What does it mean to have a community? Before answering, let me share a definition of “community” (from the Oxford English Dictionary): “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” With the advent of the Internet, it’s easy to find and participate in any community anywhere on the planet. However, for many (me included), a “digital” community does not serve as a replacement for the in-person variety. That’s why as someone relatively new to the Westside of L.A., I’m still working to generate my own local community. I know that having it will help me feel like I’ve actually found home.
These thoughts all came to me when I met Byron Stalcup, President of the Mar Vista Senior Club, during one of the club’s Friday meetings. Byron, who has served as president for the past 10 years, shared the club “tries to make everyone feel like they belong to something.”
The Mar Vista Senior Club belongs to the Los Angeles Federation of Senior Citizen Clubs, which is under the L.A. County Parks & Recreation department. Mar Vista is one of 28 clubs in the Federation, each of which costs the city close to nothing except a little electricity from the facilities they use to meet.
Unfortunately, many of the clubs have yet to restart since being forced to stop during COVID. However, the Mar Vista Club is as strong as ever. They see 40-60 members show up at their weekly meetings. Members range from lifelong residents of Mar Vista to folks who were born outside of the United States.
Byron shared that at one point, the membership represented 42 separate countries of origin. Once a month, the club has an entertainment/speaker series. This year they’ve had representatives from the California Highway Patrol and Red Cross speak. Every quarter, they take a field trip. The last one was to Palm Springs to see a Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga “look-alike” show.
As my chat with Byron was ending, someone brought in a cake to celebrate everyone who had a birthday in the last two months. Were it not for the club’s age requirement (50+), I might have asked to join the ranks right then and there. But, it’s comforting to know that when the time is right, this community will be waiting for me.
The Mar Vista Senior Club meets every Friday from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Mar Vista Recreation Center. For more information, call Byron Stalcup at 310-351-9876.
By Michael Byrne