Men’s Club
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The Epiphany Men’s Club is a group of men devoted to helping others while enjoying fellowship with one another.Our mission is “to foster fellowship among the men of Epiphany Parish.”
The Men’s Club is open to all men of the Parish, even the non-Catholics who may have a Catholic spouse who attends Epiphany. Dues are $20/year.
The Men’s Club sponsors various events each year, including –
- Parish Picnic
- One of the Lenten meals (cheese enchiladas with beans and rice)
- Pancake Breakfasts, with donations dedicated to Willow Pregnancy Support.
- Fundraising "Parish BINGO",
- Fundraising “casino nights” for various organizations.
Each year we provide college scholarship money to Epiphany students.
We meet on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Patio Room.
To contact the Men’s Club, contact the Church office.
History of the Epiphany Men's Club
By Ken Sullivan; Founder, Past President
In August of 1977, Epiphany Parish was meeting at the Christian Renewal Center Chapel. One Sunday morning, at the 10:00 Mass Father Brice asked if men were interested in forming a men’s club to meet that evening in one of the classrooms.
At that first meeting, there were six parishioners and Father Brice present:
Carl Bryant
Ron Knight
Jim Marchia
Gene McConnville
Jim Stranger
Ken Sullivan
What came out of that first meeting were the guiding principles of the Men’s Club.
1. The Men’s Club would be open to all men of the Parish, Catholics or non-Catholics.
2. The Men’s Club would provide support to the Parish.
3. The Men’s Club would foster fellowship of the men.
In those early Men’s Club meetings, there was no food, and one of the members was chosen to bring beer. Beer cost members 25 cents which was placed in a paper cup on top of the ice chest. At the end of the meeting, the chosen person would take the beer and paper cup home, and before the meeting adjourned someone else chosen to bring the beer and paper cup to the next meeting. Meetings were chosen to be monthly and on the second Monday of the month. Why, fellowship of the men. Monday Night Football.
The meeting agendas included ways the men could support the Parish. The obvious ways were to serve on Parish Boards, and Usher, and in general providing manpower where needed for the Parish. There was a saying in the early days of the Men’s Club, which was “Call and they will be there”. They would never ask why, only what tools to bring. In those early days, Men’s Club members would be at every Mass passing out bulletins and encouraging the men of the Parish to join the Men’s Club. Special effort was made on the Sundays prior to the meeting night. Men’s Club members would man a table after Mass and encourage men to stop talking and invite them to the meeting the following evening.
Funds were not available so the Men’s Club was limited in providing any financial support to the Parish. A fundraiser was needed. It was agreed the First fundraiser would be, you guessed it, a Vegas Party, but it took funds to put on a Vegas Party. That’s where Father Brice stepped in and loaned the Men’s Club $500.00.
The Vegas Party was held in the in the Christian Renewal Center Gym. Crap tables were plywood boxes with paper layouts glued to the bottom. Black Jack was dealt on tables (on felt). Cards, plastic chips, and dice were acquired from the local five-and-dime stores. Limited Food and “refreshments” were offered and small prizes were auctioned at the end of the party. To get set up for the party, tables had to be moved from every classroom in the Renewal Center and hand-carried to the gym, but the tables did not fold and were heavy. Then came the news we could use the gym unless the floor was covered, it was still used for basketball games. Every scraped piece of carpet that could be found was placed on the gym floor and taped together. After the Party, everything had to be put back in place that night for classes and Sunday afternoon basketball games. The party was a success. Father Brice got his $500.00 back and a new office chair was purchased for him. The Men’s Club now had limited funds. That first Vegas Party would not have been possible without the help of Men’s Wives, which is still true today.
The Parish Vegas Party became an annual event in the Christian Renewal Center Gym until moving to the new Parish. As the Men’s Club learned more and more about putting on Vegas Parties and as the equipment was improved, Vegas Parties were offered to outside organizations and more funds were available to the Men’s Club. The attire of the Vegas Party workers changed, include black slacks, a tux shirt, a red bow tie, and a cumber bun. The equipment was kept in a storage unit and every time a Vegas Party was scheduled the equipment had to be loaded onto a truck, unloaded at the Party, loaded back on the truck after the party, and unloaded back into the storage unit, and then all go to breakfast. Getting home time was approximately 2:00 am.
Having the Vegas Parties in the new church was great. No more lugging tables up and down stairs out of every classroom, not having to cover the gym floor, having a good PA system and great lighting, kitchen, life was good. Except the Vegas Parties were held in the “Church”, which is now Brice Hall. This meant all the interlocking chairs (pews) had to be moved out, and “folding” tables from the classroom had to be moved in to support the games. Bottom line Church was turned into a casino and after the Party, not only was the equipment taken back to the storage unit, but the “casino” had to be transformed back into a Church for Mass the next morning.
At one time the Knight of Columbus wanted to take over the Men’s Club and have a Knight of Columbus at Epiphany and not a Men’s Club. During that meeting with the Knights representatives present. It was unanimously agreed not to accept the offer. Everyone agreed the Knights were a great organization, but it was only available to Catholics in good standing. Whereas the Men’s Club by its founding principles was open to all men of the Parish Catholics and non-Catholics.
As a support to the Parish, the Men’s Club did an annual Parish Picnic. The picnic was totally funded by the Men’s Club with only the “tip Jar” to offset the cost.
The early stories and adventures of the Men’s Club are too numerous to list, but that was part of the fellowship of the Men’s Club.
Some of the ways in which the Men’s Club is and has supported the Parish:
- Pledge for the Building of New Church
- Pledge for the Building of the New Sanctuary
- Pledge for the Building of the Rectory
- Pay for the Architectural Study for the Gym
- Pledge for the Building of the Gym
- Pay for the cross that hangs in the Church above the alter
- Parish Picnic
- Sustaining Educational Scholarship
- Up to four additional scholarships per year
- Sponsored Men’s Club Sports Teams
- Men’s Club Golf Tournament
- Support of youth travel and events
- Donations to various organizations
- Paying for the Valentine Dance band
- Serving on various boards
- Ushering
- Funeral Ushering
- Sponsoring Men’s Club Retreats
- Pancake Breakfasts to support various organizations
- Providing manpower when needed and called on
Over the time span of the Men’s Club a lot of members have been lost to relocation or other causes and there have been a lot of new members that have joined the Men’s Club, but the Men’s Club holds firm to the principles established at the first meeting.
1. The Men’s Club would be open to all men of the Parish, Catholics or non-Catholics.
2. The Men’s Club would support the Parish.
3. The Men’s Club would foster fellowship of the men.
Today the Men’s Club still faces some of the same challenges that were faced in the early years, but has expanded the Men’s Club principles to include:
4. The Spiritual Growth of the Men’s Club members