Mission Statement

To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

Our Club Provides:

• A safe place to learn and grow...
• Ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals...
• Life-enhancing programs and character development experiences...
• Hope and opportunity.

Services

• After-School Program – Our After-School Program operates from September through May. Normal hours are 2:15 – 6:15 p.m., Monday through Friday; however, the Club generally opens earlier when school dismisses early. View the Spring 2008 Calendar.
  
  

  Members start the day with Power Hour, our educational period. Following Power Hour, our comprehensive programming consists of various programs in each of the five core areas. We strive to provide programs that not only educate our members, but also provide character building opportunities.

  Danville School District 118 has partnered with the Club to provide transportation from all District 118 schools to the Club each day. Parents/Guardians are responsible for picking up their children.

  The cost for the After-School Program is only $12.00 for the entire school year!
  

• Summer Program – Our Summer Program is 10 weeks long, operating from June – August. Members receive a lunch and snack each day. Members are required to complete one hour of educational time using the Building Bridges curriculum. In addition to regular programming in the five core areas, members take a fieldtrip every other week to places such as the Illini Skateland and Lincoln Lanes Bowling Alley. A big end- of-the-summer fieldtrip is taken and a celebration is held to culminate the summer.

The early bird fee is $125.00 for each member and $75.00 for each additional member in the same family. Late registration fee is $175.00 for each member and $125.00 for each additional member in the same family. These costs cover the entire ten week program.

Payment plans are available but the fee must be paid in full by the start of the program.

Stop by the Club or contact Program Director Amy Williams at (217) 446-4315 for more information!

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History

The Boys & Girls Club Movement has a rich history. It started in 1860 with several women in Hartford, CT who believed that boys who wandered the streets should have a positive alternative: they organized the first ‘Club’. In 1906, 53 Boys Clubs decided to affiliate, and the Federated Boys Clubs was formed in Boston. The Boys Club Federation of America became the Boys Clubs of America (BCA) in 1931, and in 1956, it received a U.S. Congressional Charter. To recognize the fact that girls are a part of the cause, the name was changed to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) in 1990, and the charter was renewed.

How did this Movement spread to Danville? The Danville Housing Authority (DHA) started their inquiry with the BCA in 1988 after hearing about BCA programs in Public Housing Projects. BCA consultants did a community needs assessment and found that there were few programs being offered to youth on the east side of Danville. Community leaders such as Senator Judy Myers and City Treasurer Les Brown (both of whom joined the Club’s original Board of Directors) met with DHA officials to determine how to proceed. They decided that starting a local Club would be the best way to meet the needs of young people.

The Boys & Girls Club of Danville was incorporated on September 18, 1989. The DHA provided the Club with a two-bedroom apartment and access to the community room at Fair Oaks, as well as utilities at no charge. In the early 1990s, the Club relocated to its second home at Mt. Zion Baptist Church (formerly Edgewood Baptist) so that it could serve more youth. While there, membership more than doubled and programs were expanded. By 1998, the Club was once again bursting at the seams. Maintenance issues and scheduling conflicts with church events also plagued the Club. According to Jim Mulvaney, Executive Vice President of First National Bank and Club Board Member from 1997-2005, the need for a new building was evident. “We needed a facility that was modern and more centrally located, one that would be devoted primarily to children.”

Accordingly, a committee was formed to explore viable alternatives, and the Board decided that constructing a new building was the best choice. In 2001, the Club entered into a 25 year agreement with the City of Danville to lease land on the east side of Garfield Park for $1/year. Construction bids were sought and an aggressive capital campaign was conducted to raise funds for the new building. Over $2 million in pledges were received and a groundbreaking ceremony was held in the Spring of 2002. In the Summer of 2003, the new 22,000 ft2 Club opened, complete with a Conference Room and Offices, state of the art Technology Center, a Study, an Arts & Crafts Room, Teen Lounge and Study, Games Room, full Kitchen, Snack Area, and Gymnasium. At this point, we have served thousands of youth in our new building, demonstrating that we are indeed “The Positive Place for Kids” in Danville!

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Staff

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Board of Directors

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Club Connections: Our Quarterly Newsletter

March 2007

June 2007

September 2007

December 2007

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