Club meetings in Fountain Hills during 2020 were decidedly different than in past years.

But like past years, some clubs found ways to serve the community as if the novel coronavirus was not in play. Others had to cancel meetings through much of the year while others went virtual, using Zoom or other meeting software to convene.

Meeting virtually was not exactly the favored method by many accounts, but some club members expressed gratitude for the technology making meetings somewhat doable.

Attendance was down in the virtual meetings, and when some clubs were able to start meeting again in person, COVID-19 rules affected the numbers of people who could attend.

The Golden Age of Radio and Swingtime groups each closed down in mid-March. The two groups meet in the Activity Center at the Community Center. When the two clubs returned to in-person meeting in mid-October, attendance was limited. Attendees are required to wear masks and social distancing is part of the protocol.

Bill Whittaker, who runs both of the meetings with Allan Goldberg, was pleasantly surprised when a Swingtime meeting was held as a test to see how in-person gatherings would be.

“We were surprised by the turnout,” Whittaker said. “We had eight people total, all wearing masks.”

The Golden Age of Radio was then cleared to restart in-person meetings. There has been between 50 and 75 percent fewer people attending than before the pandemic.

Many local clubs have held hybrid meetings; some people attend in person while others gather virtually for the same meeting.

The combined meetings have had mixed reviews. At times communication between in-person and virtual attendees was less than perfect. Liberal Ladies has been meeting via Zoom for several months, but a recent meeting was a hybrid.

They had fewer people attending in person compared to those on Zoom, but technical issues made communicating ineffective. For the time being, members will meet online only. In-person meetings will resume as soon as it is safe. They meet monthly and they send twice-monthly newsletters to keep members informed about topics of interest.

From the start of the novel coronavirus, Sunset Kiwanis members have been communicating by email, making sure everyone is okay, reaching out to see if anyone needs anything and sending “Keep Your Sense of Humor” jokes frequently.

The Sunset group, as well as other service organizations, have been able to continue many of their charitable programs. Extended Hands Food Bank has been the recipient of a number of food drives and donations, but area children and adults in need have also benefited from some of the fundraising activities.

Four Peaks Women’s Club was able to decorate and deliver holiday trees and shop for gifts for families of children with cancer. One of the club’s committees, the Vets First Committee, collected toiletries and gift cards for women veterans in need.

Another group helping veterans was Four Peaks Chapter, NSDAR. While their meetings have been virtual, they held a veterans fundraiser in December to support the April 2021 Honor Flight Program.

Elks Club members were able to meet all their commitments to veterans, Extended Hands and the community.

The VFW’s Ralph Truax Memorial VFW Golf Tournament was a success, with all golfer positions being filled earlier than usual and a number of generous sponsors donating more than in the past.

Clubs reported lowered attendance on virtual meetings, but all are hopeful to see numbers return to normal when in-person gatherings are not restricted.

The Fountain Hills Republican Club moved back and forth between in-person meeting and virtual sessions, finally ending the year with a hybrid version. Members noted that they lost a certain sense of direction, purpose and community with the virtual meetings. Membership in the GOP club during the pandemic has increased.

On the other side of the aisle, Fountain Hills Democratic Club met virtually every month. They typically hosted 50 to 60 members on Zoom, however, those numbers were less than in-person meetings held before COVID-19. Members held club elections at their November meeting, but unfortunately were unable to have a holiday party in December.

Members lamented that they missed the in-person meetings and hope to be back together soon.

Fountain Hills Genealogy Club cited Zoom as a positive thing for one main reason: people who were far away could still attend the meetings. Members also said a variety of different speakers took part who might ordinarily not be able to attend an in-person meeting. Members also said some of the presentations were easier to see on a personal computer than they sometimes are at the Community Center.

Fountain Hills Women’s Club was upended in 2020 when its annual Spring Luncheon and Fashion Show was canceled. The event is the club’s biggest fundraiser, enabling it to give scholarships to local high school students as well as to women returning to school.

FHWC did give two scholarships to the Golden Eagle Education Foundation and was able to donate $6,000 to women furthering their education. They also gave Extended Hands $1,000.

The women have decided to postpone the spring event until 2022 to ensure COVID-19 is under control.

The Rotary Club of Fountain Hills stopped its meetings but resumed in-person gatherings in October with limited capacity.

Members indicated, as did members of other service clubs, that the hands-on projects and fundraisers will be welcomed back as soon as possible.

Noon Kiwanis traditionally has raised most of its funding for youth programs through food sales at community events. The club will have to reduce its charitable giving in the coming months unless donations can make up for lost revenue.

Fountain Hills clubs are dedicated to the community in numerous ways. They are philanthropic, giving and provide needed support for activities throughout the year.

It is apparent they did what they could under challenging circumstances, and the community continues to benefit from the members’ generosity.