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In January
of 1948 the Boys' Club of Palm Springs became incorporated as a nonprofit,
charitable organization formed to serve the guidance and character building
needs of the boys of the Palm Springs area. Through the help of several
members of the Palm Springs Lions Club, Frank S. Partridge became the
founder of the Boys' Club which became an Associate member of the Boys'
Clubs of America.
The Early
Years
At first
there was an occasional hike or softball game, then as the program began
to attract more members, it was decided by the Board of Directors to try
to find a building out of which a clubhouse could be made. About this
time the U.S. Government made available for a nominal charge a surplus
barracks building, which was purchased and moved to Section 14 of the
city. This building served as the home of the Boys' Club until the spring
of 1957 when it became apparent that larger, more modern, and more permanent
facilities were needed.
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The
current clubhouse in 1965 during construction of the gymnasium.
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With
the cost of a suitable location beyond the financial reach of the
Board, the City of Palm Springs made available a one acre site on
a 25 year lease for the fee of $1.00 per year. With the help of Desi
Arnaz, who staged a fund raising party at his hotel with such celebrities
as Lucille Ball, Dean Martin, and Walter Winchell, over $18,000 was
raised to build the current clubhouse
at 450 S. Sunrise Way, which was dedicated on December 14, 1958. |
Under the
leadership of the club's first chief executive, Ray Lockwood, membership
tripled within the first three years of operation and a swimming
pool was added in 1962 with the help of the Palm Springs Pathfinders,
a group of ladies dedicated to the welfare of children in Palm Springs.
With funding from the United Trust (now the United Way) a gymnasium
was added in 1965 to accommodate the increasing needs of the athletic
program. That same year, Pathfinder
Ranch was established to provide space for activities in an outdoor
setting unavailable at the main clubhouse.
Later Years
For the next
two decades expansion efforts focused primarily on the Ranch while the
Club continued to enjoy a steady growth in membership. Enhancements made
in the mid-1980s include a pool enclosure and the addition of a computer
education program.
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Ribbon
cutting ceremony for the Girls' Club addition in 1989. From left:
Mike Manuche, Duke Kosslyn, Dinah Shore, and Sonny Bono.
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Under
the direction of the Club's second and current chief executive,
Jim Coston, a Girls Club building was
added in 1989 to provide equal access for girls and to accommodate
the increasing needs of single parent families. Dedicated by the
President of the Board, Mayor Sunny Bono, Dinah Shore, and the Executive
Director of the Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Tournament, a major contributor
to the project, the facility included a games room, an art room,
a library, and a counseling center. The new clubhouse would provide
daily service to some 125 girls for nearly a decade.
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As the years
progressed and the main clubhouse facilities became increasingly utilized
for girls activities it became apparent that a co-educational program
should be established. In 1999 the Girls Club building was converted into
much need office space and the main clubhouse, due for remodeling, was
refurbished to include boys and girls facilities.
Today
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Dedication
of the Patrick Teen Center in 2002. From Left: Mary Bremer Patrick,
Lloyd Crane, Mike Buckley, and Samantha
D'Orazio
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Today
the Club serves over 1,000 boys and girls annually, providing a wide
range of after school, summer, and winter programs
in a safe, supervised environment. With the recent completion (Spring
2002) of the Mary Bremer Patrick Teen
Center, the Club is well-positioned to meet the needs of an ever-growing
number of Coachella Valley Youths. The new state-of-the-art building
provides additional space to serve older children who today face more
serious and difficult problems growing up than ever before. The Center
focuses on programming for boys and girls ranging from fifteen to
eighteen years of age, a time when they are particularly vulnerable
to negative influences. |
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