MARCH 2020 ISSUE
Creating Harmony Through Service
This week, I had fun taking a walk down memory lane with a friend. Many of you are of an age to remember a fun kids’ magazine called “Highlights” and that was what was shared. “Highlights” came once a month, and it was so much fun to read the articles and stories and do the puzzles – but the best was a cartoon called “Goofus and Gallant”. Goofus was a boy who just couldn’t get things right, whether by intent or accident; Gallant was, as the name implies, an always good kid who made the right choices.
Using the “Goofus and Gallant” idea, let’s think about our Lions clubs for a minute. If a club decides to ignore the fresh idea for a service project or fundraiser brought to it by a new member of a club, using the old adage “We’ve always done it our way”, that’s being Goofus. Inviting that new member to develop the fresh idea and involve those who are interested, Lions members yet or not, is being Gallant.
Deciding that attracting new members to the club would change things just too much, so keeping the club in its staid and shrinking state, that’s being Goofus. Reaching out to the community through a needs assessment survey, finding a new and needed community project and asking folks to join together in that project while having fun together doing it, that’s being Gallant. And how about exploring new methods of membership, such as a Cyber branch or whole new Cyber club? Even more like Gallant!
Declining to offer a service requested by a community member, such as an eye exam and glasses or a hearing exam and hearing aid(s), because that person speaks a language that no one in your club understands, that’s being Goofus! Reaching out to a community contact with translation skills (such as OLSHF), and thus being able to help that community member with needs, that is really being like Gallant.
As Lions, we’re living in communities that are ever more diverse – and all of our neighbors deserve the same attention and care when the need arises. I love to read the articles in the Oregon Lion submitted by clubs who want to share their outreach into their extended communities. Keep up the excellent work, Lions of MD 36!
We’re Lions and WE SERVE!
Council Chair Sharon