The Objectives
The objectives of this organization shall be:

• To provide wholesome recreation and worthwhile activities for the youth groups of the organization.
  
• To serve as a clearinghouse for child-parent problems and relationships common to the parental group of the organization.
• To provide recreation, education, and study opportunities for the parents of the organization.
• These activities are to assume proper relationship to the program planned for the children.
• To provide family social activities for the youth and parental groups, and to establish and maintain a clubhouse incidental to the aforestated objectives and purposes.
• To sponsor any charitable, civic, religious, health, cultural, scholarship, or social activity for the benefit of children.
  

The Seal

History
National Tots and Teens, Incorporated was founded by Geraldine Jacoway-Ross of Los Angeles, California in May 1952. Mrs. Ross was born in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1903. She matriculated through the local schools and continued her education at Bishop College where she majored in education. She married Mr. William Jacoway and had a daughter named Dorothy while living in Los Angeles. She had a desire to expose her daughter and other youth to experiences they would not otherwise be able to receive in the segregated and troubled society of that time. This resulted in the establishment of the Tots and Teens Club.

Mrs. Ross shared her concept with friends of hers whom she felt would embrace it. She invited ten of them one evening to her home to discuss this matter, and she was correct in her belief that they would welcome the opportunity to bring their children together in a stable, wholesome, and culturally enriched environment. Gladys Metoyer is the founding charter member credited with suggesting the name, Tots and Teens. On April 21, 1954, the club received a charter in the State of California. The parent group in Los Angeles had a desire to expand to other parts of the country. In 1956, Mrs. Ross met a woman who would help fulfill this dream.

Emmie G. Lewis of Cleveland, Ohio was vacationing in Los Angeles when she met Geraldine Ross who discussed the fledgling Tots and Teens Club with her. Since they both shared a common interest in helping youth become productive members of society, Mrs. Lewis agreed to carry the idea back to Cleveland where the second chapter of the organization was organized, thus, establishing National Tots and Teens, Inc. Cleveland is currently the oldest existing chapter in the organization.

Mrs. Lewis and Cleveland were pivotal in the development of the early club because she believes strongly in the organization’s purpose and worked to affect further growth. This resulted in the establishment of chapters in Columbus and Toledo in Ohio as well as Gary, Indiana by 1960. By 1960, chapters had been established in Washington, D.C., Montgomery (AL), Hempstead (NY), and Nashville (TN). According to a report in the 1978 convention souvenir journal, the Houston Chapter was established by Mrs. Rasette Hopper in the early 1960s. In 1968, the chapter was reactivated by James and Elmyra Turner with their three daughters: Gwyndolyn, Wyndolyn, and Katherine. They sought other families who worked to build a strong chapter through the 1970s.

Since Tots and Teens had become a full-fledged national body by 1960, members desired to meet and discuss fulfillment of a national structure. This was accomplished when the first national convention was held in Cleveland in 1963. This meeting set the stage for the future as members adopted by-laws, elected officers, and formulated early programs. Action taken at this historic meeting included the adoption of a triennial national convention cycle. Regional conferences would be held annually and the national executive board would meet in the interim between conventions. National youth (teen) and adult officers would serve a three year term. Chapters were directed to elect delegates who would serve as chapter representatives to the board attending all conventions and board meetings. Chapters developed a common understanding of the age group system; there were to be five age groups for youth between the ages of 3 and 18. These groups were simply given numeric designations:

Group I
3-5
Group II
6-8
Group III
9-11
Group IV
12-14
Group V
15-18

Each group was to have an adult group leader. The leaders were to report to the 3rd Vice President. This would later change to the 2nd Vice President by the 1972 convention in Los Angeles. An Alumni group, Group VI was considered, too. The details of this group were to be worked out by the individual chapter. Some chapters gave their age groups more imaginative names according to the souvenir journals from the national conventions. In the Dayton Chapter, the teens called their group the Teens In Action (TIAs) in 1976.

The early chapters were divided into six regions; new chapters would be assigned accordingly: Eastern Seaboard (SC, NC, WV, VA, DC, MD, DE, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA); Southern (TN, MS, AL, GA, FL); Mid-Western (KY, OH, MI, IN, IL, WI, MN); Central (AK, MO, IA, OK, KS, NE, CO); Southwestern (LA, TX, NM), and Far-Western (AZ, NV, CA, OR, WA). Houston was the sole chapter of the Southwest Region just as St. Louis was for the Central. The latter was transferred to the Mid-Western Region some time after the 1966 convention. A report of chapter delegations at the 1969 convention in D.C. shows that there were 22 chapters across the country; during the 1970s, the number grew to a peak of 29 local groups.

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, other chapters were being formed in the Los Angeles area. Ads from the 1975 souvenir journal show Pasadena and South Bay as the first new chapters; a total of seven were organized with the remaining being Carson, Cerritos, South Los Angeles, and Santa Monica.

Early chapter programs seem to follow a pattern of organized field trips to zoos and museums, picnics and apple orchard excursions, and exposure to career and educational opportunities. Over time, chapters would strive to improve upon these activities for the benefit of children and families. These events became staples within the organization. In the late 1970s, the Cleveland Chapter hosted a biennial debutante ball that captured the attention of the local media and cast the spotlight on the organization. Gary sponsored a similar event for young men from the local school district. The D.C. and St. Louis chapters were particularly large; their memberships included many prominent local families whose parents were educators and school superintendents, businessmen and women, doctors, lawyers, and elected government officials. The 1970s were a time of great enthusiasm and expansion for the organization as new chapters were formed and existing chapters grew. Members gathered in record numbers at conventions eager to meet people from other cities who had great pride in Tots and Teens’ growth and accomplishments.

In 1972, members converged on Los Angeles; this would be the last time the founder would grace the members with her presence having passed away in 1973. She is survived by her daughter, Dorothy Hogan (nee Jacoway), who became the third national president along with two granddaughters, Catherine Elaine and Pamela Anne. In addition to plenary sessions, members enjoyed a luncheon and a closing banquet along with trips to Universal Studios and Disneyland. In 1974, the organization faced an unusual change-of-command due to Mrs. Hogan’s inability to fulfill the duties of office because of family matters related to her mother’s death. Geraldine Johnson, the national first vice president filled the vacancy and kept Tots and Teens humming right along when the members met in Atlanta in 1975.

Atlanta was a landmark convention that focused on programmatic directions needed to help their youth become prepared for the challenges and opportunities they would face as adults in a steadily advancing world. At this convention, the national level coalesced efforts to provide a calendar of major activities that chapters would observe; age group specific activity ideas were also provided. Teens were given greater latitude in their plenary sessions as parents other than those assigned to work with the youth were no longer allowed to be with the teens in their sessions. The office of National 3rd Vice President was abolished and the 2nd VP was assigned to work with the young people. These activities were based on the collective experience of the various chapters. Members came from all chapters by car, plane, and numerous charter buses. They enjoyed a family mixer, a tour of Underground Atlanta as well as Martin Luther King historical sites and the Atlanta University complex. Members toured Stone Mountain and children and teens were excited about going to Six Flags Over Georgia to ride the Great American Scream Machine. Conventioneers subscribed to the theme “Togetherness – A Family Thing That Bridges The Gaps.”

The largest convention in the organization’s history was held in St. Louis in 1978. Members stayed at a plush downtown hotel overlooking the riverfront and the Gateway Arch. Business included the implementation of Operation TOPS (Total Occupational Programs) as a supplement to the programmatic thrust designed in Atlanta. TOPS included awareness of college and scholarship, SAT/ACT testing, course-work needed for college entry, and awareness of careers and the education needed to enter them. Chapters were to report their progress to the regional and national levels to be monitored so that its effectiveness could be quantified and future programmatic directions could be mapped. Members spent time “Putting It Together And Keeping It Together” in plenary sessions where discussions also centered on defining the national executive board, ways and means of increasing Tots and Teens’ public relations efforts, and the establishment of additional chapters. Members participated in a myriad of activities such as the zoological park, Grant’s Farm, and Meramec Caverns. There was an excursion on the riverboat S.S. Admiral, and of course, the all-time favorite – Six Flags Over MidAmerica.

In 1981, Baltimore played host to the members as they explored the newly developed Inner Harbor area. During this convention, members developed a five point program encompassing Self-Reliance, Economics, Political Action, Education, and Careers under the theme “Facing The Realities Of The Eighties”. There was an increasing concern for the well-being of the organization in the changing socioeconomic climate.

For many years, even during the years of prosperity, there was an undercurrent of disheartenment and dissatisfaction with the organization. There were those who questioned the need for an organization like Tots and Teens with all the opportunities for positive pursuits that youth had available to them. By 1980, the situation worsened as some chapters were seeing their memberships decline and some chapters dropped out altogether. All the while, those who were dedicated to the aims and principles held fast to their belief that this was a worthwhile endeavor.

In 1976, the group leaders of the Cleveland Chapter met to discuss the growing problem of lack of interest among the children and teens and how to curb it. Adult officers appealed to the teens to communicate their concerns about the organization and how to make things better; a lack of response seemed to fuel the disenchantment for youth and adults.

Some members felt that the economic pressure could be lessened if the organization would alter the chapters’ representation on the national board. Examples of this are found in the minutes of the 1980 Board Meeting in Houston and the Baltimore convention in one year later. The Washington, D.C. Chapter and Eastern Seaboard Region along with the Mid-Western Region proposed a major overhaul of the system of governance. Chapters would no longer send delegates to the national board meeting along with regional and national officers. Instead, chapters would report their concerns to the regional directors and teen regional presidents. They along with the other regional officers would meet with the national officers to formulate policies. Chapter delegates would vote on these policy changes at the national convention. All parties in support of this measure reasoned that chapters could have better representation at the conventions and the regions would become more cohesive and relevant. Chapters would be more supportive of the regional conference. It was also felt that delegates would spend more time voting on issues that would carry the organization forward rather than rehashing the same things at conventions that they discussed the previous year at the board meeting.

These efforts were defeated as members chose to maintain the staus quo.
By the 1980s, the organization lost chapters in Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Charlotte, Chesapeake, Dayton, Georgetown (SC), Houston, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Toledo. The founding chapter in Los Angeles along with other chapters in that area became defunct as well. The faithful few kept the faith and soldiered on.

The Houston board meeting signaled a change in the convention cycle; the convention would be held biennially during odd-numbered years with the board meeting in the interim. Members felt that three years was too long a time between major meetings and elections; hopefully this would draw the members closer. Regional officers would be elected at their respective regional conferences and confirmed at the national convention the following year.

The board meeting in 1982 was to take place in the Mid-Western Region, but internal problems in that area dictated a change of venue. The D.C. chapter hosted the meeting at the Howard Inn. This meeting marked an historic point in the organization’s history. President Mae Walton of D.C. charged youth and adult delegates with the task of meeting in open “rap sessions” with thoughts of whether Tots and Teens was to remain a viable organization or disband.

Members reconvened and voted unanimously to retain the national organization; they were more determined than ever to make Tots and Teens work. The teens made history at this meeting, too. Youth President Melissa Scott (1981-83) felt that youth who weren’t able to attend national meetings were at a particular disadvantage as far as understanding and appreciating what Tots and Teens is about. She proposed a Teen Mixer and her home chapter of Detroit offered to host it. The first National Teen Mixer was held April 29-30, 1983. Accommodations were provided for and activities were provided by the chapter. All the teens had to do is get there. This helped to dispel the notion that the youth were no longer interested in the organization. It also laid the foundation for the unprecedented spirit and pride exhibited by many of today’s young Tots and Teens members. The mixer is held annually during the last weekend in April. Teens 14 years and older attend and participate in workshops and excursions. Fun activities are also planned.

With the loss of all chapters on the west coast, the board voted in 1982 to reincorporate in Delaware or D.C. In 1983, the organization chose the latter and filed Articles of Incorporation. Los Angeles is still constitutionally recognized as the founding chapter of National Tots and Teens, Inc.