| Lake Life
49er’s enjoy music, dancing and fellowship
Special to The Monitor
SEVEN POINTS–The Cedar Creek Lake 49er’s Senior Citizens Club is
a place where folks from the age of 12 (with an adult) can come
and dance or line dance to songs recorded by the classic country
artists, such as Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline and many others.
The clubhouse is located at 1002 Channel Drive, just off Arnold
Hills Road (Arnold Hills intersects with State Highway 334 on
the south) in Seven Points. A dance is regularly held every
Thursday night with music performed live by Chuck and the 49ers.
Charles (Chuck) Flowers leads the band on guitar, while David
Williams plays the drums and Billy McWilliams from Athens offers
his steel guitar. Don Oliver fills in on bass guitar and all the
members sing in their find and distinctive voices. The band has
a wide repertoire of classic country and western music,
including waltzes, two-step and line dance music and songs from
the fifties and sixties.
Not only will you hear country classics, on the second Thursday
of the month, the best guest singers from around the lake take
turns singing along with them.
This open mike opportunity draws people from as far as 100 miles
away. It is always a special treat.
Every fourth Thursday, is Ballroom Night. The ladies really
enjoy dressing up and look forward to the occasion once a month.
Also a long-standing tradition with the 49er’s is a pot luck
meal at each gathering, during the band’s first break. Many of
the 49er’s bring a covered dish to share, and a cook book has
been published, featuring some of the most requested recipes.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. The clubhouse is always
beautifully decorated, appropriate to the holiday or for a
selected theme. For instance, March, the decor reflected St.
Patrick’s Day. A nostalgic ’50s dance held March 15 had many
reliving the days of the poodle skirt and bobbie socks.
The ambiance of the clubhouse is always welcoming for general
audiences, which means there are a few strict rules in place.
First among them is no alcohol is permitted on the premises, and
smoking is restricted to outside only, where a picnic table and
benches are provided.
Though the club is located in a resort area, its members do not
allow anyone to enter who is wearing a tank top or shorts. Our
members enjoy the opportunity to mix and mingle, so they like to
dress up and make an occasion of it – meeting with friends and
new acquaintances. It is in no way a bar or a night club, the
49er’s offer a unique, safe and enjoyable entertainment outlet.
Some have concluded from the club’s name that you have to be at
least 49 years old to attend or become a member. Nothing is
further from the truth. The name originated from a comment
someone made upon seeing the long line of cars approaching the
parking lot. The observer felt it resembled the Gold Rush of
1949, and the 49er’s name became attached to the club, soon
after it formed in the early ’70s.
Though primarily a social and dance club, the 49er’s also
celebrate the birthdays of its members, make hospital visits
when they are sick and participate in charity work, like
collecting dry goods for area food pantries.
Since the 49er’s is a private club (one of the oldest in the
area, 39 years), its members choose its leadership, pay
membership dues, and plan events. Currently, there are 150
members. Founding member Gladys Forrester, who turns 99 in
August, still enjoys being active with the club. The 49er’s also
support the activities of surrounding service and social clubs
geared toward senior citizens.
The club is one 30 organizations weekly listed on the Lake Life
page of the Sunday edition of The Monitor under “Clubs & Such.”
For more information, please call club president Camille Oliver
at (903) 451-2602.
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