Once upon a time, in a sleepy little town, located about 25 miles north of Dallas, a small group of men were having a difference of opinion regarding the future of their delightful 13 year-old burg, which was in danger of being partially annexed by contiguous municipalities. Tempers were strained and friendships were being torn apart as opinions differed on how to proceed.
It was 1974 and Flower Mound was still in its infancy. Yet, even though there were only a few thousand residents, something in the genetic code of those early settlers told them they needed to fight to keep their town intact. They won that battle and perhaps set the standard for residents of the next several decades. In fact, in case you think volatile elections are a relatively new experience, the truth is that local campaigns for political office were highly charged all the way back to the late 1960’s into the early 70’s and, as we know all too well, right up until today.
During those early turbulent years, when neighbors and friends became embittered by political rivalries, a man named Leonard Johns had an idea to form a club where community leaders could leave their politics at home and serve the best needs of the community. That was the genesis of The Summit Club, Flower Mound’s oldest service club for men. (The Women of Flower Mound, a sister organization, was started about 6 months later.) Ten men assembled for the first Summit Club meeting on January 9, 1974 at the “Ranchland” facility in Flower Mound. Buddy Dwyer was elected as the first President of the club.
The Summit Club has operated as a non-political service club ever since and strongly adheres to the founding principle of leaving politics at home. Today, the club includes a diverse membership of men including local business leaders, civic leaders, retirees, and those that commute to careers in the DFW Metroplex.
Membership is open to men that live, work, or have an honest interest in helping the Flower Mound community. The club continues to promote the principles of “Community Leadership through Community Service.”
Claudio Forest, the current president of The Summit Club, came over for an interview to elaborate on some of the events sponsored by the club, including the “Easter Sunrise Service on the Mound, Academic Excellence Awards (prizes and awards to 70 kids annually in 5th and 8th grades), NCTC College Scholarships (two academic awards given each calendar year), Local Boy Scout troop and Cub Scout pack support, support to local charities and service organizations (both financial and service), to name just a few. On the short video below, Claudio gives some background on the club and a few examples of the many worthwhile services provided by this hard-working, selfless community group. For more info, please go to: www.summitclub.org
Bob Weir is a long-time Flower Mound resident and former local newspaper editor.
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