This week I want to talk about a group of individuals that I don’t feel truly get appreciated enough, service club members.
While not being a member of a service club myself, through my work I do see the incalculable impact that they have on the community.
Whether they be Kinsmen, Kinettes, Lion’s Club, Optimist Club, Young Optimist Club, Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis, or Rotary Club our local service club members do a lot for our community, and we would be in serious trouble without them.
Most of the fundraising done in our community is done through service clubs, and there are non-profits who heavily rely on that funding such as Carefor Hospice Cornwall, the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation, the Agapè Centre and many more non-profits are supported by fundraisers conducted by service clubs.
Many local amenities in Cornwall and the surrounding area were created with the help of local service clubs such as the Kinsmen soccer field in the west end of Cornwall, or the Rotary Club outdoor gym in Lamoureux Park.
A lot of local family friendly events are organized by service clubs as well, whether it be wing nights at the Knight’s of Columbus Hall, or the Kinette’s Princess Ball, or the Santa Claus Parade which is organized by the Service Club Council.
Something that most of these organizations have in common though is that their membership is getting older, and people aren’t joining to become new members as much as they used to.
Without new active members who want to pitch in and give a helping hand, many of these service clubs won’t be able to continue contributing their vital work to the community.
Being a part of a service club is a great way to affect positive change in your community and be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Even beyond all of the things that service clubs do for the community, they also serve as a natural place for members to socialize and support each other.
This column isn’t meant to be just an advertisement for service clubs. The loss of active service club members I feel is a real issue facing this community and could present a serious problem for the community if they were to disappear.
Even through the pandemic, service clubs have continued to give.
Look at all of the things that I mentioned above, and there is a lot I didn’t mention.
Without service clubs, we wouldn’t have beloved events, like the Santa Claus parade. We wouldn’t have a lot of local amenities that they have raised funds for, like the Benson Centre, and the Aquatic Centre. Organizations like the Agapè Centre and Hospice would struggle without their support. Kinsmen has donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Cornwall Community Hospital which has allowed them to buy equipment to help care for members of the community.
Like I said, I personally am not a member of any local service club, but I have considered it. If you want to make a real impact in this community and have fun while you are doing it, then maybe joining a service club would be right for you.
What do you think readers? Email me your Letters to the Editor to nseebruch@seawaynews.media
