May 26, 2011 - This summer, as is the case every summer, there is a very long list of activities for kids in the area to be involved in - from church activities, to community activities to sports activities.

Most area churches will have a Vacation Bible School for children one week during the summer months. The information for each VBS event is as follows:

Valley Creek Baptist Church will host the first Vacation Bible Schoolof the summer from June 6-10. VBS will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. each evening for children four years of age through sixth grade. The theme will be Beach Blast from Lifeway.

First United Methodist Church of Leonard has Vacation Bible School scheduled for June 19-22 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. each evening, Sunday through Wednesday. The theme for this year is Shake It Up Cafe and organizers have activities planned for children four years old through fifth grade.

Leonard Church of Christ will have VBS June 27-July 1 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. each day for children three years of age through fifth grade.

First Baptist Church of Leonard's VBS will be July 18-22 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each evening. Children three years of age through sixth grade will have age appropriate activities around the theme The Big Apple Adventure with New York, cabs and a general big city atmosphere.

The First Assembly of God church on Fannin St. is planning a VBS event and will announce dates and times as soon as it is set.

In addition to VBS, FBC will also offer Summer Movie Night each Wednesday from 7 to 8 p.m. Children three years and up may come view the movie and enjoy snacks while adults are studying the Bible in the sanctuary.

A Tennis Camp is scheduled for Monday through Thursday, June 27-30, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for any incoming seventh, eighth or ninth grade students. The camp will be held on the Leonard High School Tennis Courts next to the Leonard Elementary School. In case of rain, the camp will move inside the elementary gym. The cost will be $40 per student. Call Coach Matt Moyer at 903-870-6502 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Coach James Garner will host a basketball camp Monday, June 20, through Friday, June 24, at the Leonard High School gym. Girls entering the third through fifth grade will attend camp from 8 to 11 a.m. each morning and girls entering sixth through eighth grade will ateend from noon to 3 p.m. The cost is $60 per student. Contact Coach James Garner at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information or for a registration form.

Coach Jeff Smith is also hosting a boy's basketball camp Monday, June 13, through Friday, June 17, from 9 to 11 a.m. for boys who would like to master their basketball skills. The cost will be $50 per student, or for a family with two boys participating the fee will be $90 and a family with three or more participating will be $100. Pre-registration is preferred, but registration will be accepted at the door at 8:30 on Monday morning. Registration forms are available at Leonard High School. Completed forms, including size of t-shirt, with payment may be mailed to Jeff Smith, P. O. Box 25, Leonard, TX 75452. Each child will receive a t-shirt for participating in the camp.

During the week of The Leonard Picnic, kids have several opportunities to participate. Starting first thing Monday, July 11, is the opening night of The Miss Leonard Pageant. The pageant will continue on Tuesday, July 12, and Friday, July 15. Registration is currently under way for the pageant, with a deadline set for forms and entry fee on Friday, June 17. Entry forms may be picked up at any campus office of Leonard ISD, KD Johnson Inc. on the downtown square, or at The Leonard Graphic office next to Dairy Queen. Completed forms and the entry fee should be returned to either KDJ or The Graphic.

Kid's Night is also scheduled for Thursday night, July 14, during the weekly celebration, and will include various kid's events as well as kid's and parent's contests. Trippy the Clown will be on hand, with festivities for the children starting at 6:30 p.m. 

In addition, the summer reading program at Leonard Public Library is usually a huge success in Leonard, but details about the event had not been finalized by press time. Stay tuned to The Leonard Graphic for that information once it has been confirmed.