Mr. Jones arrived in New York City from Trinidad in 1970, his wife having preceded him in 1968.  Upon settling the family in Brooklyn – the Jones had 4 children, all in their early teens – Mr. Jones realized that there were no cultural organizations that catered specifically to the interests and needs of children in the Pan-Caribbean community.  Based on the Five Borough Soccer League, a group that brought youngsters together to play soccer (“football”) once a week Saturdays, Mr. Jones helped establish Five Borough Youth.  Within a few years of its founding, over 200 youths, aged 6 to 15, participated in the group.  At first, only boys were allowed, but the group soon welcomed girls as well.  After the children expressed interest in activities other than soccer, the scope of the organization was widened to include dance.  Although a participation fee was levied, a great number of coaches and dance instructors provided their services free of charge.  The group succeeded in creating an extended family.

During the 1980’s, there were reports that unrest, riots, and violence were taking place in Wingate High School (Brooklyn).  Students of different backgrounds (Jamaican, Panamanian, etc.) were forming cliques and fighting one another.  Concerned members of the community noticed, however, that some of the same youths who clashed at the school had little or no problems playing together at Five Borough Youth.  As a result, the group opened its doors to local high school students twice a week, offering educational assistance and counseling.  Under the “each one, teach one” model, students counseled and assisted one another with homework, learning to work together in the process.  Eventually, a full-fledged education program was launched with trained instructors offering courses in a number of subjects, including English and mathematics.

There was a strong drive to get more “American” (e.g. native born) kids involved with the group.  A program named “Dropping In”(?) was initiated to invite area kids to come “do whatever they wanted” on Thursdays between 6 and 9pm, provided they agreed to listen to a one hour lecture on topics such as health care and drug abuse prevention.  Members of the local theater community were also enlisted in these expansion efforts, resulting in new drama courses being offered.  The group’s name was changed to CASYM, Caribbean American Sports and Cultural Youth Movement, to more accurately reflect the widening scope of the growing organization.

In 1986 (?) the group received a donation of a number of pans (steel drums) from the West Indian-American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA).  The popularity of the pan program exploded with the appointment of Mr. Arddin Herbert, recipient of a CASYM scholarship, as teacher.  Under his tutelage, the pan program came to dominate the CASYM activity roster.  The pan group has garnered much acclaim and has traveled widely.

For a number of reasons, primarily cuts in funding coupled with the overwhelming popularity of pan-related activities, other areas fell by the wayside in recent years.  Today, CASYM is involved with homework assistance, dance and, of course, pan instruction.  However, recently there has been a renaissance at CASYM as the group has attempted to bolster the number of activities offered.  This year, the group is sponsoring a summer camp for youths aged 6 to 16 that will include basketball, dance and pan instruction as well as English, mathematics and computer courses.