The story of Tommy Smythe is the story of many men from “The Greatest Generation”.
After returning home from World War II, Tommy went to work in a factory until joining the New York City Fire Department in Woodside, Queens. Every day after work, for nearly 30 years, he spent an hour or two at Chapter 2813 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He talked to his friends, men who shared similar life experiences. He had a few beers with them, watched a ballgame (at the beginning they listened on the radio) and participated in the community projects the VFW supported. On weekends, this chapter devoted a few hours of their time to a soup kitchen a mile up the road on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights.
This was the power of VFW Post 2813 and fraternal organizations like it across the country. Elks. Knights of Columbus. Masons. They had millions of members active in their organizations and provided likeminded men a place to talk and be part of a community. These organizations also understood that the world outside the walls of the clubhouse were just as important as the space inside. Through their stated service missions, they allowed their members an opportunity to feel whole by utilizing their skills in the community that needed them.
These organizations are now dying. Membership is way down. (AARP recently specifically-profiled this trend within the VFW.) The reasons are many but this is not intended to be a sociological reflection. The result of these clubhouse closures has been seen and felt in towns across the country. Men, especially those of the pre-technology / baby boomer generation, now find themselves seeking camaraderie in ways their fathers never needed to and the men who used to repair food pantry shelves and serve meals at soup kitchens on weekends have been almost entirely replaced by women.
But “The Greatest Generation” is the past. A great past, yes, but still the past. And dwelling on the decline of the fraternal organization is like complaining when your favorite restaurant closes. Sure, you’ll miss the meals but complaining won’t reopen the doors and turn on the stoves.
This country is now in the hands of what I call “The Generation of Substance”. They don’t see the decline of the fraternal organization in a sad light but instead as a need to be filled. The technological age has spawned a generation who see the digital landscape the way Lewis & Clark saw the west: as an endless opportunity.
The Generation of Substance have the camaraderie covered. It may not be face-to-face but through social media and other avenues people from all over the world interact to discuss politics, sports, movies, wine or whatever else they want. But what about that second pillar, community outreach?
That’s the missing ingredient. And that’s what the country needs more than anything else right now.
Art Gurwitz
Founder, Areena
Author
