Congressman Collin Peterson speaks at the 2018 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener, sponsored in part by the local Rotary Club. Governor Mark Dayton is seated and wearing jeans; to his left is U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.
With the constant barrage of grim news in the current assault on democracy, it’s helpful to pay attention to good things that people and groups are doing for the good of society. That is not an escape; rather, an antidote against normalizing our current national politics where it seems that the depraved are leading the deceived toward dystopia.
One aspect of the ‘normal’ past is found in the number and variety of service clubs and societies. Think Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, American Legion, VFW, Optimists, Jaycees, Elks, Moose, Knights of Columbus, and Sertoma. Previously I was a member and past president of the latter. The name is derived from SERvice TO MAnkind. Or Womankind, with about half of the membership being women.
The Sertoma Code of Ethics requires commitment to “forthrightness, fairness, honesty, and openness with all people, regardless of background,” and to support the organization’s mission of service with an emphasis on improving hearing health. Most U.S. service club oaths share core themes such as service above self, integrity and ethics, cooperation, civic responsibility, respect, and compassion
An online search suggests that the leader of our current federal administration has not been involved in any of these service clubs. And if he had as a club president, I cringe to imagine what that would have been like. Instead of the restaurant lunch buffet, the menu probably would be diet Coke and fried chicken. Instead of interesting guest speakers, the program would be a rant full of lies about stuff going on in town. Dues would increase, and no one would know where the money was going.
Serving together
Although there has been a decline in service club membership, they still involve millions of people. Primarily local businesspeople and professionals, as a group they lean Republican. There is political diversity, and everyone gets along, mostly. Despite a general 20-40 percent membership decline in past decade, total membership estimates range between five and seven million. That’s nearly twice the combined number of Fox and MSNBC viewers.
About the only place you will learn about their good work is found in the pages of small-town newspapers, certainly not on the national news via cable or broadcast. Occasionally I do that, drop by the county library and leaf through small-town newspapers in the region. Although that can be depressing, too, comparing their news and advertising content with that of past years, before the digital onslaught; however, there are some pleasant exceptions: “What news desert? Tiny Swift County bucks trend as three family-owned papers hang on,” MinnPost, Aug. 21, 2025.
De Tocqueville again
Last week’s post mentioned Alexis de Tocqueville’s two-volume book, Democracy in America, in the context of defending our democracy against digital misinformation. In 1831-32 when he traveled around the young democratic republic and recording his observations, he would have seen and experienced news about civic service to an even greater extent. Other than books and magazines, in the 1800s newspapers were the primary means of public communication, and service clubs were in abundance.
Chapter 5 of the second volume is entitled, Of the use which the Americans make of public associations in civil life. “The English often perform things singly, whereas the Americans form associations for the smallest undertakings…the most democratic country on earth is that in which men (and women) carried to the highest perfection the art of pursuing in common the object of their common desires and have applied this to the greatest number of purposes.”
De Tocqueville seemed bemused about the prevalence of civic societies yet saw them as a key ingredient of a successful democracy, supported by these civic institutions and their promotion of moral responsibility. Perhaps they could play an important role in efforts to reduce or neutralize our current political polarization.
Break bread together
A key component of that could be face-to-face interaction that occurs in service clubs among members from different political tribes. It is difficult to demonize another person when you are sitting elbow-to-elbow breaking bread. It’s been awhile since I’ve done that at a service club. Recollections are clearer of various club projects and events.
Our Sertoma Club sponsored the regional Special Olympics competition. Working with developmentally impaired people allowed you to see them as human beings, not merely statistics in a political debate about providing care and services. The society is the strongest and most prosperous that cares for all of its members.
A note about the photo: The local Rotary Club in a rural county helped sponsor the 2018 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener. Rotary, business people and professionals who lean Republican, hosting on stage a governor, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Congressman, all Democrats. It must be the fishing. Maybe that’s a remedy for today’s partisanship, get everyone together and go fishing.
