Panda Meander teams 5K run, talent show
April 2, 2007Hazel Pitre
April 4, 2007
It might not have been something he anticipated, but in listening to others involved, it was definitely something he earned.
Called a man who dedicated himself to volunteerism, a man who is a “true friend,” and a man that always lived for his family and his community, local leaders, family and YMCA employees gathered to honor James J. Buquet Jr., of Houma.
The Bayouland YMCA held a dedication ceremony last Thursday, renaming itself the James J. Buquet Jr. Bayouland YMCA.
Buquet, 82, said the honor was something he had not expected. “It’s something I certainly hadn’t anticipated, at all,” said Buquet. “They came and asked me to do this … I reluctantly accepted, because so many people worked so hard to keep this facility up.”
One of the founders of the Bayouland YMCA in the early 1980s, Buquet said putting a YMCA in the area was something many business leaders in Houma considered important. “Back in the early ‘80s, there were several … business people in this community, who felt like we needed a YMCA in the community. Through the efforts of a lot of people, we managed to get this building built.”
Buquet said having a YMCA plays a critical role in attracting families to Houma. “When people come in to look at the community, they look at several things,” he explained. “They look at schools, they look at what kind of facilities you have, or what kind of government you have.
“But they also invariably will ask, ‘Do you have a YMCA.’”
And in large part because of Buquet, the response to that question is yes.
However, in the mid-1980s, Buquet said the Bayouland YMCA nearly went away. When the oil industry took a turn for the worse, the YMCA was not immune from the impact. “The YMCA suffered to the point where I thought we were going to close,” he said. “We were down to under 500 members, and you can’t keep a facility like this going with under 500 members. But we struggled with a the help of a lot of people, and we managed to get it through.”
According to Buquet, the YMCA had just over 1,600 members before hitting its low in the mid-1980s. Currently, the facility has just over 1,700 members.
“It continues to grow,” he said.
The facility has short-term plans that call for the purchasing of the property next to the facility. It is also planning to add a playground and poolside furniture for the sundeck.
Long-term goals include the construction of tennis courts, an outdoor pool, a walking track, an in-ground hot tub, a lap pool, a child-care center and an enlargement of the facility.
