Photo Provided The St. Clairsville Saints Club makes a donation during Friday’s game at St. Clairsville Red Devil Stadium. Pictured from left are Kam Clifford, Athletic Director Justin Clifford, Saints Club Vice President Brian Gay, Superintendent Walt Skaggs, Saints Club President Rick Ferrell, Treasurer Jim DeNoble, Secretary Todd Higgins.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The St. Clairsville Saints Club has been supporting athletics in the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District for decades and contributed another $15,000 on Friday at Red Devil Stadium.

However, the group is facing a shortage of new membership and is searching for ways to get more students’ fathers involved.

Jim DeNoble, club member, said they are wrestling with a generation gap.

“It’s drying up,” he said. “We need to get young people involved. The young dads.”

Club member Dudley Cramer agrees.

“We need membership. We’re an aging group and we need membership,” Cramer said. “We’ve only got three or four members who actually have kids who participate.”

DeNoble added that the club is a vital component to athletic activities.

“We’re trying to get the current dads involved, get them to join the Saints Club. It’s not like it’s just a club to go have fun. We’ve donated more than $85,000 over the last two years to the school and it’s different projects, so we’re an important part of that school and the athletic fundraising.”

He said the Saints Club charter dates from 1941. The reason for the decline of incoming fathers seems to be an increase in activities.

“Part of the problem is our generation, when we were young, we were in one or two sports and it was all school-involved. Now all the sports, it’s year-round,” DeNoble said. “The dads are more occupied now. They don’t have a lot of down time, so it leaves it up to us older guys that don’t actually have kids anymore in the program. And we’re able to donate our time, but they’ve got to carve out some time because this is for their kids that are there now.”

He said not many outside the club realize the role it plays.

“You don’t know how things get done until you volunteer. You don’t know what volunteers do until you try it,” he said. “It’s tough and we understand, but we’re still reaching out and asking for more involvement.”

Some of their fundraising activities include running concession stands at track meets and parking at football games. DeNoble said the parking fees go back to the athletes. They also fundraise with 3 by 8-foot banners around the football field for $300 a year. And another fundraiser is a gun bash.

Cramer said many could feel the pinch without the Saints Club.

“If the Saints Club disappears, we go to pay-to-play,” Cramer said. “The Saints Club raises a ton of money. The majority of our money goes to the athletic department. We make donations several times during the year to the athletic department. Parents have to realize if we don’t get younger members and we fold up, it’s pay-to-play. That’s expensive. That’s real expensive for kids.”

DeNoble said he has talked to district officials, and school spirit and excitement about sports runs high in the district. There seem to be more good feelings and communication among students and between students and faculty since the district limited the use of cellphones, he said.

The Saints Club is also planning an open house at 6:30 p.m. Thursday for fathers or any man who wants to help. They meet in the upper floor press box at the stadium.

“So they can come see what the Saints Club is all about and give them an opportunity to get involved,” Cramer said. “We’re just not getting new members.”

DeNoble said they hope for larger groups of younger fathers, who will feel more comfortable.

“When you want to become a member there and you’re a young dad, you’re 30, 32 years old, and you show up in those meetings, and we’re up at 60 years old it’s like an old gentlemans club,” he said. “We’re trying to get over that.”

Cramer agreed.

“It’s hard when you don’t know anybody up there,” Cramer said. “That’s why we’re trying to do an open house.”

Cramer said the Saints only park cars until the games starts, so they are still able to watch their children play.

They meet at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays in the second floor press box at the football field. Meetings last about a half-hour. More information can be found on the group’s Facebook page.