Fonds glen-309 - Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Calgary fonds

In 1939 the Calgary Boys' Club was organized, largely at the instigation of Hy Coulter of the City of Calgary Children's Aid Department and Bill Blatchford of the Rotary Club, to counter problems of delinquency and vandalism. Over 50% of the boys attending had records of delinquency. Activities included sports, hobbies and social events. The club was run solely by volunteers until the 1950s when it became a Community Chest (later United Way) agency. As Calgary expanded, new clubs were started in Renfrew, Montgomery, Forest Lawn and Millican-Ogden. A Girls' Club was formed in Renfrew ca. 1969, and in 1974 the organization became the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Calgary. In 1968 a special program for school dropouts began, and in the 1970s two group homes were set up for boys and girls aged 14 to 17 who were in the care of the Alberta Government. In 1999 the organization changed its name to the Boys and Girls Club Community Services. The Boys and Girls Club of Calgary Foundation was established in 1982 to ensure that the Boys and Girls Club continues to play a vital role in the community. The objectives of the Foundation are to promote and assist Boy and Girls Club, to provide and maintain facilities and to acquire property to be used for the benefit of the agency.