Adams Civic Club Seeking Broader Membership
 The Maple Grove Civic Club is accepting new members from surrounding communities to keep the club going. |
ADAMS, Mass. — The Maple Grove Civic Club is casting a wider net to boost enrollment.
The civics association said it will welcome members from North Adams, Williamstown and other surrounding communities.
At one point, the Adams club regularly attracted more than 100 people at its monthly meetings at the Polish National Alliance Hall. But turnout has dipped dramatically, club President Stanley Cote noted at last month's meeting.
"We need to do something to keep this club going," Cote said. "We're down to like 35 members at a meeting."
The 76-year-old civic association brings in speakers to discuss topics of local interest. Last month, Richard Kleiner of the Adams Prudential Committee answered questions about the $2 million Commercial Street water main replacement. On Sunday, interim Town Administrator Donna Cesan was to speak on current projects in Adams.
It's also the only organization that still offers a candidates forum for the annual town election.
While the focus has been on Adams and, to a lesser extent, Cheshire, invited speakers have covered a wide range of topics suggested by members.
State Rep. Gailanne Cariddi and state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing have appeared regularly; past guests have included a physical therapist, a senior planner with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and an executive with the former Northern Berkshire Healthcare.
"It's open to whoever wants to come," Cote said, who said he hopes to at least double the number of attending members.
Club officer Eugene Michalenko said the club began in 1938 as a voting bloc.
"People would get together and vote together for the candidate they selected," he said.
Voting for one or more selectmen was often influenced by who the group wanted on the police force — since the Board of Selectmen hired officers. The club grew as a way to keep members informed about what was happening in their town.
"The best thing about this club is you get to hear about things you don't see in the newspaper," Michalenko said. "You're a little bit more informed by being in this club."
Club members are brainstorming ways to get the word out about their activities and civic involvement, such as fliers and brochures, attendance at public events or even a civics project with the high school. In addition to informational speakers, they fund raise for youth sports, such as the Adams Police Athletic League and Dana Labbee basketball, and scholarships.
Cote said changes could be made to make attending meetings more attractive, such as changing the Sunday meeting times to 1 p.m. The club's had a beneficial association with the PNA but trustees acknowledged the Victory Street hall is difficult to get to and that a different location may make attending easier.
Dues are $25 a year; the dinners provided at each meeting and the all-you-can January roast beef dinner is $5. The club meets each third Sunday at 3 p.m. at the PNA from fall through spring.
"That's a real real good deal," Cote said.
"If we don't have the membership ... and then we have to close the doors. It would be a shame, it's been here since 1938."
Tags: enrollment, Maple Grove Civic Club, membership,
