Throwback Thursday: 75 years of the Boys & Girls Club of Bowling Green

165 years ago, four women in Hartford, Conn., opened the first Boys Club, inviting young boys off the streets and into a safe place to learn, grow, and belong. It was 1860, the country was in tumult, on the verge of the Civil War. These women wanted a safe place for these young men to start. From that humble club, a national movement was born.

Fast forward nearly 50 years to 1906, when some 53 independent clubs joined together to form the Federated Boys Clubs. The movement continued to grow to keep neighborhoods safe and educate children, and its name officially changed to Boys Clubs of America in 1931, amidst the Great Depression. It took another 60 years to change the name to Boys & Girls Club of America in 1990, even though girls were invited to the clubs and shared the opportunities for many years prior. Millions of young people across the country have been mentored and supported through the Boys & Girls Club of America over its nearly two centuries of existence.

Here in Bowling Green, the Boys & Girls Club is celebrating a major milestone in 2025. 75 years ago, several in our community met to discuss a rise in juvenile delinquency and the need for a club in our area, somewhere to send the youths who needed the guidance and help, from everything to after school programs to holidays and modern cutting-edge programs with technology and growth that mirrors Bowling Green as the fastest growing city in the Commonwealth.

In 1982, girls were accepted into the club in Bowling Green, officially with a name change. Then in 2009, Girls Inc. merged with the club and it moved to its current Scott Way location, becoming a United Way partner agency. Its core mission is to enable young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. By 2019, the community stepped up so much to reach its youth that the Harold and Juanita Koon Teen Center was opened, serving 150 teens. Meanwhile, average daily attendance is over 175 kids at the club.

The club introduces programs in health, safety, life skills, character, education, leadership, the arts, and sports. Kids age six to 18 are welcome at the club. If you feel the need to donate, volunteer, or help out, there are many opportunities throughout the year and at special fundraising events in the community.

From a humble, 19th-century Connecticut neighborhood to 1950s Bowling Green and today, the Boys & Girls Club continues to be a blessing to our community, providing mentorship, leadership, and fellowship with the youths in our neighborhoods. Thank you to all who serve and have played roles in reaching this 75-year milestone.

That’s it for this week, brought to you by the Kentucky Museum. In Bowling Green, because local matters, Telia B, WNKY News 40.