We are in need of an infusion! Not of blood, but of new members. Who are we? We’re the Retired Men’s Club of Wakefield. We were founded in 1962 and we will celebrate our 60th anniversary in September. 21 members were present at the first meeting and membership swelled to 722 in 1973. But Father Time has reduced present membership to 40 with less than that number present at meetings.
We started as an outreach of the First Congregational Church of Wakefield, and we are non-sectarian and non-political. Men of all faiths of good character and standing who are at least 60 years of age and who are wholly or partially retired are welcome to join. Living in Wakefield IS NOT a requirement! Besides those living in Wakefield, members come from a handful of nearby towns, including Reading, and one member lives in Salem, NH. The age range of our members is from 67-96.
The purpose of the group is to promote sociability and engender an interest in various affairs appealing to the group as a whole. The meetings are held the second and fourth Wednesday mornings of each month beginning at 9:30 am using the facilities of the First Parish Congregational Church of Wakefield and the programs are planned and conducted by the members. We have a guest speaker at each meeting, and they cover a variety of topics. While meetings officially are called to order at 9:30 am, many members are there as early as 8:00 am for coffee, donuts and socializing. Our meetings are open to the public, so women are invited to come listen to the speakers or enjoy the band concerts. We advertise upcoming meetings in the Wakefield Daily Item.
There is no membership fee. We do ask for a donation in any amount at the door and for coffee and donuts. Both donations help offset our expenses for the coffee and donuts and for the rent we pay the church. We have a door prize at each meeting and one member will walk away with a $5 gift card to McDonald’s. We have four band concerts a year presented by the Wakefield Lakeside Concert Band and held at the conclusion of a regularly scheduled meeting. However, this year, the meeting and band concert that follows will take place on the Monday of the week, not the Wednesday.
Why not give it a try? If you attend a meeting and don’t care for what you see and hear or the camaraderie you’ll find, don’t come back. But I’ll bet if you do give it a try, you’ll be back over and over. Ladies, this your chance to get that pain in the you-know-what out of the house for a few hours twice a month!
If you have questions, please call Tom at 781-245-1488.
