Jim Rayburn started the first Young Life club in 1940 in Gainesville, Texas. (Two years before this, Jim had run Miracle Book Clubs after school, which “produced no miracles!”) The results of this Young Life club in Gainesville was so spectacular, that Jim felt led to start a new Evangelical movement rather than take a church. On October 16, 1941, Young Life Campaign was organized and was incorporated in Texas.
Jim had gone to Dallas Theological Seminary from 1936-1940 and influenced other students to become involved in Young Life, including Grant Whipple, George Cowan and Ralph Hetrick. In that first year of Young Life, Grant Whipple was on the national board of Young Life, and moved to Bellingham to work with his father Otis who had started the Firs Retreat Center in 1921. Grant Whipple was the Northwest Regional Director for Young Life and the director of The Firs Retreat Center.
Because of this relationship with Grant, Jim Rayburn and his brother started ministry in Bellingham & Mt. Vernon (or was it Burlington?) in 1941. Jim spoke at the Christian Workers Conference at The Firs, and told how God was working among the high school young people through the Young Life clubs. Rev. Harold Ellsworth, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Sunnyside caught the vision. On returning home, he invited Grant Whipple, regional director of Young Life, and Ralph Hetrick, pastor from Burlington, WA to speak to an “interest meeting” of 20 people. They wanted their own Young Life club, and thus Jim decided to send Norm & Patty Robbins to the Lower Yakima Valley in 1942. The Robbins started a ministry on Friday and Saturday nights in Sunnyside called Lifeliner. The Christian businessmen of Sunnyside had an urgency to reach their young students for Christ, and therefore raised $16,000 to purchase and equip a building for Young Life to operate a Christian youth center. The name Lifeliner was created by Marilyn Coperhaver, and she directed the youth center to be fitted out to be a luxury liner. The attendance surpassed the hundred mark weekly. The Young Life club was held on Tuesday nights.
One of the innovative ministries that Norm Robbins created was starting the KIT radio broadcast on Saturday nights. KIT was the only radio station in 1942, and its broadcast had coverage over the whole upper and lower valley. The first broadcast occurred in the fall of 1942 in either November or December. Norm & Patty would run a club at 8:00 sharp with students from Ellensburg, Selah, Sunnyside, Grandview, Moxee, Wapato, Ahtanum, Naches, Harrah, Outlook, Tieton, and Yakima present. Then at exactly 9:15 pm, Young Life Victory Club takes the air! (It was war time, thus Victory Club) Part of the program was the singing of the women’s trio. This group consisted of Joyce Tregloan, Connie Schilperoort, and Lenore Stover. Joyce later married Dr. Lynch.
In 1942, Jim Rayburn came to Selah to speak at a Young Life club. This was held in TR Smith’s home. TR was the principal of Selah High School. This was a large meeting, and a little like a Youth for Christ Rally. Orien Johnson was there to lead music.
The rumor has it that The Robbins were so successful, that the Yakima Ministerial Association got jealous and forced him to leave. I have no evidence for this, except Renee Schilperoort’s own experience and memories, and that is good enough for me. Norm and Patty moved to Portland in 1943, and Ralph & Dottie Hetrick moved from Burlington to take over the area. In a letter dated, Feb. 21, 1944, Ralph explains his weekly schedule: “Our work here in the valley continues to grow. I travel about 1600 miles a month in the club work alone – Monday nights in Ellensburg, Tuesday nights in Sunnyside, Thursday nights in Outlook, Saturday nights in Yakima (KIT broadcast), and every Sunday in Harrah. We have around 200 high school and college age young people a week for an hour or more of singing, testimony, and a challenge from the word.” In the spring of 1944, Jim Rayburn came to the Yakima Valley for assemblies in 20 high schools, with mass meetings in the evenings.
Ralph & Dot Hetrick came on Young Life staff in 1943 on faith. He was not promised a salary, and there was no committee or donors. He also worked at the Ahtanum Pioneer Church, replacing Ed Arenson who went to Africa as a missionary. Ralph spoke at various churches around the valley as a 2nd or 3rd job. He brought stability to the Young Life ministry all over Central Washington, while also running the church. He stayed in the valley from 1943 to 1956 when he moved to pastor the Calvary Church of Pacific Palisades, CA. Ralph was big on follow-up, and one of his first moves was recruiting Norma Borton to disciple the young believers. She was both a Young Life leader and a Sunday School teacher at Ahtanum. Norma was married to Don Borton who died in WW2. Renee McMechan Schilperoort said that Ralph gave them their first Bibles, and Navigators tools. Later the Hetricks and Norma Borton bought the Book & Bible Store together, and Norma ran it day to day.
Here is an excerpt from a letter Ralph wrote his parents on Feb. 21, 1944: “Our work here in the valley continues to grow. I travel about 1600 miles a month in the club work alone – Monday nights in Ellensburg, Tuesday nights in Sunnyside, Thursday nights in Outlook, Saturday nights in Yakima (KIT broadcast) and every Sunday in Harrah. We have around 200 high school and college age young people a week for an hour or more of singing, testimony, and a challenge from the Word. The response is very gratifying. Ten decisions for Christ have been made in the last two weeks.”
In August, 1966, Chuck Ferguson moved from Portland to Yakima to become the area director. He was engaged to Carol, and they married in December, 1966. Chuck had been on student staff in Portland, and this was his first Area Director job. He came at the request of Dr. Harry Greg, Dr. Harold Dornick (both of Wapato), Dr. Bob & Billie Crose, and Dr. Frank & Janet LeCocq. These four doctors may have been recruited by Paul Schilperoort, and they were motivated partly because they had high school children themselves. They had been praying for some time, and kept calling Chet Starr in Seattle to send them a staff person. Harry Greg had taken Wapato students to Malibu and talked Carl & Helen Schilperoort into starting the Wapato club in 1965. Every weekend, Chuck would drive to Portland to be with Carol until the wedding. It was helpful to Chuck that his Uncle Jack owned the Ferguson’s Ethan Allen Shop on Yakima Avenue. He was involved in Rotary and introduced Chuck to many prominent business leaders.
Chuck & Carol Ferguson lived on the McMechan orchard in a missionary cabin. This was Renee Schilperoort’s family. He paid $50 a month for rent. Chuck & Carol started the Eisenhower club in 1966. Ike’s principal was Ted Murphy and he was very supportive of Young Life. His daughter Kathy was very involved. Kathy later went on Young Life staff and was integral to Malibu’s renovation in the 1990’s.
Dave Weyerhauser was on the national board, and asked to come to Yakima to help them raise the necessary money to meet the budget. In October, 1967, Dr. & Mrs. Frank LeCocq hosted a banquet under a tent in their yard and Dave Weyerhauser flew over in his private plane and spoke. Fifty to sixty people attended and the Lord raised enough to meet expenses for the year. The theme of the talk was “How Wonderful to be involved in Young Life!”
Chuck found an office for cheap rent from a dentist at 1004 W. Yakima Avenue. In 1967, the major hang-out activity was “cruising the Ave.” On Friday nights, teens would drive as far as the Young Life office and turn around. Often, they would stop into the office and gab with Chuck.
Ruth Hull was a woman of prayer, and took over where Norma Borton had left off. Her brother ______was also involved.
John Zimmerman was the Naches Presbyterian pastor and told Chuck that he wanted Young Life in Naches. So the Presbyterians had club at their church, and took kids to Malibu in the summers. John was helpful in talking to other pastors, especially Presbyterian pastors introducing them to the Young Life ministry. This ended when John moved to Richland Presbyterian Church. He later became the Professor of Theology at a Baptist College in Vancouver, BC. ?
During this period, Paul Lonsbery drove to Yakima from Ellensburg several times a week to help Carl & Helen with the Wapato club. Paul had been in Young Life in Seattle, and was a student at Central Washington University.
Another strong support was Guy Kaplicky, who was an administrator in the school district. He was a childhood friend of Carol Ferguson, and the Kaplickys were especially helpful with finances and prayer. Another supporter was Don Dwinell, whose son Dave was in the Eisenhower club.
Bill Starr, the President of Young Life, asked the Fergusons to move to Spokane in 1969. Thus, ended a three year sprint by Chuck and Carol that put Yakima back on the Young Life map. It has continued for 51 solid years of ministry. Thank you Chuck and Carol!
Howdy and Patti Cole moved to Yakima in the late summer of 1969, and moved into a small cabin on Hugh & Ruth Hull’s apple orchard. The Coles continued the Ike club with Jim Conner and Peggy Lacy. The West Valley club was started with the Coles and Verna Hull, Steve & BJ Hull, Jan Carmichael, and Glen Krueger. The first Selah club was started with Maya Pinky and his wife. There was a small club at Davis High School started by Dan Smith. Howdy oversaw the Ellensburg club with Russ Rolland and Dennis Poole leading with college students. Howdy also worked with the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla committees.
Yakima would have all city clubs at the Yakima Hotel, and also have Bigger & Better nights and Car Rallies in the late spring.
Young Life had a wonderful committee during the Cole’s 7 years in Yakima. Carl & Helen Schilperoort, Dennis & Karen Green, Bob Reed, Hugh & Ruth Hull, Stan Anderson, Howard Elofson, Dan Smith, Phil Souder, Bob Barrett and his wife, Al & Nancy Moss, and Tom & Charlotte Rosier all served faithfully. It was during this time that Howdy started having pot luck dinners and inviting the wives to be a part of the committee. Up to that time, it was men only. Carl remembers meeting often at Dr. Raulston’s house, and once showing the committee men his 1935 Bentley in the garage. Later, Walt Schlage and Fred & Pat Erickson came on the committee.
In the summer of 1972, Gerrit and Carl Schilperoort decided to start a Young Life Barbeque Beef Booth. Gerrit was on the Central Washington Fair Board, and that year they had just hired a new director named Greg Stewart. Howdy Cole recalls a September day that he gets a call from Gerrit saying, “We’re down here at the Fair in the Young Life Booth. Where are you?” It was the first Howdy had heard about any booth at the fair. This first booth was made of hay bales with no running water other than a cold water spigot outside the booth. The first two years, the barbeque pit was made around a metal frame where they cooked the meat. There were no trailers. In 1973, Gerrit bought some timber that was torn down from an old bridge, and had his crew build a permanent booth at the present site. This was upgraded in 1976? Gerrit also met Gene Emery from Enumclaw who had the barbeque trailer, and Gene went from event to event. Gerrit eventually made 3 of these to have on his ranch and loan to Young Life during Fair week. In 1979, Bo Lowe asked out loud, “I wonder if people would eat baked beans flavored with this meat?” One of our best sellers took off.
In 1975, Chuck Ferguson asked Skip & Ellen Pennebaker to move to Yakima to be the area director. Skip and Ellen worked in the Ike club with Jim Conner and Peggy Lacy. Besides the regular Malibu summer trips, Skip & Peggy took hiking beyond trips for discipleship and Jim Conner took Sailing Beyond trips. One of the most effective tools they used was the Adult Camps at Malibu each fall. Many lives were touched including Roger & Ginny Wilson, Bruce & Barb Bordeaux, and Keith & Yvonne Daniels. Rev. Howard Childers provided some great support and friendship during the Pennebaker’s 5 years here. He was influential in getting Jake and Carla Kupp to start the Selah club in 1978. Once Yakima became stable, the committee was very supportive of Skip spending time in Central Washington to start other Young Life areas. Skip, Ellen, Roger Wilson, Bill Roulston, and Brian Wentz took trips to Moses Lake, Chelan and Tonasket to do demonstration clubs. Skip then followed up with trips to train leaders.
When Skip was in Albuquerque, he started bed races for all the clubs to participate in. One of his volunteer leaders was Bo Lowe, who came on staff in Wapato in 1978. Bo then started the bed races down the main street of Wapato in the fall of 1980. Beds were built by the following clubs: Wapato, Ike, West Valley and Selah.
Don Myers coached Chris Pennebaker and Sam Childers in wrestling, and thus got recruited to start the Younger Life club with Skip. Don & Heidi Myers started this club in 1980 with the help of campaigner kids from the high school clubs. Chris and Bobby Bordeaux, Susie Sommers, Lisa Black, Mike Griffin and others were involved.
Don & Robin Stuber moved from Kansas City to become the Area Director in 1981. Don brought on staff Don & Heidi Myers and after training, asked them to go to Wenatchee to start the ministry there. The committee asked Don Stuber to start the Davis Club. The leaders were Don and Robin, Darlene Whipple, Tim Uecker, Frank Orlando, and Gene and Cis Patnode. The Selah, Ike and Wapato clubs continued to love on kids. Don implemented a February trip to Breakaway for Discipleship and to Schweitzer for Christmas ski outreach camp. Barry and Ellen Reifel started the East Valley club, and Gary and Carol Gooler started the Naches club. James Leonard and Bill Roulston helped re-start the West Valley club. Don started or re-started the Ellensburg, Walla Walla and Mid-Columbia areas, and supervised Tri-Cities. Dave and Susie Edler came on staff as an Intern in 1986 and Delinda Higgins came on as the Wyld Life director. She got ministries started at Lewis & Clark, Franklin, West Valley junior high, and Mark Statema started Wyld Life at EV Middle School in 1995. Carla Kupp served on staff and focused on campaigners, and developing and discipling female leaders from 1985 to 1990. She worked in the Selah club with her husband Jake, and Dain and Jean Paulson.