A powerful speech and a great message from our 2018 Class President, Perry Nielsen:

You guys have already listened to 2 of these speeches, and there is 1 more after me, so I will try and stay brief.

Like Michael said, I'm Perry Nielsen, the 2018 class president.

I joined YSML last year when Dylan’s Mom, Chris Ellis, told my mom about this organization.

Back then the Fort Collins Chapter was just getting started; the Moms were putting in tons of hard work.

Mom and I talked it over; we both thought it would be a good way to get those much needed volunteer hours.

And you know… helping people and stuff.

Having been part of YMSL for two years now, and serving as President for the past year, I’ve settled into the routine of YMSL.

You volunteer, bring your gift items so you have to volunteer less, and you tolerate the occasional meeting because you need to.

I’m sure most of the boys in this room can agree with that.

The problem with thinking like this is that YMSL becomes a chore; it is another check off our list of graduation requirements.

The truth of the matter is that all of the boys in this room are lucky to be able to serve in this organization.

Rather than being part of the people that need to be helped, rather than being poor or helpless, we get the chance, and the liberty, to help others because we are blessed and have easy and happy lives.

We get to choose to help others.

YMSL isn’t a chore; it’s a choice for us boys to step out of our comfort zones and help people who actually need our time and our care.

It’s not for our resume; it’s about spending our precious time on this earth making a real impact on other people’s lives and doing something that is completely selfless.

But it does help with our resumes.

Believe it or not, we are going to be adults very quickly, and when you’re an adult, no one is forcing you to go to school or serve the public or do anything worthwhile.

Then, we get to chose our own path in life, and we are entirely in control of how we view others and world around us.

And when we are in control, it's easy for us to lose control and become unhappy because we feel like we haven’t been given all that we deserve and we are sad at our lives and circumstances.

When we are that age; when we are adults, we have to be careful that we don’t forget how blessed we really are and how much we should be thankful for.

Up to this point in our lives, it’s been our mothers and our fathers who have kept us thankful and full of Gratitude.

And we love our parents for doing that for us, because we are living nightmares to manage.

But at some point our parents can’t baby us anymore; we have to step up and lead our own fulfilling and good lives by our own will and choice.

And we have to be careful not to become greedy and unhappy.

YMSL is so important because it acts as a transition for us boys to become real and true Men.

Seeing the needy and less fortunate; helping them with their problems; feeling what it’s like to really have nothing; now that’s how we become thankful for what we actually have.

YMSL isn’t a chore; it’s a choice; a choice to show how lucky we really are.

Thanks!

Perry Nielsen

2016-2017 YMSL Year in Review Photo Video

Please click the link above if you care to view the Photo Slide Show that was shown at our Year End Banquet.

The banquet was a wonderful event with great speakers, good food, and fun decorations!  Thank you to all members that helped in the success of the event!

2016-2017 Member Survey

We are so excited to be wrapping up our second year. We want to continue to improve and ensure YMSL is a good experience for you and your son(s).  In order to do so, we need your feedback!  The most helpful responses are your comments so please don't be shy about sharing your ideas. This survey is only being sent to our moms (the members) but there are a few questions for boys so please have your son close by or do this survey together.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MQQFRVR 

YMSL Numbers and Other Random Facts

It may only be the second month of 2017, but the YMSL year is already 75% over.  Time has flown and YMSL moms and sons have put that time to good use.  Here are some numbers (mixed with random facts) to help quantify the past 9 months in the YMSL world. 

YMSL Fort Collins has a total of 131 members.  That’s enough for 2 full NFL football teams plus 2 basketball teams. 

While we have 68 boys in our YMSL orbit, Jupiter has 68 moons in its orbit. 

Some simple math would tell us that leaves 63 moms.  Ready for another random fact?  A barrel that holds 63 gallons is called a hogshead.

Since May 1 of 2016, Moms and Sons have served 2,528 hours.  That is equal to 3 months, 2 weeks, and 2 hours of service. 

Of those hours served, 1,815 were served as mother/son teams.  That is equal to 2 months, 2 weeks and 1 day of time spent together as mothers and sons.

Fourteen boys have already served their 20-hour minimum.  That is the number of days it takes the moon to wax to a full moon and also the number of days it takes the moon to wane.

Moms are right up there with their boys, with 15 already satisfying the 20-hour minimum.  Do you know the 15^th state to enter the Union?  Kentucky in 1792.

While 20 hours is the minimum requirement for each mom and son, we have some in our midst who go far above and beyond to serve our community.  One of our boys has already served 51.5 hours since May 1, 2016.  You could drive to and from the Canadian border twice in that time.

Moms are not to be out done.  We have a mom who has served 55 hours since May 1, 2016. That’s enough time to drive to and from the Pacific Ocean twice.

We still have three months left to serve during this YMSL year.  Let’s see what numbers we can come up with in that time!

Kathy Kimbell

YMSL Fort Collins, Communications team

YMSL and CYO

"Colorado Youth Outdoors was an awesome place to volunteer! It had many engaging activities for the students as well as the volunteers. One of the most fun things about volunteering there was the four wheeler, though this did cause some issues among the volunteers as to who got to drive. We got to use it to deliver and refill water coolers around the huge property. 

Since the day was very hot, the workers decided that the students should have a water balloon fight. To make the water balloons, we used a large fixture with about 20 stems at the end, which allowed for twenty balloons to be made at a time. This fixture was a modern day equivalent to the Manhattan Project, in that it caused mass destruction and chaos! Overall, volunteering at Colorado Youth Outdoors was a fun and rewarding experience."

Hayden Bruner, YMSL Fort Collins Historian

I asked one of our Historians, Ken Robinson, to share a few of his favorite photos from this year.  

What he loved about the first shot was getting to help out at the Learning House Preschool renovations & also meeting other YMSL members. 

In this second shot what he loved was getting to send off some of our local Veterans on the honor flight. 

Thanks for sharing, Ken!

Do you have a favorite YMSL photo?

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Submitted by Yee Campbell, 2/2/17:  This picture was taken after my very first Summer Camp with Respite Care, 6/16/15. We spent the morning at Lee Martinez Farm, had a picnic lunch, then walked over to the Discovery Science Museum.  Though we all look so happy in this picture, I can tell you we were EXHAUSTED.  I think for the first time ever, the boys got to experience what it was like to care for a child and to be 100% alert, 100% of the time... it was tiring but ever so rewarding!

Giving is Good for You: Brain Science Shows What YMSL Members Already Know

“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
-Winston Churchill

We are taught early on that it is better to give than to receive. YMSL members know that it feels good to help others, so it may not be a surprise that researchers are finding that serving others stimulates reward areas in the brain, creating positive feelings and increasing happiness.

In one of many studies showing a link between service and happiness, researchers at the London School of Economics found that the more people volunteered, the happier they were. Compared with people who never volunteered, the odds of being “very happy” rose 7% among those who volunteered monthly, 12% for people who volunteered every two to four weeks, and 16% for weekly volunteers.

Many studies seem to indicate that benefits associated with volunteering continue to increase with time spent volunteering up to about 100 hours a year (or 2 hours a week) and then seem to level out at that point. Consistency is also important - the more regularly you serve, the greater the psychological benefits.

Much research has focused on the benefits of volunteering for older and retired persons, including stronger social ties and better health, but there is also growing evidence that volunteering has great benefits for youth.  According to research findings by Jane Allyn Piliavin, a retired University of Wisconsin sociologist, teenage volunteering is associated with a positive effect on grades, self-concept, and attitudes toward education; and huge declines in drug use, dropout rates and teen pregnancies, even for at-risk teens. According to Piliavin, other research links youth volunteering to a higher quality of life as an adult.  And youth who volunteer are far more likely to become adults who volunteer.

Finally, people who feel that they don’t have enough time to volunteer may be interested in recent work published in Psychological Science that shows that giving time to others – from helping with homework to shoveling a neighbors’ driveway – actually makes people feel that they have more time, not less. This finding echoes similar research that shows that people feel wealthier when they give away or spend money on others.

Who knows, maybe a study of YMSL members would find greater levels of happiness among our ranks, but we don’t need a study to prove what we already know – being of service to others not only does good – it feels good.

“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”

-Chinese proverb

Lin Wilder
YMSL Fort Collins Communication Team