About The Menomonee Club
Established in 1946, and still growing, The Menomonee Club has been improving urban life on Chicago’s north side for nearly 80 years. What began as a safe haven where kids could come together to learn, play and have fun has grown into a community center, with two buildings located in Old Town and Lincoln Park. The Club’s experienced and caring staff as well as our partner program providers guide a superb mix of recreational and social programs for kids in PreK through High School.
The Menomonee Club is a special place—an oasis for families from varied neighborhoods and schools to come together to learn, laugh, play and build friendships in one of the world’s largest and most diverse cities.
The Club is a not-for-profit organization, operated by and for the community. Its operations and excellent programs are made possible by revenues from Club dues and fees, fundraising efforts and a portion of the Old Town Art Fair proceeds. The Board of the Club is composed of parents and concerned community leaders. The Club offers financial assistance for both membership dues as well as program fees.
Mission Statement
The not-for profit Menomonee Club for Boys and Girls is dedicated to providing children, adults and families from diverse backgrounds with quality recreation and enrichment activities in an inclusive community that fosters personal growth and skill development.
Our Staff
Terence Marling
Executive Director
Terence Marling
Executive Director- Phone: 312-664-4631 x 106
- Email: terence@menomoneeclub.org
Erica Greiner
Program Director
Erica Greiner
Program Director- Phone: 312-664-4631 x 131
- Email: erica@menomoneeclub.org
Sara Bosaw
Administrative Director
Sara Bosaw
Administrative Director- Phone: 312-664-4631 x 130
- Email: sara@menomoneeclub.org
Sarah Hayes
Programs Administrator
Sarah Hayes
Programs Administrator- Phone: 312-664-4631 x 132
- Email: sarah@menomoneeclub.org
Paolo Mitchell
Assistant Program Director
Paolo Mitchell
Assistant Program Director- Phone: 312-664-4631 x134
- Email: paolo@menomoneeclub.org
Board of Directors
Our History
A group of concerned residents on Orleans Street gathered to discuss the formation of a Club to provide recreational activities and keep kids off the streets of Old Town. A community leader named Joe Vitale was selected to lead the Club. Joe was the director of the Club from 1946-1958.
The first officers were appointed and The Menomonee Boys Club was formed. With the help of the North Side Boys Club, the group rented an Old Town storefront on Sedgwick and began offering ping pong, shuffleboard, boxing, baseball, woodworking and choral singing. Membership was 50 cents and more than 100 children joined. It started out as a boys club with girls allowed only one day per week, but that didn’t last long! Soon, girls were attending regularly and The Menomonee Club for Boys and Girls was born.
The Old Town Triangle Association and The Menomonee Club began working together on community activities. Together, they developed the “Old Town Holiday” which later evolved into the nationally recognized Old Town Art Fair. The fair’s proceeds are a major source of support for The Menomonee Club and other community organizations to this day.
Menomonee Club supporters found a two-lane bowling alley at 244 W. Willow for $13,000. The purchase united people in the neighborhood to get behind the Club. Founding members scraped together the down payment and supporters raised the remaining funds over a four year period through bingo parties, raffles, and even going door to door to collect small contributions. The first raffle prizes were a duck, a turkey, and a chicken! A tea and mortgage burning party was held on a Sunday afternoon to celebrate.
The Clubhouse was transformed into a Game Room and activity center.
Basil Kane was appointed as the Club’s new director. Basil was beloved amongst the children of the neighborhood. He ran arts and chess clubs on the second floor of the Clubhouse and Friday night movie nights where he showed exciting movies and then showed them again backwards to entertain the kids. He is remembered fondly for creating magical adventures for the kids and teens of Old Town.
Carol Anzai Spreitzer started her career as a summer camp leader and then became the director of the Club in 1985. When she began, the Club had 50 members and was only open to the families of Old Town. She opened up membership citywide and participation grew to over 200 quickly.
Neal Bader was hired as Program Director to increase programming. When Neal joined the Club, there were only six sports teams. Within a couple of years, there were 36 teams and 400 kids playing each year. Under Neal’s guidance, the Club’s offerings expanded dramatically over the next several years.
Gail Cari joined the Club as the Administrative Director. Gail noticed that the Club did not offer any girls-specific sports and encouraged the creation of Girls Sports Huddle. After this introduction, girls sports took off at the Club with girls softball, basketball, field hockey, and more! Gail was also instrumental in fundraising for the Club’s next big project: The Menomonee Center.
After years of borrowing space for programming, The Menomonee Center at 940 W. Weed Street was created. Supporters raised nearly $500,000 in honor of the Club’s 50th anniversary to modify this rental space into our very own gym, dance studio, and activity lounge.
With a major gift of $5 million from the Drucker Family Foundation, the Club began its search for a permanent location.
Pictured: Fred Drucker
The board of directors, staff, and supporters planned and fundraised for a nearly $2.5 million renovation project, the Drucker Center.
Neal Bader was promoted to Executive Director. Our longest serving and most influential director, Neal’s contributions to The Menomonee Club are immeasurable. Neal’s vision took this small neighborhood club into the future – a true community center for the whole city. To grow the Club, he adapted our programming model to encompass more partners and specialties. Neal was responsible for bringing the dream of the Drucker Center to fruition.
The Menomonee Club moved the majority of its operations to a new state of the art, fully accessible facility with two gyms, dance studios, recreational spaces, and new offices. The building is named The Drucker Center in recognition of the Drucker family’s generous gift.
With the help of a generous anonymous grant, the Clubhouse location was returned to its original use, a two-lane bowling alley! The lanes were named The Bader Family Alumni Lanes in honor of Neal Bader’s legacy.
Donate
The Menomonee Club is a not-for-profit organization, committed to meeting the needs of our community.
We fundraise to meet the gap between our income and Club expenses every year.