10/16/2025
Please join us at the George Butch Joseph Foundations 8th annual "Yours In Sports" social event on Friday, November 7th from 6-9pm at the Derryfield Country Club. This is sure to be a fun filled night with lots of stories and much laughter. 100% of proceeds from this event go to help local high school student/athletes as well as sports teams in the city of Manchester. For tickets click on the link below. We're looking forward to seeing you there.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-george-butch-joseph-foundations-8th-annual-yours-in-sports-social-tickets-1697402820529?aff=oddtdtcreator
If you’re a sports buff and like reading funny, interesting stories, here’s a good one that was published in the Union Leader on March 20, 1947. Butch was 12 years old at the time. (this is a condensed version)
Petticoat Club seeks action – These boys from Lincoln school wanted publicity for their campaign to restore baseball during the recess hour, so they formed the Petticoat Knitting Club, called the press and got the ball rolling. “If your photographer wants to get a good picture, tell him to be at Lincoln School at 10:15 the boyish, mysterious voice said over the phone.
From the mob of yelling kids who surrounded the photographer at exactly 10:15, stepped forward an 8th grade boy, Levine, who asked, “Do you want our picture knitting” “Why not said the photographer”. Quickly a dozen youths pulled paper bags from under their coats which were filled with knitting needles, yarn, thread and cloth ready to go. As a couple hundred non knitting kids stood around, the photographer snapped the photo.
As the other boys went off to play a game of touch football, Levine and another boy explained to the photographer that the club was formed to get publicity, which might influence Principal Kelly to allow them to play baseball during recess. “Please be sure to put in that it isn’t Mr. Kelly’s fault; it’s the neighbors complaining that a few stray baseballs had found their way through residential windows.” “Don’t you think the people living here have a right to complain if you break windows?” the photographer asked. “Oh we pay for them,” explained Levine. “But someone might get hurt by flying glass,” argued the photographer. “Build a fence. They did at Franklin School,” snapped the boy. “Those boys playing touch football don’t look too depressed,” the photographer observed. The boys just gave a weak laugh, as the recess bell rang the kids had to high tail it to class, so the photographer went to see Mr. Kelly for his side of the story.
Safety, Kelly explained was behind the move. He feared youngsters darting after balls might get hit by a car. He also feared the very small youngsters who could get hit with a hard ball. Also, a ball through a kindergarten window might injure young students. The school’s athletic program has organized baseball after school hours near the athletic field, and anyone can play. During recess there is basketball, touch football and other safe games available.
Then, about 10 minutes before press time, into the office walks in a delegation from the school headed by President Allaire, of the 8th grade class, who explained that Levine and the boys might have talked out of turn. The delegation wanted it made clear that Mr. Kelly is “a good sport and showed it by not getting mad about you taking the picture. He let us do it our own way.” “And it isn’t true about the neighbors. They haven’t complained in a year and a half, they concluded.”
