The 100+ Club, the world's only social club for centenarians, was born in 1993 with a birthday wish...
"We got a call from one of our volunteers who was visiting a gentleman called George Cartwright," Queensland Community Care Network (QCCN) manager, Ken Mawdsley, says. "He was turning 100 and this volunteer had asked George what he wanted to do. And he said he'd really like to have morning tea, or afternoon tea with one of his peers. And it got back to us and we're thinking, 100 years of age - why not? So it took us about three or four weeks to find another 100-year-old in Brisbane and then to persuade the aged care home to let that 100-year-old out to have morning tea with George. And that's how it started."
Today, membership is booming with (at the time of writing) 132 on the books. The club's aim is to bring centenarians together through a variety of functions, notably luncheons hosted by Brisbane's Lord Mayor and the Premier of Queensland, so they may talk to someone their own age and share their memories and stories.
"You've gotta remember 100 years ago if you were invited to dinner with the Lord Mayor or with the Premier, it was a big deal," Ken says. "So if you look at them at these functions they get dolled up. They get their best on. They get their finest on. They love being waited on, it's just something they never had back when they were younger, something they'd dreamed of."
The club is unfunded and relies on QCCN staff volunteering their time to organise the functions, other special events and sponsorships for supplying the member's badges, certificates and bi- monthly newsletters.
For more info about the club, please visit:
qccn.org.au
facebook.com/100plusclub
twitter.com/100plusclub
