By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Photo/Ed Karvoski Jr.
Southborough/Northborough – Imagine the excitement of a summer soirée with a guest list of members from three Dull Men’s Club (DMC) chapters. The self-proclaimed humdrum gentlemen of the Southborough Senior Center invited their Northborough and Pembroke counterparts to a barbecue Aug. 22, when they served hamburgers and hotdogs. You were expecting surf and turf?
Forty members attended this first-time gathering with as much laughter as their weekly meetings. The only requirement for DMC membership is a good sense of humor.
Networking among the chapters began in 2012 when the media focused on Pembroke’s men who were born to be mild. The buzz got the attention of local residents including Bill Harrington, chair of the Southborough Council on Aging. After he and others attended a Pembroke meeting, they formed the Southborough chapter in January 2013.
“We’se kept in touch with Pembroke and compare notes – pretty mundane stuff,” Harrington said with a laugh.
When Southborough DMC member Chuck Pross spoke about the club at the Northborough Senior Center, a chapter began there in February 2014. Harrington appreciates having another chapter nearby.
“It’s fun to know there are other groups forming in the area,” he said. “We can do something like this barbecue together and have a good time.”
The Northborough chapter is led by Bernie Gillon, who picked up pointers by attending some meetings in Southborough.
“I witnessed what they were doing here and I liked what I saw,” he said. “We talk about any subject except religion and politics. Sometimes I come prepared with subjects, but it’s even better when there’s nothing on the agenda and they just speak their mind. We’se all in the same age group and we have a lot to share.”
The Pembroke meetings began over 10 years ago as a bereavement group after two men lost their wives. Soon after the widowers stumbled upon the DMC’s website, the meetings evolved in a different direction. It’s now a meeting place for men to share anything from heartfelt bereavement to wholehearted amusement.
Among the Pembroke visitors was Dick Nickerson.
“I’s love to see this get-together develop into more unity among the groups,” he said. “It would strengthen and help each group.”
The Pembroke chapter is led by Al Radin, who enjoyed the camaraderie among the chapters at the barbecue in Southborough.
“We never thought something like this would ever happen with three groups of the DMC,” he said. “A lot of guys just stay home and don’s know what to do with themselves. This gives them a chance to go out, kick back and participate.”
The Northborough chapter meets Wednesdays and the Southborough meetings are Fridays, each from 10 to 11 a.m. For more information about the DMC, visit dullmensclub.com.
