The 3rd periodic 340 Club Reunion has been postponed indefinitely

Before there was an Animal House there was a 340 Club; before there was a Dean Wormer there was a Harold "the fuck" Martin; before there was John Blutarsky or a Daniel Simpson Day there was Tim Lutter, Sil Simpson, Dan Joyce, Tim Getzloff, Dick Lichty, Jim Shay, Phil Zangari, Chris Joyce, Dave Petkosh, Mitch Herr, Kenny Giltner, Dean Staherski, Randy Brown, John Emswiler, Sue Krimmell Emswiler and myself; before there were any Delta Tau Chi pledge pins, there were 340 Club cards; before Otis Day & the Knights, the 340 Jukebox; before there were Delta Brothers there were the usual gang of idiots that congregated at 328, 340 (twice) and 338 West King Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for a decade beginning in August 1974. This blog is dedicated to those idiots and those times. God bless Kenny, Mitch and Chris; may they rest in peace.

















virtual 340 Club members

Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Democrat Club

Regarding an earlier post,I talked to two "old-timers" today and they said that Club was called simply The Democrat Club, not the Young Demmies or the New Democrat Club. I will gather more info over the weekend. On the other hand ,The "Young Republicans Club" or as it was known locally as the "Young R's" had a rule that you must be under 38 years of age to join,
hence the name. I wish we had the recall of our adventures at the Clubs that these bar-room veterans have.
They also said there was a bar,owned by some Italian fellow, between the Rendezvous and the aforementioned Democrat Club. That one probably pre-dated our West King Street tenure.
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7 comments:

Tee said...

I wouldn't be me; if I didn't stand with my version - it was the New Democratic Club. I called 555-1212 and asked for both Young R's and New Dems ... alas both have bit the dust. Not sure who the "old timers" were; I'm sure the called it the Demmies; I might have myself. I remember pictures of both JFK and, more startling, MLKjr on the wall. I still think the official name was New Dems. I'm certain the Democrat(ic) Club would not work because despite the pictures of the heroes it wasn't the official HQ of the Lancaster Dems (which was on N. Lime in the Coho Building)

February 29, 2008 at 12:05 AM
Phil said...

I work at the 7th Ward Republican Club and unfortunately out of our 450 members I am just one of four "Republicans" who belong there. We often,especially at election time, get phone calls concerning the GOP. We refer them to the County Republican HQ's on the corner of Columbia Ave and West End Ave. :)

February 29, 2008 at 8:44 AM
Tee said...

I think you exaggerate the lack of G.O.P.ers at the the 7th Ward .... whatever the percentage is I know it is higher than the percentage of square feet of the 7thWRC that lies within the Bloody Seventh! Another connection, when I called 555 1212 to check on listings for New Demmies and the Young Rs they couldn't find either but werte quick to refer me to the 7thWRC.

February 29, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Phil said...

There are only two "known" Republicans in the place. Joanne Towers who is still a member but doesn't come in anymore and me. There was a movement to drop the Republican part of our name but they found out it cost too much and we would have to change the charter. We do contribute $100 every year to the Republican HQs because by LCB law we have to justify our reason for having a club. Of course most of the members have no party affiliation. I have also lost faith in the "old-timers" recall which turns out is as bad as ours. I did find one today who thought it was the Young Demmies but everybody else said it was just the "Demmies" or Democrat Club.It did start of course in the Bloody Seventh, on Locust street but they moved to N.Prince St and then to their current location.

February 29, 2008 at 11:55 PM
Tee said...

The 7th WRC started in the 7th Ward. Right? Not the New Democratic Club. Or are you saying the "Demmies" also started in the 7th?

February 29, 2008 at 11:59 PM
Phil said...

No I was referring to the 7th Ward Republican Club. Most of these clubs in Lancaster were chartered in the 1920's but the rules were you had to have a civic or social premise. The 8th Ward for example was a "Camping Association", the 7th Ward a Republican Club. Its just over the years they no longer have that primary directive. The Germania Band Club was cited by the LCB for not marching in parades and such so they had to change their charter.

March 1, 2008 at 12:41 AM
Tee said...

OK ... so why, after all these years, have we not been contacted about revoking the 340 Club's charter for not acting like idiots for 25 years? I guess they are waiting to see the results of the reunion before casting judgement.

March 1, 2008 at 8:45 AM

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