UnitedBoysGirlsSBC
By the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County
May 7, 2024
On June 14, the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County’s agreement to operate the Canon Perdido Street downtown facility will terminate due to lack of payment for more than two years.
“Our driving objective following the unfortunate termination of our operating agreement is to continue to ensure we serve the children and families with our Boys & Girls Club programs at our Westside club,” stated Michael Baker, Chief Executive Officer United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County.
The Canon Perdido facility will no longer be chartered as a Boys & Girls Club as of June 14, 2024 and therefore cannot operate as such.
The United Club has been operating the Canon Perdido club under a 2020 operating agreement that was reached rather than a merger of the clubs. The Canon Perdido facility retained ownership of the site and control of an endowment and agreed to financially support United in the running of the programs and facility.
The facility also continues to receive funds from a renter of parts of the land.
The operating termination is due to a lack of payment from the Canon Perdido facility since 2021. That lack of payment for more than two years is impacting the overall operations of our other Santa Barbara County clubs that United operates.
“Our Club staff are currently reaching out to families to ensure they know how to find us and schedule transportation to the other clubs,” added Nicholas Behrman, Chairman of the Board United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County.
Update Regarding Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara
By the Downtown Club, Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Inc.
May 7, 2024
Important Note: Because some confusion has arisen about the identity and history of the Boys and Girls Clubs, in the Santa Barbara area, we want to clarify some of these facts.
The original Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbra (BGCSB) was formed and chartered in 1938, and has operated out of the 632 East Canon Perdido location. Since its formation in 1938, the Boys and Girls Club has served the community by fostering and promoting the physical, social, educational, vocational and character development of boys and girls in the Santa Barbara area. Its programs have included educational and tutoring, after school study, athletic activities, and arts and music. The Boys and Girls Club operated on the east side of Santa Barbara with the goal of providing opportunities for youth who are at risk or have limited resources.
The Boys and Girls Club has been instrumental in providing guidance and mentorship to youth of all ages, and its patrons have included families and teens who are particularly vulnerable and in need of direction. Alumni of the Boys and Girls Club are now influential members of the community and generously give back to the community.
In the 1970’s, a new organization was formed, referring to themselves as the “United Boys and Girls Club”, or “United” to assist local clubs in fundraising. United later took over operations of all of the local clubs, including such as Carpinteria, Goleta, Lompoc and the west side but not the Downtown Club. However, United has always been a separately operated organization different from the original Boys and Girls Club in Downtown. For many years, they operated separately, each providing programming of different kinds for youth of different ages.
In approximately 2020, the two Clubs agreed to collaborate in which United would rent the facility on Canon Perdido from BGCSB and oversee the programming that BGCSB had developed. It was felt that United was already operating other clubs and should be able to more economically run the programs of BGCSB. The two clubs entered into a collaboration agreement on 7/1/20 which provided that United would rent the Canon Perdido facility for $1 per year, maintain the same programming that BGCSB had developed over many decades, receive funding for the programming and report to BGCSB on its activities.
After approximately two years of operation, the Downtown Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara felt that those objectives were unfortunately not being met. United was not maintaining the same programs that BGCSB had developed, and the critical teen population was not being served by United and was being neglected. BGCSB no longer had control over the operations which had long been a mainstay of their service to the vulnerable youth population.
The two clubs spent about two years trying to work through their differences, ultimately concluding that they would not be able to continue to work together. It was not a hasty decision and was made only after many hours and discussions were held to try to find a path forward. United agreed to vacate the Canon Perdido facility effective June 14, 2024, at the end of the school year.
The BGCSB is currently collaborating with multiple community youth-oriented organizations to implement programs that serve the needs of the youth and teens and to restore the Canon Perdido facility as a strong community center and asset to the youth and teen population. BGCSB looks forward to working with these organizations and to continuing its strong and valuable connection with the Santa Barbara community as a youth organization. New and expanded operations for youth at the Downtown Club will begin in July.
Just found this on line:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE re Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara
By the Downtown Club, Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Inc.
Important Note: Because some confusion has arisen about the identity and history of the Boys and Girls Clubs, in the Santa Barbara area, we want to clarify some of these facts.
The original Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbra (BGCSB) was formed and chartered in 1938, and has operated out of the 632 East Canon Perdido location. Since its formation in 1938, the Boys and Girls Club has served the community by fostering and promoting the physical, social, educational, vocational and character development of boys and girls in the Santa Barbara area. Its programs have included educational and tutoring, after school study, athletic activities, and arts and music. The Boys and Girls Club operated on the east side of Santa Barbara with the goal of providing opportunities for youth who are at risk or have limited resources.
The Boys and Girls Club has been instrumental in providing guidance and mentorship to youth of all ages, and its patrons have included families and teens who are particularly vulnerable and in need of direction. Alumni of the Boys and Girls Club are now influential members of the community and generously give back to the community.
In the 1970’s, a new organization was formed, referring to themselves as the “United Boys and Girls Club”, or “United” to assist local clubs in fundraising. United later took over operations of all of the local clubs, including such as Carpinteria, Goleta, Lompoc and the west side but not the Downtown Club. However, United has always been a separately operated organization different from the original Boys and Girls Club in Downtown. For many years, they operated separately, each providing programming of different kinds for youth of different ages.
In approximately 2020, the two Clubs agreed to collaborate in which United would rent the facility on Canon Perdido from BGCSB and oversee the programming that BGCSB had developed. It was felt that United was already operating other clubs and should be able to more economically run the programs of BGCSB. The two clubs entered into a collaboration agreement on 7/1/20 which provided that United would rent the Canon Perdido facility for $1 per year, maintain the same programming that BGCSB had developed over many decades, receive funding for the programming and report to BGCSB on its activities.
After approximately two years of operation, the Downtown Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara felt that those objectives were unfortunately not being met. United was not maintaining the same programs that BGCSB had developed, and the critical teen population was not being served by United and was being neglected. BGCSB no longer had control over the operations which had long been a mainstay of their service to the vulnerable youth population.
The two clubs spent about two years trying to work through their differences, ultimately concluding that they would not be able to continue to work together. It was not a hasty decision and was made only after many hours and discussions were held to try to find a path forward. United agreed to vacate the Canon Perdido facility effective June 14, 2024, at the end of the school year.
The BGCSB is currently collaborating with multiple community youth-oriented organizations to implement programs that serve the needs of the youth and teens and to restore the Canon Perdido facility as a strong community center and asset to the youth and teen population. BGCSB looks forward to working with these organizations and to continuing its strong and valuable connection with the Santa Barbara community as a youth organization. New and expanded operations for youth at the Downtown Club will begin in July.
Jorge, that’s literally the entire press release that has been posted above in the article. No need to copy and paste into the comments.
The article was updated, as noted in the text in bold. Jorge Carrillo probably posted it first, before the editors updated the article.
I’m confused – who owns it? And they’re supposed to be paying United to run the club? What? Can someone explain?
When we entered into the agreement with the Downtown Club part of the agreement was that we, United Boys & Girls Clubs, would receive annual support to help underwrite the cost of running the downtown facility. For over the past 2 years we have not received any funding as per the agreement and they, the owners of the Downtown Club, asked us to leave the facility. Because of these two facts our Board made the very difficult decision to vacate the facility. For the past 2 years the United Organization has funded that location 100% and this was not what we agreed to and it also takes financial resources away from the other clubs we operate in Lompoc, Buellton, Solvang, Goleta, Carpinteria, Westside of Santa Barbara and Camp Whittier. We are committed to making sure that any child that attends the Downtown Club will be provided free transportation to and from our Westside Club facility daily. We are going to do whatever it takes to meet the needs of our Downtown Club families. Please note that during the past 4 years that facility, along with all our other clubs, were open for schooling during the covid lockdown. We have been providing daily meals for all our members and no child has been turned away from any of our services due to his or her families economic situation. We are very proud of the work we do and will make sure we continue that level of service for ALL our clubs.
Probably more air-conditioned housing for homeless with thrtee meals a day rather than help for kids.
Gordon Wormal, George Chelini, Donnie Yee, Neil Wright and “Doc” (wood shop/crafts instructor) and other former leaders of the boys club are likely rolling in their graves. Seeing the incompetence of this group unable to put together a program that works for all at the old club. Who owns the building and who owns the land on and around the building?