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Moving clubs forward

This is a summary of the main points discussed at a Seminar held in Southampton in 2017

[There is no significance in the order in which items appear] 

How would your Club respond to these Questions?

1. How do you encourage those with talent/expertise to step up to the plate?
2. How do you ensure Club Officers are the right people in the right job?
3. What incentives can you use to encourage members to volunteer for roles of responsibility?
4. Why are so many members reluctant to step forward?
5. What is the purpose of District Cabinet?
6. What does Cabinet do to help Clubs?
7. Do Lions Clubs offer what the young want from such an organisation?
8. How do we pass on the knowledge from more experienced to younger/less experienced members?
9. Why do we insist on members attending as many meetings as possible?
10. Do Clubs have Assistant Treasurer/Secretary etc to assist and ready to take on the mantle?
11. Does District employ this tactic?
12. Do those in post for many years prevent others from taking on their roles? This could be subtly or openly undertaken.
13. Do Presidents keep members in post as this is the ‘easy life’?

Some suggested tips to help

1. Those joining from other counties/cultures have a much more positive outlook.
2. Need to increase the public profile of lionism to raise awareness of Lions and what Lions do.
3. Everyone joining a Club is given some responsibility.
4. Make use of social media.
5. Look at Universities as possible Campus Clubs.
6. Need to go out and meet and encourage the young, who are already volunteers, to ‘cross the line’ to join a Lions Club.
7. Try to get younger people to join in email discussions on what they need and what they can offer.
8. Presentations must be ‘slick’ and well given including Reports from Chairs to the members.
9. Essential Clubs encourage Fun in their Meetings and enjoy an active Social life for all members.
10. Clubs require flexibility – some are far too staid.
11. Use a ‘Lion’s Corner’ at each Meeting where one member talks about themselves (for about 5 minutes) and what they have achieved – may reveal talents the Club could make use of.
12. A radical approach which some Clubs might consider pursuing: a group of Clubs – probably geographically close to each other - consider reorganising themselves as a ‘Parent’ Club with a number of Club Branches; this would save on bureaucracy and allow the Branches to concentrate on serving their own local community.
13. Club Committees select their own leader to represent them at Directors or to report to the Club as a whole.
14. Older Lions need to stop and listen to the younger members. 

Some possible hindrances to Clubs making progress

1. Lack of new Lions hampers new role takers.
2. Many members say they have/had too much responsibility at work and do not need it in their volunteer roles.
3. Global Action Teams – too much ‘management speak’ coupled with the job descriptions are creating a lack of interest in such roles. 
4. Many Clubs are far too insular.
5. Many Clubs are too complacent; due to much earlier successes.
6. Cost of being a Lion causes some not to join.
7. Meeting formats and length.
8. Some Venues are not conducive to effective meetings.
9. Control Freaks in Clubs hamper progress.

David Merchant – 6th October 2017