HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -- The lifeline extended by the partnership approved last week with the Boys and Girls Club of Saline County intends to rescue the north Garland County club from the financial brink it has teetered on since last summer.
The Paul Bewie Boys and Girls Club on Arkansas 7 North announced in August that insufficient operating capital threatened to shutter it by midmonth.
The president of its board of directors began a fundraising campaign for the $45,000 he said was needed to keep the doors open through September.
Last week, President Scott DeBoer, a local bank executive, said the partnership expands the club's donor base into the Saline County section of Hot Springs Village. Effective Jan. 4, it will be renamed the Cedar Mountain Club.
"It was the only club in the state named after a person," said DeBoer, who mentioned the possibility of a partnership in August. "It didn't have a geographic identity. That's part of the reason for the rebranding. With half of the Village being in Saline County, a fair amount of our donors are over there. There were deficiencies for both clubs in doing it this way."
DeBoer said the north Garland County board will be dissolved and replaced by a local advisory council that reports to Saline County. DeBoer said north Garland County board members have been invited to join the Saline County board.
"We'll have a role on their board and executive committee," he said. "There will also be an advisory council to take issues to their board on a monthly basis."
Jasen Kelly, chief executive officer of the Saline County Boys and Girls Club, said the locations will share a resource development director, a position DeBoer said will bolster the club's fundraising efforts.
Kelly said the reboot includes a new staff. A club director, athletic director, program director and resource development coordinator will be joined by four or five part-time positions.
Annual revenue that historically exceeded more than $400,000 fell to less than $300,000 in the last few budget cycles, leaving as few as two full-time employees to serve the 250 children enrolled in athletic, summer and after-school programs.
"By merging the organizations, we can further grow and strengthen both communities by providing life-enhancing programs and experiences to the children that need us the most," Kelly said in an email.
"We believe this merger will re-energize and engage community leaders, donors, volunteers and increase our community profile. There are a variety of benefits to the merger, including preserving the club's mission, improving and expanding services and lowering administrative expenses."
DeBoer said the partnership positions the club to compete for grants that will lessen its dependence on donations.
"We've been missing out on grant money we're confident we'll be getting with Jasen's assistance moving forward," he said. "[The partnership] upgrades our ability to hire management, which will help us put out a better product and raise money more effectively. We'll be able to show our constituents they're getting a return on their investment."
DeBoer said the regional leadership of the Boys and Girls Club of America had been recommending a partnership for some time. The club's straitened circumstances gave the proposition added urgency. He said a merger with the Boys and Girls Club of Hot Springs was discussed but proved unworkable for both sides.
DeBoer said in August that debt on the Arkansas 7 North property forced the club to sell it several years ago to the Jessieville and Fountain Lake school districts.
State Desk on 11/24/2015