One Good Deed Deserves Another: Boys and Girls Club Gains Property from County

The Boys and Girls Club of Pickens County made progress on its forthcoming project last week.During last Thursday’s meeting, The Board of Commissioners deeded over a small parcel of property to the development authority. The move comes with the understanding the development authority will in turn deed the land to the Boys and Girls Club. According to County Attorney Philip Landrum III, the contract has a reversion clause. The clause states that if the project slated for the Boys and Girls Club fails, the property will revert back to the development authority, which will then help facilitate an economic use for the property.

During the BOC meeting last week, Landrum justified the involvement of the board and the development authority in the project.

“Communities that have a lower drop-out rate,”

he said,

“have more community involvement (and) are more successful and have a better chance of economic development.”

Landrum provided the board and the development authority information correlating low drop out rates with prosperous economic development. Commission Chair Robert Jones said the Boys and Girls Club in Pickens County has served the community well over the past six years.

“(The Boys and Girls Club has succeeded by) giving them (the children of the community) a place to go when schools are in session,”

Jones said.
According to its website, The Boys and Girls Club has served Pickens and Gilmer Counties since 2005, providing five clubs with safe places for children to enhance learning, recreation and companionship.

“To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,”

is the organization’s mission. The Boys and Girls Club plans to use the land to build a multi-purpose facility.

On Friday, the development authority signed a resolution for the agreement. The property is located near the Pickens County Community Center near Camp Road in the vicinity of Roper Park. Landrum said the deed states that the Boys and Girls Club has eighteen months to begin the project, but said the time provision can be changed by the development authority. He also said the organization is anxious to get started on the project.