Brief History of the Dads Club of
During the
1933-1934 school year a group of fathers got together
and decided to create a club that would work in concert with the
With assistance and blessing of the school
administration this club has grown and thrived over the past seven decades and
has even become a model for other towns.
For a generation the Dads Club has consistently helped the youth of
The Dads Club is rich in tradition and holds dear
the objective set forth by the founding fathers. Even the Dads Club Oath of Office
administered each year in June to newly elected officers, is still read off of
the same hand written piece of paper used in 1964.
There have been many projects over the years that
Dads Club has been responsible for, projects that might otherwise never have
been done. The marquee
in front of the high school, the scoreboards and the press box at the athletic
complex a scoreboard in the gym, a universal gym, and trophy cases to mention
just a few. For years our
outstanding athletes have been rewarded with a year-end All-Sports Dinner where
they receive plaques and trophies recognizing their accomplishments. Every first time letter winner is presented
with a varsity gift from the club. But
the Dads Club support is not just limited to the purchasing of athletic
equipment and awards. For years the club
had sent students to Boy’s and Girl’s State and to this day still gives out a
number of scholarships to graduating seniors.
In fact this past school year alone the Dads Club gave out scholarships
totaling $4,500, not bad considering that the amount given out in 1969 was
$400. The Dads Club, in addition to the
annual scholarships, also sponsors the National Honor Society and has always
recognized the academic achievements of the students of
Membership, although open to any man in
Bringing in young blood with new ideas while
maintaining the tradition and character the long time members bring to the club
has always been a top priority. People
tend to stop attending meetings once their children graduate, although it is not
at all unusual to have members of over 30 years at our meetings.
The club collects no dues and all that is required from its membership is attendance at a monthly meeting. These meetings are also attended by the high school coaches who report on the progress of their teams for the current season and by the school administration who lend their support and thanks. On occasion special guest speakers are invited. Members are also treated to refreshments at all meetings.
With
no dues being collected the Dads Club relies solo on donations and fundraisers
to maintain their financial health. Not
the least of these fundraisers is the annual Dads Club Wrestling
Tournament. This tournament, which began
in 1980 with approximately 300 wrestlers from various towns, has grown to
nearly 600 wrestlers in recent years. Ed
Fischer, the chairman for the first tournament, said in 1982 “I believe that
this could become one of the premier tournaments in the state for years to
come.” and he was right. The tournament netted approximately $1,400 in 1980 and
in 2002 the figure was close to $6,000.
The success and growth of the tournament was the result of many years of
hard work by many people, but no one worked harder or longer than Rob Kinney
who chaired the tournament committee for twenty years and built it into what it
is today.
When
Rob passed away in 2003 the Dads Club, without hesitation, renamed the
wrestling tournament to honor the memory of Mr. Kinney. It became known as the “
In 1996 Dads Club held their 1st annual golf outing. This outing was not only a success socially but the money raised through sponsorships helped the club financially and has become an important part of the club’s fundraising.
With the commitment of its current membership and an all out effort to recruit new members we hope that the Dads Club of Roselle Park High School will be around for another seventy years plus.