Baker Youth Clubs Names Furnivall As Director
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
For only the fourth time in its 77-year history, Baker Youth Clubs has a new executive director.
Tracy Furnivall, 36, Warsaw, has been selected as the new director. He replaces Scott Wiley, who resigned effective Oct. 31.
Wiley served as director from 1992 to present. Before him, Bob Lichtenwalter ran the club from 1963 to 1992; and Pete Thorn was the first director, from 1926 to 1963.
Asked why he wanted to become the Baker Youth Clubs director, Furnivall said he grew up in Warsaw and at the Baker Youth Clubs. Taking over as the director would be a great opportunity and challenge for him to give back to the organization that helped him growing up. He wants to be able to give kids today the same opportunities he had.
As a member of the Baker Youth Clubs' board of directors for four years, Furnivall said it's always been a goal of the organization to have its own facility. Currently, Baker Youth Clubs shares a building with the Boys & Girls Club and the senior center of Kosciusko County.
When the Baker Youth Clubs gets its own facility, Furnivall said, it would be named in honor of Lichtenwalter.
"We'd like to have a building with his name on it, to honor him," said Furnivall, and to separate the club from the other organizations.
Baker Youth Clubs is only partially funded by the United Way. To have its own facilities, Furnivall said, they will have to have many fund-raisers and rely on the community to help them grow.
"The majority of it needs to come from the community," he said.
One reason Wiley resigned is because he was working two jobs and that was taking away too much time from his own family.
"It is a very busy job," said Furnivall. "We're going to try to make it a full-time position."
If the organization wants to take the next step, he said, the position needs to be full-time.
Furnivall said he will cut back his hours at his job at Explorer Van.
Short-term goals, Furnivall said, include opening and keeping open the satellite clubs in Silver Lake, Atwood, Leesburg, Claypool and Pierceton. This past week, the satellite clubs in Silver Lake, Atwood and Leesburg were reopened.
He said the club wants to start a basketball intramurals program for elementary and middle-school kids. For high school students, Furnivall said, the club wants to start a travel basketball team that would play against homeschoolers, Christian schools and YMCA teams.
He said Wiley did a great job with the time he was allowed to put into the club. He said he's excited about adding more programs to the club and "reaching the youth in many different ways."
Furnivall and his wife, Amy, have two children, Alex and Trae. Furnivall is a 34-year Warsaw resident and a 1985 Warsaw Community High School graduate. He attended Purdue University for one year.
In addition, Furnivall coaches junior varsity basketball at WCHS and is involved with Warsaw Little League and Pee Wee Football. He is a member of Warsaw Community Church.
Furnivall said, "I'm very excited about the opportunity, very enthusiastic." [[In-content Ad]]
For only the fourth time in its 77-year history, Baker Youth Clubs has a new executive director.
Tracy Furnivall, 36, Warsaw, has been selected as the new director. He replaces Scott Wiley, who resigned effective Oct. 31.
Wiley served as director from 1992 to present. Before him, Bob Lichtenwalter ran the club from 1963 to 1992; and Pete Thorn was the first director, from 1926 to 1963.
Asked why he wanted to become the Baker Youth Clubs director, Furnivall said he grew up in Warsaw and at the Baker Youth Clubs. Taking over as the director would be a great opportunity and challenge for him to give back to the organization that helped him growing up. He wants to be able to give kids today the same opportunities he had.
As a member of the Baker Youth Clubs' board of directors for four years, Furnivall said it's always been a goal of the organization to have its own facility. Currently, Baker Youth Clubs shares a building with the Boys & Girls Club and the senior center of Kosciusko County.
When the Baker Youth Clubs gets its own facility, Furnivall said, it would be named in honor of Lichtenwalter.
"We'd like to have a building with his name on it, to honor him," said Furnivall, and to separate the club from the other organizations.
Baker Youth Clubs is only partially funded by the United Way. To have its own facilities, Furnivall said, they will have to have many fund-raisers and rely on the community to help them grow.
"The majority of it needs to come from the community," he said.
One reason Wiley resigned is because he was working two jobs and that was taking away too much time from his own family.
"It is a very busy job," said Furnivall. "We're going to try to make it a full-time position."
If the organization wants to take the next step, he said, the position needs to be full-time.
Furnivall said he will cut back his hours at his job at Explorer Van.
Short-term goals, Furnivall said, include opening and keeping open the satellite clubs in Silver Lake, Atwood, Leesburg, Claypool and Pierceton. This past week, the satellite clubs in Silver Lake, Atwood and Leesburg were reopened.
He said the club wants to start a basketball intramurals program for elementary and middle-school kids. For high school students, Furnivall said, the club wants to start a travel basketball team that would play against homeschoolers, Christian schools and YMCA teams.
He said Wiley did a great job with the time he was allowed to put into the club. He said he's excited about adding more programs to the club and "reaching the youth in many different ways."
Furnivall and his wife, Amy, have two children, Alex and Trae. Furnivall is a 34-year Warsaw resident and a 1985 Warsaw Community High School graduate. He attended Purdue University for one year.
In addition, Furnivall coaches junior varsity basketball at WCHS and is involved with Warsaw Little League and Pee Wee Football. He is a member of Warsaw Community Church.
Furnivall said, "I'm very excited about the opportunity, very enthusiastic." [[In-content Ad]]