Alarm Bells?

Discussions following Shekhawat's announcement of Republic Day celebration on Sunday

With the passage of time, does a Club gain in strength? Would its internal dynamics foster better bonding between members? Or could the very strength of the Club be the cause of its eventual decline?
These are questions that have dogged Big Laaf ever since comparisons were drawn with a rival laughter group operating inside the Garden alongside ours. Shekhawat, in particular, gets terribly upset whenever he sees that our members are less in number than the other's.
Normally, this should not bother anybody, more so in a club that is over 15 years old. But when it is tinged with the fear of shutting shop, we need to be concerned. Nahid Khan articulated this in the morning today when she remarked, “How long can we survive if people start leaving us?”
Adding fuel to fire, Bijoy Gupta reeled out some names, of members supposed to have joined the rival group. “What kind of chairman are you when you cannot even hold members from getting poached?” he challenged Shekhawat.

Naheed Siddiqui's treat of
Kerala chips

Nahid Khan treats us to
 Alibaug sweets 

None of what Gupta mentioned was true and can at best be described as a false alarm. He had mischievously picked on habitual absentees and late-comers (who indeed were to show up later) with the sole intent to get Shekhawat worked up.
However, it must be said that the attrition rate is quite high in a Club like ours which is dominated by seniors. Over-dependence on earning children, sudden relocation, declining health... even death are daunting issues we cannot remain blind to. But we are helpless.
Effectively, the Law of Diminishing Returns kicks in after a point and we begin to witness a steady drop in numbers for the exercises. This is exactly what is happening. We have been doing our best to incentivise attendance with surprise parties and treats, picnics and activities like a New Year’s bash, Republic Day celebration, Sports Day, etc. Even an occasional squabble among members is most welcome as it helps to keep everyone engaged for a while.
But this is as far as we can go… till such time we see the induction of some fresh blood.