Matt Lewis found himself in a crisis in 1989, when his daughter was born with an inguinal hernia and a cyst on her inner arm. It required surgery at a cost of $1,400, and he had no medical insurance. Then came an unforeseen knock on his door one morning from a member of an unsung local organization: the Briones Lions Club wanted to finance the surgery. “I’ve been a Lion ever since,” Mr. Lewis said, who now serves as the president for the club. “It’s all about helping people and the community to make life a little bit better.”
Lions Clubs tend to remain behind the scenes, and the Bolinas-Stinson club is no different—even though its influence can be witnessed throughout the community. The club donates eyeglasses to school children, funded and created the computer lab at the Bolinas-Stinson School and supported a local nurse to obtain her credentials. It facilitates cleanups around the lagoon and, most notably, has organized the Fourth of July celebration since 1971.
“We make sure this town doesn’t blow up,” Mr. Lewis said of the tradition, the organization’s sole fundraiser that raises about $5,000 to finance philanthropic efforts. But last Independence Day, attendees might have noticed the absence of the barbecue, a culinary custom that was scratched due to a lack of volunteers. And in the months since, the club has continued to struggle with low membership, leading this silent service to speak up.
Last week, during the club’s monthly dinner and meeting, Mr. Lewis urged members and guests to spread the word and encourage membership. He said if the club isn’t able to grow, it will close in February, after 51 years of service.
“It would be a shame to see this Lions Club leave,” he said. “I don’t know what would happen if we shut down in February… We really need your help.”
The club currently has 18 members, but Mr. Lewis said only six are active, too few to justify a quorum. “Pulling out of a hat, I’d say we need 17 active members,” he said. “That’s the number that comes to mind where we can function easily. We’re asking people to work hard and take on responsibilities, especially young folks.”
Chris Besenty has been a Briones Lion since 2014, and calls it a “low-key organization.” “People know that they’re there, but they don’t know what they do. Matt is trying to broaden the club,” he said.
Mr. Besenty, who also serves as a director on the Bolinas Community Center board, said the problem is endemic in West Marin. “Once you get off the 101 corridor it’s hard to get volunteers,” he said. “All over, West Marin organizations are in need of volunteers.”
There are two other Lions Clubs in West Marin, based in the San Geronimo Valley and Point Reyes Station. Last week Chloe Cook completed her term as president of the San Geronimo Valley Lions, which currently has over 50 members. Ms. Cook attributes part of this strong membership to family traditions (she is a third-generation Lion) and the visibility of community projects. Those include a couple of small bus stop shelters that increased the club’s presence with young parents, and led to new members.
Ms. Cook said her club divvies up its work to relate to all age groups, from offering vision screenings for school children to organizing home restoration projects for the elderly. “We have conversations in San Geronimo of what does it mean to be a baby boomer serving in a club and what does it mean for a millennial. We try to work across the spectrum of ages,” she said.
Mr. Lewis said he’s aware that the Briones Club is in need of fresh ideas. “That’s what we have to do to make things work for future generations,” he said. “I think we have to be more open. If we don’t, we’re going to die.”
The Briones had its strongest membership during the 1980s, when there were 40 members—including the grandfather of the club’s current youngest member.
“I’m trying to make him proud,” Bailey Miller, a 25-year-old Bolinas resident, said. She said she is doing what she can to keep the club alive. “I just really love the Lions Club,” she said. “It’s part of who we are to help people.”