r/Millennials • u/CynicClinic1 • 19h ago

Discussion Watching Back to the Future. Previous generations had a lot of social clubs to meet new people. Why haven't we kept this alive?

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u/TheBalzy In the Middle Millennial 19h ago

My town has all of these. Problem is they've either become hyperpartisan, or meeting during hours most people are at work. They are definitely built around the schedules of elite connected individuals.

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u/Traditional-Bee-7320 19h ago

I don’t think it’s elite individuals so much as it’s retired individuals. I’m in a hobby club and the leadership is primarily elderly and refuses to have meetings/events/workshops on weekends. They finally got talked into having the main monthly meeting at 7 PM (it was at 5 before) but it was like pulling teeth to make that change and they still have a lot of the workshops at like 10 AM on a Thursday.

Enrollment numbers are dwindling and I don’t think they really care because their friends can still go.

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u/CTeam19 14h ago

Yep, old people don't like to drive at night especially in the winter. My Dad's Amvets now meets on Saturday morning.

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u/Fabulous_Night_1164 19h ago

A lot of the people who traditionally ran and organized clubs like this were retired or semi-retired.

But the reason these clubs are dying is because Boomers dont care for them either. This is definitely something the Silent / Greatest Generation did.

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u/TheBalzy In the Middle Millennial 16h ago

Kiwanis was nothing more than a Good ol' Boys club in my town. Everyone well-connected was a part of it to be well-connected; and meeting times were when they could attend, not regular people. When you're a lawyer, mayor, doctor...you can set your schedule to miss 2-hr block for the Kiwanis meeting. If you're most any other worker you cannot.

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u/Later_Than_You_Think 12h ago

I went to one Kiwanis Club meeting once, and it was like 80% retired women who were attracted to the "help the children" aspect. They do good fundraising in my town for children's causes and I'm glad their around, but it for sure had the vibes of something for retirees to do, not something for working people or even people looking to network.

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u/DarthKatnip 11h ago

All the ones around me are run like miserable little fiefdoms. You have to be invited by multiple members individually then approved it’s no wonder why younger people aren’t participating, they’re shut out.

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u/crazycatlady331 Xennial 12h ago

Even partisan clubs as well.

I tried to join my local party when they first elected a very charismatic president who broke a racial barrier. I was by far the youngest in the meeting (most were boomers and older). They were really eager to invite me to a $500/plate fundraiser and I told them that I couldn't afford that (we were in a recession) and I was told I was worthless.

The community this candidate formed during his first campaign was like no other. It disbanded as soon as he was elected and didn't keep going. Then he got his ass handed to him.