Girls Incorporated of Lynn   Inspiring girls to be Strong, Smart and Bold!

Girls Inc. has met all 20 standards for charity accountability with the Better Business Bureau.

Girls Incorporated of Lynn

A Little History

      The Girls Incorporated building, located on the corner of Broad and Nahant Streets in Lynn, was designed by female architect Josephine Wright Chapman in 1909 for The Lynn Women's Club.  The building has headquartered women's organizations since that time.

 In The Beginning

     In 1940, a group of representatives from Greater Lynn women's organizations met to discuss the lack of supervised activities during the summer months for area girls.  Philanthropists, Mr. & Mrs. Eli Cohen of Swampscott, offered their camp in Pembroke, Massachusetts that summer to be used before and after their regular camp season.  The venture was supported by every organization in Lynn.  Buses were provided free of charge to transport the girls, women went as volunteer counselors, and food was provided through a government agency.  The camp program was such a huge success that the community worked day and night to find ways to raise money to support a year-round program for girls.

Girls Service League

     In 1942 the Lynn Women's Club formally organized as the Girls Service League.  They were able to rent two rooms in the building known as the "Women's Clubhouse" located in the present Girls Incorporated location.  The main financial support for the League was The Thrift Shop located on Essex Street.  The first board of directors was made up of clergy, a fireman, a policeman, and a representative of the mayor, a banker, a lawyer and a merchant.  The board members all had a job to do; working as officers, speakers, teachers, fundraisers, and thrift shop workers.  Mrs. F. C. Bowers served as the first president of the League.  Through the efforts and hard work of these men and women, the League was able to build new stairways, complete re-wiring, and purchase the building in February 1945.  Renovations including a new boiler were required to bring the building up to code.  Money was raised through "silver teas", card parties held at the New Ocean House in Swampscott, rummage sales and a speakers bureau.  Furniture, games, books, arts and crafts supplies, sewing machines and materials were donated by merchants and church groups.  The Girls Service League officially became the Girls Club of Lynn that year and joined the Lynn United Fund.  In May 1945 the Lynn Club joined the Girls Club of America.  The purpose of the Club at that time was to build character, and provide instruction in arts, crafts and domestic sciences to girls.

Mission Statement

     In 1989 Boys Club of America was allowed in a settlement with Girls Club of America to change its name to Boys and Girls Clubs of America.  At that time we changed our name to Girls Incorporated of Lynn.

  Throughout the years the organization has expanded its mission to meet the challenges that face today's girls.  Today, our mission is "to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold by meeting the needs of girls in the community, developing girls’ capacity to overcome the effects of discrimination and to be self-sufficient, responsible member of the community-and to serve as a vigorous advocate for all girls."