THUNDER BAY - Community organizations and fraternities across the country have been struggling to maintain enrollment numbers and in an effort to attract younger generations to compliment an aging membership, one local fraternity is laying out some new ideas on the table.
“The whole idea is we are trying to get the younger minded people involved, middle aged people involved,” said Patrick Cross, administrator with the Port Arthur Lodge of the Loyal Order of the Moose.
“Our membership over the years has aged obviously and we are finding it difficult to replace those people with younger ones. That is going to be the future for us if we can do that.”
On Saturday, the Loyal Order of Moose held an enrollment ritual to welcome more than 75 new members to the fold, many of whom were enticed by the Lodge’s new in-house pool league and tables.
“That was the catalyst to increase our membership,” Cross said. “We put in our own tables and started a house league. As a result of that, a lot of the players in this town, who appreciate good tables to play on, have come over and enjoyed it and because of that, have joined our fraternity.”
The Loyal Order of the Moose was created in 1888 in Louisville, Kentucky and has chapters all around the world.
According to Scott Hart, director general chief executive officer Moose international, who travelled to Thunder Bay from Chicago for the enrollment ritual, the Moose focuses on community service, supporting at-risk youth, and seniors.
But it’s not just Thunder Bay that has struggled with declining enrollment, as chapters across North America try to find new ways to attract younger members.
“Fraternal and service organizations, especially in North America, whether you are the Moose, the Elks, the Eagles, Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, we are all seeing a decrease in individuals joining,” Hart said. “That doesn’t mean that volunteerism is dead. In fact, when we look at younger generations, they are very hands on and want to be involved in volunteering with local communities.”
Cross added because of social media and technology, there is less face-to-face socializing today.
“We are trying to change that in our own small way and we do a lot of good for our community and our members and we are trying to increase our numbers to do even more,” he said.
“You have to look at what young families, young members are looking for, and put that on the table,” Hart added. “In this case, it’s pool tables. It’s a niche in Thunder Bay and a lot of pool players want to play on custom pool tables. They are able to come here, socialized, develop those bonds of friendship and fellowship, and grow those members.”
Tony Smodis was one of the new members sworn in on Saturday and he said all his life he has wanted to help people, which he does as a firefighter, but now he can reach out to the community even more.
“They focus a lot on the older and the younger,” he said. “Pat Cross, I have to give him credit, he woke up the moose by bringing in the pool tables and drawing in the younger crowds. I’m hoping out of there we will get a lot of people joining the organization for the same reasons, not just the pool, but to help the organization.”
Following the enrollment ritual, members presented Tommy Moose, a stuffed toy, to emergency first responders to be given to children encountered during calls for service.
“There’s a lot of value in what we do, both for our membership and for our community, as well as children and seniors,” Cross said. “It’s a good feeling when you do something to help people. That’s what we do.”
