Two Boys and Girls Clubs Uniting

LONGVIEW – Two youth organizations in East Texas have announced a merger. The Boys & Girls Club of Gregg County will be merging into the Boys & Girls Club of The Big Pines, which is based in Marshall. The union becomes effective with the start of the new year. The announcement was made Wednesday morning at a news conference in Longview. The move will enable an expansion of school-based clubs in on campus sites in Longview, Pine Tree and Spring Hill school systems. The expanded locations are scheduled to open January 9.

As part of the merger, Bryan Partee is being named the new Executive Director of the BGC Longview club. Partee has 12 years of experience as Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Pines. The organization started as a single site serving 80 kids a day and has grown to 15 sites serving about 1,000 kids throughout East Texas serving Elysian Fields, Gladewater, Hallsville, Harleton, Hughes Springs, Jefferson, Marshall, Mount Pleasant, Ore City and Waskom.