What is The Delian Club?
The Delian Club is a non-profit organization operating in the State of Michigan. It was created by and for autistic adults. Our Bylaws require that a majority of our Board of Directors be autistic and autistic people must create or approve all Delian Club activities and content. Allistic (nonautistic) people may be minority Board members and may provide administrative or logistical support.
The Delian Club works to provide in-person socializing opportunities for autistic adults interested in sharing their intellectual, artistic, philosophical, scientific, or other learning interests. We believe that autistic adults greatly benefit from socializing together in person. Our goal is to establish a brick-and-mortar location in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area, and to hold an annual retreat exclusively for autistic adults. The brick-and-mortar location will function as a social club; members can drop in spontaneously, socialize, read, share screens, or simply enjoy being around other autistic people. Until we raise the funds for our real-world location, we will hold events periodically at various venues in and around Ann Arbor. We are pleased to announce that our first annual retreat will take place on August 1 through 3, 2025, at the Woodlands of Bruin Lake, a retreat center in Gregory, Michigan. For more information about the retreat, please click on the link at the top of this page.
Officers
Henry Fellows Moss
Henry Fellows Moss is the President and one of the co-founders of the Delian Club. Henry is autistic. He received his bachelor’s degree in general studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He is passionate about the importance of in-person autistic socializing in childhood and adulthood. Henry is also interested in the promotion of autistic culture, and in exploring and understanding the dynamics of communication both within and across neurotypes. An accomplished organist, harpsichordist, and poet, Henry enjoys walking in the woods and contemplating beauty. Vipassana mediation and strength training form part of Henry’s regular regimen, and he is always happy to converse about linguistics, philosophy, and ancient history. Within the Delian Club, Henry generates and oversees content for all programs. He can be reached at [email protected].
Jacqueline Poma
Jacqueline Poma is the Vice President and a co-founder of the Delian Club. Jacqueline is autistic. She has a Bachelor of Science in psychology and German from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is currently working toward her master’s degree in social work, also from the University of Michigan. Jacqueline hopes to become a mental health therapist. Empowering people and communities remains one of Jacqueline’s foremost interests. She has volunteered extensively with Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County. She can be reached at [email protected].
Karen Moss
Karen Moss is one of the co- founders of the Delian Club and serves as its Secretary / Treasurer. Karen is allistic. She earned her BBA and JD degrees from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After practicing law in Chicago for many years, Karen returned to her home state of Michigan. While raising her family, Karen worked part time as a lawyer, a workplace investigator and consultant, a law school professor, and as a consultant in the safety and security industry. While Karen has had many jobs, the most challenging and rewarding has been that of mother to an autistic child (now an adult). Karen has volunteered for several political campaigns and initiatives and, most recently, worked as an election official. Karen oversees Delian Club administrative and logistical matters. She enjoys strength training, politics, and golf (although she is pretty bad at golf). Karen is also interested in research and literature pertaining to the development of autistic culture. Please contact Karen at [email protected].
Our Mission
THE DELIAN CLUB – FOUNDED BY AUTISTIC ADULTS – FOR AUTISTIC ADULTS – TO SOCIALIZE TOGETHER
“I never realized everybody felt as happy as I do when I am around autistic people.”*
The Delian Club’s goal is to provide real world opportunities for autistic adults to socialize together. The manner in which autistic people instinctively socialize is not wrong or illegitimate and deserves to be fostered as part of autistic culture. Socializing with each other, authentically as autistic people, is crucial for our emotional and physical wellbeing. When we are together, we naturally encourage each other’s intellectual and artistic interests, which helps us thrive. Through being our authentic selves, we can alleviate the debilitating loneliness suffered by far too many autistic adults and support each other as intelligent and talented human beings.
AUTISTIC LONELINESS HARMS OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
Autistic adults often suffer from acute loneliness that negatively impacts our mental and physical health. Like all human beings, we desire social interaction. But for us, finding that interaction can be extremely difficult for several reasons:
- Rejection in Neurotypical Spaces. Our attempts to socialize with neurotypical people are often met with polite disinterest or even outright bullying. Since childhood, we have tried to gain acceptance from neurotypical people by disguising our more obvious autistic traits, a practice known as “masking.” We know that masking is physically and emotionally fatiguing and can contribute to mental illness ranging from depression to suicidality. We no longer wish to mask. We are tired of suffering the negative mental and physical health effects caused by the trauma of repeated rejection.
- Lack of Real-World Social Spaces Meant Specifically for Autistic Adults. There are almost no real-world spaces specifically intended for autistic adults. Research shows, however, that this is exactly what we need for improved well-being and happiness. We wish to be together as autistic adults with our own ways of talking, socializing, and interacting.
- Difficulty Nurturing Relationships with Other Autistic People. Autistic adults often struggle to manage administrative tasks such as initiating contact and making plans with friends. Having a brick-and-mortar location where we can meet regularly or spontaneously will help alleviate that difficulty.
WE WILL BE OURSELVES AND NURTURE AUTISTIC CULTURE
*See, “A Thematic Analysis of Autistic Adults’ Relationships with Autistic and Neurotypical Friends and Family,” by Crompton, Hallet et al. (sagepub.com).
The Delian Club strives to nurture autistic culture and alleviate autistic loneliness in two ways:
Upcoming Events
Sunday, December 8, 2024 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Revel and Roll, 1950 S Industrial Hwy, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Come bowl or just hang out with us. We will be in the private party room (with private lanes, comfortable seating, and quieter than the main bowling alley). Food and drinks available onsite for purchase. Hope to see you there!
Annual Retreat
First Annual Retreat is scheduled for August 1-3, 2025, at the Woodlands in Gregory, Michigan
Delian Club Summer 2025 Retreat
The Woodlands of Bruin Lake – Gregory, Michigan
August 1-3, 2025
Registration Coming Soon Please Email Now With Questions: [email protected]
· Designed and Hosted by Autistic Adults Exclusively for Autistic Adults
· All Content and Programs are Led by Autistic Adults
We are pleased to announce the coming of our Summer 2025 Retreat at the Woodlands of Bruin Lake in Gregory Michigan. This event offers content intentionally curated to promote fellowship, connection, and fun for autistic adults. The schedule includes hiking, optional small and large group activities, and learning opportunities led by autistic adults.
The Woodlands: A rustic retreat center on Bruin Lake with over 100 acres of pure Michigan wilderness for guests to enjoy.
· Trail heads connecting to 12,000 acres of Michigan State land and over 50 miles of singletrack trails for hiking and mountain biking.
· Two miles of gravel roads and trails to wander within the camp.
· Comfortable indoor meeting spaces for small or large groups.
· Ample space onsite for tent camping, with some cabin and glamping options.
· Hillside chapel and outdoor amphitheater with tons of seating. Perfect for outdoor presentations, story-telling and hootenannies.
· Promise Hall: a 9000 square foot meeting room boasting vaulted ceilings, expansive windows, and a natural fireplace.
· The Learning Center: a separate building that provides a relaxing smaller space for participants needing quiet or respite from group activities. Fidget toys and comfortable seating provided.
Accommodations: Tent camping on site is free. There is a bath house with 18 individual private shower rooms with locking doors. Use of the bath house is also free. For a fee, there are some small indoor bedrooms with shared bathrooms and a small number of raised, tented platforms for glamping. Retreat participants are also welcome to drive in each day for activities. Nearby accommodations include the Waterloo Gardens Bed and Breakfast (approximately 8 miles distance); the Baymont by Wyndham Chelsea (approximately 11 miles distance) and the Comfort Inn (approximately 11 miles distance). We recommend that you book early as this area of Michigan is a popular vacation spot.
Getting to the Woodlands: There is ample parking space on site. The Woodlands is located just outside of the charming town of Chelsea, Michigan. It is about a 55-minute drive from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, 39 minutes from Ann Arbor 67 minutes from Detroit, and 108 minutes from Grand Rapids.
FAQ
Why is your name “the Delian Club?”
The word “Delian” is an epithet of Apollo, god of philosophers, musicians, prophets, and artists, and leader of the Muses, who preside over all branches of learning that involve memory. These patronages make Apollo a fitting symbol to represent our organization’s core membership, viz. autistic adults with intellectual and artistic interests.
What is the Delian Club’s mission?
- To give autistic adults with intellectual and artistic interests opportunities to socialize, exchange ideas, and enjoy each other’s fellowship.
- To provide an opportunity for relaxation in a welcoming, accepting environment where autistic authenticity is celebrated and masking is unnecessary.
- To facilitate the joy many autistic people experience from learning.
- To provide a quiet respite from the sensory bombardment of the world.
- To alleviate adult autistic loneliness.
- To nurture and cultivate autistic culture.
What are the Delian Club’s core values?
- Intellectually and artistically minded autistic adults deserve the opportunity to socialize with likeminded people.
- Autistic ways of interacting and of being in the world are different from but not inferior to those of allistic people, and they deserve to be fostered/
- The Delian Club is to be lead by autistic people for autistic people. Allistic people may provide support, especially administratively and logistically, but the club’s content must be approved and where possible created by autistic people.
Who is your target membership?
- Autistic adults who enjoy discussion about music, poetry, philosophy, science, education, politics, current events, literature, or other branches of learning and art.
- Autistic adults with the ability to speak, whether traditionally or using assistive technology.
- Autistic adults with the ability to coexist in a physical space with other people without assistance from another person (unless that other person is also an autistic adult).
Can I bring a support person?
Support people are welcome, so long as they are themselves autistic.
Why do you limit participation solely to autistic people?
One of our goals is to nurture the growth of autistic culture. Simply put, autistic culture grows when autistic people interact together. We believe that, in many ways, autistic people are wired to communicate, interact, and socialize differently than allistic folks. These differences are not illegitimate or wrong. Yet, throughout our lives, we have been taught that our natural autistic way of being is incorrect or unacceptable. We do not accept this teaching. We are tired of being rejected or corrected by allistic folks because our instinctive way of being conflicts with their instinctive way of being, as if theirs were correct and ours were incorrect. We are also weary of the anxiety and depression that result from suppressing our spontaneity in order to conform to allistic social expectations.
We are yearning for genuine connection with those with whom we do not have to monitor ourselves, and with whom we can be who we are — unreservedly. Consequently, we are making a deliberate choice for ourselves: socializing in a setting that consists of autistic people, exclusively. We have learned several amazing things in doing so. First, our natural ways of talking and thinking foster effective communication with each other. In fact, research studies back this up. Second, we find that when we interact together, we don’t have to mask or self-monitor in everything we say or do, from our tone of voice to how we move and position our bodies. This is incredibly fun and freeing. Finally, we are able to relax with people who enjoy and validate who we are as human beings. This all-autistic experience can be rewarding and even transformative. Research shows that being together elevates our quality of life and health. In short, being together with autistic people allows us to be who we are naturally. This phenomenon is part of autistic culture that we want to protect and grow. While we are grateful for the love and support of our allistic family members and allies, we need to be together by ourselves to find an experience that is the birthright of every human being.
What Does the Delian Club Not Do or Provide?
- The Delian Club does not provide medical, social or assistive services, therapy, or any other type of care or supervision;
- We are not a drop-in center or an adult care facility.
What is your position on intersectional autistic groups?
The Delian Club supports each autistic adult, and this includes respecting that person’s identity. We welcome autistic adults regardless of their race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or ethnicity. Our primary goal, however, is to focus on ourselves and our members as autistic people who wish to socialize and experience autistic culture together. To preserve that focus, we wish to avoid acting as an umbrella group for autistic people who wish to subdivide further according to other identity markers. While of course our members will socialize how and with whom they choose outside of Delian Club activities, the Delian Club will not host or sponsor events that are not open to all of its members.
Contact us
Email us at: [email protected]
Your donation Funds Our Events
To make a donation, please click the button below. You can donate either via a PayPal account, or using a guest checkout with a credit/debit card.
The Delian Club appreciates your support. Your generosity assists us in hosting events. The Delian Club is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit and your donation is tax deductible.
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