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History of the Rapid City Club for Boys Long before the Club for Boys opened its doors, Judge George P. Hurst was concerned about juvenile delinquency in Rapid City and thought that a Boys Club might be a solution. This was in the 1950s. Judge Hurst proceeded with the idea and got the Morning Optimist Club involved. A group of Optimist went to Sioux Falls to tour the Boys Club there. The group returned to Rapid City excited and convinced Rapid City needed a Boys Club.   The Morning Optimists got a state charter for a Boys Club of Rapid City in June of 1958. They then began fundraising and continued until they had a pool of money to hire an executive director. They hired a young man named Roger Erickson. What the Club for Boys is today, its philosophy, its cardinal principles, its approach to programming and the needs it tries to fulfill are all directly tied to the hard work of Roger.  The first Boys Club in Rapid City, at the old Train Depot on Eight Street, opened on November 23, 1963. The depot quickly became overcrowded and Roger began fundraising to build a new building to hold the Boys Club.  The Club moved into a new building on the corner of Sixth and St. Louis Streets in 1965. The Boys Club continued to grow in numbers, staff and programs each year.  The Boys Club was forced to move again after the June 9, 1972 flood.  Although the building was not damaged in the flood, it was located in the newly designated flood plain. The Club was moved to the old Rice Cycle building on Omaha Street. This temporary move was made so the materials from the old Boys Club could be used in the construction of the new Boys Club building. The Club moved into its present location at 320 North Fourth Street in 1976. In 2000, a building expansion was completed, adding on 13,000 square feet of space for the Clubs’ growing membership.  In the mid 1980s, the Clubs’ national organization, The Boys’ Club of America, became the Boys and Girls Club of America. At this time Rapid City had an established Girls Club. So the Boys Club of Rapid City withdrew its membership from the national organization. A few years ago, the Club officially changed its name to the Rapid City Club for Boys.  Although the Club for Boys has been in four different locations since 1963, no matter where it opened its doors, it was always busy. The Club fulfills many needs in the lives of the boys in the community and has been a consistent, positive influence on the lives of over 30,000 different boys through the years  This information was taken from the book, “The Best Day of My Life,” by Dave Oyler.

Copyright © 2008 Rapid City Club for Boys
Last modified: 02/28/08