Thank You! To Everyone Who Helped Out in These Trying Times

“It’s not for money, it’s not for fame.

It’s not for any personal gain.

It’s just for love of fellowman.

It’s just to send a helping hand.

It’s just to give a tithe of self.

That’s something you can’t buy with wealth.

It’s not medals won with pride.

It’s for that feeling deep inside.

It’s that reward down in your heart.

It’s that feeling that you’ve been a part

of helping others far and near,

that makes you be a Volunteer!”

-Author Unknown

     2020 has pretty much been a miserable year, what with COVID, wildfires and politics.  But I have to admit I am overwhelmed with the response District R received from our own Lions Clubs as well as clubs from other districts and from the public toward helping wildfire victims in District R.

     We had the Echo Mountain fire (Lincoln City area), the Beachie Creek and Lionsheads fires (Santiam Canyon area), and the Holiday Farm fire (McKenzie area east of Springfield).  We applied for an LCI $10,000 disaster grant, received it almost immediately and got busy purchasing supplies for the various evacuee centers.

     I want to recognize clubs that stepped up to help with gathering donations and distributing them, as well as volunteering at the field kitchen in Gates:  Stayton, Silverton, Eugene Bethel, Florence-Siuslaw, Junction City, Mill City, Central, and West Salem.

     Cash donations of $3,250 were received from the following clubs:  Pendleton, South Salem, Central, Lake Oswego, and Crooked River Ranch.  Note that three of these clubs are in other districts.

     Individuals who went above and beyond include the following:  1VDG Lynn Coon (Junction City), PDG Steve Moser (Central), Patty Harrison (Florence-Siuslaw), Susan Pfanner (Eugene Downtown), Ward Frederick (Silverton), Fran Silbernagel (Stayton), Heidi Ostrom (Silverton), and PDG Gary Mose (District G).

     If I’ve overlooked someone, please forgive me (and let me know who I missed).

      Portland TV station KGW filmed a story about the volunteers at the Gates kitchen, which has been feeding 300-500 people three meals a day.  To see the video, go to https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/volunteers-help-feed-families-in-the-santiam-canyon-after-devastating-wildfire/283-674af158-85c5-4776-b276-74b5555018f6.

     In case wildfires weren’t enough, PDG Steve Moser had applied for an LCI $10,000 COVID grant to be shared by the six counties in our district.  We could not give money directly to the county Offices of Emergency Management, so $1,666 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (gowns, gloves, and sanitizer) was delivered to each county.  The county officers were very appreciative as COVID supplies will continue to become hard to come by as we face another virus surge.

     Again, I want to shout out a big THANK YOU! to everyone who helped out in these trying times.  Keep up the good work and remember:

                                                Forward!  Upward!  Onward!

     As a parting thought, I offer this from Maya Angelou:  “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”

Keep Up The Good Work!

     “Everyone has that one friend that has absolutely no concept of geography.  If you can’t think which of your friends it is, it’s probably you.”

     One thing I discovered over the past few weeks is I had no concept of Oregon’s geography . . . . until the wildfires started burning.  I have now been to Gates, Mill City, Stayton, Newport, and Lincoln City following up on wildfire needs.  I admit I had to Google where some of them were before I took these road trips.  I was hoping to determine where the $10,000 LCIF disaster grant money could best be used. 

     It was heartbreaking to drive through a burned-out area and know that many of these people would now be homeless.  It was interesting to note how the fires seemed to hopscotch through town, burning some places and skipping over others.

     In addition to the LCIF grant, District R received monetary donations from several MD 36 clubs.  These donations allowed us to provide items that were not covered by the disaster grant.  In addition, we received donations from the public of clothing and food items from all over the state.  Thank you, District G and PDG Gary Mose!

     In Gates, the Silverton Lions Club has partnered with the Silverton Elks Club to set up a field kitchen where 300-500 people are being fed three meals a day.  They’re feeding evacuees, firefighters/first responders, and volunteers.  Several of the Lions from my Florence-Siuslaw club made the three-hour drive to Gates to help out with the kitchen.  It’s quite an operation!  The Silverton club has several grills and put them to good use.  There were also several non-Lion volunteers who felt they wanted to contribute and came from different parts of the district to help cook, clean table and commune with evacuees and other volunteers. 

     Napoleon Hill, an American self-help author, stated: “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”  This is certainly illustrated by the Oregon Lions response to this ongoing wildfire crisis.  Keep Up The Good Work!

Can you find a personal mission in all this devastation?

     Greetings, fellow Lions!  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go forth into your community and serve.  As always, should you or any members of your club be active, I will spread the word.

     Speaking of missions, are you familiar with the Lions Mission Statement? 

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

     That’s about as far as I got before wildfires started spreading throughout our district.  Little did we know what opportunities would arise as a result.  This disaster will clearly give all Lions a chance to provide “voluntary services through community involvement” close to home.

     District R has received approval of an LCIF emergency grant for $10,000.  We will need input from all the clubs in the district – who is affected, what is being done, how Lions are participating in disaster relief, etc.  We will also need photos of Lions in action to submit to LCIF.   

     W. Clement Stone stated, “When you discover your mission, it will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.”  Look around you.  What do you see?  Towns completely destroyed or heavily damaged.  Homes and businesses burned to the ground.  500,000 people under evacuation orders of some sort.  Lions who have lost their homes.  Lions who have welcomed evacuees into their homes.   

     Can you find a personal mission in all this devastation?  Clubs can make donations to a district fund to be disbursed along with the LCIF grant monies.  Lions can volunteer at shelters and evacuation sites, sort and hand out supplies, build livestock pens, feed those who have been evacuated, welcome people into their own homes.

     As stated by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: “The mission of your life should be to leave a better world behind than what you inherited.” 

     We’re Lions and “We Serve!”  Step up and take the challenge!  We can do this!

Communication Is The Key To Keeping Members Interested

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” ― Tagore (Nobel Prize in Literature 1913)

“We Serve.” How many times have we proudly said that as Lions? But due to COVID, we are not able to do as many service projects as we would like. That does not mean we should do nothing.

Several clubs in the district are still providing service to their communities. It may require creativity to accomplish this. Collecting eyeglasses so they can be cleaned and calibrated at the Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center and then distributed to those in need is still a major activity for many clubs. Scholarships are being handed out by several clubs. Roadside cleanups continue. The Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation is devising ways to continue doing school vision screenings that will comply with the latest social distancing guidelines.

Fundraisers can also happen. A flower basket fundraiser was held by the Dallas Lions Club. Community calendar sales are being handled by phone by the Elkton Lions Club. Raffles are being held by several clubs. The Salem West Lions Club made cotton candy to sell at a local event.

Communication is the key to keeping members interested and willing to remain a Lion. A survey of district clubs revealed that most clubs are holding off meeting until after Labor Day. While there will always be those who will resist participating in online virtual meetings, there are ways to keep club members informed about what is happening in their areas. Want to meet in person? Look for a public park that allows socially distanced attendance in a picnic areas. That will be an option as long as the weather holds. Club presidents and/or secretaries should consider putting out a newsletter. I’ve received several that are outstanding.

The district convention is currently scheduled for February 13 in Florence. We are playing it by ear right now, hoping that the COVID guidelines will allow us to hold our convention. We are tentatively scheduling forum speakers right now, fingers crossed.

Again, remember our motto: “Forward! Upward! Onward!” Please try to share this motto by continuing to meet as best you can, performing service activities and doing some fundraising in a COVID-safe manner. Share your successes by letting me know what you’ve accomplished. I’m available to attend in-person meetings or virtual meetings, so please keep in touch!

Stay Positive and Get Creative

July/August 2020

Forward!

Upward!

Onward!

When I selected my motto for the 2020-2021 year, it was a different time, pre-virus, Lions getting together at meetings and performing community service projects.  Everyone was enthusiastic and full of plans for the coming year, spreading the “Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion” slogan around the state and around the world.

Now, times have changed, at least as far as meeting in person.  Virtual meetings have pretty much become the new reality.  And clubs are learning to adapt to new technology and devise creative ways to continue service in their communities.

Forward!  We must continue to move forward and keep our clubs active.  If you have not tried virtual meetings and need help getting started with them, please contact me.  We already have several Zoom and GoToMeeting gurus in our district who will be happy to help you set up your account.  If you have not participated in a virtual meeting, please consider it.  It’s a good way to keep in touch with your fellow Lions and can be a social event (cocktail hours are popular) as well as a business meeting. 

Upward!  Due to the virus, LCI anticipates membership will drop 20% this coming year.  The North American Membership Initiative (NAMI) is already underway in several districts to address the continuous drop in membership in the U.S. and Canada.  We will have to work even harder to raise (or at least steady) our membership numbers this year.  Consider forming branch clubs in your community, which only require five members to start.  Consider establishing a Leos club.  They are prime targets for virtual meetings as most youth have been doing that for quite a while.  When the stay-at-home orders are lifted, consider having a membership drive in your area.  There are lots of tools and Lions available to help you.  Just ask.

Onward!  Service projects are continuing, even though we are limited as far as getting out in the community.  This is a prime time to be creative.  Read the Lions magazine and various Lion Facebook pages for ideas.  Several clubs in our district are still doing service projects, though some may be on a limited scale.  Two projects you might consider are Trek’s Bags for Benches, which helps alleviate our plastic problem and provides a visible example of Lions at work.  Building a Buddy Bench for your local schools is also a viable option.  You can research both of these projects on the internet or contact me for more information.

Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of Sinovation Ventures, stated: “Bring out the best in the team by challenging them with tough but achievable goals, encouraging them with sincerity and trust, motivating them with a compelling vision and listening to them with empathy.”

As we start our new Lions year, stay positive and get creative.  We won’t just fade away . . . that’s not the Lions style!