They meet for lunch once a month to catch up and tell tales, and they will celebrate only 80th, 90th - and if you are very lucky - 100th birthdays.
With dark humour, the Otago Daily Times columnist said he was now in his "nervous 90s" and the chances of him being able to celebrate his 100th birthday with the Chums Club was somewhat questionable.
Ten of the group's members helped Mr Parry celebrate his birthday (which was officially on Tuesday this week) at the University of Otago Staff Club.
The old friends have been meeting monthly for the past 14 years.
"It's delightful of them to look after me like this," he said.
"They held a party for me when I was 80. I'm looking forward to the next one, but I think we may have to have it at 95.
"Once we get there, we'll look at a 100th birthday party."
During the lunch, Mr Parry reminisced on his early days as a journalist at the Greymouth Star.
His best friend's father was the editor, and when Mr Parry returned from World War 2, in which he was a navigator in the air force, he was offered a job at the paper.
"That's more or less how I got my start in writing."
Two years later, he began working at the Otago Daily Times, and has since written more than 30 books - nearly all about company histories.
He continues to write columns for the ODT. Asked if he planned to retire from writing, he said: "Hell, no. I've still got books to write."
