Honoring a long-standing tradition, members of the Brandermill Retired Men’s Club served up some delicious, ice cold watermelon in Sunday Park following the BCA Fourth of July parade. The club has happily performed this “juicy” task for the past 20 years.

The organization has grown from about a dozen retirees who met regularly on the first tee of the country club, to its current size of 225 members, each of whom came to the area from different parts of the country and with varied working backgrounds. The diversity and experience they bring to this well-structured group is a source of its strength, and has contributed greatly to the club’s success.

Success in this case is measured by how well the club meets its objectives, which are set forth in the bylaws as follows.

“The objectives of this nonprofit organization are to make retirement more enjoyable and rewarding by promoting friendship and social activities within Brandermill and Woodlake, and to aid in the betterment of the community, primarily through significant support of local and national organizations.”

Added to this community involvement mix is an extensive array of programs and activities aimed at the “making retirement more enjoyable” objective. These include many social events such as dances, picnics, and trips. Activities include a full golf program, a weekly bowling league, twice weekly bridge and social card playing groups, a group book discussion program, a photography group, a fishing group, and a monthly “dine around town” program – euphemistically referred to as the “ROMEO” – that is: “Retired Old Men Eating Out,” with their ladies.

The club holds its regular meetings, which feature well known guest speakers, at The Brandermill Church on the first Thursday of each month, September through June, at 10 a.m., preceded by refreshments at 9:15 a.m.