[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 147 (Tuesday, November 29, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         IN RECOGNITION OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA

                                 ______


                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 1994

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Boys and Girls 
Clubs of America, an organization which for years has been instrumental 
in the development of America's youth. Through an array of programs, an 
expert staff, and a dedicated corps of volunteers, Boys and Girls Clubs 
provide services to over 2 million children throughout this country. In 
doing so, Boys and Girls Clubs instill in our Nation's children sound 
character and superior values. They provide a foundation from which the 
youth of today may become the leaders of tomorrow.
  The future of America's children, however, remains precarious. In our 
society, children are confronted with the difficult task of overcoming 
many obstacles which threaten their development. Drugs and alcohol are 
ever present. Crime and violence are tragically abundant. Yet, Boys and 
Girls Clubs of America continues to steer children along the path to 
opportunity, hope, and success. For this I commend them. Their work is 
indeed a testament to what's right with America.
  On September 21, 1994, Mr. Arnold Burns delivered remarks before a 
congressional breakfast which honored the Boys and Girls Clubs' Youth 
of the Year finalists. His comments were clearly indicative of the Boys 
and Girls Club's commitment to serving our country's children. In 
recognition of this outstanding service, I respectfully submit that his 
remarks be entered into the Record.

         Boys & Girls Clubs of America Congressional Breakfast

       Good morning. When I hosted my first congressional 
     breakfast 10 years ago in this very place, Boys & Girls Clubs 
     of America, then known as Boys Clubs of America, served just 
     over 1,000,000 kids. Today thanks to a tremendous outreach 
     program we are serving over 2,000,000 children!
       Today we celebrate and honor the five ``Youth of the Year'' 
     finalists. These young people represent the next generation 
     of Americans on whose shoulders will rest the future peace 
     and prosperity of the United States.
       And I, for one, am optimistic about that future. These 
     young men and women have made outstanding contributions to 
     their communities. We admire their strength and their 
     determination to overcome the many barriers to success that 
     fate has placed in their paths. We salute them.
       Others, however, have not been so fortunate. Many are too 
     downtrodden and depressed by the everyday fight for survival.
       In our society today, there is poverty. There is crime. 
     There is a drug epidemic. There is violence. Kids growing up 
     today often feel trapped. They don't know how to break the 
     cycle. They see no light at the end of the tunnel.
       Teenage pregnancies continue to plague us. Each year in the 
     United States there are more than 1 million such pregnancies, 
     and the lives of many young, unwed parents are filled with 
     nothing but despair.
       By the 12th grade, 80 percent of all boys and girls in the 
     nation are periodic drinkers. Almost two-thirds of all high 
     school seniors have tried illicit drugs. Latch-key teens who 
     are left unsupervised for long periods of time feel 
     abandoned, frustrated and angry. They are subject to all 
     kinds of danger, as well as depression and even suicide. Kids 
     today too often join violent youth gangs because they feel 
     the need to be part of something or because they have no 
     other place to turn. This perpetuates the cycle of arson, 
     rape, robbery, and violence. Too often kids don't know the 
     first thing about how to resist street pressure for drugs and 
     sex. They don't know the first thing about how to find a job 
     and how to lead a productive life. No doubt about it--our 
     societal problems are staggering--mind-boggling.
       How can we address these problems head on and win--and win 
     big? To help us answer that question we today invited the 
     manager of the New York Yankees--in first place by more than 
     6\1/2\ games in the Eastern Division of the American League 
     when the season was suspended. With the help of my friend 
     George Steinbrenner, principal owner of the team (who 
     incidentally is one of the top supporters of our Tampa Bay 
     Boys & Girls Club) Buck Burns is here with us and, drawing 
     from his sports experience, will give us some pointers.
       ``Good morning folks. I am delighted to be here. Thank you 
     for inviting me. As you heard, I am manager of the New York 
     Yankees. I love my job. As Casey Stengel said when asked 
     about the art of managing, ``Managing is getting paid for 
     home runs someone else hits.''
       ``In thinking what I was going to say today I made a list 
     of the nine most important factors (one for each position on 
     the ballfield) which, in my judgment, make for a winning ball 
     club. I am convinced that these same factors are at play at 
     Boys & Girls Clubs all over our nation in addressing and 
     solving the problems of youth so well described by the person 
     who just introduced me.


                           ``1. Fundamentals

       ``In baseball, you start with the fundametals--the basics. 
     There are certain plays you must be able to make, game after 
     game, inning after inning. You must be able to turn a double 
     play. You must be able to hit the cut-off man. You must be 
     able to advance the runner into scoring position. All this 
     may sound simple--but it is the tried and proven plays such 
     as these that often make the difference between winning and 
     losing.
       ``In the Boys & Girls Clubs it is the tried and proven 
     programs that keep kids coming back day after day and year 
     after year--programs that help kids find employment, 
     inculcate good work habits, teach them how to get up in the 
     morning, how to show up on time for an interview, how to 
     become a reliable and important part of the work force. Other 
     Boys & Girls Club programs help kids say no to drugs, no to 
     alcohol, no to teenage sex and yes to school, jobs, and 
     family. They literally save hundreds of thousands of kids 
     from harm and destruction each year.


                         ``2. A Dedicated Staff

       ``Before the strike I was working harder than I ever had as 
     Yankee manager, often staying up 'til the wee hours of the 
     morning watching the videotape of the previous night's game, 
     seeing what we could have done better. Still, hard as I might 
     work, I couldn't do this job without my coaching staff and 
     other support persons. I depend heavily on them--my hitting 
     coach, my pitching coach, my bullpen coach, all the way 
     down to my equipment manager and clubhouse attendants. I 
     think we have the best staff in baseball--they share my 
     dedication and old-fashioned work ethic.
       ``At the Boys & Girls Clubs they have a cadre second to 
     none of 5,600 full-time trained career professionals and 
     14,800 part-time workers dedicated to helping young people 
     gain self-esteem and develop the motivation to become 
     productive citizens and leaders. 77,000 board and program 
     volunteers help make the Boys & Girls Club movement work.
       ``Clubs provide a positive place for kids. Clubs help their 
     members stay out of trouble with the law, and Club staff 
     become \1\second parents\2\ to many boys and girls who often 
     turn to them for advice and guidance.


                       ``3. A Strong Farm System

       ``One of the reasons the Yankees are in first place is 
     because of our farm system: our Class AAA team in Columbus, 
     Ohio; our Class AA team in Albany, New York; and our two 
     Class A teams in Tampa and Greensboro, North Carolina. Many 
     of our young players today came up through out farm system, 
     where they learned to play baseball the ``Yankee way'' before 
     they made it to the big leagues. We're proud of our farm 
     clubs--in many ways they're the backbone of our organization.
       ``At the Boys & Girls Clubs there are 1566 club units in 49 
     states and Puerto Rico run by 664 local Boys & Girl Club 
     organizations where kids, ages 6 to 18, can go every day 
     after school, in the evenings and on weekends to participate 
     in supervised activities.
       ``The Boys & Girls Clubs of America--the national umbrella 
     organization--helps community leaders form new clubs, 
     provides training, management consulting and resource 
     materials to Clubs, promotes greater public and media 
     awareness of Club work, and addresses legislative and 
     public policy issues affecting young people.


                 ``4. financial stability and resources

       ``The unfortunate and, from our point of view as division 
     leader, untimely baseball strike is all about money and 
     financial resources. It is important for all 28 Major League 
     teams to be healthy and financially sound so that they can 
     remain competitive on the field.
       ``The local Boys & Girls Clubs and the Boys & Girls Clubs 
     of America today raise and spend over $300 million each year, 
     with over 90% of these funds coming from non-governmental 
     sources. Today, if you had to replace all the current Boys & 
     Girls Clubs buildings, playgrounds, and camps, it would cost 
     close to one billion dollars.


                          ``5. top executives

       ``Remember I told you how much help I needed from my 
     coaching staff in order to do my job? Well, I rely just as 
     heavily on the executives in our organization--people such as 
     my boss, George Steinbrenner, Stick Michael, our General 
     Manager; Jack Lawn, our Vice-President; and my assistant, 
     Buck Showalter. While I'm thinking about little things like 
     whether to bunt or put the hit-and-run on, our executives are 
     thinking about really big things--like where our organization 
     is headed in the next several years.
       ``At the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, they have had and 
     now have major homerun hitters and hall of famers like the 
     late Al Cole, like John Burns, Jeremiah Milbank, Pete Silas, 
     George Grune, President Tom Garth, and Robbie Callaway--these 
     men are top talent. Their vision is vital to the long-term 
     success of the Boys & Girls Clubs.


                             ``6. character

       ``In assessing whether a player is right for our team we 
     ask our scouts to look for athletic skill, speed, and 
     agility. But I have to tell you that the most important trait 
     of all is character. We want players who will take extra 
     batting practice. Players who work hard in the offseason. 
     Players who take pride in wearing the Yankee uniform. Players 
     who will stand up under pressure. Players on whom teammates 
     can rely. Players who are for the team first and foremost and 
     not concerned only with their own stats. And we know we can 
     help a player build his character.
       ``Same thing with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The 
     care, concern, and understanding that young people receive 
     from Club workers helps foster trust and the development of 
     sound values, character, and leadership quantities. The Boys 
     & Girls Clubs take the same approach as the Yankees: each 
     young person they meet could develop into the next Don 
     Mattingly--a leader in the clubhouse.


                          ``7. a real fan base

       ``In baseball we call the fans our 10th man. Through the 
     years there have been so many times when we've been down, 
     when it seemed as if we were headed straight to defeat, and 
     all of a sudden our home fans would pick us up and help us 
     rally for a dramatic win. Simply put, we couldn't have won 
     all those pennants without the loyal support of our loud and 
     enthusiastic fans who appreciate and understand the great 
     tradition and legend of the New York Yankees.
       ``The Boys & Girls Club of America also have an active fan 
     club. Many of their fans are with us this morning. Justice 
     Department fans include Attorney General Reno, Laurie 
     Robinson, John Wilson, and Shay Bilchik. Department of 
     Housing & Urban Development fans include Secretary 
     Cisneros, Joe Schuldinner, Dom Nessi, Ed Moses, and Mike 
     Janis. Fans at the Department of Education include 
     Secretary Riley and Bill Nodzeleski and Terry Peterson. 
     Treasury Department fans include Secretary Bentsen, Herb 
     Jones and Ron Noble and Department of Health & Human 
     Services fans include Laura Schiller and Peter Edelman. 
     Among our Defense Department fans are Gail McGinn and 
     Daniel Donahue. AmeriCorps fans include Eli Segal, Hank 
     Oltmann, and Don Mathis, and fans at DEA include 
     Administrator Constantine and Ron Trethric.
       ``There are also special fans here today who have always 
     been willing to help, such as Drug Czar Dr. Lee Brown and 
     Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Director John Magaw. 
     The FBI's Demand Reduction Unit has joined forces with Boys & 
     Girls Clubs of America to develop after school initiatives 
     focusing on high-risk youth. FBI fans include Director Freeh, 
     Swanson Carter, Scott Nelson, and Bob Garrity. Police chiefs 
     are in the fan club including such exceptional chiefs as 
     United States Park Police Chief Langston, and Chief Mitchell 
     of Prince George's County. Our White House fans include our 
     alumnus, the fella in the Oval Office, and Veronica Biggins, 
     who is here with us.
       ``There are also fans here from the private sector who time 
     and time again have stepped up to the plate to provide 
     financial and other support. Fans also include our friend 
     John Walsh, host of ``America's Most Wanted'', who is with us 
     this morning.
       ``And, of course, we have a solid congressional fan club, 
     which is led by Senator Thurmond, Representative Hoyer, 
     Senators Biden and Hutchison, and Representatives Ramstad, 
     Morella, Mollohan, Martinez, and so many of you who are here 
     with us this morning.


                     8. Physical and Mental Fitness

       ``In order to pay baseball, you must be physically and 
     mentally fit. In fact, being mentally fit may be more 
     important than being physically fit, especially when it comes 
     to hitting. As Yogi Berra, one of our many hall of famers, 
     once said: ``Ninety percent of hitting is mental; the other 
     half is physical.''
       ``In Boys & Girls Clubs, they have the: Smart Moves 
     program, which helps kids stay away from drugs and alcohol; 
     Career Exploration and Job Search Programs which mentally 
     help our boys and girls prepare to be productive working 
     members of society; Sectional Tournaments which allow our 
     members to test their physical abilities in team competition, 
     and Albert Cole/Reader's Digest Youth Entrepreneurs Program 
     which allows our members to test their physical and mental 
     fitness by pursuing entrepreneurial activities such as the 
     Huntsville, AL Boys & Girls Club Produce Market, where the 
     kids farm and grow all the produce, and the funds go toward 
     pursuing their education.
       ``In addition to these programs, more and more Boys & Girls 
     Clubs are providing their members with the opportunity to use 
     computers, and providing them with skills that are so 
     valuable to their education and to their futures.


                          ``9. Some All Stars

       ``Don't let anybody fool you. I could be the smartest 
     manager in baseball--smarter than Tommy Lasorda, smarter than 
     Sparky Anderson--but if I didn't have a few all stars in my 
     lineup, very little of my strategy would matter. Every teams 
     needs its share of all stars--which brings me back to our 
     five youths of the year and the clubs whence they come.
       I'd like to close by congratulating our all star ``Youth of 
     the Year'' finalists--Todd Green from Tampa, Brooke Kersey 
     from Philadelphia, David Lillard from Gary, Indiana, Torry 
     Winn from Phoenix, and Lawanda Jones from Dallas. For being 
     an inspiration to us all you give us cause to celebrate. You 
     make us proud to renew our commitment to a strong America.
       ``With young people like this, I, too, am optimistic about 
     the future. It is not a foolish optimism. It is not the 
     optimism of the small-time football coach with a reputation 
     for looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. He 
     came into the locker room to give the team a pre-game pep 
     talk. ``Alright, boys,'' he cried cheerily, ``here we are, 
     unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon--and ready for the first 
     game of the season.'' No, mine is an informed optimism. With 
     your continued support and help, Boys & Girls Clubs will 
     indeed continue to succeed.
       ``Thank you.''

                          ____________________