Gathered at the Dull Men’s Club barbecue this summer at the Southborough Senior Center are chapter leaders (l to r) Bernie Gillon of Northborough, Bill Harrington of Southborough and Al Radin of Pembroke.
By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
The Dull Men’s Club (DMC) has roots dating back to the 1980s in New York City. Now, there are a few chapters casually meeting in England. However, the only organized chapters with weekly meetings at senior centers are in three Massachusetts towns: Northborough, Pembroke and Southborough. For the third year, these DMC chapters gathered together at a barbecue.
This summer, the Southborough chapter hosted their Northborough and Pembroke counterparts at its town’s senior center. Over 50 members enjoyed the barbecue with as much laughter as their weekly meetings. The only requirement for DMC membership is a good sense of humor.
Networking among them began in 2012 when the media focused on the Pembroke chapter, which had formed about 12 years earlier. Pembroke’s men who were “born to be mild” received coverage on New England Cable News and WBZ-TV, and feature articles in the Boston Globe and the Wall Street Journal. The buzz got the attention of Bill Harrington, chair of the Southborough Council on Aging.
“Three of us from Southborough went to one of their meetings in Pembroke,” Harrington explained. “After we saw what they did in Pembroke, we figured we’d try it in here in Southborough.”
The Pembroke meetings began over 15 years ago as a bereavement group after two men lost their wives. Soon after the widowers stumbled upon the DMC website, their mission evolved into a meeting place to share topics from heartfelt bereavement to wholehearted amusement.
The Southborough chapter rang in 2013 with its first meeting in January. Like the DMC website advises, the agenda is informal: “Share thoughts and experiences about ordinary things.”
A common topic of conversation is the members’ hobbies. Some meetings have included “show-and-tell,” such as the time they learned about archery from Ernie Richard, better known around town as Ernie the Barber.
“Ernie does competitive archery, and he brought some of his bows and arrows to a meeting,” Harrington said. “Another fellow, Jed Watters, is into model trains. We went to his place and got to see his layout, which is immense. He’s got about 2,000 cars and 200 engines. He can’t tell his wife how much he spent on this hobby.”
But that member can freely share those confidential details with others in the DMC.
“A semi-regular member of our group is Police Chief Ken Paulhus,” Harrington noted. “He contributes to the conversation just like the rest of us.”
The Southborough chapter has welcomed special guests including town selectmen, Department of Public Works Superintendent Karen Galligan, and state Rep. Carolyn Dykema, D-Holliston. In addition to Southborough, members are from Hopkinton, Marlborough and Northborough.
After Southborough DMC member Chuck Pross of Marlborough spoke about the club at the Northborough Senior Center, a chapter began there in February 2014. The Northborough chapter is led by Bernie Gillon, who picked up pointers by attending some meetings in Southborough.
“I witnessed what they were doing and I liked what I saw,” he said. “We talk about any subject except religion and politics. Sometimes I come prepared with subjects, but it’s even better when there’s nothing on the agenda and they just speak their mind. We’re all in the same age group and we have a lot to share.”
Among recent special guests at that chapter’s meetings were Northborough Police Chief William Lyver Jr. and Fire Chief David Parenti.
The Northborough chapter hosted last year’s barbecue at its senior center with their Southborough and Pembroke buddies. Among the Pembroke visitors at each of the three years’ barbecues was Dick Nickerson.
“I’d love to see this get-together develop into more unity among the groups,” he said. “It would strengthen and help each group.”
The Pembroke chapter is led by Al Radin, who enjoys the camaraderie among the chapters at the barbecues.
“We never thought something like this would ever happen with three groups of the DMC,” he said. “A lot of guys just stay home and don’t know what to do with themselves. This gives them a chance to go out, kick back and participate.”
Each chapter meets at its town’s senior center. The Northborough and Pembroke chapters meet Wednesdays, and the Southborough meetings are Fridays, each from 10 to 11 a.m. For more information about the DMC, visit dullmensclub.com.
Photos/Ed Karvoski Jr.
