If it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, the Stoke-Tāhunanui Men’s Friendship Club will be there for you.
President Tony Draaijer says the previously named Stoke-Tāhunanui Probus Club is inviting more members to jump on the bandwagon to accommodate its aging membership and develop plans for its 40th birthday celebrations next year.
“We’ve got a lot of members who are over 85 so we’re looking for those younger members, people who have recently retired, to keep the club fresh,” he says.
“We’re going to have a celebration next year and by getting some publicity at this stage we’re hoping that we will be able to increase our membership, which is currently sitting at around the 57 mark.
“If we can increase our membership by 20 per cent that would be pretty rewarding for us.”
Committee member Tom Ricketts says the club, which meets at Reformed Church once a month for its formal meeting but does not discuss religion, and holds monthly committee meetings at different members’ houses, says it offered a slew of social activities.
“There’s a discussion group where they’ll have a topic of interest to hash out… It’s just a bunch of old guys solving the problems of the world you might call it,” he says.
“There’s a trip coming up over to Collingwood, all over New Zealand we’ve been really [on trips], and at every third [formal meeting] the partners come along, and we all head out for lunch afterwards.
“There’s also a walking group who do a variety of walks and challenges depending on their age and fitness level.”
Tony says the club is a gateway to uplifting men’s health.
“The members tend to be retired people who have finished being involved in things like Rotary and are now looking for some sort of fellowship rather than service,” he says.
“There is a need for men just to be with men and it’s the fellowship of doing all those activities, it’s good healthy stuff.
“We also have a welfare person if anybody doesn’t turn up so that we remain in contact.”
Tony says members pay an annual fee of $25 to cover costs and $5 per meeting to cover church hire costs.
If you’re interested in joining the Stoke-Tāhunanui Men’s Friendship Club, contact Tony Draaijer on tandom47@gmail.com or call 021 114 4910.
