When Théodore Thériault was a boy growing up in New Brunswick, two men came to his family’s door selling tiny loaves of bread.
He remembers being amused at the comically-sized baked goods, but when he said as much to his mother she told him something that would influence him to this day.
She said those men were members of the Club Richelieu Évangéline, and they paid for the local summer camp he enjoyed.
Years later Thériault was living in Bathurst, N.B., and was invited to join the local club there. The organization has been a big part of his life ever since.
Gabriel Arsenault joined the club for many of the same reasons.
“Throughout my younger days I had some adults who helped me out as mentors. I want to return that. The community gave me a lot and I want to give back to the community,” said Arsenault.
Today, Thériault and Arsenault are two of 10 remaining members of Club Richelieu Évangéline. The local club and another in Charlottetown are part of Richelieu International, the international body of the organization.
Founded in Ottawa in 1944, Richelieu International is a francophone service club that espouses the need to mentor and support youth.
Membership is $50 annually and members meet once every three weeks for a meal and meeting/social event.
The group plans and raises funds to help support local youth ventures, or volunteer their time with community projects.
The Évangéline club was founded in 1992 and estimates it has contributed more than $300,000 to various causes over the years.
Membership to the club has fluctuated, hitting a peak of 20 at one point.
Recently though, the remaining members have had cause to take a hard look at the future of their organization.
They, like many other service clubs, are facing an ageing membership with no young members to eventually replace them.
“We can’t keep this going with so few members,” said Thériault.
“If we want it to survive, we have get more people in to replace us eventually.”
“This year we’re really doing an effort … let’s bring the club back to an acceptable level.”
Recently, the remaining members gathered to hammer out a plan to revamp the club and attract a new generation.
Step 1 was to simply get their message out, so they’ve been on a bit of a media blitz in an effort to raise their profile.
Step 2 was to make overtures to potential female members.
Traditionally, the organization has been relatively male-centric.
“We never closed the door, but maybe we never made that much of a strong effort to bring (women) in,” said Arsenault.
That needs to change, he added.
“If we want to continue our charitable organizations we need to renew, we need to bring another generation in – otherwise (it will end).”
The third step in the club’s renewal plan is to focus their fundraising efforts.
In the past their contributions have been scattered, but going forward much of their efforts will go towards helping the Jeux de l’Acadie de l’ÎPÉ, Village des Sources l'Étoile Filante/Centre Goéland and an upcoming project to build a playground for an early childhood centre in Abram-Village.
To join Club Richelieu Évangéline there is no other requirement than being fluent in French, live in the Prince County area and have a willingness to participate in the group in some capacity.
Prospective members can contact Thériault for more information at 902-854-2239 or by email at [email protected].
@JournalPMacLean
