January 19, 1977
Picture #1 – The Pontiac Club was a YMCA organization that existed in the late 20’s and early 30’s. All the members were not on hand the day this heretofore unpublished photo was taken. Reading from left to right: front row – Charles Jeffry, A.D. Kinn, Francis Kuckuck, Byron Stears, Carl Berry, Dale Mills, Herb Snook, John Hollenbaugh, Dr. D.D. Waltermire, Chet Kieffer, Glenn True, John Rogers (advisor), Don Paine, Paul Krupp, Vincent Beck, Al Bryan, Duncan “Scotty” McLean, Justin Harrison, Myron Klienhen, Paul Paine, Kean Van Curren, Berlin Berbaugher, Norman Fruth. Top Row -Duane Harrold, Charles Hunt, Carl Bormuth, Roy Hay, Francis Bormuth, Howard Went, Hendy Spooner, Ralph Barbour, Bill Paine, John Simpkins, Donald Dubbs, Glenn Smith, Bill Lockhart, Jim Whitfield, Paul Shaffer
Picture #2 – Boys Group – Photo shows one of the boys groups that worked-out at the “Y” in about 1918. Wallace White was physical director at that time. This group was called the Pioneer club. Although all of the boys cannot be identified, many of them can, and are as follows: top row, reading from left Orville Boyd, (unknown), Phil Degans, Bill Sells, Walter Bristol, Bill “Mope” Doyle, Paul Krupp, “Red” Bricker, Kelly Myers, Guy Workman. Second row – Robert Turner, Carl Turner, Harold Wilson (unknown), Jim Longacre, Front row John (Gaikoski) Gardner, John McMeen, (unknown), Jim Spangler, Homer Spangler, (unknown), (unknown).
Sandy Ruppert’s article in The Review Times recently stirred my early memories of the YMCA going back to 1912 at the time of the cornerstone laying… my first membership in 1918 … and then the succeeding years up to approximately 1935.
I remember standing on the west side of Wood Street where the Post Office is now, and watching them place the corner stone in position. There was quite a crowd present and the usual ceremony that goes with such an event. Being a lad of only seven, obviously I do no remember what was said then.
One of the early general secretaries was Anna Gilbert. I believe she was followed by Jack Jerpe, who was instrumental in providing membership for boys of the community who couldn’t afford to join the “Y”.
Jerpe was a super salesman, and he aroused the community to “the need to provide the boys and young men of Fostoria with a means of developing spirit, mind and body.” He made the idea work by getting the business and professional people to buy memberships for the youth. The Rotary Club was particularly active in that respect.
I was one of those boys who received a membership through the generosity of a public-spirited individual whom I never knew. Later on, when I could earn some money I paid for my own membership; and still later on when I was employed full-time, I in turn donated memberships to the underprivileged.
When Jerpe had informed my mother of the gift membership she wasn’t sure it was a good thing for me because I was rather frail. It turned out just the opposite. The physical program helped develop my body, and I am sure contributed to my good health throughout the ensuing years. I’m sure my association with the “Y” benefitted me spiritually, and mentally too.
I do not recall all of “the popular sports of that era” as mentioned in the Ruppert article. I do recall that every gym class started with calisthenics of every description … physical fitness seemed important then. We jogged and ran around the excellent overhead track, constructed of a resilient surface underfoot, and properly banked corners on the curves. Then we had workouts on the parallel bars, the horse and the rings. Then team games – volleyball, baseball, basketball, etc. Back in those days the physical directors might not have been able to duplicate the feats we see on television performed at the Olympics, but they could instruct and do most of them.
Two of the early physical directors I remember were Bill Gailey and Wallace White. Gailey and Dr. M.A. Pruden later started a summer camp for boys in Michigan. White served the local “Y” for many years, then moved to an eastern Ohio city as physical director.
In 1921 or 1922 Jack Jerpe started Hi-Y in high school, and I was a charter member. Roy Hay, now deceased, and I attended the first Hi-Y summer camp ever held at Camp Nelson dodd at Brinkhaven, Ohio. That trip was my first overnight train trip, and my first time away from home for 10 days … quite an experience for both of us.
I have wondered in recent years what happended to Hi-Y. In my time, it was an honor to belong, and it influenced the morale in high school – something badly needed today.
When W.L. Kershaw was general secretary of the “Y” he was instrumental in organizing the young men of the community who were active in the “Y” into a branch of the state YMCA Young Men’s Association. We went to Columbus for an organization meeting in my Pontiac, so that became the club name. The club existed for a number of years, providing the “Y” with a means of reaching the young adults of the community and in turn providing them with the activities the “Y” offered.
Again in 1931, I had the opportunity to visit Camp Nelson Dodd, this time as a delegate to the Ohio Young Men’s Association summer camp. Other delegates were Don Paine, Don Dubbs, Paul Shaffer. One thing that had chanced since my earlier visit was the replacement of cabins for tents used nine years earlier and a pool was available for swimming instead of the Mohican river.
At one of the State Young Men’s annual meetings, held at Lima, the Pontiac Club staged a show to depict the founding of the YMCA by George Williams and some of his associates in London England in the 1800’s.
I remember many other things about Fostoria’s “Y”
* firing the old coal boiler
* scrubbing the lobby floor
* bowling on the excellent alleys, and setting pins too
* rap sessions in rooms of teachers who roomed there.
* spending delighful Sunday afternoons in front of the lobby fireplace. The
kids gathered there then.
* ” Ma” Knowles and “Ma” True who ran the kitchen, and the delicious food
they prepared.
* The annual “circus” one ring – when every youth class performed showing
what they had learned in the gym – and side shoes for fun and amusement.
* the industrial basketball league, sponsored by the “Y”
Yes, the “Y” then also catered to business men, and there was a ladies’ day, but the main thrust was to the youth of the community; and none were turned away because they didn’t have the money to join.
The YMCA has been an asset to Fostoria and hopefully with its new and expanded facilities it may find new goals to challenge its leaders and new ways to serve this community.
GOOD LUCK!