David DeWitt joined the Exchange Club of Savannah a few years ago to spend more time with his dad, Buddy, an Air Force veteran who served as the club’s president.
DeWitt, 46, who is also a member of the Savannah Quarterback Club, began noticing that not many other people his age were joining the 88-year-old civic organization, a shift reflective of an increasingly modern and distracted society.
“The definition of community used to be face to face — now community is found after a long day’s work on social media,” said DeWitt.
“When I grew up, in my neighborhood, our parents just let us go and we’d come in for dinner time,” he said. “But now our neighborhoods have become more transient, so our kids don’t experience the same bonds … (and) the world is more dangerous.”
Now, he said, parents schedule their kids’ after-school time, which in turn cuts back on their time to participate in clubs and other hobbies. DeWitt knows this first-hand with two children of his own.
Like other graying civic organizations across the country, tight schedules, increasingly busy kids and declining interest in civic activism have forced organizations such as Exchange to find creative ways to reach new members.
DeWitt believes the Exchange Club, founded in 1926, can adapt to these changes, but it needs to reach more people. He said anyone is welcome to attend their Monday luncheons, meet the other members and listen to a featured speaker from the community.
To join Exchange, you must be sponsored by an existing member. The dues are $100 per quarter and include 12 fully catered lunchtime meals.
The club also focuses on several service projects, so members can choose their engagements based on their schedules. This past week, the club offered free skin cancer screenings for its members.
“Because of the problems we’re having with the community changing, the fact that they can come to lunch, which doesn’t interfere with family time, is more flexible,” he said. “We need volunteers to be part of the club.”
Another change for the club, DeWitt said, has been opening its membership to women.
Bill Gardner, a retired minister who serves as the club’s secretary, said during its heyday, the club had more than 200 members. Now, membership is hovering around 93.
Gardner said the current president, Joe Gamble, is developing programs to recruit new members and encourages people to come out and give it a try.
The Exchange Club’s four main tenets are Americanism, youth, child abuse prevention and community service. The club honors a firefighter and police officer of the year and funds scholarships for student achievement.
However, the club is probably most well-known for its Coastal Empire Fair, approaching its 65th year, on the 70-acre fairgrounds near Montgomery and DeRenne Avenue.
After a shooting at the fair in 2012 left eight people injured, the Exchange’s board made the decision to list the property for sale, though in the event of a sale, Gardner said, the Exchange Club would still like to hold the fair somewhere else.
“The leaning of the board is to continue with the fair in another location,” he said.
This year’s fair will be held Oct. 30 through Nov. 9, and, as always, proceeds of ticket sales go to the Victor Jenkins Boys and Girls Club and other youth organizations.
“It’s going to be the biggest and best,” said Gardner. “We’re using the same company we did last year. We have a three-year contract, and it will feature super rides and free entertainments with your gate admission.”
He said the addition of metal detectors at the entrance last year had addressed concerns about safety and attendance by families with strollers was strong.
While the fair has been the focus, DeWitt said service and forming friendships is really what the club is all about.
“This is the greatest generation,” said DeWitt. “These guys have served their whole life, so they don’t want to go out limping to the finish line. They want to run across and finish it.”