How sweet it is: Valley View potluck brings families together

There’s nothing quite like gathering around a table for a good meal.

In places like the Valley View Clubhouse, you see just how good people are to one another. Throw love—and its unofficial celebration through Valentine’s Day—into the mix along with a homemade meal, and you’ve got yourself a gathering of down home people sitting down under one roof.

Every month the Valley View Woman’s Club hosts potluck dinners. Each member takes a turn at organizing the event. This past Sunday, that honor fell to Donna Bailey Benson.

As the sun finally crept below the horizon out past Kerr Dam Road, among the fields of Valley View, about 20 people arrived, food-in-hand, to participate in this month’s potluck. By Benson’s unofficial accounting, it was a success.

“This is the biggest [group] we’ve had yet,” said Benson. “Everybody brings a dish.”

Whether it be pasta salad or mashed potatoes, people brought a little bit of everything. Oh, and there were some cookies, too.

When asked how many dishes were brought to the potluck, Benson looked down at her plate and started counting.

“I’d say there are about seven hot dishes,” Benson said, laughing.

The Valley View Clubhouse is situated about 10 or so miles outside of the city of Polson and is used for a variety of events, not just potlucks. Its history is old and storied. Built in 1939 by farmers in the Benson family in the Valley View area, the clubhouse has seen its fair share of the seasonal weathering of time’s passage.

Jerry Benson, husband to Donna, said he’s done some work over the years to make it more accommodating. Jerry works at Beacon Tire in Polson, but in his spare time he’s helped remodel the structure and take on certain projects like the kitchen.

“We’re here all the time,” Jerry said about the usage of the clubhouse. In 1992 the kitchen finally got an upgrade, which Donna said was sorely needed.

“At one point,” Donna said, “the kitchen sink just had a pipe that went from the sink to outside the building.” Another big upgrade was getting rid of the old wood stove and replacing it with a unit more suited for hosting large gatherings.

Nowadays, Donna says, the clubhouse sees many events hosted within its walls. And no doubt about it, one can see why it’s a charming space: quiet, well-lit, and placed in a beautiful location with clear views to the mountains and fields that surround it.

It’s available for public rentals, and Donna says that people take advantage of the location. Weddings, wedding rehearsals, and even funerals are reasons for people to rent out the space.

The VVWC is a non-profit organization. The biggest event the ten-member group hosts is the upcoming April Rummage Sale. They are also involved in raising money for charities and local food banks.

Recently, the group has collaborated with the Polson Town Pump in raising money. They worked out an agreement where whatever money the VVWC raises, the Town Pump will match the money to be used for future charity donations. This past Christmas, the VVWC gave a sizable donation to the Polson Food Bank.

At the potluck on Sunday night, several families sat and enjoyed the dishes that others brought, including Gavin and Amari Many Heads, the Bensons’ grandchildren, who were flanked on either side of their grandparents. Valentine’s Day was filled with some puzzles, Jerry said with a wink and a grin.

Karre Benson watched her children eat as Jerry and Donna marveled at how quickly Amari ate her dinner. Soon enough the plate would be cleaned.

Soon enough the time would arrive for some Valentine’s Day cookies.