Modern world taking toll on service clubs
Iwas saddened to learn of the recent disbanding of the Gyro Club in Penticton. This is soon on the heels of the closing of the Army Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada club. The Lions in Summerland folded a couple of years ago as the membership aged out.
Most Legions are facing declining membership as they lose our veterans and new veterans do not seem to want to join. The general population still seems to believe that one has to have a relationship to the military to join a Legion, which is not true.)
I can cite several reasons for the decline of service clubs.
Back in the day, young adults had the luxury of stay-at-home mum’s.
This likely gave both parents more free time as household chores did not have to be accomplished in limited evening time.
Activities for baby boomer kids did not include a laundry list of sports or a universe of 1,000 entertainment channels or internet distractions. We just had Scouts, Guides or Cadets.
The universe for our volunteering parents was not spread as thin, so more time for adult service clubs. Parents did not spend time on the couch with only a choice of three channels to watch.
In the heyday of service clubs it was easier for a club to erect a playground or to organize an annual soap box race.
The restrictions of liability insurance and encroaching on union jobs have stifled these initiatives. Service clubs are left with the option of “not-fun” fundraising instead of hands-on projects. Few people want to spend their spare time begging for donations.
It is the projects (and mandatory beer time afterwards) that bond club members and attract new blood.
The diversity of our demographics does not lead to volunteering in the mainstream service clubs as members of minorities are more comfortable volunteering within their own culture or religion.
Certainly millennials are struggling, but why are they not stepping up?
It is not enticing to join a club where the dominant hair colour is silver. Rather than going out to better the community, they find it easier to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign or sign an on-line petition.
Clubs need to do a better job of constantly feeding the membership funnel by recruiting friends and co-workers to come to a meeting.
I joined Kinsmen only because a friend took the initiative to invite me to a free dinner.
The good news is that the Kinsmen Club of Summerland is celebrating its 60 anniversary with a dinner event this week. It has attracted over 120 past members and guests. There is hope. Check out www.volunteercentre.info for opportunities to volunteer around Penticton. John Dorn is a retired tech entrepreneur living in Summerland.