The role of chess clubs

Shaun Press has some food for thought for brick and mortar chess clubs that are struggling in the new online world:

The main reason we have chess clubs today (as opposed to the past) is to provide a social environment for chess players. Having said that however, my belief is that a lot of chess clubs are failing to provide this. And consequently their numbers are starting to drop off.

While I'll continue this commentary at some point in the future, I'll suggest for now that for a club to increase its numbers, it needs to revisit what demand it is trying to fill, and to see if that demand still exists.