Rebuilding a Lions Club Seminar Note
MD20-Y1 Cabinet Meeting
September 20, 2009
Rebuilding a Lions Club Seminar
Audience members watched a skit performed by Lions Jen Servedio, Frank Servedio, Don Rhodes, Angela Rhodes, PDG Paul Haynes and PDG Smitty.
Each table of Lions worked in groups to brainstorm ideas and solutions for the club portrayed in the skit.
The information from the brainstorming sessions is listed below.
Session 1 - Assessing the Club
Is it worth saving?
* Community has a need for Lions, so it is worth saving for that.
Are they willing to make the change? Why did they become Lions?
o Conflict of what they used to do
Honor the past but spring-board to future
* Goals and project: What to do
o Member capacity: do what you can with the numbers you have
They seemed to have lost the focus
They showed up?
* Are they willing to be taken over?
o Build on the interest of being a Lion.
Rekindle the reason for being a Lion.
* Save the club
How would you get them started? What needed to change? How do you attract new members?
* Organization: Reports were non-existent
No pledges, announcements
No planning for future projects
No professionalism or caring
o attracting new members: make them feel welcome
publicize in community for image
* Get a mentor for reorganization
o Have a joint meeting w/in their district
* Attendance
o Clarify duties
Set goals/budgets, agenda
District leadership
Be accountable
* Projects to work on
o Revitalize
Responsibilities
Enthusiasm
Membership Drive
* Order in doing things
o Establish goals so new members see organization
Orientation / re-training of officers
Stop the “we tried” attitude
Bring new ideas
* No negative in Lions
Disorganization: need guiding Lion or DG to participate in this club more often
MERL should work together for membership
Pancake breakfast: find a new location
Session 2 - Service Projects and Fundraisers
What service projects can they do? No $, what can they do with their $200 to get back on their feet?
* Pancake breakfast: find another location
Craft fair: enhance it, don't give up
Every club in a school district: do a recognition of students who volunteer in community
Eyeglass collection drive: doesn't cost anything
o Boxes
Partner with a business
* Offer transport to different places for community
Special Olympics volunteer
Work at Camp Badger/ Lookout: Volunteer
Blood drive, health clinics
o Screenings
5k run
* Christmas party for kids
o contact chamber of commerce
Session 3 - Membership
As a mentoring Lion, how are you going to get new members into this club?
Get local publicity so people know who Lions are and what they do
Go out and recruit for those
Many don't know that Lions is an outlet
Young Leos can be started, Lions can help out the schools
Get younger members: what do you mean by “younger”
Target: where do you want to do?
What are you willing to accept as “younger”
#1 competitor volunteer fire departments
35-40 is ideal
Don't peg for certain age group, someone that will get involved may be who you didn't expect
Problem: people who are already such “doers” that they are already overcommitted
30-50 is the soccer mom, football guy
Participate as a family, bring kids to meetings
Share responsibility of watching kids
Biggest disadvantage is the school district
so much to do, they would take turns
Recruit
Contact former members: why did they drop out?
Publicize
Wanted posters
Paying Initiation/membership cost for new membership
Make the Club family friendly
Open arms to everyone: women, families, spouse club
Get help from district, zone, etc
Identify those that have been helped by Lionism in the past
Sponsor role is the important thing
Called every time there was a meeting
Paid first year membership