I am William Thrasher Jr., and it is my pleasure to announce the formation of the South End(William E Thrasher) / Dunbar Boys’ Club Alumni Association. Would you believe that it has been almost 60 years since the Boys Clubs of America opened its door to our community here in Little Rock. 60 years, it seems like a lifetime and yet the years have swiftly passed. A lot has happened in the past 60 ye
ars, and my job today is to share with you just how far we have come and where we would like to see it headed in the future. Over the course of these 60 years there have been many challenges, a lot of wonderful highs and some dramatic lows and we are still moving forward. From its humble beginnings in 1953 under the leadership of William Thrasher Sr., the Boys’ Club, in this location, has been housed in three different structures. The original structure was the remnants of the old South End School. When it burned down in 1968 it move across the street to the old St. Andrews AME Church Building until the new William E. Thrasher Boys Club was built in 1970. While the life and times of the South End boys club were being well established, in 1960 a second Boys Club (Dunbar Boys Club) was being opened in the central part of our community behind Dunbar Jr. Both Clubs provided opportunities for our community’s boys and later girls to have a place where they could have a safe and wholesome recreational environment. I know that many of you, like me, have many fun memories that are unique to the boys club experience. The annual Christmas party, the Annual Kite contest, the Easter Egg hut, and the Fourth of July Family Day Picnic in the park are but a few of the special times shared by many boys and girls in our neighborhood. And don’t forget the baseball games, basketball games and later swimming tournaments. There were always arts and crafts that brought out the hidden talents that we sometimes didn’t know that we had. There were bottle lamps, braiding laces, melted record trays and really too many more crafts to name them all; all wonderful times and precious memories. Well that’s what our generation can look back on with pride. My concern is for this present generation. Will they be able to look back and say that they had fun memories too? Well, that question is why we have formed this Alumni Association/Foundation, to ensure that the current facility has what it needs to continue the legacy that my father started. Their funds are low and their resources are scarce. They have serious needs that the United Way funding cannot provide. They need our financial support. Please know that the proceeds from the donations will go towards the up keep and renovations needed to restore the boys club to its rightful condition. Listed below are just some of the critical needs that we would like to address:
• Air Conditioning for gymnasium
• Air Conditioning for Aquatics Area
• New heating system for swimming pool
• Painting of the building inside and out
As you can see the needs are great. We need your support. Won’t you please help us as we try to build precious memories in the lives of this generation’s boys and girls.
