More Will Join Their Ranks
"'We're all working to take care of children. That's our mission,' said Woody Woodward.
But it is a mission carried out more and more by older people, Chapman reported.
'We're almost half what we were 35 years ago,' Woodward said.
There are about 6,300 Shriners in the metro. Their average age is 65. In Canada, Mexico, Panama and the U.S., where Shriners used to boast 900,000 members, they have a little over 400,000 now.
The Shriners support clinics for patients who are treated at one of their 22 hospitals, including 19 orthopedic and three burn units."
They do a wonderful job; the Shriners Hospital in Sacramento is monument to their generosity. But...if they are looking for ways to increase their membership, they might want to look at the "hats".
The last comment made me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteWas there really a time when those hats were worn proudly and no one snickered behind their backs? I, too, think they do great work but the only time you see Shriners is at parades riding around in old or silly cars wearing the hats. I bet if they wanted to successfully recruit younger people to the ranks, they will need to change their image completely.