Wallingford Boys & Girls Club's Keystone Club, a group of older teens that participate in Club and community service activities, attended the recent Pacific Region Keystone Conference in San Diego.  During their week-long road trip, members not only attended the conference, but also visited some Los Angeles landmarks and spent a day riding some of the world's biggest Roller Coasters at Magic Mountain.

The teens, along with three Club staff, drove all the way from Seattle to San Diego, stopping for one night only.  During the trip, they logged more than 40 hours of total drive time.

At the Conference, members learned about the history and mission of Keystone Clubs and got to meet and discuss Club and teen issues with other Keystoners from the nine-state Pacific Region.  They listened to speakers, participated in enrichment sessions, and also got to take part in recreational events, including dances and sports activities.

Since they were already in California, the Club staff decided to make the most of the adventure and take the Keystoners sightseeing as well. 

"The Club wouldn't run without the Keystone Club teens," said Meghan Sweet, the Club's operations director.  "They really worked hard for our grand opening and since then, to help manage younger members in our new building.  We thought that they deserved a chance to do something fun.  I grew up in Southern California, so it was easy enough for me to show them the sites.  Plus, I'd never say no to Magic Mountain myself."

Members got to visit Hollywood Blvd., and the famous Chinese Theater, where they measured their handprints against those of the stars'.  They also visited the Farmers Market, the Grove shopping Center, Pink's famous hot dogs, the beach, and spent a day at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

The week-long trip was an all-around success and the members came back even more excited than ever about Keystoning and Club service.

November 2007