Fresh-cut evergreens, twinkling lights, maybe a first sprinkling of snow. Gorhamites look forward to the Friendship Club holiday traditions at this special time of year. The winter season will be even more exciting than in past years if the White Rock Friendship Club lives up to its four-decade-long mission: the annual tree-lighting at 4:30 p.m. on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Dec. 1, 2024, on Wilson Road.
The 16 men and women of The Friendship Club, as they now call themselves, marvel at the 40 winters that have come and gone so quickly. School romances, marriages, babies born, work lives enjoyed, and world events put in perspective—all marked by both the fir tree they planted seasons ago and by its memorable Gorham lights.
Frances Perry, 79, a longtime member of the Friendship Club, recalls attending elementary school with 30 other children in the White Rock community, at the Wilson Road school building that is now a senior housing venue.
“My mother was a part of the Friendship Club for years too,” she says. Some things don’t change. “We still have a community bean supper on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and one every First Saturday from September through May. Lots of folks get together, and everyone loves the home-made pies!”
Then there is the winter holiday event on Sunday that includes handmade crafts, a white elephant sale and delicious refreshments. “A group of musicians gathers, just for the chance to play for an audience,” Perry says. “There is singing, and around five o’clock Santa arrives with a Gorham town fire truck for his sleigh.” More than once upon a time in fact, the part of St. Nicholas was played by Mrs. Perry’s husband Ralph, who has watched the small Friendship Club fir grow to a 16-foot-tall mature tree decorated by many helpers. “We need a ladder.”
There are practical benefits from all the fun, Mrs. Perry reminds her husband.
“We offer a scholarship to a Gorham High School student every year—based on the funds we collect. And over the years we’ve helped out neighbors with fuel bills and groceries. When we know someone is having medical problems, we find a way to help with that too— that’s what it’s about,” Perry says with genuine feeling. “One more thing. I want to let people know we can always find room for a few more Friends!”
If all this community spirit sounds appealing, consider joining on Sunday, Dec. 1 for the tree-lighting at 4:30, or better still, think about joining the White Rock Friendship Club. Perry and her friends would be happy to have you.