It’s not surprising my career landed in the non-profit sector. Before I could work for pay, I worked for nothing.
In the summer of 1975, two of my sisters, Christy (13) and Cindy (11) and I (12) started the Tigger Club. Our objective was to have fun, fun, fun… as is the Tigger way. It started with our trio and 6 first graders at our home one afternoon a week. In 1981, it had bloomed into 16 leaders and 150 kids at our former grade school one afternoon a week. We collected registration money but nobody got paid. All the funds went into buying supplies. The afternoons had activities of arts & crafts, games, and rehearsal time. At the end of the summer, we held a theatrical extravaganza. It always had a theme and costumes and musical numbers. The overall pageantry was homespun and gaudy. And we were so proud of each summer’s finale.
We had created this unique Wednesday afternoon camp. And we did it for free. I believe we charged $20 for the summer per kid. We had a sliding scale for families with more than one kid. The club was 4 hours a week for 10 weeks. We used the money to buy paint, chalk, balloons, graham crackers, poster board and every imaginable provision necessary to entertain 150 kids for four hours a week. No TVs. No handheld games. No real budget. Just a zealous group of teenagers willing to play with kids.
I look back on that moment when we decided to discontinue Tigger Club. Christy had already gone off to nursing school. Cindy and I were working at our parents’ ice cream shop and we needed to get a second job for the summer to save for college. So, the Tigger Club faded into a memory. Cindy and I got jobs at the Parks Department. It was like Tigger Club but in the inner city, five days a week and for a paycheck. It was a perfect alternative and we loved it.
The Tigger Club was a wonderful skill building program for me. I honed my leadership abilities and my nonprofit sensibilities. We created a lot of something out of nothing. It’s kind of mind-boggling to imagine the simplicity of the complex situation. We convinced a school to let us use their building. We had no insurance. Parents left their 150 kids with us. We were teenagers and we were in charge of all those kids and a school building.
I imagine the Tigger Club scenario would never happen in contemporary times. What 13, 12 and 11 year olds are looking for responsibility with no pay? What parents would encourage their 13, 12 and 11 year old to take on responsibility with no pay? What parents would drop their kid off at a summer program without adult supervision, insurance or credentials? The 70s were a more trusting and giving era.