza is
providing pizza on Fridays,
and Momentum Christian
Church brings its ice cream
van. There will be a trip to
Six Flags Over Georgia for
campers ages 8 and up on
Thursday.
Royer said he is fortunate
to have Tonie Wilkerson
as program director at the
Forsyth-Monroe County
Club. Wilkerson filled in as
the director while the posi
tion was vacant and has
guided Royer as he took
over the position. Royer
said he has a great staff,
and the kids love the staff
members. Plans are to add
two more staff members so
the after school program
can expand to serve 100 or
even 150 children.
The Forsyth-Monroe
County Club currently
serves 80-100 students in
the after school program,
which is about the same as
Royers home club. Boys &
Girls Clubs required pro
grams teach healthy habits
like planning nutritious
meals and snacks, exercis
ing and keeping minds
sharp with summer brain
games.
“It’s a triple play—mind,
body and soul,” he said.
Royer began working
with the Boys & Girls Club
in his hometown area of
Brunswick/St. Simons
when he was 16. He gradu
ated from Georgia Col
lege & State University in
Milledgeville in May 2021
with a degree in public
health and that summer
accepted the job as direc
tor of the Barnesville Boys
& Girls Club. The move to
Forsyth is a promotion for
him, and he said he loves
Brayden Royer
the Forsyth community
and its Boys & Girls Club.
Royer has one older sister
and two adopted younger
sisters. He is engaged to
be married, with a wed
ding planned for this fall.
His fiancee is a labor and
delivery nurse. He said he
has always had a love for
working with children.
Royer said his favorite
part about working with
the Boys & Girls Club is
the impact he can make on
childrens lives by helping
give them a positive, safe
environment. He said there
are a lot of good things go
ing at the Forsyth-Monroe
County Club, but he has a
wish list of things he would
like to add.
The top of the list is more
computers. He would like
to have cubbies where stu
dents can leave book bags,
jackets, etc. He has formed
an advisory board and will
brainstorm with them how
to raise funds for additions.
He has been impressed
with how very nice his
student volunteers are.
“They go out of the way
to help without being
asked,” said Royer.
The Forsyth-Monroe
County Boys & Girls Club
will begin registration for
the 2022-23 school year
shortly after July 5. Current
availability will fill quickly
and then there will be a
wait list. Call 478-992-5605
for more information.
Summer hours are 7:30
a.m.-5:30 pm. and contin
ue through July 29. (Closed
July 4-8)
Tire Club is at 558 High
way 83S in the William
Hubbard Community
Complex, near Hubbard
Elementary School.
Boys & Girls Club
names Members
of the Month
Forsyth-Monroe County Boys & Girls Club Members of
the Month for June are Kyleigh Garrison, 10, and Mitchell
Robinson, 7. Kyleigh is going into 5th grade, and Mitchell
will be in 2nd grade. Both attend Hubbard Elementary.
FORSYTH
CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
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(Georgia
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MOLEST
Continued from Front
across the house”. That
brother finally moved out
and that’s when she said
her dad began to treat her
differently. She said she
had to do more chores
like the dishes and had
to feed their animals. She
said it was Father’s Day
2020 that she was in bed
and her father entered her
bedroom in his underwear,
sat on her bed and started
touching her legs. She said
she tried to move away.
She said her brother was
in the same bedroom but
was asleep. She said that
she started to cry but that
he said “it would be fun to
do”. She said he finally left
and said he never touched
her private area. The son
also testified that his father
threw his older brother
around at night.
Under cross examina
tion from Dawley attorney
Jeff Banks of Macon, the
girl said she spent hours
practicing her testimony
with her grandmother. She
added that she was told
not to lie. However, when
the grandmother was cross
examined by Dawley’s
attorney later that day, she
claimed that she never
spent hours practicing her
testimony. The daughter
said the last time her dad
tried to molest her was on
his birthday, July 21,2020.
Assistant district attorney
Carolee Jordan said Dawley
has five children total by
two different mothers. She
said he was never married
to either woman. Jordan
presented text messages
from the children to sup
port the claim they were
molested.
In all Dawley faces 11
counts related to sexual
molestation. Jordan said
prosecutors did not offer
Dawley a plea deal.
Dawley attorney Banks
in his opening statement
said that one of Dawley’s
son is “not the brightest
star in the sky” and that he
only made his accusation
after his father called the
police on him. He said the
son told deputies he was
wearing the same under
wear from when his father
had sodomized him 9 days
prior. Yet an analysis of the
underwear found no evi
dence of it. He said depu
ties closed the case but that
the DAs office reopened it
later. Banks also said that
the state investigator led the
teenagers to make accusa
tions by the way she asked
questions, putting words in
the kids’ mouths.
“She’s trying to put ideas
in this girl’s head,” said
Banks.
“It boils down to my
client’s word against a little
girl’s word,” said Banks.
“Put emotion aside and
listen to the evidence and
a truckload of reasonable
doubt.”
Please join us as we unveil the new Infinite Unity &
Flame of Perseverance sculpture at Forsyth City
Hall on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at 5 pm.
We’ll have refreshments, you
can meet the artist, and view
the sculpture up close.
• Designed by local artist,
Meagan Thomas
• Made possible in part by a
Georgia Council for the Arts
Vibrant Communities grant, in
collaboration with the city of
Forsyth and the city of Forsyth
Convention & Visitors Bureau.
• Fabrication by Michael
Borders, Iron Eagle Design &
Fabrication
Monroe County 12u 1$ USSSA State Champions
and going to the World Series in New Orleans!
CONGRATULATE THEM AND
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!
/I
1/4 PAGE $200
1/8 PAGE $100
2x4 $50
COLOR INCLUDED
A PORTION OF THE AD SALES WILL GO TO THE TEAM
YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A DONATION AT UNITED BANK
Make checks out to: Monroe County 1 2U Baseball Nationals ALL-STARS
1 00 River Overlook, Forsyth, GA 3 1 029
DEADLINE: Friday, July 1st
PUBLICATION: Wednesday, July 6th
To participate, call or text Donna Wilson at
478.993.5085 or e-mail ads@mymcr.net.
^Reporter