Long Ago Before We Were Here!!

1. Long Ago Before We Were Here!! The History of the Bay and Genealogical Research of Curtis Minnis, Sr. Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club Lucile Palmaro Clubhouse

2. The First Kips Bay Clubhouse

3. Kips Bay began in 1915 the way most Boys & Girls Clubs began; boys and girls needed a place to go so the founders started a Boys & Girls Club on the eastside of Manhattan on 52nd Street and 2nd Ave. This section of Manhattan was called Kips Bay.

4. In 1969, the club moved from mid-Manhattan to the present Clubhouse site 1930 Randall Avenue in the Bronx.

5. Boys & Girls Clubs of America goal’s are to develop youth to have: A sense of competence A sense of uselessness A sense of belonging A sense of influence

6. Board of Directors and Trustees are the governing authority of Boys & Girls Clubs These are individuals who provide their professional expertise and model the values and goals of this organization

7. As a history project,we wanted to research the life and history of one of the Board of Trustees members at Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club who possesses admirable qualities.

8. V.I.P./Torch Clubinterviewed one of the First African-American Board of Trustees of our Club

9. His Life Curtis Orlando Minnis, Sr. was born October 9, 1955 to mother Mary Louise Wilson and father Wilfred Campbell Minnis. His grandfather Joseph Minnis was from the Bahamas. His two sisters and two brothers were raised in Harlem, New York on 114th Street.

10. As a child… • His parents instilled the value of education • He said that his family was “pretty poor” but he did not know it because he never lacked anything • He was able to be involved in many activities

11. Video Interview Curtis Minnis, Sr. discusses his childhoodand family history

12. At the age of 9, he played “Travis” in the Broadway play, “A Raisin in the Sun”

13. The Kips Bay connection He is married and has two children, Ajai and Curtis, Jr. who were very active in Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club programs in the early 90’s. His daughter was a member of Kips Bay dance group, K-Company and his son was involved in the basketball program.

14. He was a basketball coach for 8 years at Kips Bay and through his and family's involvement and interest, Mr. Minnis was selected to be a Board of Trustee and a member of the Bronx Board of Managers. Curtis Minnis is one of the first African American Board of Trustees of Kips Bay.

15. Professionally, Curtis Minnis, Sr. works as the Managing Director of Sales for FedEx.

16. As a board member, Mr. Minnis serves on the Building Committee and his chairman of the Scholarship Committee. The scholarship fund awards Kips Bay members who meet certain qualifications and are interested in attending specialized high schools and attending college.

17. Using the Ancestral Chart and the website, Ancestry.com, we found his grandfather’s information on his father’s side and the name of his great-grandfather on his mother’s side.

18. Although, we were unable to conclusively identify Curtis Minnis’ complete genealogy, the website allowed us to find actual U.S. Census documents of the Minnis family in 1920.

19. This experience encouraged us to research our own family genealogy…

20. Thank You Curtis Orlando Minnis, Sr., Bronx Board of Managers and Trustees Daniel Quintero, Executive Director of Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club