By Leonard Burton

Guest columnist

In 1964, Rod Serling tapped the multi-talented Richard Deacon to play a man replaced by the X109B14 robot in the renown episode The Brain Center at Whipple’s.

After all, once you have a fully automatic robot that can assemble anything upon order, why do you still need the worker?

My question is as we go into the near future, will we still need the venerable service club? Throughout Seymour, quite a few service clubs greet you as you drive through town. Several churches, the Moose, the Elks, Rotary, Kiwanis, the Masonic Lodge and even both the Noon and Evening Lions Clubs and many more all have welcoming signs.

But these signs bely the fact that service clubs don’t get anywhere near the participation they once did. Has crowdfunding, social media pleas for help and hundreds of always on television channels just rendered the venerable service club obsolete?

On June 8, Mayor Matt Nicholson graced our Seymour Evening Lions Club meeting with his presence and shared lots of great news about road and park improvements in the city and some great things that lie ahead. As a member of the Seymour Noon Lions Club, the mayor shared with us that he encourages people to find a service club and join it. He also shared with us joy in volunteering with a hospice organization by spending time with the elderly who just need a welcoming presence.

Companies who once suggested their employees contribute their time and talents to service clubs also profited from the leadership development and goodwill of their employees, partners and oftentimes customers. Many companies now have stopped suggesting service clubs and instead have created committees of employees who have periodic meetings to discuss what events their company should partake in.

Maybe the key to regrowing service clubs of all stripes is to ask companies to once again encourage their leaders and future leaders to participate in service clubs once again.

Thankfully, in the almost 60 years since Rod Serling’s dire warning aired, robots have not made craftspeople and trades people obsolete. Skilled trades are more important than ever before. In the age of ordering everything online, we still need nurses, doctors, drivers, designers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, salespeople, chefs and the list could go on for pages. It is impossible to count the careers and positions we will always need.

Likewise, we will always need the venerable service club to serve our community by raising funds and by connecting those who serve with those who need. Please find a service club of your choice and join. If you are a member of one, please invite your friends and neighbors to your club.

The Seymour Evening Lions Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at First Financial Bank in Seymour at 6 p.m. Please feel free to visit us or join us.

Leonard Burton is a resident of Hayden and member of the Seymour Evening Lions Club.