It’s October; we’ve put a full month of school behind us, the activities fair has passed and people are joining clubs in large numbers – or at least they should be. Out of the many clubs at Hatboro Horsham, a general trend has been felt since the end of the 2010s that club membership has been declining even before the shock wave caused by the Covid 19 Pandemic. Now the question is, why?

Prior to 2018, club membership was stable, an even larger variety of clubs around than today, and interest in extracurriculars was high. Then something changed, membership declined, along with their respective clubs. Mrs. Gerlach, one of the eight advisors of the Hatters Student Union, noted that there was a high interest in clubs within the Class of 2018, noting a shift and drop off within the Class of 2019. The interest just wasn’t there anymore. It was even felt here at the Hat Chat, losing readers and writers.

The effects of the Covid 19 pandemic would also strike another hard blow to clubs. Mrs Gerlach noted that from 2020-2023 club membership was dismal, but she also stated that over the last school year club membership has been increasing. When asked why membership began rising again, specifically within the Hatters Student Union, she said that the rebrand done by the club, as well as building a social media presence, has helped to build off of the previous 10-15 student base. 

One student, Senior Andrew Tedesco, stated a reason he does not participate in any clubs was that he has “incredibly rigorous academic standards, that require a lot of my time.” Tedesco takes Multivariable Calculus, AP Government, and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism.

Senior Miles Hartman, Vice President of Future Business Leaders of America, a community service and business club, thought that participation has actually improved this year compared to years past, suggesting a possible light at the end of the tunnel. “Very good participation so far. The room is full at every meeting. A lot better than last year,” Hartman said when asked about this year’s club participation.

Freshman student Chris Gallo, a soccer player who does not do any clubs, feels that what most clubs are focused on just isn’t important enough to him to join. Chris feels that “less specific” clubs that focus on a larger interest or physical activity outside of sports may attract a larger variety of people.

Gallo remarks that there is little interest in clubs within the his Freshman class: “I feel like our grade just doesn’t really have a good attention span and they get kind of bored easily, so they don’t feel like they want to join the groups…. I think it’s just the way we grew up, and technology has lowered our attention spans, and it affects who joins those groups”.

Maybe the root of the problem isn’t just limited to the clubs themselves, but it is a wider change being felt throughout American society and the world as a whole. This new age of technology is still being explored, and the questions of how to deal with living in a tech-dominated world are still yet to be answered. Kids growing up today live in a different world than that of high schoolers of past generations.

Now what can clubs do to navigate this?

A common suggestion is that clubs should keep modernizing. Creating and keeping up a social media presence, advertising, meeting more, and spreading their Remind code could all be great tactics to draw in new people. Another area of interest was the activities fair. Freshman Cooper Beardsley suggested there be another activities fair later in the year for people who may not have been able to attend, for new clubs to be showcased and to spike renewed interest and highlight current club events. Others felt that the Club Rush Week in September felt rushed. More planning and time for clubs to create thoughtful, creative tables would be beneficial and alleviate strain on club leaders to organize their booth in the midst of a busy start to the year. 

In time, clubs may be able to adapt to the changing social landscape and bring a whole new era of passionate club participants. While there are some who may think clubs are “uncool” and “dumb,” others do seek a passion to fill their time. Clubs are a form of expression of the things people value. Who knows? Join a few clubs, try something new, and see what you discover. It might even be something you grow to love or it might help you create memories you hold forever.