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Someone hit on this earlier, and it may just be in my area...but all the lodges and legions have dark wood paneling. It's not the most modern or inviting. I think of places like that as kinda shady...although they aren't, just dim! On the other hand, a lot of the country club places are bright and sterile looking, and don't "feel" like my kind of place either, just too bland and boring. Someone else hit the nail on the head with the health club stuff, gyms, etc. My kind of place! I'm active, and sitting around drinking/talking bores me. I am Gen X by the way, a generation whose tastes kind of got ignored EXCEPT for the athletic type centers...which are booming and taking our money very well...thank you very much! Perfect amount of lighting typically too, aesthetics go a long way.
Someone hit on this earlier, and it may just be in my area...but all the lodges and legions have dark wood paneling. It's not the most modern or inviting. ...
For my parents' generation (WW2), dark wood paneling meant luxury. So did brown cars. For my generation and younger, brown doesn't have that connotation any more. That mostly says something about the age of the people who frequent lodges and legions.
I'm not sure what some of the other lodges had, but the Masons had DeMolay for the boys and Job's Daughters for the girls. When those organizations became less attractive to teenagers, there went the next generation of Masons.....
After I retired I started searching the internet to find out who and what I am as a person. Mom was a Dem and Dad was Rep. I am 9 years older than my twin brothers. I lean right while my brothers lean left. My dad was a DeMolay in a neighboring high school to my mom's high school's Rainbow Girls which is a forerunner to the Eastern Star organization. The DeMolay is a forerunner to the Mason's. The Masons is a forerunner to the Scottish Rite, Consistery and a few others including the Knights Templer's. All this information came from the states organizations of the Masons & Eastern Star moniters of their web sites. I am the first local surname male to receive my 50 year pin. My mom received her ES 50 year pin while in the nursing home. I have my surname GFather's Knight's Templer's sword. My cousin has my mom's GFathers KT sword. A couple of my Shriner buddies were going to sponsor me becoming a Shriner but I was always working nights and days to pay the bills. The Mason meetings was something I could participate with my dad. He died went he was 62 yo. I haven't been back to lodge since but have always paid my dues. My wife having taught elementary school for 63 years spent her (ME) time after retirement on the history of the local counties one room schoolhouses.
They are still here in my rural area, but just for drinking and hanging out. They all look run-down and dirty honestly. I went into one once to get an Ad for my HS yearbook and it was dim and smelled musty. Not my idea of of an inviting place.
There are so many clubs and groups now that people of all social backgrounds can really find their niche. I think many younger people lean towards those options now.
There was a book a few years ago called "Its Tuesday how come nobody is bowling?" Touched on the demise of bowling leagues, country clubs, Elks, etc. Now kids sports are having a difficult time getting coaches, team moms etc.
I blame companies that expect employees to be available 24/7 and too many distractions like computers and 140 TV channels. We are seeing helicopter parents with their kids every waking moment. People have chosen to "close ranks" around themselves at the expense of the community at large.
Most fraternal organizations around here have been hard hit with closings and consolidations over the past couple of decades....some observations, thoughts.....
A local VFW post closed, or to be specific, was ordered closed, after severe financial irregularities were discovered. But even without that issue, the post had been suffering a long decline as membership from WW2 and the Korean conflict passed on. There were no younger members. I asked around as to why this was and the honest reply was they refused to welcome the Vietnam vets, in the day, and were now suffering because of that discrimination. Those vets joined the American Legion or nothing at all.
Owls, Elks, Odd Fellows, all gone. Huge buildings that dwindling membership couldn't support now sit empty in dying downtowns. At least around here. Many shut down by the regional, state or national chapters. Moose survive by being, as already mentioned, a place to booze it up and play pool.
Freemasons, still doing ok around here as far as membership on paper but some heavy consolidation over the past ten years as marginal lodges in outdated buildings close. When I was in there were many college age men that came on board but most weren't in regular attendance. That left mostly men in their forties and up to do lodge work. Paper membership seems good, attendance abysmal. My guess is a few more lodges will shut as consolidation continues.
A friend of mine, a strong Catholic, used to joke with me joining the Masons....."where do you have your hoods and sheets cleaned?"....."no blacks allowed right?". Finally I had enough of the nonsense and explained that yes, there are two different Freemason organizations with Prince Hall Freemasonry being that associated with African-Americans. The lodges are in "harmony" meaning the two groups can and do associate with each other. A white gentleman was recently elected head of the Prince Hall Lodge in Detroit. Many African-Americans became Freemasons. Still, he was unconvinced, until....
I asked him this, being a good Catholic, you're probably a Knights Of Columbus right? Of course he was and their organization would never discriminate. Then I said, who are the Knights Of Peter Claver? He didn't know but looked it up. That shut him up 100% plus.
In many areas, country clubs - and golf - are alive and well. I live in Ohio, and my small city supports four of them. Not everyone chooses a "golf membership" (the most costly) and there are many "social members" who can pay for golf if they want, but primarily use the club for the pool in summer, for the gym, to play tennis, dine out and socialize with others.
Members can upgrade to a "golf membership" if they wish.
We had an in-ground pool in our former house. It was fun when the children were in elementary school and middle school. But, it was hard work and our taxes went up quite a bit.
A country club suits our needs at this time. We have children in college and my husband enjoys golf. When the kids arev home, they enjoy the pool and other amenities.
Amusing you brought this up. A man who owned a chain of gyms in my area bought a struggling country club several years ago. He poured his heart and soul in the country club and has turned it around somewhat, but sold the gyms to another local gym group in another town.
The gyms are now working with the country club to do a $139/month "social and gym family membership" where it can be a couple and all kids up to 21, with unlimited use of the seven gym location chain, as well as tennis, swimming, and dining at the country club. It's probably a decent deal if you actually use the facilities. We pay $51 for a family YMCA membership and have access to all Y's in the state of TN.
Quote:
Originally Posted by crd08
They are still here in my rural area, but just for drinking and hanging out. They all look run-down and dirty honestly. I went into one once to get an Ad for my HS yearbook and it was dim and smelled musty. Not my idea of of an inviting place.
There are so many clubs and groups now that people of all social backgrounds can really find their niche. I think many younger people lean towards those options now.
Moose steadily went downhill from a lodge that had a large gym/swimming facility, to a small fitness facility and lodge, and now it's a small lodge downtown with Bud Light signs on it. It's nothing more than a drinking club now.
Someone hit on this earlier, and it may just be in my area...but all the lodges and legions have dark wood paneling. It's not the most modern or inviting. I think of places like that as kinda shady...although they aren't, just dim! On the other hand, a lot of the country club places are bright and sterile looking, and don't "feel" like my kind of place either, just too bland and boring. Someone else hit the nail on the head with the health club stuff, gyms, etc. My kind of place! I'm active, and sitting around drinking/talking bores me. I am Gen X by the way, a generation whose tastes kind of got ignored EXCEPT for the athletic type centers...which are booming and taking our money very well...thank you very much! Perfect amount of lighting typically too, aesthetics go a long way.
The ugly decor is likely a function of the clientele. That is what was in during their heyday, and they don't want to part with it. Agreed that dated decor and poor lighting will put off a modern demographic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caco54
There was a book a few years ago called "Its Tuesday how come nobody is bowling?" Touched on the demise of bowling leagues, country clubs, Elks, etc. Now kids sports are having a difficult time getting coaches, team moms etc.
I blame companies that expect employees to be available 24/7 and too many distractions like computers and 140 TV channels. We are seeing helicopter parents with their kids every waking moment. People have chosen to "close ranks" around themselves at the expense of the community at large.
I definitely think that has a part in it. Lots of folks I know in the IT industry with me routinely work 50-60 hour weeks, many with after hours responsibilities. It's hard to become integrated in a community or have a set meeting schedule with hours like that.
Interesting and matches what I've seen. Perhaps some reason is now in many towns there are commercial alternatives that don't need a monthly dues. When I was a kid the Moose, Elks, as well as the country clubs, had swimming pools, maybe tennis courts, and fairly nice dining. I remember those special occasions as a kid were my dad and his best friend would get our families together for lobster dinner at the Country Club. Where the impeccably dressed waiter offered your choice of salad dressing from this little three bowl carrier he had. Huge fluffed lobster tails. Really seemed special to eat out. Now their are chains everywhere. Municipal centers have pools and tennis courts.
But look at our lives as well. When dad worked, he worked. But when he was off, he was done. Everyone was too. So evenings were free. For youth sports you jumped on your bike and road to practice in the neighborhood park. Now parents have to drive to the complex across town. And if you have more than one kid, their practices are never at the same time or location, so you spend as much time in the car as at practice. Meaning that instead of evenings being family supper and leisure, it's more like McDonald's between practice and homework. With somewhere in there some text or emails from work. It's harder and harder to be a joiner. No one has time for a lodge meeting.
Interesting and matches what I've seen. Perhaps some reason is now in many towns there are commercial alternatives that don't need a monthly dues. When I was a kid the Moose, Elks, as well as the country clubs, had swimming pools, maybe tennis courts, and fairly nice dining. I remember those special occasions as a kid were my dad and his best friend would get our families together for lobster dinner at the Country Club. Where the impeccably dressed waiter offered your choice of salad dressing from this little three bowl carrier he had. Huge fluffed lobster tails. Really seemed special to eat out. Now their are chains everywhere. Municipal centers have pools and tennis courts.
But look at our lives as well. When dad worked, he worked. But when he was off, he was done. Everyone was too. So evenings were free. For youth sports you jumped on your bike and road to practice in the neighborhood park. Now parents have to drive to the complex across town. And if you have more than one kid, their practices are never at the same time or location, so you spend as much time in the car as at practice. Meaning that instead of evenings being family supper and leisure, it's more like McDonald's between practice and homework. With somewhere in there some text or emails from work. It's harder and harder to be a joiner. No one has time for a lodge meeting.
Very true. And when women weren't typically in the workforce, they did housework, laundry, cooking, volunteering, socializing, during the day instead of trying to jam those types of things into evenings after work and weekends, not to mention trying to squeeze in quality family time.
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