Autumn Afternoon at Club Brittany
Yesterday, I spent a few hours at Club Brittany. I hadn’t planned it, but my schedule opened up and I had been meaning to get by there. I loaded my mower and a few tools into the SUV and headed down to the pool to take on some projects.
While cleaning the gutter around the court, a car pulled up. Two men and two teenagers got out and walked around the grounds. One of the guys came over and we talked for a while. He was in town, visiting from San Diego. He and his brother came by to show his kids the pool. He said that he grew up in Laurel Cove and when he was a kid, a membership at Club Brittany was essential for a fun summer. He talked about his memories of the pool, the high dive, fishing behind the pool, and climbing into the culverts to catch eels. His aunt lived off Five Point Rd and he said that the best memories of his childhood were down on Five Point Rd in the couple blocks between her house and Club Brittany.
Growing up, the closest thing that I had to Club Brittany was the Oceana enlisted pool. We had fun there. Sometimes, we’d bring friends. Sometimes, we’d make friends with kids that we saw there more than once. It wasn’t like Club Brittany, though. When our family goes to Climb Brittany, my boy sees friends from school, the neighborhood, and the baseball fields. All of these are important elements of our Great Neck Community and in the summer, Club Brittany Swim Club is an essential part of a fun summer.
These memories that this man shared with me are the same reason that I’ve joined the Board. These are the memories that I want to help create for my son and his friends. I’m excited about the team that Club Brittany has for Summer 2024 and for the work ahead during this off-season and over the next several years.
John R. Gallegos Jr.