Fountain Hills
Arizona
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Valley Singles Club
History
My name is Debbie Dehner and I am the President and Founder of the Valley Singles Club. I moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona from Wisconsin with my family in 1986 and have resided here ever since. I'm a Buckeye from Lima, Ohio where I grew up with two older brothers and two sisters. I was married in Dayton, Ohio in 1974 and have three daughters: Diane (30, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay, S.A.), Christine (28, an elementary school teacher) and Barbara (26, a CPA).
We moved 25 times in 25 years and in March 1999 I divorced and have been single ever since. Over the past three decades I participated in a Red-Heads Beauty Pageant, did a commercial that ran on television for 13 months, became a Girl Scout leader for 5 years as my daughters were growing up, worked as a CNA in a nursing home for 12 years, sold Mary Kay Cosmetics for 16 years, and still going strong, was a member of the Jaycee's for 10 years here in town and taught Country and Western line-dancing for 12 years. I'm a lifetime member of the Central Arizona Tall Club Society and also have done several Fashion Shows.
I had a dream to have a club of my own someday. I felt like I had received a genuine calling to reach out and help people that were going through a divorce like mine. Helping people that were lonely, needing a friend or just wanting to do something with others rather than doing it by themselves. That's how our Club motto came to be "Don't Do It Alone".
When the club first started people would call and talk to me. They said "Debbie, it's so helpful to talk to someone that has already been through a divorce" as they are currently struggling through a divorce of their own. They tell me their stories and I relate my story to them. Our stories are so much alike we can't believe it. It's so nice to share that experience with each other.
I put a core leadership group together to make decisions for the club. We chose the name Fountain Hills Singles Club and planned a monthly calendar of events. A few of the members wanted the club to include only Fountain Hills residents. It was voted down by a vote of ten to two. I started advertising all over the valley beginning with Channel 11 and added several more publications. The club was registered with the State on March 15, 2000. The membership then was $10.00; twenty-five people signed up right away. We planned events like bowling, happy hours and house parties.
By the end of 2001 the club was slowing down. I couldn't do as much, because of personal health issues and was laid up for a year. I was going to close the club down unless our members stepped forward to help out with the various tasks needed to keep the club functioning while I was getting back on my feet. I began receiving phone calls from members asking me not close the club. We needed the club, so I started delegating jobs for people to do. The club survived this stormy period and on Jan 14, 2002 we changed the name again to the Fountain Hills Social Club. I registered that name with the State. I appointed members to serve on a committee tasked them with making up some club bylaws, writing a newsletter with a schedule of events in it and then advertise it all around the Valley. Due to rising expenses, we increased the membership dues from $10.00 to $15.00 in 2003.
People kept asking me, "Do you have to live in Fountain Hills to join"? I was tired of people asking me that question, so I decided to change the name a third time to the Valley Singles Active Club. Membership was open to all Valley singles and our newsletter circulation soared to over 120 issues per month.
Today we are the fastest growing singles club in the area. For a $10 fee, an individual can become a prospective member and will receive three months of newsletters. During that trial period, if a prospective member attends three or more functions they are eligible for full club membership and their $10.00 fee will be credited towards the full membership fee of $25.00. We still have a few of the original members in the club today and one couple that met in the club. Others have met and dated within the club. Our 5th Anniversary is coming up Jan 28, 2006. All valley singles are welcome to attend.
The Valley Singles Club is a non-profit organization. It's not a dating service or a matchmaker. We have a total of sixty-three valleywide members now. We are a group of social singles who get together for a variety of activities including: happy hours, game nights, dancing, house parties, eating-out, drive-in movies, relationship seminars, plays, and sporting events. This is where we will meet new friends or perhaps even make a lasting relationship. We sponsor events all over the Valley. We network with other single clubs to share the good times. We greet each other with hugs and say goodbye with hugs. We welcome all newcomers the same way.
My name is Debbie Dehner and I am the President and Founder of the Valley Singles Club. I moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona from Wisconsin with my family in 1986 and have resided here ever since. I'm a Buckeye from Lima, Ohio where I grew up with two older brothers and two sisters. I was married in Dayton, Ohio in 1974 and have three daughters: Diane (30, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay, S.A.), Christine (28, an elementary school teacher) and Barbara (26, a CPA).
We moved 25 times in 25 years and in March 1999 I divorced and have been single ever since. Over the past three decades I participated in a Red-Heads Beauty Pageant, did a commercial that ran on television for 13 months, became a Girl Scout leader for 5 years as my daughters were growing up, worked as a CNA in a nursing home for 12 years, sold Mary Kay Cosmetics for 16 years, and still going strong, was a member of the Jaycee's for 10 years here in town and taught Country and Western line-dancing for 12 years. I'm a lifetime member of the Central Arizona Tall Club Society and also have done several Fashion Shows.
I had a dream to have a club of my own someday. I felt like I had received a genuine calling to reach out and help people that were going through a divorce like mine. Helping people that were lonely, needing a friend or just wanting to do something with others rather than doing it by themselves. That's how our Club motto came to be "Don't Do It Alone".
When the club first started people would call and talk to me. They said "Debbie, it's so helpful to talk to someone that has already been through a divorce" as they are currently struggling through a divorce of their own. They tell me their stories and I relate my story to them. Our stories are so much alike we can't believe it. It's so nice to share that experience with each other.
I put a core leadership group together to make decisions for the club. We chose the name Fountain Hills Singles Club and planned a monthly calendar of events. A few of the members wanted the club to include only Fountain Hills residents. It was voted down by a vote of ten to two. I started advertising all over the valley beginning with Channel 11 and added several more publications. The club was registered with the State on March 15, 2000. The membership then was $10.00; twenty-five people signed up right away. We planned events like bowling, happy hours and house parties.
By the end of 2001 the club was slowing down. I couldn't do as much, because of personal health issues and was laid up for a year. I was going to close the club down unless our members stepped forward to help out with the various tasks needed to keep the club functioning while I was getting back on my feet. I began receiving phone calls from members asking me not close the club. We needed the club, so I started delegating jobs for people to do. The club survived this stormy period and on Jan 14, 2002 we changed the name again to the Fountain Hills Social Club. I registered that name with the State. I appointed members to serve on a committee tasked them with making up some club bylaws, writing a newsletter with a schedule of events in it and then advertise it all around the Valley. Due to rising expenses, we increased the membership dues from $10.00 to $15.00 in 2003.
People kept asking me, "Do you have to live in Fountain Hills to join"? I was tired of people asking me that question, so I decided to change the name a third time to the Valley Singles Active Club. Membership was open to all Valley singles and our newsletter circulation soared to over 120 issues per month.
Today we are the fastest growing singles club in the area. For a $10 fee, an individual can become a prospective member and will receive three months of newsletters. During that trial period, if a prospective member attends three or more functions they are eligible for full club membership and their $10.00 fee will be credited towards the full membership fee of $25.00. We still have a few of the original members in the club today and one couple that met in the club. Others have met and dated within the club. Our 5th Anniversary is coming up Jan 28, 2006. All valley singles are welcome to attend.
The Valley Singles Club is a non-profit organization. It's not a dating service or a matchmaker. We have a total of sixty-three valleywide members now. We are a group of social singles who get together for a variety of activities including: happy hours, game nights, dancing, house parties, eating-out, drive-in movies, relationship seminars, plays, and sporting events. This is where we will meet new friends or perhaps even make a lasting relationship. We sponsor events all over the Valley. We network with other single clubs to share the good times. We greet each other with hugs and say goodbye with hugs. We welcome all newcomers the same way.