Lions Club could fade away, needs members
Longtime Lions Dave Brotnov, foreground, and Joe Decker joke with a donor as the two men ring the bells for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive.
The annual Easter egg hunt at Marantette Park. The Christmas lights in Columbia Falls. The Columbia Falls summer concert series at Marantette Park.
All of those Columbia Falls events could disappear in the next few years if the Columbia Falls Lions Club doesn’t get some new members.The club, which once had as many as 50 members now has 14. The average age, of a club members is 75 to 80. Outside of one member, the club’s youngest member is 60, president Steve Melby said last week.
“If we don’t get members, all the things we participate in will go away,” Melby warned during a club meeting.
The Columbia Falls Club was founded in 1953. Nationally, it got its start in Chicago in the early 1900s as business leaders came together to do good in their own communities.
That mission holds true today. Outside of community events, one of the club’s focus is to help people get glasses that otherwise can’t afford them. At last week’s meeting, for example, club members OK’d spending $250 so a Columbia Falls Junior High student could get glasses that she needed just to function.
The club also offers financial support to local Boys and Girls Scouts, runs Bingo games at the Montana Veterans Home and organizes the Boogie to the Bank race at Heritage Days.
But things have changed in Columbia Falls over the past decade or so. Many of the mills have closed and volunteerism as a whole is down.
“As business and industry has died, our membership has dwindled,” Melby said. Most businesses in town had a member in the club, as did the schools and many of the churches.
Younger people are also more disinterested, club members note. They communicate via cell phones or social media. They don’t necessarily meet socially.
“This isn’t instant gratification,” noted member Steve Holte. “This is fellowship.”
Club members said they’re going to start an effort soon to recruit younger business owners and community members. If folks are interested, they can contact Melby at (406) 249-5547 or slmelbymhi@yahoo.com