Decades ago, a young man named Steve Kelley, and his sister, Maureen dedicated themselves to the children of Lawrence, Massachusetts through their work at the Lawrence Boys' Club. As the head of the club's after school academic program and basketball coach, "Kelley" recognized a leverage point. In order to play basketball for the team, you had to get your classroom teachers to sign forms indicating that you were working hard and getting good grades. For an amazing number of students, this trick worked. Dozens of kids, realizing the opportunities presented by their new academic success, came to Proctor, and many other fine schools. They left street gangs to become business leaders, lawyers, teachers and policemen. Last night, we celebrated the opening of the spectacular new Lawrence Boys' and Girls' Club, to be forever known as "Kelley's Club," on Water Street in Lawrence.

The size and scope of this facility is impossible to capture here, but it includes billiard lounges, a huge "aquatics center" (swimming pool,) a music studio with six pianos, technology classrooms, tutorial spaces, several classrooms for after school homework, and.... a basketball gymnasium.... where kids can play--if they bring up their grades. Kelley's motto is "If it is to be, it is up to me." Last night's event featured local talent:

When the wool industry went south in the 1950s, the city of Lawrence was hit hard. Cheap rents beckoned an influx of Dominicans, and most of the kids benefitting from LBGC have ancestors and grandparents in the Dominican Republic, where the name "Lawrence" is well known. A couple of club hosts demonstrated training equipment in the fitness center for a television crew:

Posters on the walls feature kids' comments on the new club. One says, "THANKS FOR..." and the boys and girls write, "opportunity," or "the love." But two kids had picked up pens, and had written "supper." I asked Maureen about this, and she replied, "We are feeding 230 students a night the dinner they could not get at home." This is the magnificent gym:

Last night, Kelley (who continues to call me "Mr. Will" because that's how his kids should address adults,) reflected, "This happened not because of what we're doing today, but because of what we did years ago, in the old building.... when Eddie Colon and Barney Aviles and Max Barerra and Elinton Rosario and Alex Vega and Hector Mancebo succeeded and went on to Proctor." Below, Steve Kelley poses with the future of Lawrence, and it looks better all the time.

Several Proctor families were leaders in the campaign to build Kelley's Club. We congratulate you, Steve and Maureen!