BUENA PARK : Boys Club Honors 1st Woman on Its Board

Donna Bagley will never forget that day in November, 1957, when she was asked to join the all-male board of directors for the Boys Club of Buena Park.

“I laughed--because they were all men,” said Bagley, who will turn 82 in March. “They told me they needed a mother’s viewpoint. This one man thought I had the courage to be a pioneer.”

That board member was right. The civic- and community-minded Bagley did take that courageous step and accepted the invitation.

She became the first woman to serve on the board. “I was the one that broke the ice,” she said, adding she found it a “challenge and a responsibility.”

Bagley, mother of two sons, one of whom died in a car accident as a teen-ager, retired from the board this month after 36 years.

But she was given the honorary title of “historical consultant” because of the wealth of knowledge she has about the club’s early years.

Bagley has also received another title. Because of her dedication and service to the club, she was honored as the organization’s “Volunteer of the Year” on Saturday at an annual volunteer and donor recognition dinner.

“She gives a lot of time and effort unselfishly--and with no pay. And I think her heart is in it,” said fellow board member Larry Stern, who has served with Bagley for 16 years.

Stern said Bagley has always been in the forefront in coming up with ways the club could secure money from donors to keep it going.

“She’s the first one to be there because she’s concerned about the kids,” he said.

During her more than three decades as a board member--never serving as president because she “didn’t want to be president”--Bagley was instrumental in raising money to keep the club open and expanding programs for the youth.

Currently, the club, which is now open to both boys and girls ages 6 to 17, has a membership of 1,600.

Bagley, who for 35 years operated an income tax service, also managed to find time to frequent the club “to let kids know we were interested.”

Bagley has been involved in the community since she and her husband of 50 years, Wallace, moved to Buena Park in 1948 and bought a home in the city’s second housing tract.

A year after they moved to the city, Bagley joined the Buena Park Woman’s Club and has been active in that organization ever since.

Over the years, Bagley has been publicly recognized for her community endeavors and volunteerism.

“I’ve had more satisfaction, more recognition and more awards than any one person deserves,” she said.

But being honored as the club’s top volunteer may be the highlight of her life, she said.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Bagley, who still cooks, sews her own clothes, knits and attends the same church she has belonged to for the past 42 years. “I’ve had so many awards, but I think this may be more meaningful than anything that’s happened.”

Bagley, a grandmother of four, said she was touched when she saw an ad last week in the program for Saturday’s event that thanked her for her service.

“Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes,” she said. “It means a great deal to me to be part of this wonderful organization.”

While getting another award is an honor, the real reward is knowing that she has made a difference in the lives of youngsters. “I’ve tried to be a good role model for young people as a caring person,” she said.

And being involved in her community is something she will never give up. “This is where I belong. I’ve been a part of Buena Park, and Buena Park is a part of me,” she said.