The Potomac Community Center's Club Friday accepts close to 600 third through sixth-graders in a September lottery that leaves 200 or more interested families on a waiting list.
Every Friday from October through March, members, who pay $35 annually and may bring one guest per night for $2, meet for games and activities, dancing, and movies. Pizza, hot dogs, soft drinks and candy are available in one area, while the youths move freely between other options from 7 to 9 p.m.
One Friday per month, the After Hours program — similar to Club Friday but designed for middle schoolers — follows from 9 to 11 p.m.
The center also requires that one parent for each member volunteer at least once during the Club Friday year.