Country-western clubs served as churches, charities, and civic centers.

Evidence

These clubs, an Elks Club, and a bowling alley were the only public places in Amargo for adults to gather to socialize. Parents often brought children to the country-western clubs on holidays for whole-day barbecue celebrations. Dance class participants went on camping trips together, to each other’s houses, to horse shows and rodeos and theme parks together. In the two years in which I was attending, members held several weddings and wedding receptions at local country-western clubs. Several times a year, countrywestern radio stations staged benefit barbecues at the Silverado, to raise money for a charity disease prevention effort. — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 676

Categorization

• XREF: These clubs are exactly the kind of mutual-aid, positive-project sites the reader wants: fundraising, ceremonies, care networks — building-group-solidarity without an out-group.