"The truth is, what most of these service clubs need is to get with it. The ones that can't change will go," said Mike Traugott, president of the Palo Alto Rotary Club.
Traugott was speaking not only of the Rotary Club, but also of the Kiwanis, Lions and Jaycees--organizations that traditionally have been highly respected locally, nationally and even internationally because of their solid track records of service in their own communities as well as in areas of need around the world.
As a recent Weekly cover story outlined, the local chapters of some of these clubs are in trouble, fighting an uphill battle to attract new members, particularly younger ones.
All of the service clubs are dealing with similar demographic trends--a younger generation that, for one reason or another, seems to have less time to give to a service club as traditionally defined. However, some of the local organizations continue to remain very strong while others are down to their last few members.
Traugott's group, the well-established Palo Alto Rotary, for example, has 150 active members, including 18 women with strong credentials who have joined since Rotary began admitting women in the late 1980s. A newer "overflow" club, the Palo Alto University Rotary, just chartered in 1988, has 70 members with the average age in the mid-40s and about 20 members under 35.
Why are some of these service clubs thriving while others seem to be dying?
As Traugott suggests, the stronger ones have made efforts to adapt to changing times while never losing sight of, and constantly renewing, the fundamental service missions of their groups.
The service projects run the gamut from local undertakings, such as the organization and sponsorship of a free medical clinic in East Palo Alto, to serious fund-raising for international enterprises, including thousands of scholarships, development banks in the Third World and a program that has raised, internationally, hundreds of millions of dollars to immunize the world's children against preventable diseases.
The successful clubs also seem to work hard at maintaining ties with their overseas counterparts, keeping up a vigorous and impressive schedule of international contacts and exchanges.
These organizations, whose achievements often go unpublicized, are continually deserving of community support and respect. When their memberships dwindle, so does the critical assistance these groups offer local and international non-profits and charitable organizations.
Perhaps times have changed. As local Lion Vic Befera said, "there was a time when it was a badge of status to say you were a member of Lions or Rotary." But as the letters to the editor received regarding the Weekly's story show, service club members continue to care deeply about their clubs and their image in the community.
Clearly, public service can take many forms. Today, joining a traditional service club is just one of an enormous array of options for a person desiring to contribute to his or her community. With the ocean of needs and service choices out there, it's perhaps not surprising that the clubs that continue to thrive are those that have ambitiously reached out to make public service a significant priority and continue to strive for diversity in their memberships.
Back up to the Table of Contents Page