Greetings again, Lions of Oregon and Northern California

I was fortunate to attend The USA/Canada International Lions Leadership Forum in Atlantic City along with our District Global Membership Chair, Valerie Rudolph, and other members of MD36. We have returned with tools to benefit our clubs and our district. The theme has been Super-Hero Servant Leaders. Any one of us can be a Super-Hero, with vision screening, transportation to medical appointments, a warm blanket, a meal, a visit to home-bound seniors, a smile. Kindness begins with you.

I want to use this platform to bring attention to the proposal of District 36E Disaster Relief Chair, JM Patterson, to form a District Disaster Committee. This was previously sent to 36E clubs via email, and there has been no response.

“Purpose:  To serve the communities and Lions in our District in times of and around disasters. To create a unified and educated team that can act quickly and concisely when called upon.

General Objectives: 1. Increase awareness of Lions in their communities as an individual club of members and Lions as a global powerhouse of service in Disaster Response and Relief. 2. Increase Lions awareness of their communities and how they can serve both as individuals and as an international collective regarding Disaster Response and Relief. 3. Help all clubs and communities build and or rebuild collaborative bridges for a unified service response.

SMART Goals: 1. Formation of the Committee as a working group. 2. Connect and network with other disaster services in each Zone. 3. Have committee representatives in communication with their local VOADs, Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc. 4. District Disaster Zoom and in-person workshops as needed.

Committee Composition: District Disaster Chair, District Governor, LCIF District Chair, District GMT, District GST, Region Chairs, Zone Chairs, Or One representative from each Zone who does not serve in a District role but knows their local areas & zones.”

Lions, we cannot risk finding ourselves, our families, our communities, suffering from a catastrophic event, natural or otherwise, and feel helpless. We, as Lions, could make a difference, but we have to be prepared. Events affecting at least 100 people can benefit from the immediate relief of an LCIF Disaster Relief Grant, such as recently happened in Burns, District 36G, after serious flooding. As a team, we can prepare emergency kits like the District 36R project that has prepared 300 such kits ready and partners to transport them. We can do so much, but we cannot sit a wait for somebody else to step up. Many counties and communities offer CERT Basic Training, for the Community Emergency Response Team. Every Lions Club should be part of that team, where available.

Please, Be a Super-Hero. Don’t wait for somebody else to do it. What if nobody does?

DG Nancy Lynch Patzer and JonMichael Patterson