Lions Club hunting for new members of the pride

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 8, 2026

Unless the South Whidbey Lions Club can recruit new blood, it will close in June to the disappointment of many.

With only a handful of aging members, and its accounts all but “drained,” according to President Kent Renshaw, the nonprofit is currently unable to sustain itself. The club nearly shut down several years ago but lasted long enough to hit its 78th anniversary in March.

Renshaw, 91 years old himself, explained that the club refrained from any celebration simply because there is “nothing to celebrate.”

“It’s a shame,” he said. “Problem is, most of our really good members have passed away.”

There are no shortage of Lions on the island, with six clubs and Coupeville’s one of the largest, boasting over 100 members. But Bobbi Lornson, an associate member and zone chairman for the South Whidbey Lions, said organizations on the South End would miss the club’s contributions in the community should it cease to exist.

“Many of the places down there are very distressed to think the Lions Club would be gone, because they’re familiar with how much they used to do,” she said.

Despite the success of its recent tulip sale, the South Whidbey Lions are struggling to carry on with many of their recurring charitable efforts.

With a little over $3,000 left in the club’s possession, according to Renshaw, it can award a scholarship to a high school senior for the final time this year. No longer can the club afford monetary donations to Good Cheer, a food bank on the South End, he added. And, lacking staffing and funding means the South Whidbey Lions cannot buy and distribute glasses and hearing aids to those in need.

Mike Hill, the club’s vice president, added that Hearts and Hammers, a nonprofit which repairs and rehabilitates homes, has already taken over some of the work the South Whidbey Lions are unable to do due to physical limitations and declining numbers.

“There’s the potential of things that could be done that won’t be done because we’re not there,” he added.

There are a handful of South Whidbey Lions left; remaining members average 74 years old, according to Lornson. Ideally, Renshaw said, the club can double its ranks before June, but Lornson added that even having a few — particularly younger — members would ease the burden.

Peak membership during Hill’s approximately 23 years with the club meant it was about 20 Lions strong, he explained.

Recruiting efforts are largely word-of-mouth, the Lions explained, which may be why the club has had difficulty in that regard. Hanging flyers and running ads in local magazines are some of the ways Lornson said she has tried to recruit new members; Hill expressed disinterest in “hunting” down potential recruits. Preferably, individuals come to the club if they are interested, rather than the other way around.

“It’s low pressure,” he clarified.

Over the weekend, Hill fielded some interest in the club from a few community members, and he plans to extend them invitations to an upcoming meeting. But Renshaw explained that the club’s future may rest on a meet-and-greet scheduled for May 17 at the Bayview Cash Store in Langley. Asking questions and getting to know current members is encouraged. Recruitment is a hope.

New members can expect to find belonging with the club, and a sense of purpose in giving back to the community. Hill joined the club for just that reason.

“It’s just been so much fun working with other people who enjoy what we’re doing and not expecting to get paid at the end of the day,” Hill said. “The payment is the joy that you see in the faces of other people that receive what you’ve worked on.”

Those interested in joining the South Whidbey Lions Club can attend the meet and greet or email swlions@whidbey.com. Head to e-clubhouse.org/sites/southwhidbey for more information about the club.