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CACHE brings to life the art, culture and history of California’s heartland.

CACH-Exeter Logo

CACHE brings to life the art, culture and history of California’s heartland.

The Origins of the Exeter Boys & Girls Club

Exeter History Tellers #8

By Dwight Miller

Since its formation in the 1890s, Exeter has always been a community that pulls together to solve problems. In August 1991, there was a dramatic increase in graffiti around Exeter. Charlene Nielsen was one of those who took a particular interest in solving this problem. She was instrumental in gathering support from other concerned citizens in Exeter and in short order, momentum from that effort caused the formation of the Exeter Community Center. One of the former board members, Mary Gorden, described the evolution of the early years.

Charlene Nielsen and Laura

Pictured here: Charlene Nielsen and her daughter Laura. Laura served for a short time as the Club Director.

In Mary Gorden’s words from the website: https://bgcsequoias.org/mission
“Planning for the first Boys & Girls Club in Tulare County began in 1991 when a group of Exeter community leaders met to discuss the recent and dramatic increase in graffiti. They soon concluded that young people in their community needed a positive place to spend free time after school. The group, which included Police Chief John Kunkel, District Superintendent of Schools Mike McLaughlin, Exeter Sun Editor Jerry Newton, business owner Vicki Howes, and Insurance owner Charlene Brooks Nielsen were appointed by the Chamber of Commerce. They soon formed a dynamic partnership resulting in the birth of the Exeter Community Center concept.

By October of 1991 the ‘gang of five’ had filed articles of incorporation, and began looking for a permanent building. The City of Exeter pledged $20,000 to help develop the Community Center project and an additional $30,000 to the Center for program support. Later that year the City of Exeter provided a run-down former grocery store as the fledgling Club’s first permanent building.

In early 1992 a countywide open house was held to show the new downtown 12,000 square foot Community Center site. Exeter Public Schools and several contractors began contributing in-kind support resulting in over $100,000 in building renovation. The Exeter Community Center was soon incorporated afterwards as a non-profit organization with an affiliation with the United States Boxing Association.

By April 1993 the Center began a new affiliation with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Tulare County had its first Boys & Girls Club. Over the next 10 years the organization focused on improving the club facility, adding a computer lab, art room and a City-funded skate park.”

Boys and Girls Club logo

When Exeter applied to the National Boys & Girls Club organization to become a charter in 1993, they were told that they were too small. Exeter’s Community Center Board members made an appeal that convinced the national organization to give them a waiver and grant them affiliation. With Exeter as the first in Tulare County, other communities joined in subsequent years to form a regional group that now includes seven more clubs in Visalia, Tulare, Hanford, Woodlake, Ivanhoe, Farmersville and Strathmore. Hundreds of Exeter youth have spent thousands of hours at the club, engaged in positive programs since those early years. It is important to note that the Exeter City Council throughout the decades has been consistently supportive of the club. Besides the “Gang of Five,” and Mary Gorden, many community members stepped into important roles of support. Among those who served on the board, Sandra Bullard, George McEwen, Harry Perez, Jim Collins, Harry Kertscher, Bill Black, Ernie Hernandez, Randy Cox, Lyle Munsch, Mary Alice Copeland and Bill Sario served key roles in the growth of the club.
Club Directors over the years have been Roger Wilson, Carole Bethel, P.T. McEwen, Laura Nielsen-Miller (Workman), Jason Woods and the last local Executive Director was Joe Englebrecht before Galen Quenzer assumed leadership as the Executive Director. Two leaders, P.T. and Yolanda Origel, based on their experience in Exeter, went on to launch successful careers in non-profit organizations in Southern California. They are still making a positive difference in the lives of youth.

The “former grocery store” Mary referred to was Nickel’s Payless, a local, family-run grocery business that had served the Exeter and Farmersville communities for decades. Gene Nickel sold the store to the club and later donated an adjacent lot that completed the club’s current property at 360 E. Pine Street. The building has served the club very well in the past few decades but is in need of some major upgrades. Galen Quenzer, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias is working with a team of volunteers to generate the funds needed for those upgrades to continue to provide a safe and healthy space for Exeter’s youth.

Boys and Girls Club Mural