There have been neighborhood clubs in Serenade since the first residents moved in in 1989. By the 1990s and early 2000s, the RV/Camping Club had over 100 members. There have been as many as four Bunco clubs running in Serenade at the same time! After Covid put us all in a holding pattern, our informal clubs or groups began meeting again in Spring 2022. They are not officially sponsored by Serenade, but here are the current groups in our neighborhood. A few of them don’t actually meet regularly at all because of the nature of the group:

• Bible Study (Ladies’)
• Block Captains – Neighborhood Watch
• Breakfast Club
• Bunco
• Cards Club
• Coffee & Cars
• Dog and Fur Babies Club
• Fruit & Vegetable Co-op
• Good Samaritans
• Club de Hispanohablantes
• Joyful Feet of Menifee
• Poker Club
• Serenade Fitness
• The Serenaders

We’ll post an updated calendar of clubs and events for Serenade in September. If you see needed corrections, please email the editor at SerenadeClubs55@gmail.com to remind her to update it!

CLUB DESCRIPTIONS

Listed below are descriptions of some of the clubs that meet regularly, with meeting dates and times, as well as contact information. Other clubs that have been suggested are Art, Backgammon, a Men’s or Co-ed Bible Study, Bicycling, Bingo, Book, Bridge, Chess, Gardening, Holiday Crafts, Nature/Bird-watching, NFL, RV / Camping, Serenade Friendships, and Veterans. Please let us know by emailing SerenadeClubs55@gmail.com if you’d like to host a club at your house, or meet at a public place somewhere.

Bible Study (Ladies’)

notice: due to caregiver responsibilities, the ladies’ bible study needs to shut down for now. we’ll update you later if it starts up again.

Block Captains – Neighborhood Watch

meetings are as needed, at 29378 gillette circle.

The Neighborhood Watch is a long-standing program in America that works with local law enforcement to keep us all safe and healthy. Your Block Captain is the neighbor you notify when you’re on vacation, so folks can keep an eye on your home. If you’re worried that a neighbor hasn’t been coming or going from their house, tell the Block Captain – he/she will notify the police and ask for a wellness check. You can confide in him/her and ask for help if you have a need, and the Block Captain will notify the Good Samaritans group. Retired police officer Brian Engelhardt lives here in Serenade and has volunteered to help run our Neighborhood Watch. Block Captains will be asking their close neighbors for phone numbers and numbers of next-of-kin to notify in case of an emergency. Be sure to let your Block Captain know if you have a need or a question. Let’s keep each other safe. At this point, we still need 16 more Block Captains; all the current Block Captains know what to do, so we’ll only have meetings on an “as-needed” basis. Contact Brian Engelhardt at (619) 921-0384 for more information or to volunteer.

Breakfast Club

LAST SATURday of each month, 9am, BLACK BEAR DINER!

Who doesn’t love breakfast and the chance to meet their Serenade neighbors? 9am at Black Bear Diner! In the past we alternated between Black Bear and Sun City Family Restaurant, but we’ve decided recently to just stay at Black Bear — we can rest assured that there will always be plenty of room for us. When you get there, ask the hostess where we’re sitting and/or look for our Serenade Community sign.

Bunco

1st group: 1st Tuesday of each month, 6-8pm. Call (951) 672-7941 for info.

2nd group: 3rd Tuesday of each month, 5pm, 29350 Lake Forest Drive. Call Karen Morris at (951) 750-9200 for info.

Come play Bunco with us! There are two groups currently playing in Serenade, and both can always use subs! Come get your bunco on!

Cards Club

2nd Thursday of each month, 1pm, 29350 Lake Forest Drive

This group is open to learning how to play all sorts of card games, including Euchre, Pinochle, Bridge, Hand & Foot, Cribbage, and anything else you can think of – except Poker, since that’s a club of its own. Please contact Karen Morris at (951) 750-9200 for information.

Coffee & Cars

3rd WEDNESDAYs, joyful noise coffee, 26924 cherry hills blvd.

Finally! Our own club for people who love classic cars. Let’s talk car talk and enjoy a cup of java or some ice cream. Bring your cars or come and be a spectator. The terrific Joyful Noise Coffee & Ice Cream (in the Cherry Hills Shopping Center next to Subway) blocks off parking spaces for us out front. There’s both outdoor and indoor seating. The Sun City Cruziers are free on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, and so we’re coordinating with them.

Dogs and Fur Babies Club

Every Monday, 10am, Aldergate Dog Park (north of Newport, off Menifee Rd)

Bring your fur babies out for a good romp, and get to know your Serenade neighbors at the same time. Small dogs and large dogs have separate sections, and both sections have room to run and trees to sniff (and mark). You might want to bring a towel to wipe off slightly dirty paws. Drinking water is available, so bring a bowl for your pup. Clean-up bags are provided to keep the park free of doggy debris. And yes, there are benches for the humans!

Fruit and Vegetable Co-op

NO MEETINGS.

Do you have fruit growing in your yard that you’re not especially fond of?  In August, Lisa Schneider started coordinating a new project in our community to address these issues. The Co-op helps Serenade residents share their excess produce with each other. Just call, text, or email Lisa to sign up and learn more. If you have produce to share, give her a week or so advanced notice before it’s ready to harvest. If you have produce but are unable to pick it, let Lisa know. Or, if you could help Lisa pick other people’s fruit, tell her. Once a week or so she sets the produce out in the shade for Serenade neighbors to come by and take (be sure to bring your own bag). There’s no money involved, and you’re more than welcome to take produce even if you don’t have any of your own to share. We’re hoping that we can reduce the rodent population in Serenade with this terrific new endeavor. Contact her at scul7900@gmail.com or (714) 319-1951.

Club de Hispanohablantes

2ND THURSDAYS / 2DO jueves de cada mes, 6PM, 29884 Pebble Beach

¡Abierto a todos! ¡Hablantes nativos y personas que quieren practicar su español! ¡Ven y únete a nosotros! Altagracia está lista para recibirte.

Open to all! Native speakers and people who want to practice their Spanish! Come join other neighbors and speak Spanish – both native speakers and people who want to practice their Spanish! Whether it’s your native language or you just want practice, you’re welcome. Come join us! Altagracia is ready to welcome you.

Joyful Feet of Menifee – Soul Line Dancing Club

Tuesdays, 3:15PM, Kay Ceniceros Senior Center, $3 at the door

Serenade neighbors are currently going to Soul Line Dancing, and we’d love you to join us! Line dancing is good for the heart and the soul! It gets you up and moving, encouraged by teacher Brenda and by the kind folks on either side of you on the large dance floor. The Senior Center on Newport has four different classes for different levels: Wednesdays at 10am for brand-new beginners (who need to learn the basic steps); Tuesdays at 3:15 for Beginners (who know the basic steps but need a refresher); Tuesdays at 4:30 for Intermediate; and Wednesdays at 3:45 for Advanced / Mixed Level. Please contact Cheryl Palko at (360) 720-4759 for information.

Poker Club

4th thursday of each month, 1pm, 29350 Lake Forest Drive

These folks know how to have a good time! Contact Karen Morris at (951) 750-9200 for information.

We hope you heard these folks as they serenaded our streets with beautiful carols in the weeks before Christmas — both in 2022 and 2023. They came through on a hay-wagon, with live musicians on trumpet and keyboard! We hope you’ll join them in the next holiday season, or if not, be sure to open your doors and enjoy the music! If you’re interested, leave a message for Karen Morris at (951) 750-9200.