Our History
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Summary
Having a dream and making those dreams come true
has been the cornerstone theme of the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito for the last 43 years. The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito has a rich and storied history. In 1966, a group of San
Diego North County residents had a dream. Their dream was to
provide a positive place for as many area children as possible
by establishing a Boys Club in Encinitas. Every one of their
dreams have become a reality to the point that the Boys & Girls
Clubs of San Dieguito currently serves over 25,000 children in a
year from Encinitas to La Jolla in six branches and special programs.Dreams are our business, from the early pioneers of the
Club to the current board, staff and administration who continue
to be the guardian of the Clubs' dreams - and most importantly
to the biggest dreamers of all - the children.
History of the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito
Through the energetic efforts of literally
hundreds of volunteers spending untold hours giving not only
their financial support but many providing the physical labor as
well as a wholesome place for children to spend their leisure
time after school and in the evening became a dream come true.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito came into being and has
become one of the most successful Clubs in the country.
One summer afternoon in 1966, Doug Hall, then
executive director of the Carlsbad Club, met with Dr. Charles
Clark from Encinitas. Dr. Clark was representing the Encinitas
Optimist Club and was interested in starting a Boys Club in the
San Dieguito communities. It seemed that the Encinitas Optimist
and the San Dieguito Kiwanis service clubs has joined together
in an effort to establish a youth program for the seven
communities in the San Dieguito area: Encinitas, Leucadia,
Olivenhain, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Rancho Santa Fe.
In order to get real insight on starting a Club,
Mr. Hall suggested they meet with an experienced volunteer, Bob
Watson (past president of the Carlsbad Club and local builder).
After a short meeting at the Twin Inns in Carlsbad, Mr. Watson
encouraged Dr. Clark in his efforts to start a Boys Club in the
San Dieguito area and that the first and most important thing
for him to do was find an Executive Director.
However, the first thing that Dr. Clark did was
form a Board of Directors from the San Dieguito Kiwanis and the
Encinitas Optimist Clubs. The first Board of Directors was made
up of five members from each service club with each club
contributing the sum of $3,000. The members consisted of a
physician, a plumber, a school teacher, a postmaster, a trailer
salesman, an insurance salesman, a contractor, a flower grower,
and a chiropractor.
In February 1967, Dr. Clark, President of the
Board, asked Doug Hall, who had been acting as a consultant and
Executive Director (though an arrangement with the Carlsbad
Club), to be the permanent Executive Director of the new San
Dieguito Boys Club. After much deliberation and discussion with
is family, Doug accepted the position. He would hold this
position for the next 25 years, not because of any immediate
financial gain, but because he felt it presented a great
challenge and a wonderful potential for growth.
And what growth!
1969: Lomas Santa Fe Branch opens its doors (Our first permanent
Club!)
1971: The Griset Branch in Encinitas opens. (Named in honor of
Ray Griset and his family, who not only built the Club, but who
also almost fully paid for it)
1972: The gymnasium is completed at the Griset Branch.
1977: The gymnasium is completed at the Lomas Santa Fe Branch.
1984: The Del Mar Club opens its doors.
1986: The Aquatics Complex at the Lomas Santa Fe Branch is
completed.
1990: The Douglas Allred Branch, in the Carmel Valley area,
celebrates its grand opening. (Named in Mr. Allred's honor not
only because he paid for it, but because of his leadership and
past service to our organization and our youth.)
2000: Our newest Club opens its doors, the Polster Branch.
(Named in honor of Leonard and Edith Polster who generously
donated $1.7 million to complete our latest dream).
2005: Began "Share the Dream" construction on the
Lomas Santa Fe Branch.
2006: Phase One of the "Share the Dream" project
is complete. Opening of the new Pardee Aquatics Center.
2007: Barbara Harper Branch Grand Opening.
2008: Clubs served over 25,000 youth in 2008.
2008: Opening of the Center for a Healthy
Lifestyle & Organic Garden.
Boys Clubs having girls in membership?
Unthinkable! In 1973 and 1974, girls began showing up at our
Clubs after school and wondered why they were excluded. Since we
have an open door policy, it seemed inappropriate to ask them to
go elsewhere, especially since there was nowhere else for them
to go except home.
Working with the local Soroptimists (business
women's club), who were interested in starting a Girls Club,
Doug Hall developed a proposal to included girls in our everyday
programs. He presented the idea to the Board of Directors and
the Program Committee. They all agreed to allow girls to
participate in our daily programs on a trial basis for one year.
There were some concerns from a few Board Members, but the
Soroptimists were overjoyed with our approval of this new
venture and assured us they would help with fundraising efforts
to offset the added program cost.
Everyone was pleased locally, but Boys Clubs of
America, as well as other Boys Clubs, felt that we had violated
our charter. However, as you now know, we proved to be on the
forefront of positive change, since all Boys Clubs in the
country now serve girls, and the national organization has
changed its name to "Boys & Girls Clubs of America."
Today, the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito is
one of the most successful Clubs in the country. Serving more
than 25,000 youth in the San Dieguito community. Our mission "TO
PROVIDE POSITIVE ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP THE HEALTH, SELF-ESTEEM,
AND CHARACTER OF YOUTH" has been successfully accomplished, but
we must recognize that this is an ongoing mission. We still have
an obligation to those generous and benevolent leaders of the
past and to the youth of the future to assure our mission
continues to thrive and to provide our youth with a successful
approach to the future.
For more information or to purchase our history book, please
contact:
Doug Hall
Bus: 858.755.9012
Fax: 858.793.3545
Email:
BGCSDTO Foundation
Montessori Schools
