Thursday, June 13,
2002
ROMEOS meet for
fun, work
By Loretta Fulton
Reporter-News Staff Writer
The banter flows
as easily as the coffee Wednesday mornings at Henry D's.
That's when the little
dining area inside the United grocery store on Judge Ely Boulevard
turns into the official meeting place for Abilene's ROMEO, or
Rusty Old Men Eating Out.
The group of 15 or
so gets together every Wednesday morning to solve the world's
problems and try to slip jokes past the uninitiated. Bob Kuykendall
sits silently, taking it all in. It's only after someone harmlessly
mentions working with glass that Kuykendall lets it be known he
has been lying in wait for the opportunity to pounce.
"I knew a glassblower
once in Baird, I believe it was," Kuykendall said innocently
enough. "He got the hiccups and blew 42 marbles."
The others groan,
and the ROMEO meeting is officially under way.
Some places have
ROMEO groups that consist of Retired Old Men Eating Out. But in
Abilene, "Rusty" is preferred to "Retired."
The locals early on shunned the "retired" labeled, even
though it applies to most of them.
"We had that,"
Carlton Villers explained, "but it was too dignified."
Upon further investigation,
Villers confessed that someone else suggested the title.
"I think my
wife did," he said.
Most of the men are
members of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and many have connections
to McMurry University, including retired athletic director Spud
Aldridge. Kuykendall was raised Baptist but is Methodist by marriage.
"I decided it
would be better to be in her corner," he said.
By the time morning
starts fading, ROMEO members have teased and joked about everything
imaginable. Only occasionally does the conversation turn to something
serious.
"We do some
of the work of the City Council every day," Kuykendall admitted.
The group is an impressive
one, with many familiar names. Jarrell Young is a retired postmaster;
Wayne Tiner retired from the Wylie school system; Glyn Hammons'
name is synonymous with the local Social Security office; Mark
Wyatt formerly managed the Butman Methodist Camp and Retreat Center.
John Stowe was manager of the Texas Rehabilitation Commission;
Ray Estes ran a C.R. Anthony store; Jeff Armstrong was with Citizens
National Bank for years; and Billy Phillips was a budget officer
with the Texas Department of Human Services.
Gerald McAnally is
still working, but clears his schedule on Wednesday mornings.
He mows greens at Tangle Oaks Golf Club in Hawley and still does
carpentry. He doesn't know how much longer it will be before he
is officially retired.
"Till I quit
spending money, I guess," McAnally said.
The ROMEO club doesn't
exist just for laughs on Wednesday morning, although that fellowship
is a vital reason the men organized about six years ago. All are
still active and volunteer for organizations like Noah Project
and Meals on Wheels. They also assist people at Aldersgate who
may need the grass mowed while they're away or help with moving
to a new home.
There are no strict
membership rules for the ROMEO bunch. There is an initiation rite,
however. Each fall, Aldersgate sponsors a huge three-day rummage
sale, and any man who aspires to be a ROMEO is expected to pitch
in. A tougher initiation comes during the first Wednesday morning
gathering.
"They have to
stay a full hour the first time," Hammons said.
The ROMEO bunch expects
to be around for a long while to come, with the present group
and any newcomers brave enough to face initiation.
Stowe says the ROMOES'
future depends on Bob Kuykendall. If Stowe's guideline is correct,
expect to see the guys sitting in Henry D's for many Wednesdays
to come.
"We'll be here
till Bob runs out of jokes," Stowe said.
Contact staff
writer Loretta Fulton at 676-6778 or fultonl@reporternews.com
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