THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN CLUBS

     I visited my mother the other day and came across some pictures of some of the many Fourth of July parties she has had over the years.  I recognized many of the friends and the kids who no longer are kids. I saw myself without any grey in my beard. I even saw myself as I once was without a beard. And then I had to get going to make it to our first Lions “Cluster” meeting in Vernonia.

     We are in a time when our clubs are ageing out. And in the frustrations of getting smaller and not being able to do the things we have been proud to have been a part of, because of who we are now.  Yet invariably we still see ourselves personally with the vigor of pictures past, perhaps without the grey hairs.  When folks were gathering at our first cluster meeting a voice of recognition rang out saying “we haven’t had a visitation for so long! I miss when we had visitations.”  Some of the older folks can remember the importance of friendship between clubs as one of the most pleasant parts of being a Lion.  In a way the idea of Cluster Meetings is to revive that sense of joyful friendship in gathering with others Lions who are not the regulars we meet with in our own club.  Sharing in the right now. Sharing new ideas. Sharing in the vision of what we can do if we pull together and sharing because we can relate with other’s pensions to serve our communities.

     We have to provide an environment for the newer members of our community to exercise their natural compassion of serving our common communities in new and modern ways. We have to envision what that is and create plans among members of our own clubs and the Lions from different clubs and community environments. Strengthening ourselves as Lions is not a solo exercise. Envisioning what we can do in organizing for new members is like looking at pictures from days past shoulder to shoulder with each other and at the same time looking at ourselves as we are right now and being realistic not to get the visions mixed up.

     We can and will find ways to do this. Even if we just have a day in the park with young families running around to talk about and share the power of Lionism that they too can be a part of.