Meet people, make friends

Maybe you're new to the area and wondering what's fun to do. Maybe you've lived here a while but your social calendar needs a boost. Or maybe you're looking to meet new people without diving into the singles scene.

A growing number of social clubs are here to help, and they're offering creative ways for adults to make new friends, post-millennium style.

Forget stiff cocktail parties. You can meet new folks doing anything from playing volleyball to attending comedy nights or a "redneck" wine tasting (bring your favorite bottle with a screw top).

Many who have checked out social clubs such as the Charlotte Outdoors Adventures say there's no going back.

"I've been a member of CHOA for six months, and I'm so glad I joined," said Lee Proctor, a 32-year-old nanny. "I tend to be shy in new situations. I rarely went out. Since joining CHOA, I've eaten at restaurants I'd never visited, I've gone to the Comedy Zone (and) played games like Scruples. I'm making friends and having fun."

Given the breakneck pace of the area's growth, club leaders say appetites are ravenous for clubs that help people meet people. CHOA has grown 700 percent in the past year to thousands of members.

Area social clubs claim members in a wide range of ages and professions. They emphasize sports, the outdoors, upscale gatherings or community service. Membership dues range from free to $20 a month.

CHOA formed three years ago as a hiking club. Now its members are just as prone to gather for eating, champagne tasting or bowling. While the group has plenty of young, single members, 25 percent join as couples, The group claims credit for 18 marriages among members.

The group organizes up to 100 events a month, most aimed to attract 12 to 40 people. Membership dues are $20 a month.

This spring, CHOA hopes to spearhead a new group for youth ages 10-18 with a community service focus. An added bonus: The parents of the youths will get to meet each other at events, he said.

CHOA member Theresa Rosa, 32, is a First Union computer analyst and mom to a 3-year-old. She also helps run a catering business and is developing a Web site. But she's found time to be a club member for more than a year and helps plan some of its events.

"It seemed like everything I did centered around work, school or my daughter," she said. "I needed some me time and adult time. I've found it."