Although cynics often portray service clubs as stuffy, self-righteous temples of boosterism and bourgeois conformity, I think they are a crucial part of the middle class glue that holds communities together.
And I came away from the experience with a strong sense of how much communities, often without knowing it, rely on the work of these far from glitzy volunteers who make sure kids have safe places to play, who organize minor sports, who put on the pancake breakfasts and serve the hotdogs at public events, and who work behind the scenes to help organize those events.
This view is supported by research, which finds that the key indicators of social cohesion in a community are the degree of charitable giving and civic participation through membership in service organizations and volunteering time in community causes.
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