Boys & Girls Clubs mark 148 years of success

Boys & Girls Clubs mark 148 years of success

EDITOR:

It all started in 1860, when three women in Hartford, Conn., decided to take in some “street urchins” — undernourished young boys with little more than ragged clothes on their backs — the hard-luck, forgotten kids of the Industrial Revolution. They didn’t know it then, but these caring ladies were planting the seeds of what would become a true American success story. Their idea took root as Boys’ Clubs, which soon began to sprout throughout New England and eventually across the nation.

By 1906, there were 53 independent Clubs in operation. The local leaders decided a national federation was needed to further the important mission of reaching out to children in need. They established the Federated Boys’ Clubs, which later became Boys’ Clubs of America.

Today, Boys Girls Clubs of America, including the Boys Girls Club of Youngstown, is a network of 4,000 locations around the nation and on U.S. military bases here and abroad. It is a remarkable tale that truly reflects the very story of America.

The Boys Girls Club of Youngstown continues that story through lives changed and saved, kids conquering overwhelming odds to succeed and the caring individuals and supporters who make it all possible.

The Boys Girls Club of Youngstown provides programs and services in a safe, supervised environment. We inspire and enable all young people of our community to realize their full potential as caring, productive and responsible citizens. The Club offers daily access to a broad range of programs in five core areas: Education and Career Development, Character and Leadership Development, Health and Life Skills, the Arts, and Sports, Fitness and Recreation. We are The Positive Place for Kids.

As we celebrate National Boys Girls Club Week this week, the Boys Girls Club of Youngstown pauses to thank the many caring people who make our mission a reality:

UThe dedicated club professionals who devote their lives to guiding our young people every day.

UThe countless, generous individuals — our board volunteers, community volunteers and donors — who support our work through their selfless commitment of time, talent and treasure.

UThe caring corporations, foundations and government leaders who actively partner with us to reach the underserved who need the benefits of the Boys & Girls Club of Youngstown.

UThe families and parents who, every day, entrust to us to our community’s most precious natural resources: our young people.

The Boys & Girls Club of Youngstown hopes you will join us in celebrating National Boys & Girls Club Week, a week of hope and opportunity for the entire community.

Thank you for making it possible.

ROBERT MARCHESE, executive director

Boys Girls Club of Youngstown

People adjust to economic reality, why not townships?

EDITOR:

I am a retired senior citizen and have lived most of my 80 years in Boardman. Like most retirees my income is very limited. When the basic cost of property taxes, health care, food, utilities, gasoline, etc. increases I must adjust my living habits. I must do with what I have and so should Boardman Township.

For more than 50 years new construction and increased property taxes have also increased the township’s income. Our officials have paid seventy-eight thousand plus for a state audit to make recommendations on our operating procedures which our administration has chosen to circumvent or ignore.

Our trustees and board members have shown their incompetency by negotiating agreements and contracts without proper funding. They have substituted more levies or taxes for fiscal responsibility. If our trustees and board members cannot perform their duties, they should be recalled. If their department heads cannot budget their expenses, they should be replaced.

JAMES JOHNSON

Boardman