Members of the Rotaract Club of North Bay - Nipissing have decided to close operations after a 14 year run as a local service club.
The cub was a group of young professionals aged 18-40 but over the years the club’s membership declined and in July the remaining members had a frank look at the club's future.
“After much discussion, it was determined that we didn’t have the capacity to continue running the club, but we knew we wouldn’t just close quietly," explains member Alex McDermid. "We wanted to use our last funds to support our community, allowing us to sponsor Up The Creek Without a PADDLE, which we handed off to PADDLE this summer and be a table sponsor at Soup’s On. All remaining funds were used to support families during the holidays,”
It joins a growing list of local service clubs running into trouble with attracting members.
Just recently the Canadian Club in North Bay ceased to exist.
"Over the years our numbers have decreased, as they have in a number of organizations," Past President Bill Brownlee told BayToday. "So we've got to the point now where nobody wants to take the president's job because nobody wants that kind of responsibility.
Brownlee thinks changing demographics and an aging membership are to blame.
See: Local Canadian Club folding as interest wanes
The Rotaract Club ran events such as Poutine, Pints and Plaid, UP the Creek Without a PADDLE and Fill the Crib.
Since the club’s inception in 2009 it has raised more than $315,000 for the community, volunteered at countless events, and supported international Rotary Projects.
“It is sad to see the club come to an end, but it is so important to end on a high. Our last event allowed us to support three families totalilng 15 people,” states member Valarie Edmunds.
The closure of the Rotaract Club in no way affects North Bay’s two Rotary Clubs says a news release.
A Facebook post said, "In July, our Rotaract Club met to have a frank discussion about our future. Although Rotaract has been a part of many of our lives for quite a while, the time has come to close our club. Effective January 1, 2024, the Rotaract Club of North Bay - Nipissing will cease to exist."