The Osterville Men’s Club
60 Years Captured by Bill Cutcliffe
Click below:
https://youtu.be/acJZmBPt1Kk
Founded in Nineteen fifty-seven
When sixteen O’ville men met in Veterans’ Hall
With a concept in mind that would endure with time.
This year, 2017, the Club is celebrating its 60th year.
In the beginning The Club “warmed-up“ in the Fox Hole
Once spirits consumed and attitudes adjusted,
fortified they’d cross over to Wimpy’s to dine
After sometime, the owner called foul.
Relative to the margins of libations versus food.
He requested, please have your drinks here!
The Mission of the group: “To promote good fellowship,
sociability, and to the well-being of the Community”.
Dues were two dollars per year.
There were no geographic limits
Membership, a limit of one hundred and fifty.
Increased regularly as the Club grew rapidly.
The roster of 150 became 175 in 1960
To 200 in ’61 and 250 beginning in ’64.
A motion to go to 300 in ’65, found no favor.
The 250 limit remains to this day.
The first meeting at Wimpy’s was noteworthy.
When the scheduled speaker didn’t show,
an OMC member, Dr. Wesley F Rennie “off the cuff”
presented a thought-provoking address on education.
The first OMC Picnic took place at the Crawford Hollidge Estate
October 10, 1958. Member, C. Crawford Hollidge owned
The Boston, Tremont Street high end
clothing store. They were held there many a year
As recent as 2001 there was was one last pic-nic
At the estate. Widow Hollidge,
made a brief lakeside appearance to warmly
welcome the group and wish all best..
Golf was introduced as early as fifty eight
Those were different times, OMC played the big three
Wianno, Oyster Harbors and Hyannisport,
with Green Fees never exceeding five dollars.
Our present traditions of Club Champion
And President’s Cups were scheduled way back then.
That’s some fifty-nine years before this year.
Amazing how many of our traditions beckon back to then.
Don Ellis was Chair of Golf in ‘98
A very affable chap; seldom talked much about his past
In the 1960’s Don was Producer of NBC Sports.
Word has it, he sported three Emmy’s in his pack.
In November ‘68, Producer Don was in the NBC “mobile truck”
For the much-anticipated Jets – Oakland – Raiders game.
to be followed by the renowned Heidi all-star show.
At seven p.m. he gained infamy when cutting over, to Heidi,
resulting in all football fans missing Oakland’s upset win.
In ’63 Rudolph R Lind was the first Bowling Chair
As Chair, he returned to run the show from ‘73 to ’88.
Chair loyalty is seen, there only has been ten Chairs in fifty-four years.
The last two, Fortier and Hulme span twenty-two and yet counting.
An Investment Discussion Group began in ‘65
Shortly thereafter , a Current Events Discussion Group
was set up under the direction Wesley Rennie”
The first topic “Which Way, Cape Cod ?”
Dr. Rennie was one of OMC’s renown members. “OMC Pres” in ‘63
He was born in Michigan in 1894.
Thirty years Seattle YMCA “EXEC” World Director to 1949.
Advisor to the World Council of
Churches and President of Springfield College 1957-58
As a student of demographics, we can report
In it’s sixty years OMC has been led
by many generations. The medium age in 1957
was most likely younger than it is today.
One part of OMC’s initial mission statement
was to the well-being of the community.
Many of OMC’s first members were of the
generation born at the turn of the 20th century.
The Greatest Generation followed and ruled
Through the 1980’s and the 1990’s.
With the “Silent Gen” in the early 2000’s
And the “Boomers” stepping forth in the teens.
One pleasing finding is the OMC of the 60’s
Is yet the same OMC today
Nearly all of today’s OMC programs
were instituted six decades ago
Aging demographics has had it’s challenge
The Cape’s late “Boomers” and the “Xer’s”
Have not come forth in near the numbers,
Today OMC’s Quality is equal to the best it has ever been.
Bowling and Golf are stronger than ever.
As are Rennie and Monthly Speakers.
Scholarship applicants and dollars remain at their best.
As does civic service and special events
Quality rings TRUE
OMC has morphed well with the times
and has not strayed from its excellent roots
Today OMC remains “THE MEN’S CLUB” based on Brotherhood,
Congeniality, and Service, at-large, to the Community
For more information on our history,
contact our Historian William E. Cutcliffe. cutcliffe@comcast.net
Click below for more History and the People who helped create the OMC
2014 Great Generation’s Great Dozen
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