Helping young people stay physically active is one way to keep children from getting into trouble.

That is the theory behind GYM or Growing Young Minds — a program being proposed by the county Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

Page Pratt, an advisory board member, who is helping organize the effort, said the GYM program looks to use physical activities to help deal with issues like obesity, school dropout prevention and teen pregnancy.

"It will allow children to get into the gym so they are not out and about on their own," Pratt said.

The proposed program would follow the school system's 9-week schedule and be held on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 2 to 6 p.m. The program is slated to begin Aug. 17.

Activities would include basketball, mentoring, various games, food and a 'rap' session. It would be held at the gym at I.E. Johnson School.

Officials hope to initially attract up to 40 participants in the 4th through 6th grades. The program will be supervised staff from the county Parks and Recreation Department and volunteers.

Guy McCook, who chairs the advisory board, said School Superintendent Rick Stout is supportive of the idea as is I.E. Johnson Principal Emma McNeil-Stone.

The county has budgeted about $5,000 for the Growing Young Minds program. The board plans to make a presentation to the Laurinburg City council next week and seek additional funding.

The advisory board also plans to partner with the the towns of Wagram, and Gibson as well as local churches and civic groups.

"It sounds like a great program," said Mayor Matthew Block, who also serves on the board. "It is something that the City Council needs to be presented in full."

In other business, the board presented outgoing board member David Kang with a certificate of appreciation.

Kang, who has served on the board for about five years, has been instrumental in helping organize Movies in the Park, the Summer Program Brochures and the Park and Rec's summer camps, according to Shannon Newton, county Parks and Recreation director.

"He has been a significant part of what this board has been all about," McCook said. "David, we appreciate you setting an example for all of us."

The advisory board also voted to schedule the August meeting in Wagram to inspect the Wagram Recreation Center. Construction began earlier this year and is expected to be completed in September.

In other business, Newton told the board that the Scotland County Parks and Recreation Department was the cover story for the summer 2010 edition of NCPPA News, a publication of the North Carolina Recreation and Park Association.