Looking At BBYC Through The '70s And '80s
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Editor’s Note: The following is another in the continuing series chronicling the history of Baker Youth Club.
As we continue to take you back through the years of the Baker Boys Youth Club, readers will travel through the ’70s and ’80s in this article. Once becoming a United Way agency in the late ’60s, BBC saw significant growth in programming locally and throughout the county. In 1971 Coach Bob Lichtenwalter was approached by Carol Landrigan and Nancy Kleeman of the local chapter of College and University of Woman to help provide services for girls. Coach took their idea to the board and they approved the motion to help start a girls club in Warsaw. Baker Boys Youth Club offered their Monday and Tuesday nights and allowed the Warsaw Girls Club to use their equipment, office and funded them for their first year. In 1972 the idea of offering satellite clubs was proposed. Coach was asked by Joe Shepherd, Bob Lasuer and Bob Snoke to help operate a BBC at Claypool School. Twice a week BBC served the children in Claypool School. In 1973, BBC started an additional satellite club for the kids in the Silver Lake area. Baker Boys (Youth) Club really started to have an impact all through the county. In 1978, the Club moved from the high school to Center Ward-Warsaw Armory located on West Main Street (now Zimmer corporate headquarters). It was also in this year the Warsaw Day Care out grew the Methodist Church. Mayor Dale Tucker wanted to build a facility on Park Avenue for the day care. Tucker asked Bob Murphy to write a grant request to the DNR (for the land) and HUD (for a proposed building project). With much work the DNR bought the land and HUD financed the project so planning began. Murphy grew up in the Boys Club and thought BBC should be in on the planning. Three years later in 1981 the Pete Thorn Youth Center opened. The facility housed Baker Boys Youth Club, Warsaw Girls Club and Warsaw Day. This move from the school allowed BBC to have control when to open and close. BBC operated on Monday and Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:30, Wednesday through Friday 4:30 to 9:30, Saturdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 3:30. Through the ’80s the club continued to be extremely busy with many different activities provided. In 1987 Coach retired from teaching. Coach said they told him he couldn’t paddle kids anymore and he told them he was done. “Egads, Furny, That’s gonna cost ya one!” How many of you guys have heard that before? When Coach retired from teaching the board gave him a raise as director and we was no longer the lowest paid executive director in the United States. Baker Youth Club would like to invite anyone interested in attending its annual awards dinner and auction. The event is May 2 at 6 p.m. The evening will include dinner, awards to more than 40 children, announcement of the Girl and Boy of the Year and live auction to help raise dollars for BYC programs. For more information, call 574-267-8771.
Editor’s Note: The following is another in the continuing series chronicling the history of Baker Youth Club.
As we continue to take you back through the years of the Baker Boys Youth Club, readers will travel through the ’70s and ’80s in this article. Once becoming a United Way agency in the late ’60s, BBC saw significant growth in programming locally and throughout the county. In 1971 Coach Bob Lichtenwalter was approached by Carol Landrigan and Nancy Kleeman of the local chapter of College and University of Woman to help provide services for girls. Coach took their idea to the board and they approved the motion to help start a girls club in Warsaw. Baker Boys Youth Club offered their Monday and Tuesday nights and allowed the Warsaw Girls Club to use their equipment, office and funded them for their first year. In 1972 the idea of offering satellite clubs was proposed. Coach was asked by Joe Shepherd, Bob Lasuer and Bob Snoke to help operate a BBC at Claypool School. Twice a week BBC served the children in Claypool School. In 1973, BBC started an additional satellite club for the kids in the Silver Lake area. Baker Boys (Youth) Club really started to have an impact all through the county. In 1978, the Club moved from the high school to Center Ward-Warsaw Armory located on West Main Street (now Zimmer corporate headquarters). It was also in this year the Warsaw Day Care out grew the Methodist Church. Mayor Dale Tucker wanted to build a facility on Park Avenue for the day care. Tucker asked Bob Murphy to write a grant request to the DNR (for the land) and HUD (for a proposed building project). With much work the DNR bought the land and HUD financed the project so planning began. Murphy grew up in the Boys Club and thought BBC should be in on the planning. Three years later in 1981 the Pete Thorn Youth Center opened. The facility housed Baker Boys Youth Club, Warsaw Girls Club and Warsaw Day. This move from the school allowed BBC to have control when to open and close. BBC operated on Monday and Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:30, Wednesday through Friday 4:30 to 9:30, Saturdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 3:30. Through the ’80s the club continued to be extremely busy with many different activities provided. In 1987 Coach retired from teaching. Coach said they told him he couldn’t paddle kids anymore and he told them he was done. “Egads, Furny, That’s gonna cost ya one!” How many of you guys have heard that before? When Coach retired from teaching the board gave him a raise as director and we was no longer the lowest paid executive director in the United States. Baker Youth Club would like to invite anyone interested in attending its annual awards dinner and auction. The event is May 2 at 6 p.m. The evening will include dinner, awards to more than 40 children, announcement of the Girl and Boy of the Year and live auction to help raise dollars for BYC programs. For more information, call 574-267-8771.