Last stop for Cedar Grove Senior Citizens Club

No longer will a group of dedicated senior citizens meet twice a month at the Community Church of Cedar Grove. No more will the residents come together to socialize, learn and spend time with one another.

The end of the tradition came as the Cedar Grove Senior Citizens Club prepared to disband. The club held its final meeting on Thursday, May 25, in large part due to declining membership and a lack of volunteers to fill officer positions.

“You feel terrible,” President Jeanette Palumbo said of the end of the club. “We had people crying here our last meeting.”

A decade ago the club’s meetings would regularly draw 75 guests. Now, they were lucky to find 25 to 30 people there, according to Secretary Mary Basile. 

Those who did come, such as the roughly 30 people in attendance on Thursday, were among those with the most knowledge of Cedar Grove and its history. 

“I’ve been around these parts 64 years,” Treasurer Ann Wildt said, “and we didn’t even have traffic lights on Pompton Avenue when I moved here.”

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Thursday’s meeting in many ways operated like any other for the seniors. They stood for the Pledge of Allegiance and “God Bless America,” performed on the piano by Marie Powers. They observed a moment of silence for those they lost, and raffled off 50/50 prizes.

Extra emphasis came when talking about the future while also recognizing the past.

Several members spoke up to thank the current officers for all the work they put into the club. Basile also ensured everyone that the seniors would be represented in the Memorial Day Parade this year. 

The club had operated in Cedar Grove for 53 years. Guest speakers frequently visited the meetings to talk about health, how to avoid frauds, and to lead crafts or light exercise.

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Through the years, they primarily met in the Community Church of Cedar Grove, but were unable to continue to rent space there. They did not want to relocate to the Community Center because of the many other events that occur in the building, according to Palumbo.

As members passed away and new ones become hard to find, along with people willing to take leadership roles, it made running the club more difficult. 

“It’s very, very sad that we have to close our doors only because it’s like the officers have [worked hard],” Basile said. “I’ve served for 15 years, and you know, it’s like after a while you just can’t do it. It doesn’t seem like it’s much work, but it is. You have to plan the luncheons, you have to plan the parties. It’s a lot of work and I don’t think the people realize how much time it is.”

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com