Dear Club Officers,
did you know that the future of Lions Clubs International is in your hands?
In my presidential program for this year I laid out what I think are vital changes to be made in our association:
- "Re-brand" Lions Clubs International
- Extend membership with greater attention to diversity in age and gender.
- Use leadership techniques appropriate for the 21st century.
But change doesn’t happen when executive officers make plans or when the international board of directors passes a resolution. Change’s in a club’s dynamic, attitude and service projects doesn’t happen at International Headquarters.
Change only happens when Lions Clubs – led by dedicated, forward-thinking club officers – take a close look at what works and what doesn’t work and plan their futures accordingly. I urge all of you during your year as a Lion leader to examine closely and with brutal honesty, the practices and policies of your club.
As you do, please give special consideration to these areas where tradition is often followed solely for tradition’s sake:
Club Meetings – Are your club’s meetings short enough to respect your members’ time while also being efficient enough to conduct all necessary business? Are they interesting and engaging for your members? Click
Is your schedule flexible? The day is long past when a Lions Club should derive its main identity from the time of day at which it meets.
Feedback from your members is important. Are they bored? Do they wish to bring family members to meetings? Find out and then embrace the change necessary to truly serve your members.
Networking – It is and always shall be an important tenet of Lions ethics that membership in a Lions Club must not be used for personal gain or professional profit. Meetings and club events should never be used for personal aggrandizement or to promote a business. However, this basic principle should not be interpreted so strictly as to prevent social and professional networking. Click
As Lions, we strive to bring the most effective and involved individuals into our clubs to serve our communities. It is a simple fact that in the 21st century, the most effective and influential individuals in our communities got that way through networking. When these vital and successful people join our clubs they bring their contacts and resources with them. When members network among themselves and with those outside the club, Lions Clubs will be able to leverage these networks to do more and to do things more effectively in the “We Serve” spirit. The result will be better service to the communities about which we care so deeply.
Fun – Are your members having fun? Service, of course, is the highest ideal of Lions Clubs International, but service should be a joyful experience for all involved. Those who give of themselves with a glad heart will be better received – and will give more – than those who give out of a grim sense of duty. Click
Many clubs are taking bold steps to enhance the cohesiveness of the club and build camaraderie among members. This may mean conducting meetings informally as part of a back-yard picnic or taking "field trips" to local cultural and civic events. I know of one club that has even increased attendance at meetings by introducing “karaoke night” after business has been concluded! However your club chooses to do it, please remember that fun and service are not incompatible. Each enhances the other.
When you ask yourselves these important questions and make the appropriate changes, I truly believe that your club will be fulfilling its highest potential for service. And isn’t that why you became a Lion?
As always, I thank you for your service and look forward to hearing about your successes.
Sincerely,
Mahendra Amarasuriya
President, International Association of Lions Clubs
PS. Below are some additional items of interest:- CSFII Update: The Year of CSFII—Vol. 3, No. 2
- Be "Progressive" for Sight: During "The Year of CSFII" Lions can achieve President Amarasuriya’s 2007-2008 Challenge of 350,000 MJFs worldwide while saving sight. Like an MJF, a Progressive MJF has the power to save 166 individuals from blindness and costs only US$.91 per day over three years. Download a form by clicking here.
- Club Challenge: There are nearly 2,350 Model Clubs to date - does your club have what it takes to be a Model Club or Progressive Model Club? Your club can save sight and help Lions reach 3,000 CSFII Model Clubs worldwide by June 2008!
CSFII by the Numbers:- Less than 265 days remain to surpass our US0 million minimum goal
- More than US4 million officially recorded
- 2,346 Model Clubs ensuring our success
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