The Chester Prospect Club is located at  34 S. Mac Dade Blvd.  Glenolden, PA 19036

 

HISTORY OF CHESTER PROSPECT CLUB INC.

Alcoholics Anonymous came to Philadelphia, PA in 1940 and was located at 4021 Walnut Street. At this time, the club and group were named after the street address, The 4021 Club and Group. From this club and group many other clubs and groups would be born. Most of the areas started with clubs and then later groups would later be held in Churches, etc.

Not much is known, but it is rumored that the first group started in Ridley Park Fire Club House at 103 East Ward Street, Ridley Park, PA somewhere around 1942. Everyday there were meetings. Not all the people who started the club and meetings are known except for one man named Dewey Handcock who is no longer with us.

Another club and group would come about on August 15, 1947, known as the 536 Club and Meeting Place. The early members to have started this were:

Harry W. John N. John L.            Joe B.       Edward S. JohnS.           John T.

The club was started because A.A. was in its early stages and growing all over Eastern Pennsylvania and this would give alcoholics in the area a place to get sober without traveling too far from home. This was the beginnings of A.A. in Eastern Pennsylvania as we know it.

The name of the 536 Club and Meeting Place also came from their address of 536 East 3^rd Street, Chester, PA across from the old railroad tracks. It has been said that you could see the tracks from the window of the meeting place. This club would have many moves and name changes before being known today as the Chester Prospect Club and Group. Over the years, because of conflicts within and between club and group, many other clubs and groups would be created and there 'would be many moves. The moves and reasons are as follows:

• 1. The first move took place in 1951 because of progress in the Chester area. They moved to the 2^nd floor of the Western Union building in Chester. This used to be on Edgemont Ave. but is now known as States Rd., Chester, PA.

• 2. The second move took place in 1957 because of needed space. The moved to 180 15^th Street, Chester, PA. Three other groups would join them because of finances, Century Group, Westinghouse Group, and the Sun Oil Group. The name was changed to the Century 536 Club and group.

• 3. The next move took place in 1964, when they moved to over the top of the Media Fire House at Five Points Rt. 252 and Old Baltimore Pike. This was a temporary move and they stayed here for only one year. From this stay another group was born at this location called the Media Meeting.

• 4. In 1965 the group moved to an auto parts store front located at the corner of Upland Ave & Kerlin St. in Upland, PA. They changed their name to the Chester-Upland Club and Group. They stayed their until the big flood happened in the 1970s and the store owner decided he wanted to expand his store.

• 5. In 1974 they moved to 1012 Lincoln Ave., Prospect Park, PA and would have their next name change to the Chester-Prospect Club and Group. They stayed at this address for fourteen years until the original landlord passed away and the building had to be sold. The price was too high and so they had to move again.

• 6. In 1988 they moved for only six weeks because of zoning laws in Milmont, PA which resulted in them having to move again. Their next move would take them back to Chester in an area called Feltonville.

• 7. In the same year of 1988 they moved to the old abandoned Feltonville Grammar School in Feltonville, PA a part of Chester, PA. Because of heating and other hazards and conflicts they moved again. When the Chester-Prospect Club moved the group did not want to and wanted to keep having a club in the area. So the 20/20 Inc. was born. After a while, the group would change their name to the New Friends Group. Eventually the group would have a conflict again which branched of to Woodlyn, PA. At this time Chester-Prospect would get their name back and the group in Feltonville would be called the New Visions

Group and New Club. From this another group would branch off and would be called the Chester-Woodlyn Group. Both Chester-Prospect and Chester-Woodlyn continue to thrive today but the New Club and New Visions Group disbanded in 1993 due to lack of support.

• 8. On July 1,1989 the group moved to 22 N Macdade Blvd., Glenolden, PA and stayed their until Chester-Prospect Club found a new location. Instead of finding a new location the club moved in with the group on May 30 1990.

• 9. The last move was the following year in 1991 when the club found a new location just up the street from where they were at 34 S Macdade Blvd., Glenolden, PA. Today the Prospect Group has several meetings per day seven days a week. The Chester-Prospect Club is open 24 hours a day to their members. It is open to alcoholics who need the hand of A.A. there for them. The Prospect Group is doing well and maintains good attendance.

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