The Club marks 45 years By Bob Burns Times Reporter

In 1978 Fountain Hills was just finding its footing as a community being cut out of the desert dust. There were fewer than 1,000 people living here at the time and the community was 20 to 30 miles from the nearest established settlements – even Scottsdale had nothing around until you got to Scottsdale Road. Many of the early pioneers had professional and management careers and found Fountain Hills appealing for retirement. However, they also found themselves with a lot of time on their hands. Desert Canyon Golf Course was there, but little else for recreation. Charlie Thompson came up with an idea, “why not start a social club where men could gather for coffee, conversation, cards and good fellowship?” On a spring morning in 1978 a group of men gathered in the kitchen of John Ehrsam to begin organizing what became The Club. Harlan Collins, a retired attorney from Ohio, wrote the charter and the bylaws. Officers and a board of directors were elected with former U.S. Ambassador Ida Rimestad elected the first president of the group. There were 40 charter members, and many became the early civic leaders for Fountain Hills. At first the membership grew rapidly, but with a decline during a recession in 1982, leadership came out strong with a membership drive producing 160 members by 1984. That forced the group to think about larger and more permanent meeting accommodations. A corporation was formed with the purpose of acquiring property and building a clubhouse. Property on Enterprise Drive next to the commercial building where they had been meeting was purchased for $40,500. In December 1985, ground was broken on the building that would cost $225,000. The thinking was The Club would eventually purchase the building at cost at a point in the future. That future came in 1998 when the investment corporation president, Cliff Johnson, notified Club officers it was time to discuss the purchase. The Club could not get financing for the purchase, so the members came up with an innovative way of selling shares, or investment certificates, to raise the money. The money was raised and the certificates were paid off in the form of reduced dues. Dinners Monday night dinners became central to the social interaction of Club members. Cook crews took turns preparing sumptuous meals served on fine chinaware. The dinners became special affairs as cook teams developed their own specialties including Wall Eye fish fry with the fish direct from Bemidji, Minn. Club anniversaries became special occasions for the dinners, including the event held April 15 to mark the 45th anniversary of the founding. There are also annual events including Halloween, Speakeasy Night and Mardi Gras for those wanting to dress up in costume. A Tailgate Party for fall football, Christmas Dinner Dance, Oktoberfest, St. Paddy’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and Veterans Day are all celebrated at The Club. Club members have been told more than once that the kitchen in their clubhouse is the best in Fountain Hills for catering and even beats out local restaurant kitchens for space and amenities. It has been carefully maintained and updated over the years. Off-site events and activities are also organized. For several years Club members and wives went to the Phoenix Symphony on New Year’s Eve. There have also been outings to the Arizona Opry, and cruises on Saguaro Lake. Backroads In 1989 a group of Club members took an off-road trip to Crown King and the Bradshaw Mountains and that was the beginning of The Backroads, eventually becoming known as the Trailblazers group. Over the past 45 years the number of trips they have made is approaching 150. They are full-day outings with the occasional overnight. Destinations over the years have included the Bradshaw Mountains near Prescott, Hell’s Gate Canyon Wilderness, Four Peaks Wilderness and Roosevelt Lake, Humbolt Mountain and Seven Springs north of Cave Creek, Mount Ord, Vulture Mine and Schnebly Hills Road out of Sedona, and this is only a partial list. They have also taken in various historic and educational attractions such as Pima Air & Space Museum Biosphere 2, Titan Missile Museum and a tour of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, to name just a few. Members always have access to the clubhouse, and they can often be found there enjoying the company of friends with various card games, pool, golf outings and other activities. Membership is currently maintained at about 150. There has been a waiting list to get on the waiting list for membership. Those on the waiting list are invited to participate in some activities such as the cook teams. Chet Yon joined The Club in 1989 and is currently the longest standing member of the group. “At the time I joined, The Club had a very strong Masonic membership, which is how I first became involved,” Yon said. “A great many members were Masons but that has changed considerably, as has the Masonic Lodge.” Yon is an avid card player and one of his main contributions was the Wall Eye Fish Fry, first held in 2001. In recent years the leadership of Russ Bonaguidi, a former president who oversees the cook teams, Dave Hagen and others has helped lead The Club into the future.