Nearly two hundred years ago, French political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville traveled throughout our young country and documented his insights in a book called Democracy in America. In it, he highlighted the profound importance of associations in American society, noting that “Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions constantly form associations.” These associations, from local clubs to civic groups, were the bedrock of community and democracy, fostering a sense of collective responsibility and mutual support. Tocqueville believed that “the health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.”
One of our country’s founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, had indeed exemplified our pension for associations. At age 21, he gathered a group of friends and tradesmen into a group he called the “Junto” who shared a desire to improve themselves and their community. Over the course of several years, the Junto would go on to launch a lending library, fire brigade, night watchmen corps, hospital, and eventually a college.
Fast forward to the present, however, and many believe we are experiencing a decline in associations. Robert Putnam, in Bowling Alone, laments the erosion of “social capital,” pointing to the decline of traditional community structures and associations such as civic organizations (like Rotary Club and Elks Lodge), religious participation, political and community engagement (like town hall meetings, neighborhood associations, and PTA meetings), labor unions, social and recreational clubs (like bowling leagues, bridge clubs, and amateur sports clubs), and volunteer organizations and charity groups.
Putnam attributes this to things like increased TV viewing and other new technologies around leisure, suburban sprawl, and the rise of households where both parents are working as well as single parent households. As a result, he argues, we are seeing a weakening in community bonds and civic trust, leading to increased social isolation and decreased collective problem-solving. Others more recently have described a “loneliness” epidemic.
Despite these challenges, there is hope, particularly for communities like Alhambra. In the pages of this publication, Around Alhambra, and indeed all around us, we see people stepping up and becoming deeply invested in local issues and forming new associations. On our main street we see the Main Street Market, a monthly pop-up marketplace for artisans and craftspeople, as well as Happy Humble Hub, a marketplace for startup and online business and gathering space for other meetings. We regularly see robust turnout at city council meetings and other community meetings as people debate and provide input on the future of our city on issues ranging from the new community center, zoning and housing, transportation and bike lanes, historic preservation, and most recently the city’s environmental resiliency initiatives. Social media allows us to easily form groups and meetups around common causes and issues, and recently we have seen people organizing to provide aid for the January windstorm and fires.
And as it turns out, Alhambra had its own version of Benjamin Franklin, the serial association organizer Francis Q. Story. A Boston wool merchant struggling with financial and health setbacks, Story came to Southern California in the 1880s. He co-founded the San Gabriel Valley Rapid Transit Railway, an electric railway connecting downtown LA to Monrovia via Alhambra. He purchased 30 acres in Alhambra where he planted an orange grove, and then organized other local orange growers into associations to improve the production, distribution, and marketing of Southern California oranges throughout the country, eventually founding the “Sunkist” marketing campaign and brand. He was a director and later president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce as well as a leader in the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce to help other businesses. He joined an organization called the California Municipal League to help implement best practices for local government. He was a founder or director of several banks, and led efforts to raise funds for numerous causes, including building the YMCA and YWCA, convening National Education Association conventions, and for victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He helped found or lead social clubs, serving as a director of the California Club and the first president of the San Gabriel Valley Country Club, and later donated land for the Alhambra Athletic Club and a city park (Story Park).
To be sure, not all of his association efforts were as successful as he wanted. The electric railway had setbacks assembling the necessary rights of way, was involved in litigation, could not extend up to Pasadena as it wanted, and was eventually purchased by Southern Pacific Railway. Another association he led, the Nicaraguan Canal Association, obviously failed to meet its objective.
But Story inspires us to roll up our sleeves and get involved. Challenge yourself to join an organization this year. One option is to help the Alhambra Historical Society transform the recently donated Story House into a celebration of Alhambra history and Story’s spirit of organizing so we can catalyze other associations. Another is to become involved in the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, which has several subcommittees such as on government affairs, land use and economic development, the restaurant industry, nonprofits, youth and education, and health and wellness, in which members can regularly meet to advance improvements in these areas.
Or form your own association. For as Tocqueville essentially told us, getting involved is who we are as Americans!
“The McCollum Column” is written by Mike McCollum. Mike McCollum is a lawyer and owner of the local coworking space, Iona Work Spaces.
