Number of members are dying off here (literally) in rural KY as time goes along. I know several, have known several for decades. Was told 20+ years ago that if you were a Mason you'd never find yourself stranded on the side of the road without help, if you got bumped from a flight and really needed to get somewhere another mason would give you their seat, so on and so forth. (Not that the purpose of the organization is for self-benefit but you see the pitch). It's just like a lot of other organizations, I'm a lifetime member of the VFW, but not at my local post. VFW gets a bad rap in a lot of areas, especially in "dry" areas because it's the only bar around and as such there are far more non-members than members involved and it's usually a crap show. Larger areas with larger membership and a good structure do a heck of a lot for their communities throughout the year. The smaller ones much like mine that I have been in a for the most part smoky, dark and dingy, and are just a place where the derelicts of the community go to drink and gamble. My local one has recently banned smoking indoors and at least made an effort to paint and brighten up the place, but it's still not a "family" place. Aside from the fact that there's hundreds of thousands less of us (combat veterans) than there were in the last half century, the VFW hasn't adapted to the culture shift that not every man works a 9-5 and then hangs out at a bar from 5:15 until closing time. This isn't the 1940's where everyone works until the whistle blows at the mill and kisses their dog and kicks their wife when they get home after a night of boozing with the same guys they worked with all day. The VFW (and other "social/service" organizations) must adapt or risk fading into nonexistence.