Our Founders

Bob and Mike come from a family of talkers. They probably got it from their mother Mary Gin, but don’t get us started on her. Anyway, they live about 4.5 miles apart. To catch up and get some exercise, they’d walk towards each other and meet in the middle. They’d also chat by phone on the way there and back, so it was a lot of walking and talking. They’d been doing this for awhile when Mike went to a class reunion. Someone there asked him what’s new. He says he’s started a walking club. “Oh ya?’” says the former classmate, “what’s it called?” They hadn’t really called it anything, so Mike made something up on the spot. “Northshore Walking Club” he says. “How many members you got?” continues the classmate. In a rare moment of honesty, Mike admits it’s really just his brother and him. “That’s no club” says his friend. “ You gotta have more than two people to have a club.”

Chastened by this dismissal, Bob and Mike set out to make a club that would stand above reproach. After starting with a small group of easily amused friends and family, the NWC quickly expanded to other towns, states, and countries. Its growth is a testament to the values of fellowship and wellness, and the inexplicable appeal of laminated membership cards.