KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

The AEDC Welcome Club got together one last time for a farewell tea to celebrate 70 years of friendship, fellowship and philanthropy.

The meeting of the AEDC Welcome Club, formerly the Women’s Club, took place at the Arnold Lakeside Club near the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) on May 4, where the remaining membership gathered together one last time to celebrate the club’s rich history, according to past club President Sande Hayes, who joined the club in 1978 after her husband assigned to Arnold Air Force Base as the Director of Public Relations. Hayes recalled when she first joined the program, club member Rosie Graham and a group of singers put together a program honoring all 50 states. For her part, she was part of the group representing Hawaii.

Hayes said the club was a social club where they came together once a month for lunch, and raised money for scholarships for students in Tullahoma High School, Coffee County Central High School, Franklin County High School and Huntland High School. They would also put a cup at each table and members would donate money to a selected charity, like United Way and Blue Monarch.

“Our main [objective] was to give money to students,” Hayes said. “We would have little white elephant sales on our own, and that’s how we made our money.”

Hayes said the club raised over $560,000 in scholarship money and donations during its 70-year existence.

“It was a big ladies group that was friendly, and I liked the idea that we were always raising scholarship money,” Hayes said.

The club also would hold various events, like variety shows, fashion shows, choral concerts, plays, bridge groups and so on, to raise money as well. As time went on, she said the club would rely on selling books and other various items than dances as it raised more money. The club started as the AEDC Women’s Club in 1953 and consisted of the wives of those who worked at the base. Hayes said as the times went on, the club had members who weren’t attached to the base and were not affiliated with the base. Eventually they changed the name to the AEDC Welcome Club. 

Hayes, who served as president of the club from 2013-2015, said some of her favorite memories of the club were seeing people she wouldn’t see anywhere else and the different programs every month, ranging from authors speaking, wildlife experts who would bring animals, local historians, artists and so on. She said at one point the highest membership count was 200, where every military wife belonged. As for what led to the end of the club, Hayes said the COVID-19 pandemic was a major factor in a drop in membership and turnout.

Hayes said the most important thing the club has done is its scholarships and she hopes it has given to students who were in need of help. She added she will miss seeing some of the club members who she will most likely never see again.

“I’m going to miss a lot of these ladies that you’re going to see,” she said. “I will miss the camaraderie of all the people I met over the years.” 

The final meeting 

Leading the meeting was Parliamentarian Kelly Doyle in place of the current and final AEDC Welcome President Anne Rinderer. After introducing the hostess of each table, cards were read from members who were not able to attend, including the wives of former commanders of AEDC. The club then received a surprise appearance from AEDC Commander Col. Randel Gordon and AEDC Test Support Division Chief Col. Robert Lance. Both men were asked to speak and Gordon said he heard about the club coming to end and spoke to the other former commanders about it.

“They wanted to relay their appreciation for what this group has done for the community, for what it’s done for the base and to say it all comes to an end is bittersweet,” Gordon said.

Gordon said he and Lance stopped by to pay their respects for what the club has done and say thank you. He added that someone told him that you can either cry because it’s over or be grateful that it happened in the first place, and he was in the camp of being grateful that the club was around as long as it was.

Lance echoed similar sentiments and thanked the club for 70 years of service to the community and to the base. He said he appreciated the support and patience the group has given him and his wife Kori, who served as Secretary for the club, since they came to Arnold and it has been a wonderful experience getting to know some of them.

“I know, as the boss said, it is a little bittersweet occasion to close it down but I echo his comments that it is a good time to celebrate what this club and group has meant to the military community of Tullahoma for the last 70 something years,” Lance said. “I want to say from the bottom of my heart thank you all for you what you do and what you mean for the base.”

Then, one at a time, each member in attendance had the chance to speak to the membership, sharing when they first joined, sharing their favorite memories and stories and expressing their thanks and gratitude to both the club itself and its members.

One of the speakers was Tiffany Gordon, the wife of AEDC Commander Col. Randel Gordon, who said when they were first coming to the base they talked to the three previous commanders and wives about Arnold. Along with Arnold being “the best kept secret in the Air Force” and how beautiful the community was, she said all of them spoke how welcoming and wonderful the AEDC Welcome Club was to them, and was encouraged to be a part of the club. She thanked them for welcoming her and her husband and said she believes that this is not goodbye.

“I’ve said farewell so many times, my dad was in the military so I’ve done this for almost 50 years,” she said. “I don’t goodbye, I just say ‘see you soon.’ Regarding Arnold, we are still here for you. Thanks again for everything and I wish you all the best of luck and we are here for you.”

The club concluded with a champagne toast and donation collection before enjoying their last lunch together. The AEDC Welcome Club membership decided that the final donation will go to Blue Monarch.