Club president Janet Lafleur was once again at the helm, and her radiant glow set the tone for everyone in attendance. Whether she was calling tables to the buffet, announcing 50/50 winners, or taking her own turn on the dance floor, she was a worthy ambassador of that for which this club has become known: engaged, all-inclusive and comprehensive fun.

The evening didn’t . . .

stray far from the template of success which has become commonplace for events hosted by the active and well-attended club where they truly leverage the best the community has to offer in a form of self-affirming joy. Kicking things off was a comprehensively robust buffet prepared and crewed by club members as well as staff of the municipal office and nearby St. Mary’s Elementary School. Town mayor Terry Lafleur generously doled out roast beef to go with the ham, and teachers from the school were ready with plenty of side options available for accompaniment. A well-received invitation to come for seconds had people back on their feet with many stopping once again at the bottomless coffee and tea urns. Equal to the task was the well-stocked cash bar that somehow even managed to augment the offerings half-way through the night with a call out from the stage of “The bar now has Crème de menthe!” Sales from the bar are being directed toward a project to put a roof up for the rink.

Once everyone was sated, the lights dimmed and local musical group Better Times took to the stage. The headliner group had been billed as Classic Rhythm and, in a classy move honouring past members, the band decided to retire that name and start somewhat fresh with a new one. Permanent members on hand for the new band were Lianne Groulx, Paul Eastwood, Denis St-Jean and Doug Ems, and they were accompanied by invited guest musician Terry Marcotte. All five contributed vocals with Groulx adding percussion, Eastwood riffing with his electric guitar, St-Jean setting the line on bass guitar, Ems offering the beat on drums and Marcotte chiming in with rhythm guitar. Individually, they showcased their talent and love of music, and collectively they nailed it with a near-constant parade of dancers offering attestation.

The band’s playlist consisted of numbers cognizant of the audience at hand with renditions of Johnny Cash and Elvis classics, Trooper hits and Neil Diamond sing-along favourites. Past president and club founder Denise Dubois once again brought the house down with Lucille Starr’s The French Song (otherwise known as Quand le Soleil Dit Bonjour aux Montagnes) and she had the dance floor full to overflowing for the duration.

The evening underlined the success that the 50 Plus Club enjoys thanks to its dedication in turning out events that are clearly very popular with both members of the club and the community at large, and one can only see the current membership of 105 growing in response.

The floor was bustling with activity Saturday at the Otter Lake 50 Plus Club’s Valentine Dinner & Dance.

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