The purpose of the Hampton Senior Club is, and was, “to provide a center and sponsor supportive and social services which will bring well-being to its members.” Their organizational meeting was on February 10, 1991with sixteen Hampton elders attending in Holt Hall at the Congregational Church. It was Fred Curry who chaired this initial meeting. Louise Jones was the resident who offered the fledging organization their name, Hampton Senior Club.
The first organized meeting was on March 15, 1991. It listed 63 residents as charter members. Their by-laws were adopted on April 18, 1991. The organization was open “to any resident or former resident of the Town of Hampton 55 years and over and spouses under 55 years.” Their funding in the beginning was from dues of $5 per year, per person, though members 80 years of age were eligible for life-time membership by paying only one year’s dues. The first elected executive board members were: Fred Curry, President; Pearl Scarpino, Secretary; and Sylvia Curry, Treasurer. Meeting dates were set by the executive board, and elections would be held annually in October. A newsletter was produced annually, and meeting and activities were noticed monthly in the Gazette. It was mutually agreeable that they would not meet in January due to the likelihood of inclement weather, and in July and August to allow for families to enjoy vacation months together. Their response to the sole criticism they faced that they were a “private club” was to continually inform everyone that every resident qualified to join this “exclusive club”.
The Minutes reveal that every meeting started with the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence for all those who had passed who’d touched any of their lives. A death in the group was a sad occurrence. If someone was ill or hospitalized, a card was sent to them. Their meetings were frequently informational, inviting State Senator Edith Prague, who later became the Commissioner for the Aging, representatives from local hospitals, the Social Security Administration, legislators, Northeast Utilities, tour companies, crime watch representatives, State Police, and pharmacists, to name a few. They loved to eat communally and always thanked members who baked for special occasions or for their monthly gatherings. They were invited to Mansfield Senior Center for Valentines’ Day and could participate in activities at the McSweeney Center in Willimantic. St. Patrick’s was an annual event, and Christmas found them at Holt Hall for a holiday meal and songs. Parish Hill provided music to serenade them, and gifts were exchanged. Local merchants provided give-aways, and every donation was acknowledged with a letter of gratitude from the organization. They were also invited annually to Parish Hill and Hampton Elementary for a meal. The seniors also contributed to the community by publishing the community calendar and sponsoring summer concerts for several years.
In the beginning, the seniors met at Holt Hall, sometimes at Our Lady of Lourdes or the Grange. After the renovation of Town Hall, a Senior Room was set aside for them. Their Open House at the Senior Center was on September 19, 1993. They furnished the room with a refrigerator, microwave, television, which included cable, and an organ, all donations from the membership or purchases from their own funds. Pictures were taken and posted at their center. They were a handsome group of friends, husbands and wives.
The seniors also traveled. They loved to venture out into the world, or at least New England. They traveled to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and Pennsylvania. You could find them in Boston for the flower show, New York City for the Rockette’s Christmas celebration, on a cruise in Long Island Sound or Booth Bay, or at the North Shore Theater to see, for example, “The Will Rogers Follies”, Lawrence Welk, or “The Secret Garden”. They were young at heart and on the go.
Two of the charter members were asked what they most enjoyed. “We had a good time,” Peggy Fox volunteered. “We enjoyed our meals and talking. It was a lot of fun to get together with everyone. It was a break from the routine of the month.”
Phyllis Stone agreed. “They’re doing a marvelous job. I enjoy the conversation at meal time since I eat alone a lot. It means a lot to me.”
Present Treasurer, and de facto President, Stan Crawford states, “Let us be reminded how Hampton’s small town grit prevails. Last June our dedication was tested when the lack of State funding suspended meals-on-wheels to our site. The group of 25 now has no less than five Serv-Safe certified neighbors preparing meals, like mama never made! It’s awesome! Truly a gift that keeps on giving.”
The organization has survived for 27 years, and the Gazette looks forward to reporting on more decades of fun, conversation, food and companionship.
Juan Arriola