Housed in the building, now across from Dempsey’s Pizza, it served many youth until 1985, when the Club moved to its current site.

We’ve heard many stories about how this was the first home away from home for youth in the community. From the very first board meetings in the “Blue Room” to the Exercise Room in the attic, this laid the foundation for many great programs!

Imagine a place where who you are, where you’re from, or the circumstances that surround you don’t determine your access to experiences or opportunities. This has always been the mission and the purpose of the Boys & Girls Club of Watertown.

This is how the Boys & Girls Club of Watertown got our start. Here is an excerpt from a book by Jerry Welfl called “Youth Horsemanship.” 

“An era in my life that brought about the largest increase in my horse training knowledge was the six years I spent directing the Horse-Care Program in Watertown, South Dakota which was the origin of the Watertown Boy’s Club. 

The Club would meet weekly through-out the school year and, in May, we would buy or borrow from sixty to one hundred unbroken, green broke, or spoiled horses. Three weeks later, after intense training, we would go on our first of four long trail rides…In August, the horses were returned to the owners or sold by auction as ‘kid broke’ horses. 

The first ride taken during those six years was from Watertown, SD to Wessington, SD for a Stan Gunn celebration and then back over a 12-day period. We had a record of 207 buck-offs the first day on the trail.”

He remembers the first official Board President being sworn into office in 1973. Now, 50 years later, Courtney formally inducted our newest Board of Directors officers in 2023!  Courtney Livingston has been volunteering his knowledge, his time, and his expertise with the Boys & Girls Club of Watertown for over 50 years.

Who would have thought that installing new lights in an old building would impact the lives of thousands of kids and their families? Courtney has been active in many different ways. He served as the Board of Directors President in 1979 and did a lot of work with the tri-state Area Council of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He won the Man & Youth Award in 1992. He has also volunteered countless hours, helping with fundraising and community events. 

When we recently sat down with Courtney to talk about different historical events, he remembered when the Club struggled financially. He is now amazed at the successes and the progress the Club has made. He attributes all of this to the very generous support of the Watertown Community. From its very early days to now, the Club is fortunate to have the generosity of so many in the community. Courtney also remised that the Club has been lucky enough to have resourceful staff and volunteers who made things happen when things were tight for the organization. 

Courtney Livingston is a true advocate for youth, and we are so proud to call him a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Watertown Family.

If you came to the Club at any time throughout our history, it’s very possible that you played on the same Bumper Pool table from the beginning. While we are not 100% sure, we feel like we have conclusive photo evidence to prove it. We’ve also heard from former Club members and staff that it’s definitely been around a long time. 

This is an excellent example of the resourcefulness of our organization. The fabric has been worn and torn a few times, but with a little TLC, the table gets up and running in no time! 

Of course, Bumper Pool has always been in our Games Room. The Games Room is a perfect place where kids learn about good sportsmanship, make new friends and develop lasting memories.

To date, nearly $900,000 has been awarded to the Boys & Girls Club over the years. Those grants have supported everything from Legos, computers, and programming, to new kitchen equipment and their capital campaign. Some of those grants are concrete, tangible objects. Others, like support for a new behavioral health program, may not be easy to touch but have an immeasurable impact on our families, community, and future. The Community Foundation was instrumental in the recent capital campaign by providing a matching gift of $250,000 to the endowment fund set up at the Foundation in 2004. The Watertown Area Community Foundation also provided our organization with stability and assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to adapt our programs quickly with funds from the Foundation and serve our community in the safest way possible. 

Executive Director of the Watertown Area Community Foundation, Jan DeBerg, says, “The Foundation is all about investing in the vitality and future of the greater Watertown area. Investing in our youth and the Boys & Girls Club is one of the best ways to do that. Donors have always been the ones who make it happen. I know the Foundation, as well as the Club, are so grateful for our generous and caring community.”

He attributes much of this success to the mentors and support he received from the Boys & Girls Club of Watertown. Dr. Brist jokes about the nutter butters that the cook, Elaine Remmers, saved for him. Staff members Mike Jennings, Russ Lombardo, and Rosanne Chandler meant a lot to Todd as well. As a kid, he thought it was cool to interact with Jeff Amy and Jay Johnson, the Executive Directors over his tenure at the Club. Finally, he sees Linda Schoepp as one of his most impactful mentors. Todd was involved with the Breakfast Club with Linda and he gives a lot of credit to programs like this for laying the foundation for his education career. 

Dr. Brist has served on our Board of Directors since 2011. He has been instrumental in strengthening and continuing our working relationship with the Watertown School District. He can foster a spirit of excellence and create a collaborative environment to move the vision forward. He is an exemplary leader who approaches educational leadership with a commitment to innovation. We are so proud to have his a part of our Boys & Girls Club family. 

  The Five Key Elements you’ll find at any Boys & Girls Club across the globe are to provide:

1. a safe, positive environment
2. access to fun and a sense of belonging
3. access to supportive relationships
4. meaningful opportunities and expectations
5. formal and informal recognition

The Five Key Elements are so important because we have repeatedly seen that members who have a great Club Experience also do better in school, live healthier lives, and are stronger leaders. They are also way more likely to keep coming to the Club! While the Boys & Girls Club has been all fun and games for 50 years, it means so much more than that to the staff, families, and youth members who have walked through our blue doors.

Over the last couple of years, our Club has built a strong relationship with the 3 local radio affiliates, which include 9 separate FM and AM stations representing many radio genres. Due to strong stewardship and relationship building, we receive numerous hours of weekly in-kind airtime from these affiliates to promote the Club’s many activities. This form of communication has become so valuable to our organization due to its low cost and broad reach. Radio messaging is a key factor in many of our program successes, outreach, and community engagement.

Current radio-based forms of marketing:

1. All 9 stations participate in a full-day radio-a-thon blitz to assist our Club in selling 1000 truck raffle tickets each year.  Radio announcers lead commentary regarding the raffle along with guests including staff, Board Members, sponsors, and youth to share the community impact of the Club.
2. Weekly and monthly standing segments on two “talk-radio” programs in which Club staff or Board Members are interviewed regarding events or campaigns.
3. Participation in our Career Expo week and setting up a mock newscast for youth.
4. BGC News Beat – a weekly segment narrated by Club kids that features a specific program or service of the Club.
5. The Club is frequently highlighted on the “good news” segments at the conclusion of the traditional news format broadcasts.
6. Public Service Announcements regarding Club events or around a targeted message
7. The affiliates promote and sponsor our special events including the Truck Raffle and our Blue Door Derby camel races.
8. Live remotes conducted at our special events, press conferences, etc.
9. Sponsor recognition to entities who we partner with to provide our youth development programs.
10. Community event partnerships allow the Boys & Girls Club to share our mission with the general public.