FEBRUARY 2020 OREGON LION
Creating Harmony Through Service
As I write this in early January, I am feeling so grateful that our Oregon is a green and healthy place to live. I have just seen a view of Australia from the weather satellite – how horrific to see an entire continent glowing with fire! I have been in contact with Past International President Barry Palmer, who was the IP during my district governor year. He reports that LCIF has been providing amazingly large levels of financial support as his country attempts to move through this tragedy. Our Lions Clubs International Foundation needs our continuous donations in order to provide disaster relief in times such as these.
This topic, support of LCIF, leads directly to my focus for this month: membership growth. Each of our four districts have added members, but sadly lost as well. As I write this, just one of our districts is showing positive growth (but that can change positively with next month’s report, of course!). In November, PDG Charlie Short visited from Indiana with his ideas for the development of Cyber Clubs. We, as an aging service group, rather desperately need a new way to approach Lions membership and club organizing for service and for fun. Cyber Clubs can be a branch of an existing club or a new group started with the fresh idea of organization. PDG Bert Diamond wrote an excellent article on this idea for the January edition of this magazine – if you haven’t read it, please do. I want to share just a brief set of ideas from PDG Charlie and Bert:
Not all members of a new Cyber Club need necessarily to be young. New retirees, folks living farther from a town that makes travel less comfortable, people who would rather participate from their computer or phone than attend meetings – all are great candidates for a club organized creatively. A Cyber Club can communicate through current electronic tools as well as service activities done with the group gathering together. As PDG Charlie is quoted by PDG Bert: “There’s unlimited freedom to experiment and develop a Cyber Club. Consider attracting new members from all walks of life”. I can report that a possible Cyber branch is under development in District 36-O; more to follow on that good news!
To continue with the topic of LCIF support, we MD 36 leaders have an exciting idea to share about the MD 36 convention in May. Our visiting LCI guest, PID Robert Littlefield, would love to present a big group of new and Progressive Melvin Jones awards to Lion and community members, to honor service and dedication. Think of the contributions to LCIF through these awards that can go out to our worldwide service mission! My request: Would clubs please consider choosing their honorees earlier than perhaps usual this spring, and get the process in motion to have awards ready for presentation on Saturday, May 16? I have alerted the LCIF donor assistance office to be expecting a large number of applications for the awards – thinking positively! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have 50 plus MJ and PMJ awards for PID Littlefield to present? Let’s do this, MD 36 clubs!
I’ll close this article with a quote from PDG Jimmy Carter, who, as you may know, is still an active Lion (as his health allows) in Plains, Georgia: “My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference”. And what a difference he and his wife have made through their Carter Foundation that works hand in hand with LCIF on the Lions mission of service!
We’re Lions and WE SERVE!
Council Chair Sharon