Once the backbone of communities across the United States, service organizations continue to lose membership at an alarming rate. Some, such as the Nesquehoning Lions Club, officially went out of business at the end of June. Others are hanging by a thread.

The big question in the 21st century is: Does anyone care anymore, or are these organizations too old, too much of a bother for the frenetic pace of modern life?A generation ago, there was nothing more American than the Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Shriners, Jaycees and Odd Fellows. Their membership was made up of community movers and shakers, and their missions made a difference in their communities and the world. At one time, these organizations were a way for business people to network and support worthy causes. Membership in these groups was selective and considered prestigious; today, not as much.Rotary International pledged in the mid-1980s to rid the world of polio, an effort that is nearing total success. Many have heard that Bill and Melinda Gates have been the leaders in the polio-eradication program, but what many do not realize is that the work of Rotary International through its Polio Plus program has preceded the Gateses' efforts by decades. Rotary has about 1.1 million members.With some 1.4 million members worldwide, the Lions Clubs through their international foundation are best known for their efforts to restore sight and prevent blindness by improving eye care. The Lions organization is the world's largest service group.The 600,000 members of the Kiwanis Clubs host about 150,000 service projects and put in about 18.5 million service hours a year. These clubs raise more than $100 million to support different local causes, in addition to the Kiwanis Children's Fund.Membership for all service organizations has been dropping for about a generation now. In Nesquehoning, for example, just a handful of the 15 registered members were showing up for meetings and service projects, so it was time to call it quits, according to club leaders.In the past 20 years, Rotary membership is down 20 percent, the Jaycees are down 64 percent and the Masons are off by 76 percent.Veterans groups are experiencing the same issues. As reported by Jarrad Hedes in a recent issue of the Times News, Veterans of Foreign Wars membership, which once stood at 2.1 million, has fallen 38 percent to about 1.3 million. The American Legion membership has dropped from 3.3 million members to 2.4 million, a decrease of 27 percent.Service organizations have tried a variety of fixes to revive membership. For the longest time, most Rotary clubs met at noon. Today, it is just as likely that they meet for breakfast or dinner. For the past 15 years, organizations have even allowed the chartering of online clubs, with mixed success. While they may be convenient, they lack the camaraderie that's at play when club members meet to socialize and plan community improvement projects.That also raises the issue of the program format. Is it outdated? Do the rituals some organizations have make sense to younger prospective members? Some wear funny-looking hats; some sing songs at club meetings.Then there is the matter of cost. The weekly luncheon might run a member between $10 and $15, which is on top of annual dues and a weekly 50-50 raffle drawing where the member is likely to fork over a few more dollars. There also are annual and regional conferences which members are encouraged to attend at a cost of several hundred dollars per person. An active member is likely to spend between $1,500 and $2,000 a year for club membership. Some can write this off as a business expense, but those who are not so lucky or self-employed must handle the costs personally.Most clubs have annual membership drives, but those who have studied the dwindling membership point to the retention of existing members to be as important if not more so than expending so much energy getting new members, who often fall by the wayside within a year. Rotary, for example, brings in about 44,000 new members a year but loses about 51,000 annually.The issue of time has become ever more critical, especially among parents with younger children. Today, more than ever, children are involved in structured leisure activities. For two-parent families, both are often working and sharing household and child-rearing tasks, leaving precious little time for organizational membership. We commend our local service organizations and veterans groups for the public impact they have in their respective communities. We urge those on the sidelines to consider membership as a way to join other like-minded individuals in helping their communities through a desire to make a difference.By Bruce Frassinelli |

tneditor@tnonline.com