Photo by Sharon J. Alfred Youth Center Recreation Assistant C.J. Brown makes sure that the children in the Torch Club pay attention to their charter paperwork.

This meeting started a countdown to their Nov. 7 fundraising event. The enthusiasm and excitement exuded by the members was palpable.

During this Torch Club meeting, the children identified leadership skill-building events that had occurred at the Youth Center. A mini-discussion of these past events helped prompt them to realize what events other kids would view as enjoyable when they hosted their own fundraising activities.

Adult supervisor and Youth Center Recreation Assistant C.J. Brown remarked that the ultimate aim is to have the children conduct the meetings themselves. She said that even now, the Torch Club meetings are driven by the children.

‘‘I’m just there to give them guidance,” Brown said.

The members of the Torch Club eagerly anticipated their November fundraiser.

They are in the process of ‘‘hammering out” the fine details.

Brown also has asked the youths ‘‘to think of a catchy name for the fundraising event.”

The fundraiser will help finance the club’s ski trip scheduled for later in January. The children assumed direct responsibility for researching the details of the upcoming trip package.

Cora Wharton, the education technician at the Youth Center, said that the kids vested so much of themselves into presenting this package to the staff that it has reached the point where ‘‘it must happen.”