Harold (Deak) Swanson was first elected to the Board of Directors in the spring of 1970. Almost immediately Deak became involved and was a strong force in the acquisition of St. Johns Church, which was to be the second home of the Boys Club. He served as President of the Club in 1973 and 1974 and during that time received the “Youth Award” for his service and dedication.

Deak was a financial leader through the planning stages of the new building. This included being a leader in the move to establish a Boys and Girls Club endowment fund. From 1975 through 1983 he was the financial assistant to the Board President. His construction expertise and planning experience proved to be extremely valuable as project manager of the new Boys and Girls Club



Deak’s hard work through the years have earned him several awards. They include The Man & Boy Award, The Treasurer’s Award, The President’s Award, The Margin of Excellence Award, and The National Chairman’s Award