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When the Spindale Boys conducted their first meeting in 2008, five men with ties to Spindale attended.
On August 14 where the group gathered, there was a record number 90 people attending, including both "boys and girls" who grew up in Spindale, said organizer Jack Huss.
Over the past couple of years, the Spindale Boys invited their wives or girlfriends to holiday gatherings.
"We also have other Spindale women who have joined the group," said Huss. Although the group's logo says Spindale Boys, the group has taken on a new name, the Spindale Folks."
The organization was born from the desire of former Spindale resident Ray Dixon who wanted to reconnect with his friends.
Huss said more than 10 years ago when he'd often cross paths with Dixon, there was also a mention of getting together with old friends who grew up in Spindale.
Dixon and the late Worth Johnson were in contact with many of the residents during the years they coached basketball at the Spindale House. Dixon wanted to form the club out of some of his childhood friends.
With Dixon's persuasion and organization, the first Spindale Boys meeting was held at the Spindale Restaurant.
As the Spindale Boys outgrew their first location, they moved to the Spindale House which was fitting since so many of the members had also grown up there.
"So with Ray's suggestion that we get together, we started meeting a couple of times a year," Huss said.
Former Spindale residents now living in Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Columbia, South Carolina, were among those at last week's reunion.
"We just eat, talk and catch up on news," Huss said. "It's such a fun group. It's about the fellowship and food. We've used caterer Kim Horvath since we started and she's a great cook."
Huss presented a Power Point presentation at the August 13 gathering showing more than 370 slides featuring news stories and photographs from the boys and girls growing up in Spindale.
Huss collected the pictures from editions of The Spindale Sun that are housed at the Old Tryon Genealogical Society off Doggett Road in Forest City.
"Back then there was The Spindale Sun and the Rutherford County News that covered news on this end of the county," he said.
Editions of both newspapers are at the genealogical society.
Huss will present another slide show at the Christmas season reunion, he said.Looking back over the years, Huss is glad Dixon was so insistent to get the friends together.
"It's a lot of fun."
