The General Motors Retirees Club welcomes former GM employees and retirees who would like to gather regularly for fellowship and the chance to share stories about working in the automotive industry.

The club is always looking for new members and is planning to hold its annual Christmas party Dec. 8 at the Yacht Club.

Harry Westcott, club president, worked 30 years for GM starting in the Delco Radio Accessory Division and later was part of AC-Delco in Kokomo, Ind.


He joined the company after graduating from GM Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering and working as a co-op student. He eventually ended up in the purchasing department.

Westcott learned about Tellico Village from a college friend who was working in the Saturn plant in Spring Hill in the 1990s. His friend said he was going to retire soon to a community in East Tennessee. Westcott and his wife visited Tellico Village a short time later and decided they would also like to live in the community.

In the early years of Tellico Village, the Copper Communities marketing plan involved advertising in the Detroit area in hopes of attracting automotive industry manufacturing executives. The plan was successful in bringing many former employees to the community.

Car clubs grew

Shortly thereafter, GM, Ford and Chrysler clubs were created. The GM club was formed in 1990 by four retired couples — Terry and Jo Benson, Chet and Clair Binder, Ivar and Jean Carlson and Dick and Shirley Tracy.

The founders agreed they wanted to maintain a connection to GM and needed to form a group to obtain and share important information. Chet Binder was elected the first president. Initially, the club was more of a social group, with couples meeting monthly for luncheons at local restaurants.

The club enjoyed success, and Cooper even used the group as a sales draw for other GM retirees in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. A plaque was made with the names of club presidents and was displayed in the Cooper Sales Office.

In 1998, Westcott attended his first club meeting. As members introduced themselves, he thought he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“There was a gentleman sitting behind me that I recognized from the purchasing office in Detroit,” he said.

During his involvement over several decades, Westcott served as secretary and treasurer. At its peak, the club had about 125 members plus spouses. The club had regular contact with the corporate office in Detroit and held informational meetings where representatives would attend to keep former employees updated on company developments.

Activities included a January luncheon and officers elections at the Yacht Club, a June potluck picnic at the Tellico Beach Pavilion and a September golf outing. A celebrity gas pumping event was held to benefit United Way.

Local GM dealerships were involved with the club and used to show up with some of the latest models. Dealerships were also active at the annual Christmas dinner/dance.

“We would have a Christmas dinner at the Yacht Club and have 80 to 100 attendees,” Westcott said.

Members have always been encouraged to serve as a support group and a help committee was created for networking to inform members when others were in need of assistance.

Decade of change

Over the years, GM and subsidiary companies have been reorganized and involvement of the corporate office in the club has reduced. When GM went bankrupt, a lot of the benefits retirees enjoyed were outsourced to other companies.

The club has lost members and reduced activities over the years but still has a loyal core.

Regular picnics happen and drop-in events are common at the bar in the Yacht Club where members sometimes stop for a chat and enjoy dinner afterward. The club also maintains good relationships with the Tellico Village Corvette Club, which has several former GM employees.

Jim Mattavi, former president of the club and a Corvette owner, retired from GM in 1999 after working 30 years in research labs developing high-performance engines like those used in the Corvette he now owns.

“The technology we worked on was about 10 years in advance,” he said.

Mattavi said he enjoyed fellowship with other former employees and the club field trips. He said he’s trying to reach out to other former employees who might not realize the club is active.

Nancy Stridde, club secretary/treasurer, and her husband Chuck are both former employees. She said she enjoys the camaraderie of interacting with GM people and the social gatherings sponsored by the club.

Today, the number of club members has dropped to about 40. Westcott said the club is hoping to hear from former employees who might have moved to Tellico Village in recent years. He said the Christmas event is a great opportunity to meet members and see what the organization is about.