We all consider Memorial Day to be the unofficial start to summer. While most people are anxious for the long weekend to get together with friends or family — perhaps even traveling to beach destinations — I always look forward to my annual Club Twenty-One Soirée.
It’s an annual dinner dance I have attended with my husband, an attorney, and a member of the organization since 1995. Club Twenty-One’s origins date back to 1946, and the group comprises 21 African American men. The club started when educated men found themselves barred from local professional organizations and decided to form a social club to play cards, hold outings with their families, and promote the Black presence in the community.
The men adopted a name similar to a famous and highly respected club in New York City. The name stems from the maximum number of members allowed at any given time. New members are invited to join when someone dies or resigns. Then, another person is considered for membership.
Over the years, the close-knit group of men boasted of stellar names in medicine, law, education, government, and the military as members. These men broke barriers in their respective professions, set precedents, and lent their financial and moral support to the struggle for equality for minorities in their local community.
The club selected gold and red as its colors and chose a keystone to symbolize its relationship to the community. The club’s first formal dance was held in November 1946 at the Woodland Hotel in Susquehanna Township, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
In 1996, Club Twenty-One celebrated its 50th anniversary with the community’s annual black-tie gala and special observances. The golden anniversary celebration boasted over 300 invitation-only guests.
This year, the Hargrove table was front and center once again as jazz saxophonist Art Sherrod, Jr. and DJ Godfather provided the entertainment for the evening. Sharing a night of elegance with our great friends is always lively and fun. Our guests are all black-tie appropriate. The ladies are dressed to the nines, while the gents look handsome in their tuxedos or black suits.
I love that niece, who sometimes acts as my photographer, wore a shorter dark dress, rich with an embroidered texture. A black cocktail dress or gown is preferred for formal events when in doubt.
We had a four-course dinner menu, which included a wild mushroom soup and a field greens salad with marinated tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese with either sherry herb vinaigrette or Ranch dressing. Plus, you can choose prime rib, pan-seared Atlantic Salmon, Tuscan chicken, or grilled portobello Napolean for an entree. And, finally, for dessert, a chocolate bundt cake with white chocolate drizzled, served on a painted paint with whipped cream.
Do you have an annual soirée? Is it Black-tie? What’s your go-to outfit? Do you prefer a long gown? A short dress? Do tell in the comments section.
Thank you for reading. Have a fabulous week.
