Dodge Center women celebrate 50 years of friendship, cards

For 50 years a group of women from Dodge Center have gotten together once a month to play the card game 500. They started playing on Wednesday evenings as their husbands would have men’s night at the golf club. They called themselves the Robe Card Club as they would wear a bathrobe when playing. They have now given up on that attire.
A group of eight women have participated in the card club since it started in 1974. If someone cannot attend, they try to get someone to be a substitute for the day. If they still come up short of players, they switch to play “Up and Down the River” card game instead.
They do not take the game very seriously and during that whole time they say they have never gotten into any arguments. The card club members take turns hosting the gathering each month, so they have snacks, a candy dish, and then they have a dessert. (It sounded like they do take the dessert served quite seriously though.)
The group has fun playing, and they share a lot of laughter in their time together. They used to have a prize for the winner each time, but since they all had enough stuff at their homes they decided to no longer do that. Instead, they donated money to the Triton Elementary School milk program for the children’s snacks.
When they first got together, their husbands thought they mostly sat around and gossiped, but they claim that didn’t happen.
The group gets together from September to May on Wednesday afternoon around 1 p.m. and they wrap it up around 4 p.m. as they do not like to drive after dark. Two of the ladies live in Rochester, but they are able to make it over to play.
During the COVID year they didn’t get together much, and they only wore masks one time during their card club gathering. They have worn special attire during Halloween, Christmas, and for their 25th anniversary of the group. For the Silver Anniversary, they celebrated at West Park with another card club coming later wearing their robes. “What a surprise this Bridge Club gave us when they had our robes on,” members said.
It has been a great experience for this group of women. Four of the women’s husbands have now passed away, and the group members have grown children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren as the years have passed since they started the group five decades ago.