ROBERT R. McCORMICK BOYS CLUB

The CLUB opened in 1959, it had everything a kid wanted. A large gym, swimming pool, game room, and any kind of activity you desired. Summer and winter camp, was a great get away for inner city kids. Camps were in Warsaw Indiana and Williams bay, Wisconsin, to go all you had to do was sell cases of candy, which was really easy, all the top brands. Many buyers just gave you their money, and you kept the candy, and that was cool. Luckily for us the club had a complete dental office. I spent many hours in those dental chairs, they charged you a dollar for a visit, if you were broke, that was OK too, for some that was thier only care. The staff at the club really took an interest in us, you felt like someone was there for you. When the club first opened most of us were from the old club, UPTOWN boys club, it was on the south end of clarendon park, yeah it was small, but we had a blast there. we were all very close. The staff was small, but big hearts they had, Fred Lickerman, Tom Moore, Forrest Conway,Betty Thomas, and best of all Sylvia Rosenberg, they kept that place together with spit and glue. I was a member there for 5 years until the new club opened, even though the new club was bigger and better, we all missed the old one. Many kids were given great opportunities to better their lives, that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise, all you needed was determination. Thats all they expected of you. I miss the old days, I guess you cant live in the past, but the memories are good !!!

the TIME IN lounge

A really nostalgic place to have cocktails and watch a great pantomine show. Owner Jules Passin was an excellent host and entertainer, along with Jiggs and Jules daughters. Its main floor had an odd shaped bar, so everyone felt like they were front row center, with booths all around the room. Upstairs there was a horseshoe shape balcony, that seated 200, with a seperate bar. Many old time stars came to visit this place, like Jimmy Durante and Danny Thomas. Sometimes you would see some football players like Mike Ditka, or a couple CUBS enjoying themselves. It was a 4am bar so, when the 2 oclock bars closed it got busy. The show was really saucy and people loved it, when Jules was on stage, he would keep an eye on the ladies coming up from the powder room. He would ask, "ladies did you wash your hands" they would always say "yes" and he'd say "there hasnt been water down there in 6 months" the crowd would crack up. Jules would chat with everyone in the place, someone would always ask him the time, he'd pull his zipper down and pull out a huge watch, that got the ladies red faced. It was all in fun.

CLARENDON PARK

the PARK was the place where everyone came to hangout. If you lived in the hood, you belonged there. In the 40s and 50s it was the frats DELTA and TAU GAMMA, in the late 50s it was the REVELS, after that it was us, the locals. the park had something for all, softball, hardball, football, basketball, a woodshop,and model train club and gameroom, and in winter ice skating. On hot summer nights there were softball games under the lights for the older men, who represented many taverns and companies. There were many rivalries between certain teams,lots of money was wagered on those games, besides bragging rights. Even spectators bet on the outcome. Some teams had sluggers that could pound that ball out of the park so often, they had to inject water into the balls to keep them inside the park, sometimes it actually worked. For us kids we just played ball, from early morning till you couldnt see the ball anymore. we werent organized, throught out the day some kids would come, and some would go, but the game went on. we played line ball up against the wall at the old pumping station at the south end of the park, and fast pitch near the north and south entrances to the fieldhouse. Late at night we all gathered on the steps in front and shot the breeze, we all had a great time. More stories to come later !!!