# Any of you middle-aged guys or younger a member of a service club or other similar organizations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 14, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693 "2016-12-14T17:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/41 "2016-12-17T01:51:03Z")
I’m a member of the local Chinese service club. I’m not Chinese, but my wife is, and my membership is through her. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/42 "2016-12-17T04:09:06Z")
> [@The\_Lurker\_Above](#): > > I’m mid-30s and have been a Lion for about 4 years now. > . I buy their peanuts every Xmas for gifts, but by the time I get to where I mailed them they’re eaten up and everyone has peanut breath. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/43 "2016-12-17T14:36:46Z")
Having been “voluntold” to be a member of service organizations for the past 20 years (“It’ll look good on your performance reports–you need some volunteer service!”) I’ve taken a hiatus from them. I don’t know much about the Masons, the Kiwanis, the Rotary Club, nor the Eagles/Moose/Elks/Insert Animal Here. I would _very much like_ to jump back in as a Scoutmaster to the local Troop, bur for now, I’m sticking with the VFW. Tripler It’s a zoo out there. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/44 "2016-12-17T15:22:40Z")
The Mrs. and I are (similar to **Tripler** ) members of a veterans service club. American Legion for us though. We were brought in by her uncle to help break up a power lock in his Post that was slowly stifling the chapter into non-existence. Within weeks, we were being courted for membership in a more exlusive “club within a club” and being groomed for a leadership positions at the district level as well as being actively recruited for leadership positions in a local organization composed of representatives of all the various veterans organizations. We’re still members of our original American Legion Post, but much less active, we just don’t have the time for all the stuff they want us to do. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/45 "2016-12-17T15:43:51Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Long ago I had a friend who was interested in joining the Masons because he was into the occult and thought they might have some actual “secret knowledge”. Also, he saw it as a sort of retro-hipster ironic move. > > As I recall, you need to be nominated by a member to join, and he didn’t know any current members. His attempts to ingratiate with the old duffers was a non-starter. I had a friend who was a Mason. He told me one of their rules was that they can’t actively recruit anyone. They can’t ask you if you want to be a Mason; you have to ask them. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/46 "2016-12-17T15:46:28Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Many years ago an acquaintance tried to get me to join one. I believe it was the Elks. I went to their website and saw that you are required to be a theist and must swear that you are one when you are initiated. I told him that that was a nonstarter for me. He said that he just lied when he was asked that and so did a couple of friends of his. I think that all of the major ones have the same requirement. I believe to join the Knights of Columbus, you have to be a Catholic. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/47 "2016-12-17T16:29:22Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > My dad was in the Knights of Columbus for 50-ish years, but my brother had no interest in joining, nor did my nephew. My husband is a member of a Harley Owners Group, but he had no interest in fraternal or service organizations. I suppose there are service clubs for women, but I don’t much care to get involved, plus I’m still working, so my free time is limited. > > We’re in our 60s - I don’t suppose that counts as middle-aged any more, does it? The Chinese service club I belong to is actually pretty evenly divided between men and women, maybe slightly more women. And by the way, it has no religious requirement. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/48 "2016-12-18T00:19:07Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I had a friend who was a Mason. He told me one of their rules was that they can’t actively recruit anyone. They can’t ask you if you want to be a Mason; you have to ask them. Well sort of. The masons I used to know would discuss all the fun activities they were doing with the “hope” that maybe one of us would ask about joining. ---
**Author:** ![Allezgatta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@Allezgatta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allezgatta)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/49 "2016-12-19T04:21:07Z")
I’m 38 and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Our lodge has quite a few members who are in their 20s and 30s, many of whom are also Masons. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/50 "2016-12-19T07:47:29Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > My friend (40) joined the local Rotary “for some reason” (her words) and while she has only been a member for about 6 months they already have put her in charge of 2 different committees. Kinda sucks for her because she has 3 kids and a full-time job, and everyone else in the group is retired. Sounds kind of shitty to me! I have a friend (late 40s) who joined her local Rotary solely for the purpose of making business contacts. Her particular group is quite active and does a lot of charity events. Don’t know if they’ve tagged her for any committees yet, though. A good friend of my husband’s (mid 50s) is active with his local Jaycees as an advisor. He’s also their social media person so he’s always posting photos and writing up what the kids have been doing lately. My husband’s former coworker is active in the Masons. He’s in his early 50s. I believe he’s the second youngest in his lodge. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/51 "2016-12-19T15:56:22Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I’m a member of the local Chinese service club. I’m not Chinese, but my wife is, and my membership is through her. OCA? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693/52 "2016-12-19T22:49:44Z")
> [@Allezgatta](#): > > I’m 38 and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Our lodge has quite a few members who are in their 20s and 30s, many of whom are also Masons. I had a friend who was in the Odd Fellows. I remember they had a lodge with bowling alley that was above the retail stores in an older downtown shopping block. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-you-middle-aged-guys-or-younger-a-member-of-a-service-club-or-other-similar-organizations/774693.md?page=2)