(WXYZ) — Local organizations like the American Legion and Lions Club are facing membership declines as they work to attract younger generations to their ranks.
The idea for the story came to us during our Let's Talk event at Peterlin's in Farmington, where members from both organizations came out to speak with us.
Inside American Legion Post 346 in Farmington Hills, membership means much more than getting a seat at the bar.
"Helping the community, that's what we do, we do all types of fundraisers," said Eric Welter, Commander of the Sons of American Legion Post 346.
Right now, the Legion post is collecting toys for a nearby children's hospital, which the Legion Riders will deliver on June 28th.
Welter joined 10 years ago and hasn't looked back. He joined for the service and camaraderie.
"You get to a certain age and you don't make friends. It's hard to make friends. You come to the Legion, I've made such quality friends at the Legion," Welter said.
Welter himself is not a veteran but was able to join the Sons of the American Legion, which is open to men whose father or grandfather served.
"My dad served, so I figured the best way to honor my dad was to join the American Legion," he said.
But like many organizations, the Legion is fighting declining membership. Fifteen years ago, the group boasted 2.4 million members overall. Today, it has roughly 1.4 million members. In 2019, Congress passed the Legion Act, which President Trump signed into law. Instead of only allowing veterans of certain foreign wars, the act expanded membership eligibility to essentially anyone who served after 1941, allowing approximately 6 million more veterans to join. However, membership has still declined.
"Do you find that it's harder to get some of the younger veterans or younger people to join?" I asked Welter.
"Definitely, because they're kinda, it's hard to deserve it, but they're just not ready to join," Welter said.
Recruitment has also been a challenge for the Livonia Lions Club.
"There's been big drives to get more members, but it's challenging. If you talk to just about any nonprofit around, they're having problems getting volunteers or members," said Dave Zarek, President of the Livonia Lions Club.
Zarek joined 6 years ago. He says the biggest recruitment challenge is young people.
Over the last 10 years, Lions Club membership in Michigan has dropped 35 percent. Zarek says already this year, three of their older members have passed away, as these pillars in the community fight to attract the next generation.
Related Video: Simon Shaykhet talks to Dave about the Livonia Lions Club at Let's Talk Farmington
"It's just like the cycle of life. Older people pass away, younger people start to step up. That's what we need, we need those younger people to come in and assimilate those roles," Zarek said.
"It's easier than ever to join an American Legion, be a part of something, help the community, make quality friends," Welter said.
Click Here to learn more about joining the Livonia Lions Club, or contact your local chapter if you're outside Livonia or Redford.
Click Here to learn more about joining the American Legion, or visit your local post.
The American Legion Post 346 in Farmington Hills is running a special, dropping the annual fee to just $10 for new members.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
