U. S. A.

The Big Brothers movement was begun on July 4, 1903 by a young Cincinnati businessman named Irvin F. Westheimer who, spotting a young boy and his dog rooting through a garbage can for food, became concerned as to why such a situation was occurring on this of all days. Befriending the child, Mr. Westheimer discovered that he lived in a home where the father was absent through death. Mr. Westheimer took the boy under his guidance, seeing him regularly and helping him as a 'big brother'. Further, Mr. Westheimer asked a number of his friends to act in a similar capacity on a one-to-one basis to other boys and young men from father-absent homes; hence "Big Brothers". Amazingly, in the very next year, 1904, in New York, Col. Ernest Coulter, Chief Clerk of the New York Children's Court, noted that a large number of the children appearing in court came from homes where the father was absent. He approached the Men's Club of the Central Presbyterian Church to become "big brothers" to boys and young men who were known to the court. 

Thus, Big Brothers have the unique distinction of having been conceived as a program independently, and by two individuals who were concerned about the welfare of children.

In 1908, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, learning of the work of Big Brothers in New York City, organized the first Big Sisters program there, to provide a similar service to girls and young women. Therefore, the basis for both services to children indicates a deep and direct concern early in the century.

The first agency formally incorporated to undertake Big Brothers work was Big Brothers of New York in 1909, followed closely in 1910 by the Cincinnati agency. The Big Sisters agency in New York was incorporated in 1911.

The idea of the assignment of an adult volunteer spread to other cities, including Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, Columbus, Baltimore, Cleveland, St. Louis, Dallas, Toronto, Los Angeles, and others during the period of 1910 to 1920. This period also saw the introduction of professionally trained social workers to interview children, parents and potential Big Brothers/Big Sisters to match the most appropriate adult to an individual child and to provide the necessary support and supervision to the Big Brother-Little Brother or Big Sister-Little Sister relationship and to the parent when indicated.

The movement spread from city to city across the U.S.A. as individuals and groups recognized the need for such services in their own communities. Indeed the first Big Brothers and Big Sisters National Conference was held in October, 1917 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

There was, however, no central, continuing organization capable of providing assistance to new agencies of either kind; developing standards of service; providing an ongoing forum for technique development; or acting as the link among these independent groups. An attempt was made during the late 1930's to organize a national Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization but this effort seems to have foundered at the inception of World War II. In 1946 representatives of thirteen Big Brother agencies, under the leadership of Charles Berwind of Philadelphia, met and decided to form Big Brothers of America (BBA) to act as the federated, central representative of the Big Brothers program in the U.S. and Canada. (Canadian agencies amicably withdrew from BBA in 1964-1968 to form Big Brothers of Canada.)

During the period 1947 through 1963, BBA grew slowly in terms of various affiliated agencies, although the concept reached more and more communities. In 1963, affiliates numbered 35 and the national staff provided considerable and diverse assistance in the form of consultation, evaluation, standards of service, public relations and research.

In 1970, individuals and agencies involved in Big Sister programs determined to form their own central organization named Big Sisters International. BSI was founded by Mrs. Winifred Derry of Washington, DC, and had generally the same purposes as BBA. Their programs provided services to girls and young women that BBA has established in its sphere.

In 1972, BBA had virtually outgrown its structure and staff and the National Board decided upon a complete review and reorganization of BBA, which included new programmatic priorities, new staff, and a plan for the future of the organization.

From its base in 1970, BSI grew slowly until 1973, with slim funding but enthusiastic and competent volunteer efforts. At that time, farsighted leaders of BBA and BSI, recognizing a commonality of interest, the growing number of joint Big Brother/Big Sister Agencies at the local level and the possibilities of future trends and growth, carefully and cautiously embarked upon a program of mutual cooperation. A generous grant from the Lilly endowment of Indianapolis, IN, which had long supported Big Brother efforts, provided the necessary support for National Big Sister staff and programs. National staffs were quietly, but effectively, joined at BBA/BSI's headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, developing a system for helping local communities and agencies whether they were Big Brothers, Big Sisters or joint Big Brother/Big Sister operations.

A joint merger committee of both Boards of Directors reported a specific plan and agreement of merger to the membership of both corporations, having reviewed all the issues and formulated a specific reorganization arrangement, which plan and agreement was adopted by the corporations on June 17, 1977. This plan and agreement of merger was executed by the appropriate officials of BBA and BSI on June 17, 1977, bringing Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America (BB/BSA) into being. Honorary Chairman Gerald R. Ford presided. Today, in the U.S.A. over 400 agencies provide services to more than 100,000 children.

CANADA

In 1913, the Toronto delinquency rate was growing rapidly and some businessmen, interested in doing something to combat the problem, sent a representative to New York to investigate an organization founded nine years earlier, known as the Big Brother Movement. Impressed with what he saw, the representative convinced his fellow businessmen that they should do something similar in Toronto. Thus, "The Big Brother Movement of Toronto" was founded. Initially, the Toronto volunteers worked with both boys and girls who came to their attention through the courts. Encouraged by the growth of the movement, a Board of Directors was formed and professional people engaged as permanent staff.

The first Association in Canada using the Big Brother concept was in the city of Toronto in1913. The original Big Brother group was composed of a number of church men's Federations including the following: Baptist Men's Federation, Methodist men, Lutheran men, Anglican men and, a short time later, representatives of the Knights of Columbus (Roman Catholic) and the B'nai B'rith Lodge (Jewish).

A similar organization was formed in Hamilton in 1921 and eventually in several other cities in the period from 1940-1960. The program was primarily intended to help young offenders, especially from father-absent homes. In the late 1950's and early 1960's, Big Brother groups reorganized their services to meet the challenge of reaching out to help individual boys between 6 and 16 years of age who lived in father-absent homes.

By 1964 ten Big Brother Associations including Toronto, Hamilton, Vancouver, St. Catharines, Peterborough, Owen Sound, Niagara Falls, Kitchener-Waterloo, Welland and Oakville, were providing service to a total of 300 matched boys. These agencies were affiliated with Big Brothers of America, headquarters in Philadelphia.

During 1964, efforts were made to begin a Canadian organization with a view to promoting the Big Brother concept throughout Canada. Big Brothers of Canada were federally chartered on December 15, 1964. By 1972, 60 Canadian agencies were providing services to 3,000 boys, a ten-fold increase in eight years! In that year Big Brothers of Canada signed a separation agreement with Big Brothers of America, to become a completely autonomous national body. Growth was rapid in the ensuing years. By 1975 there were almost one hundred agencies and 5,200 matches, and by 1980, 150 agencies were in existence, serving 7,200 children.

The Big Brother program is not limited to Canada and the U.S.A. Big Brother organizations exist in many countries, including Africa, Australia, England, Germany, Israel, Jamaica, Japan and Korea.

LOCAL AGENCY HISTORY

On April 19, 1972 the first local agency of Big Brothers was created under the incorporation name of the “Big Brother Association of Fenelon Falls and District”.  The first sitting Board of that agency included:  Gordon Goddard (president), Robert Clayton (secretary), Dale Coe (vice-president), Dr. Reginald Brenchley (treasurer), John Bannister, Ben Jowitt, John Cawker, Donald Folkes, Ronald LaMarche and Bruce Glass.

In an Annual Report dated October 16, 1974, signed by Dale Coe is the following: “I was elected to the position of Chairperson of the Board.  This position was taken over from Mr. Gordon Goddard who stepped down after two years.  Mr. Goddard had been the driving force responsible for forming the Big Brothers agency in our area”.

Mr. Norman Cooper appears to have been the first Executive Director of the agency and for at least 2 years completed the tasks of the position on a voluntary basis.

Signed on November 28^th, 1980 was an application to incorporate the Big Brothers Association of Lindsay.  The first Board Members of this agency included:  Fred Emerson (president), Edward Gardiner (secretary), Raymond Armstrong (treasurer), Donald Moir (vice-president), Michael McArthur, Robert Steffler, J. Richard Gorwill, Kenneth Stinson, Patricia Siegel, Brian Drake, Elizabeth Hurlburt and Ross Wilson.

The local agency has seen many changes since it became Big Brothers of Lindsay in 1980.  In 1985 the agency began to provide big sisters for the girls of the community, so a change in name to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lindsay and Victoria County was required.  A further change to the name was required in 1996 when the agency began to serve the Haliburton County area; subsequently the name was changed to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria-Haliburton.  The community of Victoria County went through an amalgamation process, resulting in yet another change to the agency’s name, now being called Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton.

There was significant growth to the service delivery over the past 30 years.  The agency grew from serving approximately 15 children in 1980 to serving well over 100 children.  This was accomplished by providing a variety of services and programs.  These included our Traditional One-to-One program, Couples Program, Inter-Generational Initiative, In-School Mentoring program, E-Mentoring program, Big Bunch Program, Kids N’ Kops and Summer Camp.

Programs and services are provided with the assistance from the local United Way, Community Fundraisers, Community Partnerships, The Ontario Trillium Foundation on occasion, private donations and other governmental initiatives when available.  The fundraisers include the Wing Fest, Bowl for Kids Sake, Dinner/Auction and dances to name some of the more successful initiatives.

The agency generally employs an Executive Director, Administrative Assistant (Office Manager), Traditional Case Manager, In-School Mentoring Case Manager, Fundraising Co-ordinator and Summer Student.  The agency also utilizes College Placement Students and High School Co-op Students whenever possible.  A Board of Directors governs the agency’s direction through monthly meetings.