Membership has its benefits is the message the Friendship Centre board wants people to know.
“We’re making an effort to get the word out of the advantages of being a member,” says Edna Hill, who sits on the seven-member board which acts as a think-tank for the facility. “There are a still a lot of people who come (to the Centre), but don’t join.”
She explains that the membership fees go toward building maintenance, while the cost per activity goes directly to supporting that program.
“When you have a facility like this, it isn’t free,” she says. “If people were members, they would have more of a feeling of ownership.”
As such, the Friendship Centre is currently offering pro-rated annual memberships for the year of $20 (typically, annual memberships are $35); the offer stands until Aug. 28.
There are currently about 350 members at the Centre, which is down from past numbers. But the Centre is just as busy as it ever was, and the board would like to capitalize on that activity -- and offer frequent users the cost discounts that come with having a membership.
Coun. Gary Boyce, who sat on the board prior to the 2006 elections -- and now sits as a town council representative, says that “we’re continually looking at new programs and how to attract a new and broader range of participants.”
As such, Friendship Centre activities such as guitar lessons, and cooking classes have been opened up to the general public to encourage intergenerational activity.
New, and more active classes such as Nordic pole walking, Tai Chi and yoga also appeal to younger seniors -- and help combat the perception that the Centre is just a place for cards and conversation.
“A lot of people reach 50 or 55 years old, and they think they’re too young to join,” says board member Norma Holroyd. “But there’s so much to do it; you’ll never be sorry if you join.”
The Friendship Centre has even started a new catering club to service the events taking place at the Pyramid Centre. Boyce explains that it’s a way to take advantage of the great Friendship Centre kitchen facilities (and cooking staff); members of the club do serving and cleanup.
“It’s one-stop shopping (for people using the Pyramid Centre),” says Boyce.
Prices for the service are competitive, and the Friendship Centre board decides what to put the revenue toward, such as buying more catering supplies or paying down the building’s capital debt, which is roughly $425,000.
More traditional programs also include SWIFT exercise classes, the Stonetown Entertainers singing group, Eucheramas and bingo nights, as well as the variety of meals, aquafit classes at the Aquatics Centre, and new programs such as Food Glorious Food, which focuses on eating and shopping local.
As well, the Shuffleboard club is growing by leaps and bounds, says Holroyd; it recently hosted the provincial singles tournament in St. Marys, and will be hosting another tournament in August.
The Centre benefits from sharing facilities with the town’s Home Support Services. The Centre technically has only two staff members -- Allyson Dunseith and Stephanie Ische, but the variety of Home Support workers, funded by the  province through the Local Healthcare Integration Network,  help operate events.
While programs and meals are continuing throughout the summer, the Centre is casting a wider net with some future activities, such as performances featuring the Stonetown Entertainers and seniors’ choirs in London, and a seniors’ information trade show in March 2010, which will be supported by the Older Adult Centres' Association Of Ontario.
“We’re reaching a bit further out (to get members),” says Hill, “and maybe to make them a little envious of what we have here.”