I want to say a bit about what we did at AARP Chapter 421.
Okay.
Of course we had our business meetings.
At which we would have refreshments.
The secretary would read the minutes from the previous meeting.
And the treasurer would give a report.
After that the President and the various committees would bring us up to date on what’s happening.
Usually we would have a guest speaker who would talk to us on some topic of interest.
Who did you get for speakers?
Mostly local people with information we might want. Like someone from a government agency. Or a non-government organization. Or an entertainer. Like that. I got speakers each month for nine years. And I would research the speaker and write a preview in my newsletter.
Sometimes, after the meeting, we would have a deli luncheon.
Or maybe pizza.
I would bring my Bose stereo to the meeting and play music while we ate.
What kind of music?
Mostly oldies that our people would enjoy. The Carpenters. Patti Page. The Captain and Tennille.
I remember one was Hawaiian music sung by Marty Robbins.
And I’d write in the newsletter how he came to record it.
How?
He was normally a cowboy-type singer. But he was in the Navy in the Pacific. He heard the Hawaiian style and came to like it. So he sang it and recorded it.
Speaking of food — this wouldn’t be at a meeting, but rather on a bus trip — we would enjoy a crab feast.
For several years we were members of the local chamber of commerce.
And we took part in their annual arts-and-crafts festival.
Are those handouts on the table?
Right. We would give passers-by copies of my newsletter. And other AARP information. Tell people who we were and what we did.
Did you do things in the community?
Oh, sure. AARP’s motto is “To serve, not to be served.” Our main project was to contribute to the local food pantry. We would encourage our members to bring some nonperishable food item to our monthly meetings.
Then we would take it all to the food pantry.
That’s me on the right. The pantry would then distribute the food to needy families in the community.
I’ll end this with an activity we did just for fun at one meeting.
What’s that?
One time we had what we called a Favorite Hat Day. Each member was encouraged to wear what he or she considered a favorite hat.
That’s me on the floor on the right. Wearing, naturally, my Brooklyn Dodgers cap. And shirt.