In June of 2002, Levitt & Son’s social director put a blurb in the Cascades newsletter requesting that anyone interested in starting a Men’s Club in the Cascades meet in the Arts & Crafts room. The Founding Members met for the first time. Attending the first few meetings were, Rich Amione, Rich Canon, Dick Greenhalgh, Arnold Marks, Dan Martin, Vic Thomas,  and Don Wittschiebe.

 

Our first few meetings were held mid-afternoon and attendance was limited. Our members decided that we needed to make some changes as listed below:

 

1. Our Club Members decided to meet once a month in the morning and a guest speaker would be invited for each meeting. The speaker would be of interest to the group and not be allowed to sell anything. 

2. Dues originally were set at $10.00 for the year, presently dues are $15.00.

3. A slate of officers would be established.

4. Our Club mission statement is to provide for the enjoyment and social benefit of our Members. We would not be a fund-raising group nor would we become involved in the operation of the HOA. We would be totally non-political.

 

The group decided to “gamble” and serve coffee, bagels, and donuts. A telephone squad was established to solicit and remind Members of our meetings. Over the next year, the membership grew. The phone squad was abandoned as the community accepted the club as an ongoing organization and our Members recognized that the second Wednesday of the month was our meeting time. We added the 50/50 raffle to offset costs and sold them for $1.00 for 1 ticket and $3.00 for 5 tickets. At this time, the basic philosophy of the club has remained unchanged and the membership which was close to 50 by the end of 2003 has continued to grow over the years to our current 220 Members.

 

Since the beginning days of the Men’s Club, we have tried to organize events that would be of interest to our Members. In December of 2002, it was decided to run what was to be the first in a series of events sponsored by our Club. A Super Bowl party was run in the library utilizing the large TV.

​

Close to 50 people attended. The event was a huge success. Good food, lots of beer and a popcorn machine. The following year the party was moved to the ballroom and the food consisted of a fabulous Italian buffet. The event was a sellout. The Super Bowl Party has become a regular event, since then. After the success of the Super Bowl, it was decided to hold a Tail Gate Party at the Mets stadium complete with grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and all the trimmings. This event also has become a Men’s club fixture.

 

Building upon the success of these events, our Club has continued to run additional affairs, some of which have also become “regulars”. The Veteran’s Day Celebration and Dinner- Dance have been an ongoing affair for many years as has our Dinner Party and an evening at the Lyric Theater. A Wacky Raffle ran for three years to sell-out crowds and is scheduled to resume.  Other events include our twice-yearly fishing trip, Jai Alai with optional dinner, an evening at Tradition Field and Saint Lucie Mets. Our Greek Taverna, with a belly dancer, has been a crowd favorite. This year we have added Summer events; the HO-DOWN & CHILI COOK-OFF,  COMEDY-NITE, as well as a SUMMER AFFAIRE- a tropical evening of music and dancing. October features SALSA FESTIVAL with a delicious Caribbean buffet and dancing.  We have also run trips to the Navy Seals and Elliot Museums. Our Club will continue to explore new venues for the enjoyment of our Members. None of the events are intentionally run for profit; any profit made is returned to the Members. One way this is done is the annual Installation Officer’s breakfast buffet in January, which is free to all active Members. Our Men’s Club subsidizes most events in keeping with our goal of giving back to our Members throughout the year.

 

Although we do not run any fund-raising events within the community, our Members have worked the concession stands at the Mets stadium and earned many thousands of dollars to support a local veteran organization. We have also supported our veterans overseas with cartons of items they would not otherwise have had available such as baked goods, toiletry items, phone cards, etc. We currently support the MUSTARD SEED, a local food bank.

​

The Club has ongoing projects that are fun to do. Many Members have devoted their time and effort as Officers, Event Chairpersons, served on Committees, as well as Advisory Board Members. All, to make our Club a success. Special thanks go to our presidents who provided the necessary leadership to move the Club forward.

​

Are we moving forward? You bet we are. The Men’s Club has a Welcoming Committee that reaches out to all new male residents in our community and invites them to join our great organization. If we missed you, accept our apologies and come to one of our monthly meetings as a guest and feel the camaraderie.