By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Cass County Youth Council has come so far from selling chocolate Easter bunnies.
Gouging out funds a dollar at a time began to change in the early 1990s when Chairman Mark Herman received in the mail a check for $211.19.
Herman, a 1975 Niles graduate, practices law with Dowagiac attorney John Magyar.
He and his wife, Margie, have one daughter, Emily. He attended Lake Michigan College through 1978 and Detroit College of Law through 1982.
Herman came to Cass County as Circuit Judge Michael Dodge's law clerk in 1982-83, when he also became involved with Youth Council.
Youth Council is an arm of the Michigan Children's Trust Fund.
State income tax forms used to contain checkoff boxes with a loon for natural resources and a stop sign to end child abuse.
Three to four years ago, Herman said the youth council obtained non-profit status.
Herman recalls challenging an Oakland County official's contention at a Children's Trust Fund conference that it would be impossible to sustain a volunteer organization.
One reason Cass County Youth Council functions so effectively is the comparably small community that is so networked. "People on are board have been with SMC (Southwestern Michigan College), Holy Cross College, Bethel (College), Camp Eberhard, Lewis Cass (Intermediate School District), Friend of the Court. For some reason, it stays strong. I like to think it's because as chair of that council, I never ask anybody to do anything that I don't do myself. When I say, 'Let's raise money,' I roll up my sleeves." At the same time, if they ask me to do something, I say, 'You're going to help me.' "
Roof sits to combat child abuse are a good example of that, Herman said.
In addition to the $10,000 allocated from the trust fund, those fundraisers in Grand Rapids in September and the U93 event after Father's Day pour money into council coffers. One Friday night shift can mean $3,000 to $5,000. It's not unusual for the U93 event to yield $20,000 to $35,000 for Cass County.
Cass County's perseverance paid off in the formative years. As other counties pulled back, Herman kept volunteering to take their shifts.
Herman recalled Youth Council's role in establishing Dowagiac Union Schools' latchkey program, which initially was paid for out of the pocket of the late McKinley Principal Dr. Madge Douglas. When he brought that to the attention of school board President Dr. Jean O. Smith, returned her salary to underwrite the fledgling program.
Youth Council not only contributed $1,100, but at that time Ellen DeFay was with MSU Extension, and qualified latchkey for federally-funded food service.
Pointing out in the audience Rotarian and County Commissioner Terri Kitchen, R-Silver Creek Township, chair of the Human Services Coordinating Council, Herman recalled providing a laptop computer to the Sheriff's Office for a truant officer.