A President’s Message

This last year, Boys Republic enrolled its 30,000th student. Like most of those admitted before him, he arrived at Boys Republic at odds with himself, his family and his community.

While it’s too early to predict his future, we know from more than a century of student outcomes that he is likely to graduate back into society to become a law-abiding, contributing community member (please see “Boys Republic Student Outcomes,” below).

The motto “Nothing Without Labor” has shaped our programs and our students, since our founding. We expect our students to do well, because the strength of their commitment to personal goals can mean the difference between success and failure, after leaving our care.

I’m thinking of graduates like Bruce Baumgardner ‘62 who, with persistence and entrepreneurial insight, developed a prosperous business in custom design packaging. He received Boys Republic’s 2012 Alumnus-of-the-Year award for success in his business. Or more recently, Joseph Fordjour ‘12, an academically-talented young man who has won the Guardian Scholarship, a four-year, all-expenses paid scholarship to California State University, Fullerton.

Outcomes like these are no accident. For generations, our graduates have been found in every field of career endeavor — business and industry, the trades and professions, the arts, and public service — as good, productive citizens giving back to the community from which they have received benefit.

Just as we encourage our students to invest in their future, we know that Boys Republic must do the same. This past year, we’ve taken some steps to ensure the vitality of our organization going forward.

Boys Republic is fortunate to have a rich and growing network of community members who share our values. The newly-formed Advisory Board has drawn membership from such diverse sources as the Friends of Steve McQueen Car Show, local churches, and our alumni group. These are individuals who already have demonstrated an interest in our work with troubled teenagers. Our Board of Directors looks forward to a long and productive collaboration with our Advisory Board members.

The Building Renovation Project, currently underway at our Chino Hills campus, is a proactive effort to ensure that those facilities most used will continue to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for those in our care. With an estimated cost of $2.2 million, it represents the largest single capital project that we’ve undertaken. We are encouraged that, now in year two of a three-year funding campaign, our philanthropic community has already contributed $1.9 million.

Boys Republic is uniquely-positioned in the field of child care. We have highly-trained people and programs proven to work. And, thanks to robust community support, we are financially stable. We are deeply-indebted to past leaders who have helped us build a solid foundation. With sincere appreciation for their support, we recognize that it is only through the generosity of our friends, donors and benefactors, along with the heartfelt dedication of the auxiliaries, that we are able to continue offering our programs. Boys Republic’s Board of Directors extends its thanks to you all.