Club History
THE BEGINNING
Gerry Calhoun met Boys Clubs of America’s Martin Gottlieb in 1966, and that meeting launched an idea that would help transform the lives of thousands of Camarillo kids. Gottlieb wanted to start a Boys Club in the new city, which had incorporated just two years earlier. He believed Calhoun, then president of the Camarillo Optimist Club, might be the right person to help, and he offered the Optimists $3,000 in seed money. The Optimists soon joined forces with the Pleasant Valley Lions Club, and the two organizations met regularly to discuss founding a Boys Club. The Camarillo Daily News also got behind the idea, and a board was formed, with Calhoun later named the Club’s first president. Lions Club member Stanley Rank found the Camarillo Boys Club’s first home—a small house at 2825 Barry Street. It was not in the best condition, but it gave kids a place to go.
EARLY YEARS
Soon, Club directors began writing grant proposals for operating capital and searching for an executive director. Shig Yabu, who had previously worked at the Boys Club in Linda Vista, California, was hired as our first leader and was instrumental in the Club’s growth and success during its early years. Those early years were filled with hard work, small donations, and frequent spaghetti dinners, candy sales, and other grassroots fundraisers. Some people donated crops—a field of watermelons, for example, or a grove of oranges. We recycled newspapers, glass, and metals before recycling became common. Every dollar helped. Club transportation was an old Ford Falcon, and when it finally broke down, with no money for repairs, a generous gentleman named Spencer Honig came to our rescue. Spencer, an automobile distributor, inaugurated an annual Gourmet Dinner event that not only brought us a new van but also provided funds for many other projects in the years that followed.
BUILDING A NEW CLUB
Despite early challenges, the Club continued to grow and soon desperately needed a new location to replace the aging house on Barry Street. In 1973, directors announced a new capital campaign led by noted actor and local resident Joel McCrea. In addition to McCrea’s major campaign gift, another significant contribution came from the sale of a parcel of land previously donated by longtime Camarillo resident Manuel Silveira. Just two years later, in 1975, the first phase of the new Club opened its doors at Ponderosa Drive and Temple Avenue. Meanwhile, more girls began using the Club and participating in its programs and activities, and in 1981, the organization was officially renamed the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo.
SECOND PHASE
In 1982, we began a campaign to build the second phase of the Club, and once again, Joel McCrea stepped forward, this time donating five acres of land he owned in Santa Rosa Valley. The sale of that land provided more than $250,000 for the campaign. Groundbreaking took place on June 1, 1982, and construction was completed a year later. The major feature of the expansion—a new gymnasium—was named in McCrea’s honor.
THIRD PHASE
With the Club’s expansion, membership grew dramatically, and by 1993 plans were underway for the third phase of our building. After a successful capital campaign, we were able to enlarge our learning center and transform previously unused storage areas into multipurpose meeting rooms, a new stage, a new kitchen and snack bar, an expanded parking area, and many other improvements.
FOURTH PHASE
On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, after a successful capital campaign, we opened a multi-million-dollar, 6,500-square-foot addition to the Club. The highlight of the expansion is a new science, technology, engineering, and math center, featuring laser engraving machines and 3D printers. It allows kids to gain skills that can potentially alter their life paths. The project also included renovations to existing spaces in the Club, including the art room, kitchen, and games room. We are now able to serve up to 475 kids each day.