Lunch anyone?

Wednesday lunch group popular with retirees

When Jay Walters and Ernie Harrill began meeting informally for lunch each Wednesday in 1992, they had no intention of starting a club.

But that’s what happened.

For Walters and Harrill, close friends and retired political science professors, the weekly lunches were a way to keep in touch. But soon, they began inviting other Furman retirees.

After a few months, the lunches became so popular that Walters had to start calling restaurants ahead of time for reservations. And he began producing an annual newsletter. Soon, the Furman University Wednesday Club took on a rough organization, with Walters acting as coordinator and founder.

As the number of Furman retirees has grown, so has participation. Each summer the group invites new university retirees to a lunch at White Oaks, where they are officially extended an invitation to join.

The lunches, held at a different location each Wednesday, regularly attract between 15 and 20 diners.

Some birthday luncheons have been known to draw as many as 50 people.

Before his death in 1997, Walters passed the club reins to Carey Crantford, who has been helping to coordinate the lunch plans since.

Although the club is loosely organized with no formal officers or by-laws, Crantford, professor of Spanish emeritus, says there are some unwritten rules:

• Presentation of papers or discussion of deep topics are not tolerated.
• Extravagant lunches are to be avoided, except on special occasions.
• The group dines at a different location each week

This last rule can be a bit challenging, especially when they have 52 lunches a year. But part of the attraction of the club, besides the company, is being able to enjoy a variety of foods and to sample new restaurants, says Crantford.

“It’s just good friends and light conversation,” he says.