The old boys’ club

N. Shore Neighbourhood House hosting men’s health fair

A COMBINED effort on the
North Shore to combat senior
citizen isolation is under way
al the North Shore
Neighbourhood House.

By A.P. McCredie

News Reporter

Organizations like the North
Shore Keep Well Society and the
Neighbourhood House are currently
developing programs designed to
increase opportunities for seniors,
especially men. to gel together.

This Friday, the Neighbourhood
House is hosting the Men's Only
Health Fair, a three-hour workshop
designed for men over the age of
50.

“The whole idea is that we keep
well, otherwise we get to be old
people,” says 72-year-old Tom
Humphries, a member of the
seniors-operated society.

Speakers at the luncheon include
North Vancouver RCMP Constable
Boland, health and lifestyle consul-
tant Bruce Hunt, and Dr. M.W.
Sookochoff, addressing the subject
of prostate cancer. .

Topics range from fitness to
health and nutrition.

“Last December we ran a

seniors’ lunch for, men to try and

attract some men out to our senior
programs,” said Leslie Beleski,
explaining that 90% of the partici-
pants .at the Neighbourhood
House’s seniors’ programs are
women,

Eighteen men showed up for the
December luncheon.

“One of them was 80-year-old .

‘Bernie Miller. °

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“We fad a great speaker from
the West Coast Railway
Association.” Miller said. “He gave
as a list of day trips on historic
runs. and Mm planning to take one
with another fellow who was at the
luncheon.”

This Friday’s Health Fair is a
kick-off for the
Neighbourhood
House's new
Men's Club, a
weekly luncheon
meeting for senior
men,

Both the club
and the Health
Fair are firsts for
retired men in the
Lower Mainland.

The club mects
every Wednesday
at 10:30 am. for
two hours, with a
feature speaker
cach week.
Upcoming agenda
items include a visit by a North
Shore forestry historian (Feb, 2),
and cooking tips by North Shore
News columnist Eleanor Godley
(Feb. 9).

Traditionally, senior men are
likely to stay out of social circles.
opting for a mote isolated exis-
tence.

To get the word out, volunteers
have been calling potential partici-
pants directly. A recent poster cam-
paign advertising the Men's Club is
also hoped to have an impact on the
new program’s success.

“A lot of men still feel they are
macho men, that nothing can go
wrong with them,” observed retired
pharmacist Bud Hubbard, 64. “The

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66 Traditionally,
senior men are
likely to stay out
of social circles,
opting for a
more isolated
existence, 99

idea of (he Health aie is to try ind
ger the ball rolling. get men out of
their homes.”

Programs like men-only Sitness
Classes are also planned,

Hubbard believes the
Neighbourhood House's men’s club
offers something for men without
the usual trappings
of the more tradi-
tional clubs like
the Lions and
Rotary organiza-
tions,

“These weekly
luncheons will
offer topics direct-
ly oriented ta
senior men.” he
said,

And he knows
the need for such a
Program exists.

“You took
avound the com-
munity on the
North Shore and
you can identily areas that there is a
definite problem in terms of social
opportunities for retired men,” he
said. :
The social setting, teamed with
the cducaticnal aspect of the lun-
cheons (especially pertaining to
health), offers retired men the
opportunity to regain their social
habits, and continue the rewards of
friendship,

For more information about this
week's Health Fair and the Men's
Club, contact the North Shore
Neighbourhoad House at 987-8138,
or drop in at 225 East 2nd St.,
North Vancouver. The North Shore
Keep Well Society can be contacted
by calling 987-8138.

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

THE NORTH Shore Neighbourhood House is holding its first-
ever Men's Only Health Fair this Friday, from 11 a.m. ta 2 p.m.
Participants Bud Hubbard (left) and Bernie Miller (right) are
noping the Health Fair will attract new members to the
Neighbourhood House’s new weekly men’s club.

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