R.I.P. The Valley (Swim) Club

1954-2009

For those of you who have been following the continuing saga of the Creative Steps Day Camp and The Valley (Swim) Club since it unfolded in the month of June, you might be interested to know that it was reported in the Philadelphia Daily News on Saturday that the swim club, which was accused of racial discrimination after revoking the paid memberships of mostly Black and Hispanic children, plans to declare bankruptcy soon.

John Duesler, President of the swim club, sent an email to club "friends and families" on Friday stating that the Board of Directors had a vote to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week. Duesler wrote in the email that the bankruptcy is being blamed on legal proceedings and negative media exposure. But, he also said that the club has been struggling to stay "out of the red" for at least the last decade and owes more than $100,000 in operational expenses and legal fees. Further, he said, "The members are all tired, beaten down, and just sickened by how our club has been improperly portrayed. After speaking to many members, my sense is that everyone just wants to move on."

The Creative Steps Day Camp had arranged for the youngsters to swim at the Huntingdon Valley club each Monday during the summer. But, during the first visit in June by 56 children (46 Black and 10 Hispanic), two children reported hearing racial comments and the day camp's payment was later refunded, according to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. In a decision made in September, the Commission said that it had found probable cause to conclude that the campers were asked not to return because of the "racial attitude" expressed by one member and "racially-coded comments" by other members.

When Creative Steps Day Camp Director, Alethea Wright, was told about the reported bankruptcy plans, she said, "I am taken back right now. It really comes as a surprise." Brian Mildenberg, an attorney for the children in a lawsuit against the swim club, said the bankruptcy filing puts a temporary stay or hold, on the suit filed against the club. "However, the human relations discrimination proceedings, as well as the lawsuits, would be allowed to proceed if the bankruptcy court grants relief", Mildenberg said.

The Valley (Swim) Club has maintained that the number of children exceeded the number of lifeguards on duty and that only a few of the children knew how to swim. A club attorney said it had offered to reinstate the campers for the rest of the summer or guarantee them free memberships next year. However, the Commission said that other large groups that came to the swim club did not elicit a similar reaction and the club had no black members among 334 paid memberships for the last two years.

I must admit that I was a little shocked when I heard about the impending bankruptcy but, at the same time, I can't say that I'm feeling much in the way of sympathy toward the swim club. I simply cannot believe that after all of this time and everything that has been said and done, they are still holding on to that weak (at best) explanation that the children were turned away from the pool because of so-called "overcrowding". Well, I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it. And, don't even get me started on that ridiculous comment ("There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion and the atmosphere of the club.") made by Duesler when the story first broke because it just defied gravity, reason, sanity, and anything else you want to throw in the pot.

As a small child in the mid-late 1960's, I attended five elementary schools and was subjected to constant "busing" from my neighborhood school comfort zone to white schools that were far away from home and in neighborhoods where it was painfully obvious that my presence wasn't needed or wanted. It didn't matter how chaotic and confusing that type of thing would be for a young child of any race... we just had to do it. Looking back as an adult, I feel that even though the methods may have been a little misguided, I do understand that it was being done for a greater good... to bring an end to segregation in schools.

I have always known that it is very hard to convince some people that racism still exists in this country but, I never thought I'd see the day when you couldn't even convince those who are actually racists (by word and/or deed) that racism exists. No wonder the solution to this very real and complex problem still completely eludes us... and it will continue to do so as long as "people" are bankrupt. The vote of The Valley (Swim) Club Board of Directors to file for bankruptcy only confirms the atmosphere that was already present among the membership. Perhaps, some of them were not guilty of being racists but, until we as a people understand that there should be "zero tolerance" for this kind of thing, we will never move past it.

No good ever comes out of situations like this and now, the membership is mourning the loss of their beloved swim club. The sad part is, the people who were guilty of being racists will only move their attitudes and memberships some place else. Over the course of time, this will become a distant memory for them and history will undoubtedly repeat itself no matter where they go. In the meantime, we can only hope that the children of Creative Steps Day Camp won't suffer any long-term affects from this ugly incident. Let us pray that, in time, it will become a distant memory for them too.