Expand Their Vision of What Is Possible

Lion Magazine - March 2021

Communication and Cooperation

     I started to write this as 1/3 or more of District 36-O Lions were in the grip of ice and snow.  I was among them: without power, so no Wi-Fi to send what I wrote, nor cell coverage (why was that?).

     I was trying to remember where I stowed the “princess phone” I purchased on a closeout sale …because it will work without electricity (other than what the telephone lines carry).  I do still keep a landline in part because it will work without electricity.

     Note: I did find that phone the following day. And it linked me with the Lion friend who came and helped me safely run my generator. Yes, I am among the many rural Lions with means and foresight enough to have backup for heat and well water. (Though I needed to alternate running the furnace versus running the pump.)

     Every stressor is good practice. Many Lions joined their neighbors to clear trees from local roads and communicate – face to face – which collector roads were blocked by trees and power lines PGE would need to address.

Communication and cooperation were key.

     Once I send this, I’ll be asking the Zone Chairs and Club Presidents to reach out to their Clubs and Lions members to learn how each of them were challenged and how they responded. An additional question is, how many then reported their community disaster service to LCI?

     District 36-O has a slightly better service reporting record than the other districts, but it is still missing reports from 60% of the clubs. I hope some of the clubs leadership attended David Bartley’s Convention session on reporting service to LCI. In the case of Emergency and Disaster response, our Lions and Clubs who report to District leadership, enable us to report our service and capacities to Oregon VOAD and Oregon Emergency Management, building our credibility amongst other volunteer organizations and government agencies.

     In turn, when you know what has been accomplished, you can produce PR materials showcasing it to your own communities: a great asset when we are seeking new members. In addition, Clubs that had not tried certain services expand their vision of what is possible.

     Communication creates a great circle for building pride/self-respect through service, and building our Lions family. Please let your district leaders and LCI know what your clubs are doing!