Twenty-One

Last weekend my husband, a few select friends and I attended a black-tie dinner dance party like we do every Memorial Day weekend for the last two decades.  Who does that? The Club Twenty-One social group does as a part of a long standing annual tradition for the last 20 years.

Wearing: Teri Jon gown

My husband belongs to Club Twenty-One that originated in 1946, made up of 21 African American men who found themselves barred from local professional organizations formed a social club to play cards, hold outings with their families and promote the black presence in the community.  Adopting a name similar to a popular and highly respected club in New York City (all good things happen in the Big Apple, don’t they?), they named themselves The Club Twenty-One, which also denotes the maximum membership at any time.  Membership is by invitation only
and only when someone dies or resigns is another person considered to join.

Here is a picture of the original members below:

Over the years, the close-knit group boasted stellar names in medicine, law, education, government and the military as members – men who broke barriers in their respective professions, set precedents and lent their financial and moral support to the struggle for equality for minorities in the Harrisburg community.  The club selected red and gold as its colors and chose a keystone to symbolize its relationship with the community.  The club’s first formal dance was held November 22, 1946, in the Woodland Hotel in Susquehanna Township.

In 1996, the Club Twenty-One celebrated its 50th-anniversary with the annual black-tie gala along with special observances in the community.  The golden anniversary celebration boasted over 300 invitation-only guests.

Around the end of April every year, many people look to receive their formal invitation in the mail to attend the annual gala. So last weekend, the 21 members continued the tradition at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center with nearly 500 by invitation-only guests of who’s who in the Harrisburg area.  A formal sit-down dinner was served, the evening continued with a Jazz Band and socializing into the wee hours of the night, or morning.

An unusual annual tradition but I do look forward to the opportunity to get all “gussied up.”  What Memorial Day traditions do you observe?  Do you attend any annual black-tie events?