New Men’s Association in Rye
A new men’s association in Rye will launch this September. The planning for the group, called Tuesdays at 10, has been in the works since February, when three residents circulated a letter to 50-75 men in the community to assess interest. Open to all, the group is focused on catering to men ages 55+ in Rye who are retired or transitioning to retirement.
“All of our wives, generally speaking, have all of these social interactions in town, whether it’s because [of] parenting groups or garden clubs or whatever,” said Greg Usry, the Rye City manager and one of the initial three organizers, along with Campbell Gerrish and Tom Murphy. “You’re 60 years old, you’re newly retired, or you’re on your way to retirement, you come back to a place that, at least for me, that I’d never really spent a lot of time in until I retired the first time, and there is no social outlet.”
Men are more likely to experience social isolation due to traditional gender roles that emphasize self-reliance and discourage seeking emotional support. The feeling of isolation and loneliness, which has been shown to have negative health impacts, can be exacerbated by factors such as divorce, loss of a spouse and retirement. Volunteering, group activities, or clubs can improve one’s sense of well being.
Loosely based on the 45 year old Darien Men’s Association, the Rye group will begin its programming as a monthly speaker series on the second Tuesday of each month. “The focus is a speaker, but more importantly is to have fellowship and camaraderie and share ideas and really knit the community together,” said organizer Campbell Gerrish.
Programming and Upcoming Speakers
The first three speakers, scheduled for September, October and November, will be free and open to all. The group does plan to become a non-profit and charge a nominal membership fee. Gerrish and Ursy emphasize the group is open to all, and that there is no religious or political affiliation. Just show up, enjoy the speakers and the camaraderie of others in the group.
The upcoming events and speakers (all found on the MyRye.com event calendar) are Joseph W. Polisi, President Emeritus, Chief China Officer, The Juilliard School on September 10th, Zachary Iscol, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management Department on October 10th, and Robert and William Blake, harbor pilots, on November 12th.
The full organizing committee includes Usry, Gerrish, Thomas Murphy, Todd Smith, Bob Clyatt, Robert Amato, Peter Urbanczyk, Bob Byrne and Tony Coash. As far as how the group develops, that will be organic, they said. A look at the 45 year old group in Darien shows activities from books to bowling to hiking to pickleball or woodworking.
