[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20376]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



            COMMENDING THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF PITTSFIELD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN W. OLVER

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 2, 2000

  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to commend the 
Boys and Girls Club of Pittsfield on its 100th Anniversary. It is one 
of only 13 Boys and Girls clubs in the country to reach its 100th 
Anniversary, and over the years it has provided an invaluable service 
to thousands of boys and girls throughout the region.
  The national Boys and Girls Club movement was born in 1860, when a 
group of women in Hartford decided to provide local boys with an 
alternative to roaming the streets. In 1906, several Boys Clubs decided 
to affiliate. The Federated Boys Clubs in Boston was formed with 53 
member organizations. In 1956, Boys Clubs of America received a 
Congressional Charter. In 1990, the name was changed to the Boys and 
Girls Club of America. The Boys' and Girls' Club of Pittsfield was 
formed in the early days of the organization and remains special and 
unique in our community.
  The Pittsfield facility was established on June 28, 1900 as a club 
for boys in Pittsfield with an $800 donation by local philanthropist 
Zenas Crane. It soon embarked upon a tradition of service and community 
involvement catering to several generations of Pittsfield youth. With 
an initial membership of 320, the club held its first meetings on the 
second floor of the Renne Block on Renne Avenue with the intent of 
preventing idleness and instilling healthy work and home values in its 
membership. Providing an array of recreational and educational 
opportunities for countless youth under the auspices of its first 
superintendent, Prentice Jordan, the club soon expanded beyond its 
original quarters. In 1906, when its membership grew to over 800, Crane 
funded a move to a more specious residence on Melville Street. 
Currently, the membership of the club exceeds 5000, making it the 
largest single-unit organization affiliated with the Boys and Girls 
Club of America.
  The Boys and Girls Club of Pittsfield continues to inspire and enable 
thousands of young people to realize their full potential as 
productive, responsible and caring citizens. I am proud to stand and 
honor them today and appreciate the opportunity to recognize them 
before the United States Congress.

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