Huntsville Lions close to folding

LIONS NEEDED. Betsy Brooks, president of the Huntsville Lions Club, says more members are desperately needed. BRENT COOPER

HUNTSVILLE - Lions are an endangered species in Huntsville.
Just ask Betsy Brooks. As far as she can tell, there are just under a dozen in her ‘pride’ and if there aren’t more lions to be found soon , it could fold.
Brooks is the president of the Huntsville Lions Club, an organization that has given thousands of dollars and countless community hours to the town for more than seven decades.
During the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the group had a membership of more than 40 people, working together on fundraising projects to make their home community a bit better than it was the day before.
Now, the club is teetering on the brink of collapse, with only 11 members – including Brooks – in its fold, and the president is hoping more people are found soon to lend some hours, hands and ideas to the group or the club will have to close up shop.
“We are hoping to do a membership push and we are waiting for some of the higher-ups in Lions to tell us how we should do it. The Huntsville Lions have to do some publicity and outreach to get new members or old members back.”
Brooks made a plea in the editorial section of the Huntsville Forester last week, asking for more people to step forward to join or assist the club. To date, all she has received is some positive feedback about her letter, but no commitments to join.
“We have been hovering around (11 members) for a couple of years now. We can certainly try to move on with our current membership, but some of our present members are older. In fact, we had one very key person drop out because of health reasons. Some of them cannot do the projects we have … they are just not able to do it anymore.”
Sadly, dwindling membership is nothing new to some Muskoka Lions clubs. Earlier this year, the Baysville club celebrated its 40th anniversary by nearly folding.
The club had as many as 31 members in the early 1970s, but that number dropped off to only seven this past January, around the same time the Bala group shut down for good.
However, the club did rebound and has remained in place for the time being.
Brooks, who has been a Lions member for the past six months, said to her knowledge, some Lions club do suffer from membership loss from time to time.
“But it’s not just the Lions clubs that are suffering. I am a member of the legion and it just seems that there isn’t as much interest anymore in service clubs and doing community service. There are some successful clubs … it just seems that the younger generation is just not that interested in that type of service to their community, in my opinion. A lot of them are involved in sports and things like that, many of who have kids involved in (sports).”
She said that a lot of the reasons she hears that people don’t join clubs like the Lions is because both parents work and don’t have the time for community service organizations.
Brooks, who said she has worked and been involved in clubs for more than 20 years including the Huntsville Lioness Club, said that while she understands the reasoning, clubs like the Lions aren’t asking for very much.
“You can get family involved with community service. Family members of a Lions member are considered part of the Lions family. I have been part of the Lions family for more than 40 years.”
The club would welcome any amount of hours allowed to assist the group,
She said that the ideal members would be in the late 40s – early 50s age group, who may have the freedom and experience to lend to the club.
Brooks said that if the club did disband, the remaining members could join neighbouring clubs in Dwight and Stephenson if they wished. But the focus is on keeping the Huntsville club alive, if at all possible.
The group is still talking with the town about taking over ownership of the Chaffey Hall, which has been the long-time home for the group. The town is in the process of divesting itself of the financial burden relating to Chaffey Hall is considering selling it to the Lions or even closing.
Brooks wouldn’t go into detail about the negotiations, but did admit that the club’s bleak future does play a part in how those talks are going, or how they may even end if the club were to fold.
If there is anyone remotely interested in joining, Brooks said they can contact her (705-789-6503) or a Lions club member and come to a meeting to see what the organization actually does for the community.
“Hopefully we will succeed. If not the club is going to fold … it’s as simple as that,” she said.

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