by Bill Magargal

Well, I know for sure that I'm old... after all, I live in an old-folks home, but what about the overall US Servas membership? Last week we ran age demographics for all 1909 active members, including both friends and host-travelers. No surprise! We are still an older group. Our median age is 67, with a mean (average) age of 62.

Although some people are distressed by this, it is just a fact of life. We are a travel and peace organization... we travel. Young people are involved with careers and families, and it is difficult to include extended travel in the mix. Retirees on the other hand have the time and are more likely to have the funds to travel. Older adults are also much more active than even our parents’ generation, which further extends the age-line.

It is wise of us to encourage younger twenty-somethings to become members to give them a taste of authentic, meaningful travel before job and family commitments become entrenched. Hopefully they will fondly remember and resume having Servas experiences when they get older.