Remember “We Serve” Can Be Accomplished in Many Different Ways
Lion Magazine - February 2021
“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” -- Vern McLellan
Seems everyone let out a sigh of relief when we moved away from 2020 and into 2021. While we’ve all been sequestered at home, we are still Lions. We need to step up and remember “We Serve” can be accomplished in many different ways.
Let’s think of 2021 as the year of creativity when it comes to our meetings and service activities. I have sent out a document titled “Fundraising & Service Projects in the Era of Covid-19,” which was created and compiled by Lion Carrie Bartley, the MD 36 Public Relations and Lions Information committee chair. It is a 32-page document full of great ideas for clubs to consider during the pandemic to continue serving their communities and conducting fundraising activities.
Our annual convention, originally scheduled for February 13, has been postponed to May 1. This will be a virtual convention with an online business meeting (elections, International Director Justin Faber, OLSHF, special awards, etc.). We will then have breakout sessions on various topics for everyone to pick and choose from. If there is a topic you’d like covered, please let me know.
Since this is a virtual convention, think of the money you’ll be saving. No travel, no meals, no hotels, and no convention fees!
While the wildfires have pretty much burned themselves out, there are still areas that need help. The Eugene Downtown club is putting together a tool lending library to help those in the Holiday Farm fire. They are looking for tool donations, so contact club president Lion Susan Pfanner and ask her for the list of needed items if you want to help out by donating used (or new) tools.
Our District R Peace Poster entry won at the District level and is now headed to the International level. Winner Mica Tonnsen is a student at Talmadge Middle School in Monmouth. Her entry was submitted by the Central Lions Club. Congratulations, Mica!
Things that will be coming up before we can believe it include voting in our elections. We are planning on using Election Runner, an online ballot system. Each club will be notified how many delegates it has and will need to choose Lions in the club who have internet so they can participate.
Clubs should be thinking ahead about holding club elections in the next couple of months. Club secretaries should be prepared to send voting results to LCI in a timely fashion so new officers can be granted access to MyLCI. Trainings of incoming officers are also being put together. Everyone is encouraged to attend these trainings. In addition, there are eBooks for all club positions available in the Lions Learning Center. They’re extremely helpful for news officers, including those who are holdovers from previous years.
Seems Lions are not the only ones preaching Kindness. This organization is based in Springfield and is spreading the word through yard signs and other means. It would be great to get the word out to everyone by putting one of these in your yard and following up with information about Lions and our vision of Kindness everywhere.
Tibetan proverb: “The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple, and love without measure.”