“Membership Has Its Benefits” — Even in Delray!

By Lynn Van Lenten

Raise your hand if you have a membership someplace in Delray (I bet EVERYONE reading this is raising his/her hand!). Memberships to exclusive country clubs, gyms, yoga studios, restaurants or even Boy Scout troops, pickleball or book clubs – everywhere you look there are opportunities to belong to something bigger than yourself. This is true here in Delray Beach too! This month as our Chamber celebrates the benefits of business membership, let’s look at some different types of local membership and what they have to offer because like the saying goes, “Membership Has It’s Benefits”.

Look no further than our Delray roots! The Delray Beach Historical Society was founded in 1964 to archive and preserve Delray’s wonderful history. And bet you didn’t know they offer various levels of membership to help preserve their mission. Want to know more about this “Village by the Sea” we call home? Join as a member! Fees run from $20-$1000 annually with all kinds of benefits. Our Historical Society campus, archives, events, and educational programs are essential to keep our town’s history alive as well as provide a legacy for future generations. Becoming a member will help preserve the past and the future.

History doesn’t stop there. Delray has another wonderful Center of History. The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum is dedicated to discovering, collecting, and sharing the Black history and heritage of Delray & all of Palm Beach County. They too offer annual memberships from $50 -$200 and help maintain Black history collections and exhibits within the museum and surrounding buildings. Join today and keep the role of African descendants in Delray alive. Join Spady Museum and preserve, educate, and celebrate our Black history with future generations.

Love music & the arts? You can join our local Arts Garage! As a member you can unlock a year of early access to high demand shows, complementary tickets, invitations and more. And best of all, as a member you become an integral part of supporting arts in our Delray community. Just like the saying goes, “Membership Has Its Benefits”!

Remember getting a library card as a kid? We carried it with pride and used it often. Well, today’s library card is a membership to so much more! First, it is free for all Delray residents and just $60 annually for those who are staying in town temporarily. Holding a Delray Library card opens the door to more than physical books, eBooks, and magazines. Your library card provides access to online tutoring, job coaching, veteran services, demographic lists, online classes, and even access to the stock market both domestic and international. WOW! Y’all, run and get your card TODAY!

Whew, that’s just a few memberships you may never have thought of, but so worth the investment. And as you join one remember, “Membership is not about belonging to a group, but about being a part of something greater than yourself”.

Now that best describes our motto WE ARE DELRAY!