Can you bear yet another response to the raging "Bowling Alone"
discussion? The March 2 edition of The Oregonian had a long article on
the decline of Masonic organizations. Seems that the Masons are now in
the position of having to recruit new members before they all die out.
Whatever your feelings on the Masons are, they did raise over $500
million for 24 hospitals in 1994. But anyway,
"A Louis Harris and Associates poll, commissioned by The Shriners in
1995, interviewed more than 1,000 men between 35 and 55 to find out why
Shrine membership had dropped from 942,000 in 1980 to 660,000 in 1994.
The results showed that 75 percent of those polled did not belong to any
civic or fraternal organizations. Most were employed fathers who
considered spending leisure time with their families much more important
than spending it with other men...men are not interested in belonging to
organzations that accept only male membership.
"Television also came out as one of the main culprits. Of those
surveyed, more than three-fourths watched TV to relax, and the average
time spent in front of the goggle box was 2 and 1/2 hours a day" (E3).
There you have it...in addition to many other ideas perhaps "Killing
your Television" would help our communities the most. Oh well, gotta go,
"Melrose Place" is on in half an hour!
Cesie Delve Scheuermann
cscheuer@willamette.edu