When everyone in the room is called Shirley, name tags might be thought unnecessary.
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But the Albury-Wodonga Shirley Club handed out badges, with surnames, on Tuesday as 18 Shirleys celebrated the group's first anniversary.
Founder Shirley Smith, of Thurgoona, started it all a year ago in The Border Mail as a way to meet people because she'd not long moved from Melbourne.
"I was hoping for a group that would be helpful to each other, a caring group, and I can't be more happy with how it's turned out," she said.
"I see them meeting for coffee with each other, helping someone who's moving, someone sick and someone in difficult circumstances at home and they are all willing to help."
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Two more Shirleys were apologies for Tuesday's gathering at Cafe Borellas, where the clothing and cake reflected the club colours of aqua and purple.
Lavington's Shirley McCarthy was already aware of Shirley clubs, which began more than two decades ago in Perth, when she saw Mrs Smith's notice last February.
"It's something that I've always been interested in," she said.
"So I thought 'Why not?' when you see it there in your own town."
The Shirleys range in age from nearly 90 years down to Shirley Sprenger, 47, of Burrowye, who attended with her mother-in-law Shirley Cheshire.
"My parents were older parents so I was named after Shirley Temple, my brother was named after Errol Flynn," Ms Sprenger said.
Neighbours as well as family, Mrs Cheshire and Ms Sprenger's different surnames help reduce postal confusion.
"Before I got married, the mail run (operator) said, 'Please don't change your name'," Ms Sprenger laughed.
The pair has enjoyed the friendliness of the Shirley Club and renewing connections with Shirleys they have known previously.
Mrs Smith said the Shirleys would be bringing friends, who need not be Shirleys, to the next meeting as the club entered its second year.
"So many people say, 'Oh, why can't we start a Betty club?' and I always say 'Well, try it'," she said.
"It never works; Shirley clubs work."
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