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| The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland |
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On June 7, 1963, Mr. A. M. Lusk became our Executive Director. He resigned August 1, 1965, and was replaced by Marion F. Sims on that date. Marion became a boy member at the old Filbert Street Club when he was 10 years old. As a boy member, he worked as a desk checker, and later as Assistant Physical Director until 1952, when he left to enter military service. He returned to Oakland Boys Club in June of 1955 as Physical Director. In February, 1964, Marion was promoted to Unit Director at the Meltzer Clubhouse. In 1965, Marion was the first boy member to become the Executive Director of his club.
In June, 1980, through seed money from the Bingo Fund, a pilot Summer Outreach Program was established in the North Oakland Community at the Emerson Elementary School. The program was so successful during that first summer that it was continued in the fall, utilizing a portable building on the school grounds at Emerson. After two years, the number of boys and girls had increased to a level where the portable was too small for the programs being conducted.
At this time, an all out effort was made under the leadership of Monte Upshaw, past President and Long Range Planning Chairman, to find a permanent site within the community. A site was located which cost $152,000. $35,000 of renovation, furnishings and equipment were also needed.
Grants for the new building and equipment were from the Rotary Club of Oakland, the Beaver Foundation, the S. H. Cowell Foundation, the Clorox Company Foundation, and the Morris Stulsaft Foundation. The building was opened to boys and girls in October of 1985 and is known as the Wallace W. Knox Clubhouse.
In September, 1989, by vote of the Board of Directors, the organization formally changed its name to Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland, signaling a new dedication to serving a greater number of the community's youth, excluding none.
On June 30, 1992, Marion F. Sims stepped down after 26 years of service as Executive Director, and he retired from the Boys & Girls Clubs field in March, 1993.
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