Two decades in, the founding general manager of Generation XX in Summerside, P.E.I., shares the secret to a successful youth club.

Generation XX was born out of a chance encounter between a police officer and a teenager, and a frustration that there was nowhere for youth to go. It has lasted 20 years under the guidance of general manager Gordie Whitlock precisely because he keeps the guidance to a minimum.

"It's not just a place to go … it's a place that's theirs," said Whitlock.

"One thing I've learned over the years — I've seen a lot of non-profit youth centres come and go — and usually the biggest reason why is the adults think they know what the youth want, and that's not often the case."

From the beginning, local youth have played a central role in how the club would operate and how it would grow.

Under that philosophy, its budget has grown from $1,000 to $250,000, most of that raised from the local business community. It now has P.E.I.'s only indoor skatepark, and it's not done growing yet. With no space to expand horizontally, the club is looking to build upwards, adding an additional storey.

Alumni of the club include doctors, lawyers, painters, carpenters, and many of the children of the original club members are now attending. Without the club, said Whitlock, some of those lives could have gone in other directions.

"There are kids that you just know — and they'll tell you themselves — wouldn't have turned out very well if it wasn't for this place," he said.

Whitlock said he is now just a couple of years away from retirement, but he is confident the future of Generation XX is in good hands.