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Activities

     IMCA activities are exceptionally varied and most are open to Members spouses or other guests. They fall in the following three categories, each one under the active direction of a responsible IMCA Board Member: 

  
Monthly Luncheon: Every month except July & August, IMCA holds a lunch featuring a distinguished guest speaker with recognized expertise in a timely topic of national or international importance. 
 
Special Events:

This category includes a variety of social, cultural and educational activities, with one event generally occurring each month.

 
Dining Programs: The Dining Out program involves small groups of Members and their spouses or guests meeting at the home of a Member for cocktails and appetizers followed by a Dutch treat dinner held at a restaurant chosen by the Host.  
 
Cocktails & Conversations: These events, held twice a season, are open to larger groups of Members, spouses and guests at a members home for Cocktails and Hors-d'Oeuvres. Wine and substantial snacks are included in the charge to cover the cost of the event. 

Building Bridges of Friendship

     The International Mens club of America is a group of men residing, either full or part-time, in Southwest Florida, interested in hearing at first hand the real stories behind the history of our times. We bring that to our members through monthly lunch meetings, with international speakers explaining the background to events in today’s successful and troubled areas. Many of our members have lived and worked in different parts of the world, far off places which are still special to us and present in our thoughts.

    Some of our members have come to live in this country, leaving behind family and friends in the countries of their birth. Our members come from all walks of life and perhaps it is fair to say that most of us are in the latter stages of our careers. As a group we have no affiliation with, nor receive guidance from, any political, religious or educational group. We rely on our own personal experiences and judgment, quite considerable when taken as a whole, to guide our discussions and decisions.

     Most of our members are very happy to spend two hours each month (except August) in the company of like-minded gentlemen who thrive on discussions of international affairs. Most of our speakers are happy to tell the real story behind international events to an experienced, knowledgeable and unbiased audience. We feel confident that each and every one of our members has been able to broaden his knowledge of and views on world events; this added perspective is invariably passed on to family, friends and associates.

     Our members have become good friends and look forward to participating in our social events such as dining out and day trips to points of interest in Southwest Florida. We are a unique group, and we would like to extend our international thinking to all parts of this great country. If you would like to know more, please go to the Contact Us page and ask for a brochure.

     History: as with many of the really fruitful ideas that men come up with, the concept for the formation of an International Men’s Club was inspired by a woman.

     In 1959, recognizing that while most of the male community in Washington D.C. was busy politicking, Marian Adair, wife of U.S. Representative for Indiana Ross Adair, decided it was only right that their ladies be introduced to the American political scene. She considered the right way to accomplish this was forming a Welcome to Washington Club to foster friendships and community activities among the wives of Foreign Diplomats and American Congressmen. The idea flourished and Welcome Clubs for Women sprang up around the country and the world. One of these clubs was formed by a group of enterprising ladies in Naples, Florida – one of the fastest growing communities in America. In 1993, the persistent Mrs. Adair persuaded the husbands of the Naples ladies to form a men’s club to foster better understanding and friendship between the men of this new community. The men had come from many U.S. states and from many foreign lands and had decided, having seen much of the world, that Southwest Florida was the perfect place for their permanent or winter residence.

      The club was an immediate success. The contacts made at International Club meetings reminded the Americans of the many agreeable experiences they had had in working in international markets, and how friendly these men from other parts of the world really were. The newcomers were able to confirm that Americans were just as open and friendly as they had been told, and clearly respected the culture and points of view of people from other countries. But the most important element in the mix came in the fellowship and understanding engendered by an international club, where we could listen to knowledgeable speakers discussing with us the many interesting world developments in China, India, Venezuela, Turkey, etc. in the company of like-minded men from all over the world.