To marvel at how much has been accomplished on inspiration and will alone.

When last mentioned here in March, the Glendale Teen Center was a fresh new idea, brought to life in rich detail by a young woman named Sheila Ellis, who believes that Glendale youth need a safe place to have fun.

It was on the west side of town in a warehouse. It was well-appointed, with everything a teen-ager would need--a soda fountain, a pool table and Ping-Pong table, a study room, a TV room, a conversation room. It had two adults on staff and a minimum of two trained teen-age volunteers in attendance each weeknight to befriend the young people who would drop in.

All that was lacking then was securing a lease and coming up with financial commitments of around $135,000 a year. The target date was fall.

Now that fall is here, the center might appear to have fallen short of its goal. It still has no lease and its balance sheet is hanging in at around $10,000, half from a community event in March and the rest a donation from the city.

Ellis, who also happens to be pursuing a career as a Chicago-style blues vocalist, has learned a lot about the mechanics of building an institution from the ground up.

She said she had no idea how hard it was going to be. The problem, which should be clear and imposing enough to discourage all but the most serious dreamer, is this: You can’t get someone to hand over a lot of money without having something of substance to show--such as a lease on a building--and you can’t afford to sign a lease without having a lot money in hand.

Another way of looking at it, though, is to marvel at how much has been accomplished on inspiration and will alone.

In the months since, Ellis and her many supporters have gone about laying a foundation of ideas and people, never doubting that, when the moment comes, the building and money will materialize.

They have recruited real estate agents, lawyers and civic leaders to their board of directors. They conducted and published an assessment of the emotional and recreational needs of the city’s teen-agers, documenting the value of a center.

When the time came to decide whether to sign a lease without having the cash to cover it, the board was confident enough to do so. Negotiations are going on for a building on West Arden Avenue. Ellis is developing a list of major donors to tap when the moment is right.

An equally important, and more delicate, job quietly began this summer with a group of teen-agers gathering each Wednesday evening in Ellis’ pleasant home in the Kenneth Road neighborhood.

The youths, nominated by their teachers and counselors at school, are members of the Teen Center’s Young Person’s Council. They have two duties: to govern the center--in conjunction with its adult program director and board--and to volunteer time each week as teen peer counselors.

About a dozen showed up at last week’s meeting. As there were too many for formal seating, Ellis pushed the couches aside and motioned all to form a circle. In khaki shorts, she sat down lithely, Indian style, setting a vegetarian dinner in her lap.

The first half hour of the meeting concerned governance. On the agenda was the “term of commitment” clause in the group’s bylaws. Ellis questioned whether the stated term of three months was long enough and whether renewal should be at the discretion of the director or the youths themselves.

She tried to work by consensus, which proved difficult. Some said that three months was too long or that their schedules--one young woman was taking geometry and trigonometry at the same time--would make two hours every week difficult. One young man said he worked better when not tied to a routine.

Others argued that without commitment, the organization would fail. And one young woman said she found it hard to tolerate those who simply showed up when they chose.

To settle the disagreement, Ellis introduced the idea of a “floater,” someone whose schedule, or character, could not conform to a regular assignment.

It was agreed at last that the term would be three months, that the power to appoint would rest solely with the youth council and that volunteer shifts would be planned only a week at a time so that no one would get stuck. Floaters would be allowed.

The second half was about feelings. Judy Yager, psychotherapist with the Glendale Unified School District, told the youths that to be good listeners, they would have to know themselves. She asked each to identify two of their own qualities, one good and one bad. The bad, she said, hoping to soften a hard concept, could be an imperfection they were still working on.

The first young woman said she was honest and direct and couldn’t think of much that needed working on. With prodding from a friend, however, she remembered that she was trying to stop fighting with her father.

Most of the youths were harder on themselves. The bad qualities included interrupting, rudeness and difficulty with words. By observation, a couple of positive qualities they didn’t mention would be determination and trust.

These young people are working hard toward a goal. And they’re trusting that the adults will come through.