“The Club means too much to too many people”
– Frederick Fairfield, Boys Club alumnus ‘56
Kicking off the BGCB Time Capsule Alumni of the Week series, Frederick Fairfield, who was a member of The Boys Club, shares his experience attending the Club to later rebuilding what is now known as Yawkey Club of Roxbury.
The Boys Club
Before there was the Boys & Girls Club, there was just The Boys Club. Frederick Fairfield was a proud member of The Boys Club from 1946-1956. His daily routine consisted of going to the Club after school and playing basketball or swimming, mainly to keep occupied. His favorite activities at the Club were team sports and gimp, plastic string used in crafts that comes in various colors and it can be woven, braided, or knotted to make bracelets and keychains.
He describes The Club as a safe place to go to because there was a lot of trouble in the streets of Roxbury. “The Club taught me how to never give up, even when things get bad, and to stay out of trouble. Many of the guys I knew either died or were in prison, and they didn’t go to the Club,” Frederick says.
Rebuilding the Club and Community
Now, Frederick continues to give back to his community and to the Club. Frederick works in real estate development in Roxbury and Mattapan. He was part of reconstructing the original development in Nubian Square, BGCB’s own Yawkey Club of Roxbury. Frederick wanted to serve his community of Roxbury and thought it would make more sense hiring workers from within the community. At the beginning, the city wanted to tear down the building to reconstruct it, but Frederick disagreed. “I told them the Club means too much to too many people,” Fredrick says. From there, he found ways to redevelop the Club from the inside out. Raising the funds for the project took a long time, but nevertheless, he managed to raise the necessary funds.
Giving Back to the Club
Alongside rebuilding Yawkey Club of Roxbury, Frederick remains connected to Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) and has served as Chair of the Yawkey Club of Roxbury’s Local Advisory Board for more than 20years. He interviews candidates for BGCB’s Youth of the Year program and continues to attend BGCB events.
Some advice Fredrick has for our members and alumni:
“Never give up even when things are difficult because if you tried hard enough, you can be anything and accomplish everything.” He wishes for everyone to expand their horizons and learn to love each other and to love themselves.
Fredrick hopes for alumni to go back into the Clubs and serve as mentors for the young members to show what life is like on the outside.
Frederick Fairfield, BGCB Alumnus, second member on the bottom left.
Frederick Fairfield, BGCB Alumnus, Chair of the Yawkey Club of Roxbury’s Local Advisory Board
