'No politics or religion' policy keeps members coming back to this Wilmington club
It’s a little before 9:30 a.m. on a Friday, and the parking lot at Lifepoint Church in Pine Valley is filling up as members of the Senior Men’s Club of Wilmington arrive for the weekly meeting.
Bill Bryan, longtime member, greets club members as they come in, and points newcomers to the coffee. Kevin Hoey, a first-time visitor, is filling his cup as he explained he heard about the club on the radio and decided to show up and see what it was all about.
“I’ve been retired for 18 years, and I’m a real estate investor, so I’ve always got something to do on one of the houses, but most of the time, I lay around watching TV, and life’s a little boring,” Hoey said.
He joked that he has been trying to deny his senior status but thought he would try it out and make some friends.
Hoey joined about 30 other men who were already gathered in small groups, white Styrofoam cups in hand, chatting about the previous week. A few paused their conversation long enough to peruse a table filled with books, looking for their next reads.
Walking around, one could hear snippets of conversations about everything from former careers to families to the traffic that morning. But there are two topics you won’t hear discussed—at least not for long. The group makes an effort to ensure no one discusses politics or religion.
Bryan explained this is meant to keep the group from straying into issues that could be divisive, and if someone does bring up one of those topics, many of the group’s longtime members will step in and redirect the conversation.
“I’ll just say let’s wait and talk about that a bit later when we’re outside,” Bryan said.
For many, the freedom from those conversations is part of what makes the Senior Men’s Club of Wilmington enjoyable. Club president Jim Morrow recalled that’s what stuck with him after the first meeting.
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“I said to my wife when I got home, ‘You know, this is kinda cool. It’s an hour on Friday, and there’s no politics, no religion, no one’s selling anything,” Morrow recalled. “It’s just a speaker to talk about things, get together to have coffee and maybe go to lunch after.”
Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the club’s membership had grown to more than 150 members. But these days, attendance is down to about 80 members.
“We’re trying to rebuild,” Morrow said, adding they have some great speakers lined up for the future.
On April 5, the group hears from Adm. Karl Schultz, former commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Past speakers have included Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, District Attorneys Ben David and Jon David, New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon, Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams, and many others.
Bryan, who became a member in 2015, has attended most of the weekly presentations.
“For some reason, our club has been blessed by the best of speakers even though we are just a bunch of old men who have a hard time hearing,” he joked.
Bryan said while he enjoys the presentations, the friendship and camaraderie are why he returns each week.
“These gentlemen are the best-of-the-best with whom I have been associated, and I have been in a few clubs in my lifetime,” Bryan said.
The Senior Men’s Club of Wilmington meets at 9:30 a.m. every Friday at Lifepoint in Pine Valley, 3600 S. College Road. For more information, visit the group's Facebook page,
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington, NC, Senior Men's Club seeks to rebuild after COVID-19
