Our Towne Bethlehem November: Second Milers

 The phrase “going the second mile” is familiar to us today. It rouses the idea of going beyond the call of duty in helping someone or, perhaps in a work place situation, taking on extra work or responsibilities.  Googling the phrase turns up many Christian/spiritual/inspirational articles all tracing back to the Bible and the story of the ancient Roman road system. A Roman citizen could demand that anyone not a citizen carry their burden along the road for one mile.  In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorted his followers to carry the load the second mile. Merriam-Webster Dictionary sums up nicely: second mile, noun: a deed of charity or kindness beyond the demands of duty – used chiefly in the phrase go the second mile.

Another idea of the second mile is that after the first mile of one’s life, one enters the second mile, be it retirement, the golden years or even the leisure years. Now that’s a phrase we don’t hear too often – the leisure years.  These days most Seniors lead quite active and involved lives and perhaps there is not much leisure to them.

On their 25^th Anniversary, May 1989, Second Milers president H. Neil Smith and founding members Dr. Robert Thomas and Art Westfall get ready to slice the cake.

In 1964, a group of Delmar men combined both connotations when they named their club the Second Milers.  Earl S. Jones, Sr, a retired lawyer and parishioner of the First United Church of Delmar, was the instigator, proposing a club for retired men to meet up once a month for lunch and social time. At their second meeting in July 1964, the group named Howard W. Davenport their first president and chose the name Second Milers as representing that the members were on the second lap of their lives. *

In December that year, a statement about the group’s purpose was read. “The Second Milers of the Delmar Methodist church, a group of retired men, seeks to promote sociability and Christian fellowship among its members, and to render service to the church wherever possible, through their time and talent.”  The group quickly became secular and open to all men of the community.  By the following spring they had eliminated the reference to Christian fellowship and revised the second clause to “render service to the church and community when practicable.”

Over the years, service to the church and community was provided in various forms. Requests for assistance from local charitable groups were regularly read at meetings, and members volunteered as they saw fit.  Painting Red Cross hospital beds, counting donations to UNICEF, serving coffee after church services are just a few.  The list is long and varied.  

But the real focus of the group was the social interaction provided over lunch which was then followed by a program.  And indeed, by 1994, the purpose of the group had been distilled to a purpose of “fellowship to meet for luncheon and then hear a timely presentation on important affairs of the day.”

For years, the men met at the Delmar Methodist church hall. Few early menus survive but one meatless luncheon in February 1967, which happened to fall on Ash Wednesday, featured macaroni, cheese and a tuna casserole.  The cost was 75 cents per person.  For almost 20 years, from September 1971 to May 1991, meals were organized by Priscilla Stevens.  She was in charge of the church’s kitchen and made it her mission to support the men’s luncheon. Menus from her tenure were varied from Sloppy Joes to fried fish sandwiches, and included fruit cups and ice cream. Slowly the price for a meal rose to $3.00 per meal. After Priscilla’s tenure, various caterers were brought in until the group moved over to Normanside Country Club in 2004. They met there for the first time during their 35^th anniversary program on May 12, 1999.  That was the first time they met anywhere other than the church hall.  

The majority of Second Milers 56 years of meetings had a program.  Topics were very diverse reflecting members interests and community concerns. Slide shows by members of their various travels were often on the schedule, like Carlton Gordon’s slide show Three Months in Australia and New Zeeland presented December 13,1967. Health and environmental topics came up over the years like the June 14, 1967 presentation on Progress Toward Clean Air & Water or the one from November 1976 about Air Pollution and the Weather. Musical programs were often featured, especially the Friendship Singers. Bethlehem supervisors presented many a State of the Town address, and town historian’s, including yours truly, turned up on the roster as well. How about the October 8, 1969 presentation, simply titled “Prestidigitation.”?  That one sounds intriguing.

Like all community groups and clubs, the Second Milers have had their ups and downs.  They were always an informal group with no bylaws or incorporation.  Membership numbers ranged from 80 in 1965 to 230 in the 1980s.  In 2004, there was some uncertainty about the club’s continuation, but rejuvenated leadership declared the Second Milers “alive and well and pulsating with new energy.”  That energy continued for a while, but the last five years have seen a steady decline in membership, with Covid-19 giving the group its final push.  Their last official meeting, March 11, 2020, just before the pandemic enfolded us, is expected to be their last.

 *I am indebted to John Alden’s 2009 history of the group for much of the information in this article.  And also a shoutout to Bill Fuller and Bob Mulligan, Second Milers who provided a warm welcome every time I spoke to the group.

 Flashes and Dashes

The Bethlehem Historical Association presents Ron Gabriel speaking about the Second Battle of Gettysburg at their November 18 lecture. The time is 2 p.m. Location is the Delmar Reformed Church.  Masks and social distancing are required for this in person event with limited seating. Save the date for BHA’s Holiday Open House, Sunday afternoon, December 12.  The last history hike of the season is a walk at Bethlehem Cemetery, 9:30 am on November 13.  Visit BethlehemHistorical.org for more details.

Second Milers gather at their 25^th anniversary celebration. Front row (left to right): Frederick Knapp, William Reuter, John Longley, George Chesbro, Vincent Hummell, and Harold Hastings. Second Row: Donald Stevens, Howard Gmelch, Jack Pellettier, Alan Hoffman, Neil Smith, John Klim, Wayne Fry, and Carlton Gordon.