Club 55 has been a fixture in Huntsville for 60 years – a feat not matched by many organizations. On February 14, members gathered for a celebration of its longevity.
The club held its first meeting at the Legion on February 14, 1957 with 12 members in attendance. It cost just 50 cents to join. Members met monthly and then twice a month and, in 1965 when they’d outgrown their meeting space, moved to the basement of Town Hall where they remain today offering space Monday through Friday for anyone over the age of 50 to meet and mingle. Membership is still affordable: just ten dollars will get you a whole lot of fun and camaraderie with the club’s more than 225 members.
At one time, the club’s stage – which was removed during renovations when the Algonquin Theatre was built – was an active place for musicians, plays and skits. Square dances were popular for a time and today the club has a variety of activities including shuffleboard, cribbage, euchre, bridge, darts, pool, painting, and crafting.
The organization is an active community supporter, holding fundraisers and making blankets, sweaters, socks, mitts and hats for local charities – they have given away more than 250 blankets, for which members knit or crochet eight-by-eight-inch squares. One member, Loreen Brickles, has created 2275 squares alone, enough for 40 blankets.
“There has been a lot of fun and laughter in this club for the last 60 years,” said Club president Evelyn Wagg. “It’s a place you can go and get away from all your worries for a while… It’s a club for everyone.”
Several dignitaries and community members were in attendance to offer their congratulations. “Sixty years, that’s pretty incredible longevity and I’m impressed by it,” said Mayor Scott Aitchison. “The vibrancy in this building is really important and I appreciate what you do to keep active and stay involved in the community. Congratulations on 60 years and here’s to 60 more.”
The club has a long list of lifetime members. The club’s oldest active member, Blanche Guest, 100, said, “It’s nice to be here to celebrate 60 years. Club 55 has hosted two of my many birthday celebrations…I sincerely wish it success in the years to come.”
Bryan MacKenzie, the club’s secretary, noted that Club 55 provides a gathering place for seniors in Muskoka, although senior isn’t quite correct – membership starts at 50 and MacKenzie joked, “as I get older, 50 gets younger.”
He said its location is key to its success. “Many of our members no longer operate a vehicle and this is a central location either by public transit or with a friend on their way to downtown Huntsville… For people moving to Huntsville, Club 55 is a wonderful vehicle to introduce yourself to this town. I have thoroughly enjoyed the companionship, the laughter, the competitiveness of cribbage, and overall a feeling of community.”
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