Lions Clubs of Multiple District 36, Oregon and Northern California

We Serve

Eugene, OR USA

541-484-0452

Lions of Oregon & Northern California are a part of an international network of 1.4 million men and women in 200 countries and geographic areas who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world. Lions are best known for working to end preventable blindness, the giving of eyeglasses and hearing aids for the needy and local service projects.

 

Mission Statement of Lions Clubs International:

 

"To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation."

 

Pride Through Service

July 10, 2020  /  Guest User

DG Sheri Young.png

July/August 2020

We have a lot to do this year. The COVID-19 health threat, distancing restrictions and economic stress caused loss of meetings and service activities. We are now challenged to build club and district online meeting and training capacities and re-envision how service activities occur. 

District 36-O Lions (thank you PDG Terry Bowman and Lulu) were already seeking new ways to create a membership more diversified in age, gender, race and cultural heritage, but now our nation is witnessing a very deep need for re-addressing what unites or divides people particularly on gender, race and social justice issues.  So, our leadership and members need to revisit their understanding of current words in the news, facilitate non-partisan discussions of diversity constructs and connect with subgroups in our communities.  We’ll work top down and bottom up on this and need everyone’s help.

In animal Lion (Panthera leo) terms, building membership is building the size of the pride.

Reflect for a moment on the difference between Lions (Panthera leo) and all other cats: like wolves and African painted dogs, they hunt in groups (in Lions called prides). The reason is, the size of the game.

[Metaphor warning.] If you’re hunting rabbits, you can do it alone. Lions clubs, can do community specific projects quite well “alone.”  However, if you want to do something big, like make it possible for every school child in Oregon to be screened for sight and hearing or be prepared to respond to county or district wide disasters, you need to coordinate on a wider level.

We can do that through our LCI and LCIF structure. The “game” or target for non-profits is addressing human needs (local or global). We identify and fill gaps.  Lions core motto is “We Serve”.  This year we will focus on how to do that better by better knowing our member and community needs, by helping them know what the district and LCI /LCIF programs offer and by strengthening those programs.

Expanding the reach and credibility of our programs builds that other kind of pride: the deep satisfaction a person feels knowing they have met another human’s need: enabled them to eat, see, learn or connect with other community members.  We should feel the pride of earned self-respect and accomplishment in our service.  Through joint service, we can find and build fellowship, clubs and strong communities.

Pride in Service. Service by the Pride. Pride through Service.

More than punny.

Sheri Young

“Will you not help me hasten the day when there shall be no preventable blindness; no little deaf, blind child untaught; no blind man or woman unaided? I appeal to you Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and brave and kind. Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?”
— Helen Keller's Speech at 1925 International Convention Cedar Point, Ohio, USA June 30, 1925