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The following is a suggestion from Sid Showalter, our club's founder and first president, for refocusing our club on its initial mission to serve the 'Inbetween' age as well as to address the needs of those about to graduate from our club. Please review and use the "Forum" to enter comments if you are a club member (requires you to be registered website user). To our site visitors/non-members, you can give us feedback via the 'Contact Us' page.
To the members of Inbetweeners,
When I first came to Naples in 1984 I decided to check out the singles clubs for people in their 40’s. The trouble was that they all were made up of older people. In 1986, along with 9 others, we organized and started what is now the “Naples Singles Network.” At that first organizational meeting one of the guys said, “if you don’t hold the age limit, the club will become a older club just like all of the others in town.” I always remembered that. At the time the club was for people from 30-50 and we checked the birth of members for quite some time. Finally they let it slide and it has become the club it is today with a lot of older members.
When I decided to start the In Betweeners in 1998 it was my purpose to found a club for people that were caught in the middle and still working. That is why we adopted the phrase “too old to be a teeny bopper and too young to be an old geeser.” The age was from 39 to 59 years old and the vast majority were members that were still working. When members turned 60 they were supposed to graduate from the club and move on to other clubs.
Then, a few years later some of the members turning 60 wanted to still participate and the rules were changed that if one was a member when they turned 60 they could still come until they turned 65 but they couldn’t vote or hold an office. That was okay for a while but it has gotten the club away from the original focus of providing a place for those from 40 to 60 to meet people of their own age.
Now, with many of the members over 60, I think it is finally time to split the club so that it can have its original focus and those over 60 can have their club. Obviously, this would require a transition period and cause a few difficulties but it would preserve the original purpose of the club and provide a place for those over 60 to still have a club.
Here are my suggestions for thought:
1. Move the age requirements for the club back to 39-59 years old and when a member turns 60 they graduate to the Alumni Club (or other name if someone has a good suggestion.)
2. Start an “Inbetweeners Alumni Club” for those 60, have officers for both clubs and start planning separate events for each club.
3. Draw up a set of By-Laws for both clubs and implement them.
4. Through the summer until October 1st meet as one club and have the last
happy hour of the month be strictly for those 59 and younger.
5. Beginning October 1st both clubs would have their own Wednesday
evening Happy Hours and some of their own functions but meet together for the last Happy Hour of the month.
By doing this we would preserve the original intent of the club and also satisfy the needs and wants of those of us who have graduated. It would provide a place for both generations and still give us a chance to gather for special functions.
Sure there is a tendency to want to hang around but when we turn 60 we have outgrown the club and in the best interests of the group it was formed for to move on. We need to put the interests of the club above ours. If we split up like the suggestions mentioned above we can all benefit and the club can go back to being an organization for those it was meant to be.
Respectfully,
Sid Showalter
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