By: McKenna Golat | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published May 12, 2026
BIRMINGHAM — The Senior Men’s Club of Birmingham, a men’s social club with a philanthropic foundation, prides itself on providing its members with community.
The club is an organization based around the pillars of fellowship, shared ideals and community service. It has over 600 members, with roughly a quarter being veterans according to the club’s president, John Rusche. Members meet every Friday at the Iroquois Club, located at 43248 Woodward Ave. in Bloomfield Township.
“We really focus on fellowship among our men and spending time together, just enjoying each other’s company,” Rusche said.
Men ages 55 and older can join the club. Rusche said that although Birmingham is in the club’s name, members do not need to live in the city to join.
The Senior Men’s Club of Birmingham offers a variety of activities for its members, such as golf, walking groups, bowling and more. Additionally, the club emphasizes community service, with members participating in volunteer efforts. In the past, members have volunteered at Habitat for Humanity and Life Remodeled.
“You could probably be busy every day of the week doing something from our activities,” Rusche said.
He said the weekly meeting allows members to form strong relationships with each other. He said the fellowship is good for everyone.
Fellowship rooted in philanthropy
The Senior Men’s Club of Birmingham is more than a social club. The Senior Men’s Club of Birmingham Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the club, and is its own organization.
Foundation President Jim Fleck said the foundation fulfills the club’s focus on community service. He said the foundation is key to connecting the overall club with organizations that support communities in southeast Michigan.
“The foundation acts as a bridge leveraging the collective resources and goodwill of our club members to uplift local programs and initiatives,” Fleck said.
Fleck said the Senior Men’s Club of Birmingham Foundation donated approximately $120,000 last year to various organizations.
Additionally, the foundation recently launched an endowment fund. Fleck said it will further allow the foundation to build for the future.
The foundation is able to donate to various organizations by soliciting donations from club members two to three times a year. Fleck said some members are very generous.
“A lot of our men are behind us and support what we’re doing,” he said. “It’s important to a lot of them to give back to the community.”
Annual dues for the Senior Men’s Club of Birmingham are $90, plus an activity fee that is typically around $10. Additionally, the weekly lunches are $20.
The Senior Men’s Club of Birmingham was started in 1957 after its founder, R. S. Gregory moved to Birmingham from New Jersey. According to Rusche, Gregory was a part of a senior men’s club before he moved, and he wanted to bring that sort of club to the Birmingham area.
The Senior Men’s Club of Birmingham will be celebrating its 70th anniversary sometime next year.