DECEMBER ISSUE
Mighty MD-36 Lions! The rains have come! The wind! It blows! Snow is falling and still … you’re out in your communities doing astounding service!!!
It’s early November as I write this and I just spent some time perusing the Lions International website (www.lionsclubs.org.), an interesting place to spend some time! I looked at the service reported by every club in the Multiple District for the month of October. 2017. Here’s a sampling of what you strong, happy Lions have been up to: Recycling cans and bottles; working with other service organizations to build in communities; participating in SMART reading, washing dishes, doing wildfire clean-up, supporting food banks and clothes closet; volunteering in schools, libraries and on our highways; planting trees, mowing lawns, installing smoke detectors, delivering meals and filling school kiddos backpacks with weekend food, not to mention selling burgers, apples, sausage and sauerkraut, steaks and prawns for fundraisers and providing exams, glasses and hearing aids and, of course, doing thousands of school vision screenings!
Like the pamphlet says … what would Oregon be like without Lions? Well, there wouldn’t be as many opportunities for students. There wouldn’t be as many quality, nutritious meals for youth, seniors and others in need. There’d be longer lines at libraries and hospitals, with less service for those in need at the end of those lines. There’d be fewer literate students because of the lack of reading help. There’d be students who can’t learn because they can’t read and they can’t read because they can’t see. There’d be innumerable adults who couldn’t work or even function in society because they can’t see or hear. You mighty Lions make such a huge impact in your communities! It just can’t be measured.
Well … some of it can. Please, please report your hard service work to Lions International (the website I mentioned earlier!) via MY LCI. Also, publicize your great service in your local media. The Multiple District PR team has produced an easy-to-use PR manual that’ll help you communicate better in your communities. Please use this wonderful tool and get the word out about what you’re doing.
Your District Governors, DGs Debi, Bob, Tom and Bert, have all been working hard, making visits to your clubs and spreading the word and greeting from our International President, Lion Naresh Agarwal: Namaste! “I salute the divine in you!” MD36 Lions, we, your servants, your District Governors and I salute you in so many ways! With every smiling act of service in your community, you make Oregon and Northern California a better place to live! You lead your clubs, zones, districts and communities to be the better places we envision. A big part of those smiles is from the fellowship we enjoy with our fellow Lions and everyone else who is a potential Lion! And we’re getting better and better about communicating the great things we do, both internally, (MY LCI reporting) and externally, (PR/media efforts).
The holidays are approaching so quickly! Please, follow what we say when we induct new Lions, particularly at this hectic time of year: Always keep your family first. Sometimes those we love the most are the ones we most easily ignore. Enjoy your fellow Lions, enjoy your community service, but hold your loved ones close and share the best with them!
As our calendar year comes to a close, remember, we still have until June 30th, 2018, to complete our Centennial projects! There’s still time!
As I’ve said before … Be the source in your community of SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, FELLOWSHIP and COMMUNICATION … Do it … Lead it … Enjoy it … Tell about it!
Let’s keep “MOVING MD36 FORWARD”!
As always, I’m honored to serve you, so proud of your confidence in me and humbled to be counted among you great Lions of MD36!