Dilemma?
 
Making Friends in a New Place?

Try starting a "Friendly Neighbors Club"

For the past 50 years, a group of women have converged at each others' homes to visit, play games such as bingo and eat homemade sandwiches and sweets. 

Today, the group of ladies call themselves The Friendly Neighbors Club. “I moved to the country and did not know anyone,” said Mary Bischoff, an original member of the club. “I, too, was new to the neighborhood,” added Louva Bradley, an original member.  “For me, I was a member of a similar club,” Rhoda Lee Brown said.  Together, Bischoff, Bradley and Brown formed the new club.

“It was a way to get to know each other and get- together for friendly visiting and promote enjoyment of common interests and new interests,” said Barbara Herrera.  The club maintains a membership of 15 to 18 ladies and they meet every other Thursday, at each ladies' house at least once a year, except for June through August. They meet the other times at area restaurants for luncheons.

The meetings at the homes begin at 1 p.m. and last for hours. Along with the
refreshments, visiting and games, a thought of the day is read by the president.
Also, roll call is done by answering a question posed to each member such as “What is a very happy event that happened to you in life?”

“We even help who need our help, such as those who had a fire in their home,” Brown said.  And the members have made arts and crafts. “We have made flowers out of hedge apples,” noted Bischoff.

Annual dues are only $1 and there is no age limit. Currently, the members range in age from early 40s to latter 90s.  “We give flowers to members who are sick,” Brown said.  The dues are used for flowers or gifts for club members when illness or deaths  occur. And they do the same for members' spouses and children.

“Each year, a secret pal's name is drawn and they give each other gifts all year
long for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or any other reason they can think of,”  Herrera said. “The secret pal name is not revealed at any cost.”

Last Thursday, the group met at Becky Bradley's home, near Diamond, for a Christmas party. “At the Christmas party, their secret pal's identity is revealed and they draw names for the next year,” Herrera said. “They enjoy trying to guess who their secret pal is during the year and play tricks on each other trying to make them think they are the one.”

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