Interesting......young people are NOT joining these orgs for the most part.
At one time or another I have visited Elks, Vets, Legion, fire houses and probably others clubs. My impression of most, if not all, was that they were were dark smoked filled holes for drunks to gather and waste money on ripoff tickets.
3 things that greatly impact private clubs.
Most young people, actually any age, avoid clubs that allow smoking.
DUI laws.
Gambling venues are popping up everywhere. Also, in PA, gambling laws favor State provided games and casinos.
Never mind just young people; middle-aged people have little use for them as well. We’re taxed to death to give free sh!t to a swelling population of people that won’t do things for themselves, and the last thing I want to do when not working to pay for that is hear about more people who need my time and/or money.
Demographics play a big role here as well; the foreigners we’ve imported to replace lost generations of white babies don’t tend to be makers or givers; they are here to take. The white working class was the backbone of these groups, and it is rapidly disappearing due to attrition. Just as widening swathes of this country have no taxpayers left, they also have no volunteers either (for the same reasons).
Speaking as an Elk, our membership is healthy and growing. We are now non-smoking (except for a designated outside area) and members ages go from 30’s to 90’s.