Groton Senior Club celebrates in style

The Groton Senior Club (GSC) is one of the community’s treasures for those who are 55 and older, and its membership is open to all who are interested, regardless of residency.

For most of the year, the group meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month beginning at 12:15 p.m. at Center Village Court, 200 W. South St., for a dish-to-pass lunch, followed by entertainment or informative speakers on topics that are pertinent to those in their golden years of life — and all for just $12 per year!

In December, a holiday party is usually the theme, and this December was no exception, as 36 GSC members gathered at The Elm Tree Inn in McLean for a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings. A fabulous meal and a wonderful time were had by all.

The GSC officers — Ginny Higgins, president and entertainment chair; Joy Youngs, secretary; Betty Conger, treasurer; and Monica Conklin, Sunshine Lady — were all present for the gathering. They all have varied backgrounds, yet each spoke with a similar theme about how valued the club is to them and to the community.

Higgins is originally from Massachusetts, grew up in Homer, New York, and has lived in Groton over 30 years. Like many, she worked at Smith Corona until it closed, after which she worked at Tompkins Trust Company until her retirement.

“I joined the Senior Club the first year I retired,” Higgins said. “But I took a part-time job at Tompkins Recycle, so I stopped attending after a year but have now been back in it for several years.”

Higgins has been the GSC president for the past year and has been the entertainment chair for as long as she can remember. She is also a member of the Groton American Legion Auxiliary and chairman of the board for The Center Village Court.

Youngs moved to Groton with her family when she was in second grade and eventually lived right next door to them with her husband, Fred, for the better part of the 1970s before moving to Ithaca. They always wanted to return to Groton, and so they did, in 2008.

“It is the best decision we made for our retirement. We absolutely love living in Groton!” Joy said.

Joy has been involved in the GSC for 10 years and has been the secretary for five, taking notes at each meeting and distributing them to all members. She also spends her time with the “Groton Izzy Reads” program, reading books to children once a month at Groton Elementary School. She attends the Groton Community Church and edits its church newsletter, “The Chatterbox” and said she “marvel[s] at the contributors who make the newsletter so interesting and informative.”

Conger has lived in Groton, as she puts it, “all of my 80 years of life!” She has been a member of the GSC for eight years and treasurer for four. She is also a 22-year member of the Groton Village Board of Trustees, which includes appointments to the Groton Youth Commission and Joint Recreation Committee. Conger is also a 46-year member of the Groton American Legion Auxiliary, serves on the Groton Library Board of Trustees and is president of the Groton Alumni Association.

In addition to her role as treasurer for the GSC, Conger maintains the membership list and creates the yearly calendar/brochure, which is a joint effort with the other officers.

“I very much enjoy just getting together and having a fun meal with friends,” Conger said. “We often have a program of music or someone sharing information of importance to senior citizens. We have a wonderful meal, great conversation, entertainment and a chance to just get out and about.”

Conklin said she has lived in the village of Groton for 38 years and has been a member of the GSC for just one year but loves her role of Sunshine Lady, wherein she sends get-well, sympathy or encouragement cards to members.

For Conklin, the perks of the club are meeting new people, staying in contact with old friends, the entertainment and group discussions.

“It’s a very nice group of seniors,” Conklin said. “We meet for fun, food and entertainment, and every new member brings something new to our group. After all, we are never too old to learn new things!”

Joy added that she likes that they are “all team players as officers, so we all chip in each month and help out with various jobs,” and Higgins gave kudos to her and Fred for their help setting up and cleaning up for the monthly meetings.

“We have a lot of fun and camaraderie at our meetings,” Joy said. “Everyone brings a dish to pass, and we are treated to new and different programs and entertainment each month. It is a great way to see lots of people, eat delicious food, learn new things and relax. I highly recommend joining, and all are welcome!”

Higgins echoed Joy’s sentiments and reiterated that the club is not exclusive to Groton residents.

“We invite anyone who needs a day out to come and join us, especially if they feel alone,” Higgins said. “They can look forward to a monthly day out for lunch and entertainment.”

Higgins also said they often get opportunities to go on trips from other clubs and the GSC is working toward arranging some travel for its members.

“Going forward into next year, we plan to relax the club to being more social and more interactive and friendly and report needed information directly to our members by email, rather than the formality of a meeting,” Higgins said.

In addition to welcoming new members to the group, Higgins would also like to extend an invitation to anyone who can offer entertainment or speak on informative topics to contact her, with the caveat that the club’s entertainment budget is not very large.

For more information about the Groton Senior Club, or to offer any of the above services for its meetings, contact Higgins at (607) 898-3755 — and mark your calendar now for the next meeting on Jan. 25.

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.

In brief:

Groton Ridge Runners dance

The Groton Ridge Runners will hold a fundraising dance at Stonehedges Golf Course, 549 Stevens Rd., Feb. 4 from 7 to 10 p.m., featuring The Past My Bedtime Band. A donation of $10 per person includes an entry for door prizes, and there will also be a 50/50 raffle and silent auction on site. Proceeds will benefit the Groton Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club and local trail systems.

A pause on Grill Night

The Groton American Legion Thursday Grill Night will be paused for the holiday season in order to allow its staff some precious family and relaxation time. There will be no Grill Night on Dec. 22 or 29, but Grill Nights will resume at 5 p.m. Jan. 5.

A word from the columnist

I thank you all for your readership and wish everyone a blessed and merry Christmas. To those who do not celebrate it, I hope you enjoy the holiday season and that joy will fill your hearts.