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Beaver Club seeks community projects

Date: 3/9/2010

March 10, 2010.

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



HOLYOKE -- The Beaver Club is looking for projects and for members.

The 65 year-old charitable group has worked on projects withorganizations such as Sunshine Village, the Willie Ross School for the Dear, the Volleyball Hall of Fame and the Holyoke Golden Gloves.

Now, according to Geoffrey Croteau, the club's sergeant at arms, the club is seeking projects to be undertaken from the public.

"We're always looking," he told Reminder Publications.

Croteau explained the club does not fund projects, but instead supplies labor and resources. The club's board reviews the requests on a monthly basis. Proposals should be sent to The Beaver Club, P.O. Box 161, Holyoke, MA 01041.

The club was formed 65 years ago by businessmen who suffered from discrimination due to their French-Canadian heritage with the charge of providing help to their community.

Currently the club has about 80 members and Croteau said the average age is between 65 and 70 years old. The club is looking for new members with the primary criteria of being one-quarter French-Canadian.

The other requirement is that members must be professionals in their community, such as business owners, teachers, police and firefighters. Members can be from throughout Western Massachusetts.

The club meets the second Wednesday of the month at locations such as the Delaney House and the Log Cabin, Croteau explained.

He added that for the second time in the club's history it will have a float in this year's Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade. The float will feature the projects the club has completed in its history.