See You On The Flip Side!

     Here we are in June already and this is my final authoring of this column.  I don’t know where the time has gone or how it went so fast but here we are at the end of another Lion’s year.  We have had a rather interesting ride this year as we have been able to come out of the pandemic and return to in-person meetings and conventions.

     Your Governors within each of the four districts has been exemplary as this group of Governors has brought your districts through the fog and into the light.  The work is never done but we are beginning to see changes in social patterns again and it’s time to get back out there.

     Your Council Chair and Governors for next year are going to do amazing things so be prepared to embrace their enthusiasm and ideas.  We all know that each year and each new Council of Governors brings with it new philosophies.  We need to be sure to look at these objectively and not dismiss them with negativity simply because they are new to us.  Where would we be in this world today if someone along the way hadn’t listened to and been willing to explore new ideas such as Thomas Edison and electricity, Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone, Charles Babbage and the computer, and probably most notably for us Melvin Jones and the service club model.

     There is a quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that reads “parting is such sweet sorrow”.  In this quote Juliet is saying good night to Romeo.  Their sorrowful parting is also “sweet” because it makes them think about the next time they will see each other. I have often likened this to when I leave a position.  It’s not that I will not still be around but it will certainly be in different circumstances and most likely less frequently.

     For all of you who know me fairly well you know that I love music and performing so maybe the best way to sum this up is in a few lines from this song by Green Day, Good Riddance I Hope You Had The Time of Your Life. “Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test, and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, but in the end, it's right. I hope you had the time of your life. So take the photographs and still frames in your mind. Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time...For what it's worth, it was worth all the while. It's something unpredictable, but in the end, it's right. I hope you had the time of your life.”

     I know I have had the time of my life serving as your Council Chair for the past 12 months and I will cherish this experience always.  I look forward to seeing all of you along the way as we journey into what lies ahead.

     I will leave you with one more music quote by Chicago from Where Do We Go From Here?  “Let's all get together soon, before it is too late.  Forget about the past and let your feelings fade away.  If you do I'm sure you'll see the end is not yet near.  Where do we go. Where do we go. Where do we go from here?”

     Yours forever in Lionism.  CC Bob Chaney.

Talk To All Of Your Members

Let’s culminate this year with positives:

     Positive One. The convention season is drawing to a close and will culminate this month with the Multiple District convention in Springfield. I am so pleased with this multiple district for having made each of the four single district conventions successes.  And as we put the mask mandate into the rear view - we put the finishing touches on the last of the individual district conventions the last week in March with District E’s and International Director Ken Ibarra and his companion Amy Fink.

It was a lot of fun and a good turnout as well. Thank you all for making that happen. It’s great to see clubs emerging from under the pandemic and once again meeting and getting back into our communities.

     Positive two. Now as we turn to the multiple district convention there has been a lot of consternation because up until just recently we had no location but that has been put to rest.

Also, as we scale it back to just two days, well really one day and an evening, we have moved the OLSHF Trustees meeting and the Council of Governors meeting to Friday, May 20, beginning at 9 a.m. with the trustees and following at 1:30 p.m. with the CoG. I am really looking forward to having International Director Justin Faber with us for the convention as our International guest.

     Positive three. As a part of the convention and continuing with our theme of We Serve we are asking that as a service project for the convention that everyone attending please bring a box or bag full of non-perishable food which will be donated to a local area food bank to aid in their fight against hunger. No one should ever have to go hungry or experience food insecurity and we will do our part to try and make this a reality.

     On a sad note, we were unfortunately unable to hold the Northwest Lions Leadership Institute in April because of poor response. We needed to have at least 15 registered participants and we were unable to get to that number. Although this is unfortunate, it’s not a total loss. The leadership and executive committee of the institute has decided that there will be another attempt to conduct the training this fall, probably in October. So all of you that were thinking about the April training but had not committed, get your calendars ready and reserve some time in October. The official announcement of the date will come sometime in early summer.

     Positive four. I want to leave you with a challenge. That challenge is to talk to all of your members and find out what their needs are, be it financial or motivational, or whatever. Why? Because every year in May and June we see a huge exodus as clubs clear their books and the idea is to try and find out why members are wanting to leave and to try and alleviate the reason. We would really like to see every district finish with a positive net gain in membership, something that has not been accomplished in some time, but is very possible.

     Think about it. All it takes is just one ask. Hmmm. I seem to remember a campaign a couple of years ago that was something like that. I think it was Just Ask. The worst that can happen is they say no. And let’s once again take that one step further with Just Answer. I know that a lot of us have wardrobes made-up of shirts and hats and jackets and a lot of other paraphernalia that has the Lions logo on it. I know I do and almost every time I go somewhere I am asked about the Lions or the logo. That is where the Just Answer portion of the program kicks in. Hopefully you have that 30 second elevator speech on the tip of your tongue and are more than willing to share it with anyone.

     Well my fellow Lions as they say that’s a wrap and I hope to see you in Springfield in just a few days.

Inner Support for Outward Service

     I know, after reading the title of this article you probably went, “What?” and then said oh yeah CC Bob is at it again, but wait!  I urge you to read further.

     As you read this it is already into the month of April but as I write this I have just returned from the District G convention and am one week removed from the District O convention and I must say I am very pleased.

     As I made the seven-hour drive home from Baker City I kept replaying the convention in my mind and I was very happy with what I kept seeing. First, kudos should go to District G’s Convention Chair Janet Stafford for being able to secure the location in a pinch when the original site became unavailable.  She was able to get a location in Baker City on the same weekend as the O.S.A.A. 1A state basketball finals.  Second, seeing a brand new member attending the convention was heartwarming.  Chelsie Fisher was inducted into the Weston-McEwen Lions Club on February 11 and just three weeks later is attending her first district convention. Talk about your whirlwind courtship.  Chelsie, I applaud your passion and desire to be a part of Lions and to discover as much as possible as soon as possible.  I hope to see you at conventions for years to come.  Third, the support of fellow Lions for their newly elected District Governor Cheri Jackson. DGE Cheri was told Saturday that the current cabinet secretary and cabinet treasurer did not want to continue in those positions and that she would need to find someone to fill those cabinet positions.  Well within just a couple of hours she was able to report that she had two Lions step up and agree to fill the spots.  Thank you Betty Jane Bugbee and PCC Paul Zastrow for providing the inner support to allow for the continuance of outward service to not only the District, but to the communities served by Lions throughout District G.

     District G is still looking for more inner support as they need to fill the roles of 1st VDG and 2nd VDG but thanks to all of you who stepped up and are continuing to support Lions.  As I continued along the freeway on my journey home I also thought about how this same inner support had manifested itself at the District O convention with Lions stepping up there as well, namely DGE Kerith Vance and soon to be elected 1st VDGE Ed Glad.  I also thought how District R had experienced the same thing with DGE David O’Kelley having stepped up just a couple of months ago.  District E is now looking for some of this same inner support to allow the District to move forward in this upcoming Lions year. The District is need of a DGE and a 2nd VDG.

     It seems as though every year for the past decade we have struggled to find Lions willing to move forward in leadership roles and when we do find those who are willing they cannot do so because of requirements that have not been filled because we are so locked in to keeping people in positions just to have a body in place.  We need to look toward the future and move our new Lions into positions of leadership that will allow them to ascend to higher places and to fill other roles.

     The idea of bringing in new members shouldn’t be to just fill the seats at the meeting. The reasoning should follow right along with our motto “We Serve.”  Find their passion. Encourage their participation in filling positions within the club and beyond.  Let them know that they are more than just a number, they are a Lion!  This is the only way we can continue to provide inner support for the continuance of outward service.

     Again I applaud, Lions Janet, Chelsie, Betty Jane, Paul, Kerith, Ed and David for your dedication.  I also know that there are many more out there willing to do what these individuals have done so let’s make it happen!

     Thank you District R, O and G for great conventions and renewing my spirit.

Spring sprung, conventions done, institute coming, Oh, My!

Here we are in March already and as my dad always used to say “Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I know where some flowers is,” and although that may not be true everywhere, especially in the Northwest part of our state, we do know that convention season is more than half over. As you read this I will most likely be making the trek to the District G convention in Baker City. I cannot remember the last time we had a meeting of any sort in Baker City and I applaud DG Kathy Oliver for doing so. We seldom get out of the cycle that has District G conventions in Pendleton, Hood River and The Dalles.

     I was lucky and fortunate enough to attend both District R and District O conventions in February. Hooray for in-person. District R started the parade with the first in-person convention we have had in the multiple district in almost two years and it was so satisfying to once again shake a hand of an old friend or embrace a longtime colleague. I don’t know how we survived without it.

     Another positive note on the board is that it now appears that we have 1VDGs in every District and I would like to acknowledge these individuals for being willing to step up and take on leadership roles. Thank you Kerith Vance-O; David O’Kelley-R; Jerry Gomez-E; and Cheri Jackson-G.

     This brings me to the subject of leadership. We need leaders to carry the Lions banner into the future. One of the most rewarding opportunities for our future leaders is our very own Northwest Lions Leadership Institute (“NWLLI”). This leadership training is held here in MD36 and this year is set to take place in Myrtle Creek on April 8 – 10. The staff at this institute are your fellow Lion leaders. I have to tell a story about this institute.

     As most of you know I have a BA in Speech Communications and I have consulted and instructed before at leadership seminars. For several years the leaders in my club kept trying to get me to attend NWLLI and I kept telling them the same thing. I don’t need it. I can already teach the class.

     Well when I became 2nd VDG I finally gave in, mainly because my mentors told me it was one of the requirements for a DG, which it is not, but it is highly recommended. I attended the institute and I am here to tell you it is and was one of the most rewarding experiences of not only my Lions journey but my life. I learned so much about myself and established friendships that will last a lifetime. I enjoyed my time so much that I decided I wanted to give back to this training and I started on a quest to become an instructor by attending and graduating from Faculty Development Institute and also earning my Doctorate from Lions University and now I am lucky enough to be able to instruct at NWLLI and hopefully can make the experience enjoyable for future Lions leaders.

     Those who attend will have the opportunity for growth in Lionism and personal development. Attendees receive hands-on training in Diversity, Lions Fundamentals, Local Issues and Opportunities, Motivating Club Members, Personal Mission Statement, Public Speaking, Setting and Reaching Club Goals, Time Management and Working in Teams.

     If you are interested in attending please give PCC Gail Black, PCC Vince Bishop, your DG or myself a call and we can get you started on the path to a rewarding experience.

The cost for the institute is $300 and that is all inclusive for the instruction, meals and hotel stay. Some districts do offer scholarships so check with your DG. Space is limited and not all applicants can be accepted so please call today.

     Finally, I want to once again offer kudos to District R Governor Lynn Coon and his team as he continues to move forward through this Lions year with a positive in membership. I think we can all learn from his example that honesty and passion do make a difference and Lions do change lives every day.

     See you at the G convention in Baker City and the E convention in Klamath Falls.

Conventions and Children

     It is February and time to start that trek around the state to the various district conventions and yes these are all in-person conventions, Yay!  As you read this you are probably getting ready to attend the District R convention in Corvallis set for Saturday, February 5, at the OSU CH2M Hill Alumni Center. That will be followed later on this month by the District O convention set for Saturday, February 26, at the Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts in Astoria.

     As March rolls around District G will hold its convention set for March 4 and 5 at Sunridge Inn in Baker City.  Remember that the Council of Governors meeting will be that Friday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m. We will try and provide a Zoom meeting but that is not a given.  At the end of the month we will wrap up the district conventions with District E’s, which is set for March 26 at Yesterday’s Plaza in Klamath Falls.

     I am really looking forward to convention season. It’s a time that is needed and looked forward to, especially now as we emerge from the shroud of the pandemic.  At convention you not only have the opportunity for training but for networking with your fellow Lions and renewing friendships with Lions.  I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to all the conventions because it revitalizes my Lions spirit. It rejuvenates my soul and I love to see all of the friends that I have made over the years and, yes, I look forward to seeing Vince, so I look forward to seeing all of you and having the opportunity to interact once again.

     On a serious note this month is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month within Lions and I would like to offer a few items from Lions Clubs International on how we as Lions can get involved in doing something to help:

*Raise club awareness about childhood cancer by holding an educational talk with a healthcare professional or public health official at your club or district meeting or related events.

*Collaborate with a local childhood cancer hospital or support home staff to learn about the needs of their patients and families. Brainstorm ways your club can address key challenges and gaps.

*Research and develop a list of local childhood cancer organizations in your community to support future projects.

*Identify local advocacy events related to childhood cancer and explore ways to get involved.

*Identify nearby childhood cancer centers and support homes to request a wish or needs list. Conduct a drive to donate the requested items.

*Prepare healthy meals for families with children undergoing treatment. This can be done in collaboration with other community members to ensure the family receives food on a regular basis.

*Collect recyclable materials and donate the profits to a childhood cancer organization.

*Write cards full of well-wishes and share them with a local cancer center.

*Donate financial support or gift cards to identified families in need or a nearby childhood cancer center. This could cover expenses like gasoline, parking, food, medical expenses, etc.

*Make or buy new hats, caps, head scarves or blankets to donate to childhood cancer centers.

*Volunteer at a local childhood cancer organization fundraising event.

*Organize a community drive to assemble a toy library for the enjoyment of patients.

*Participate in a blood donation or bone marrow registry event to benefit cancer treatment.

     These are just some beginning ways to get involved in this fight.

     Finally, on a sad note. Most of you are probably already aware that at the beginning of this year we lost one of our longtime Lions and family members in the passing of PCC Don Adams. He severed as District Governor for District O in 1989-90 and as Council Chair in 1996-97. He was involved with the pin trading for a number of years and was a charter member of the Gresham Breakfast Club. Our condolences go out to his wife Nancy and the family. He will certainly be missed.

     Yours in Lions, CC Bob Chaney

And a Happy New Year!

     Hello my fellow Lions. Now that we have 2021 and the holidays in the rear view mirror I trust that everyone had a joyous holiday season and is reinvigorated to move forward with growing and strengthening our Lions family.  If you will remember from the last two month’s articles that I have written about the three areas that we constantly talk about in Lionism; Leadership, Membership and Service.  These areas of focus are ingrained in everything that we do just take a look at our Global Action Team.  What are the three positions that we appoint?  Global Leadership Team, Global Membership Team and Global Service Team.  We appoint someone to each of these positions on a multiple district and a district level so I thought that with so much emphasis being placed on these areas maybe it would be interesting to explore each area as an acronym. This of course is my interpretation of each.

     In November I discussed Leadership and in December we talked about Membership - so this time I have decided to take on Service.

S – Selflessness. This is defined as concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own.  An example of this is a mother's devotion to her child causing her to always put the child's needs first, before her own. Devoted to others' welfare or interests and not one's own; unselfish; altruistic. Having, exhibiting or motivated by no concern for oneself but for others.

E – Empathy. This can be defined as the ability to sense other people's emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. This is very important. As Lions in our service projects we interact with the less fortunate on a regular basis and we need to be aware of and able to understand their situation and the emotions that come with it.

R – Respect. For success in any endeavor anywhere you must have respect. Respect for what you are doing and the respect of others for doing it. We use the term Respect for others a bit flippantly but it rings true. Lions Clubs over the years have earned the respect of their respective communities through the actions of their members and they continue to garner that respect.

V – Veracious. This can be defined as speaking or representing the truth. We must always in everything we do as Lions, be honest and truthful. Sometimes this truthfulness may not be what someone wants or expects to hear but as the old adage goes honesty is always the best policy.

I – Imaginative. Be imaginative. Use your imagination to create and reinvent things to fit the changing world about us. Think outside the proverbial box and remember just because we have done it a certain way for a hundred years doesn’t mean we have to do it that same way for the next 100.

C – Commitment. This is paramount to the success of any service. This is a promise or agreement to do something. If you say you are going to be there, be there. This also walks hand in hand with responsibility and integrity.  If you don’t honor the commitments that you have made then your credibility is no longer valid and as Lions we must always strive to keep the highest credibility possible.

E – Enthusiasm. Strong excitement about something. A strong feeling of active interest in something that you like or enjoy. Basically have fun and enjoy whatever you are doing. Don’t make it look like a painstaking task to provide the service. Show those receiving the benefit of our selflessness, empathy, respect, veracious, imagination, commitment and enthusiasm that we are proud of and enjoy providing service to others.

     Finally, I want to take a moment to remind Lions that we are renewing our Northwest Lions Leadership Institute this April 8-10, 2022, in Myrtle Creek so if you have ever wanted or even thought about attending this incredible learning opportunity the time is now.  I have to tell on myself a little. For years my club tried to convince me to attend but I always told them that I didn’t need to because I already had all that knowledge and expertise. Finally, they convinced me to go and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. So much so that I am now an instructor at this conference and eager to provide leadership skills to others.  So if you are interested let your club President or Secretary or your District Governor know.

     Until next time and remember to continue to strive to Restore the Pride Through Service.

CC Bob Chaney

M-E-M-B-E-R-S-H-I-P

     If you will remember from last month’s article that I wrote about the three areas that we constantly talk about in Lionism; Leadership, Membership and Service. These areas of focus are ingrained in everything that we do just take a look at our Global Action Team. What are the three positions that we appoint? Global Leadership Team, Global Membership Team and Global Service Team.

     We appoint someone to each of these positions on a multiple district and a district level so I thought that with so much emphasis being placed on these areas maybe it would be interesting to explore each area as an acronym. This of course is my interpretation of each.

     Last month I discussed Leadership so this time I have decided to take on Membership.

M – Mentor. We have to remember to continuously mentor new members.  A mentor is a person or friend who guides a less experienced person by building trust and modeling positive behaviors. An effective mentor understands that his or her role is to be dependable, engaged, authentic, and tuned into the needs of the mentee 

E – Encouraging. We must always offer encouragement to our fellow Lions for any job. Positive reinforcement is paramount to continued success and sustainability

M – Meaningful. Make all experiences meaningful for your fellow Lions. We have to continue to make their existence and experience within Lions meaningful.

B – Believable. This goes hand-in-hand with meaningful. Our mission and reason for doing what we do has to be believable and has to continue to be so. If people don’t believe in the cause then the sustainability that we need is lost. Projects and our actions have to reflect this or people will lose interest.

E – Excitement. Continue to make all aspects of Lionism exciting for each member. When we start being complacent is when we lose our edge and begin to lose members. You have heard the old adage “the fire inside” well there is truth to this. Making things exciting keeps people wanting to be involved and be a part of the excitement.

R – Respect. For success in any endeavor anywhere you must have respect. Respect for what you are doing and the respect of others for doing it. We use the term Respect for others a bit flippantly but it rings true. Lions Clubs over the years have earned the respect of their respective communities through the actions of their members and they continue to garner that respect.

S – Supportive. As Lions we must be supportive of one another and of our communities. New and experienced members alike need to have that support of their fellow Lions albeit through an encouraging word or an atta boy. After all by definition To be supportive is to give help or assistance, or to hold something or someone up

H – Helpful. I think this may be the easiest one to explain but the hardest one to do. We all know what it means to be helpful but I think the hardest thing is to know when to be helpful without making the person feel helpless. Probably the easiest thing is just to offer assistance for any and all situations and let others know it is there whether it is used or not.

I – Imaginative. Be imaginative. Use your imagination to create and reinvent things to fit the changing world about us. Think outside the proverbial box and remember just because we have done it a certain way for a hundred years doesn’t mean we have to do it that same way for the next 100.

P – Pride. Always have pride in what we do as Lions. That doesn’t mean puff up the chest and be egotistical. What it means is be proud of what being a Lion means and that you are a part of that prideful tradition.

     I know I cut this a little short but I did want the opportunity to say Happy Holidays to all members of Multiple District 36. I hope this festive time of year finds you and yours in the best of spirits especially with the trying times we have experienced over the last two years.  The greatest gift anyone has ever received is family and we need to embrace it and enjoy it because if this has taught us anything it has taught us about the fragility and fleetingness of life.  I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of Holidays.

L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P

     There are three areas that we constantly talk about in Lionism:  Leadership, Membership and Service. These areas of focus are ingrained in everything that we do just take a look at our Global Action Team. What are the three positions that we appoint? Global Leadership Team, Global Membership Team and Global Service Team.

     We appoint someone to each of these positions on a multiple district and a district level so I thought that with so much emphasis being placed on these areas maybe it would be interesting to explore each area as an acronym. This of course is my interpretation of each.

I felt that starting with Leadership was appropriate with several positions throughout the multiple district committees and also on the district level are currently open. Hopefully someone will be inspired to step up and take o none of these roles.

L – Listen to your fellow Lions. We can always learn from those around us, including our direct reports. Effective listening gives you knowledge and perspectives that increase your leadership capacity. Being open to feedback and new ideas from your fellow Lions helps you learn and grow as a leader

E – Engage with your fellow Lions by doing so it energizes others and keeps people focused on purpose and vision with contagious positivity

A – Aspire your club members and other Lions to achieve something greater. Aspire them to grow their leadership depth, assess how they can lead more effectively in career services today, and explore what it takes to advance.

D – Develop hopes and dreams among Lions throughout the multiple district

E – Empathize with others as you engage and develop their skills. People will trust leaders and feel a greater sense of engagement and commitment when there is alignment between what the leader says and does. All that understanding of someone’s situation should turn into compassion and action. Empathy in action is understanding a person’s struggles and offering to help. It is appreciating a person’s point of view and engaging in a healthy debate that builds to a better solution

R – Respect your fellow Lions. We must as leaders recognize the inherent worth and value of the other person, and honor that inherent worthiness in our words, actions and behaviors

S – Serve your fellow Lions their success is also your success. Pitch in and do the work alongside others. Lead by example.

H – Humble. Be so in everything that you do it shifts attention away from you and focuses on the contributions and needs of those around you.

I – Integrity is essential. Integrity is being honest, trustworthy, and reliable. Leaders with integrity act in accordance with their words (i.e. they practice what they preach) and own up to their mistakes, as opposed to hiding them, blaming their team, or making excuses.

P – Passion for and Pride in work. True leaders have the innate ability to motivate others to achieve better results. Leading with a passion is what separates great leaders from the “wannabees.”

     So how do you inspire your fellow Lions to deliver superior results? To inspire passion in others; you must first be passionate yourself. People follow someone who is passionate versus someone who is just going through the motions. First, believe in what you’re doing and that conviction will spread. You can’t ignite passion with a wet match.

     Next month I will delve into Membership.

Council Chair Bob Chaney

We Must Find and Develop New Leaders

October 2021 - Lions Magazine 

    Let’s remember our motto “We Serve”.

     Well here we are three months into this new Lions year and Lions are starting to get acclimated to new positions and new leaders.

     I feel that MD36 is extremely lucky this year to have this team in place. These District Governors have hit the ground running, amid all the turmoil and continuous pitfalls of COVID, and are once again embracing in-person visits with their constituents.

     Currently numbers in our multiple district are on the negative side as a whole but one District, R, is at a positive and kudos are in order for District Governor Lynn Coon and his leadership team.  As for leadership, there have been some trainings offered but one I would like to highlight is one of our premier opportunities that only comes around every two years and it is happening this Lions year. I am talking about the Northwest Lions Leadership Institute. Plans are to hold the event in April 2022. Organizers of this event have tentatively chosen April 9 and 10, but this can change. The main thing to remember is that it is happening so get those up and coming leaders ready to attend.

     As for service, all of the clubs in MD36 perform service every day and as we progress through the re-opening of our state we will continue to see more opportunities arise for Lions to aid in.

     I would like to now reiterate the goals that I set for this year that I provided to many at the Council of Governors meeting in August. Please don’t run them through the SMART Goal test because I am sure they will fail because some are very philosophical.

     First, I wanted to assist the multiple district in emerging from the COVID age and re-establishing in-person meetings. I think we have begun to accomplish that to a certain degree with our gathering in Rockaway in August and we will continue to make these meetings in-person and work toward an in-person MD convention in May.

     Second, I want to address an almost forgotten piece of the membership puzzle and that is retention.  One of my goals is to see the number of Lions leaving decreased this year. How do we accomplish this? By working together as a team (GAT) to determine why the majority of Lions are leaving and then make changes to our individual and collective policies and procedures to stop the mass exodus.

     The third goal I have is to increase the awareness of Lions throughout our communities and states. This goes back to the old adage of the largest service in the world but the best kept secret.  How do we get out of this enigma?  By promoting any and all events we do as Lions.  Our multiple district has a public relation manual that is available for anyone to use and we also have a MD Public Relations committee with representatives from each district who are more than willing to help with promotion of Lions.

     Fourth, I would like to be able to eradicate the blinders, barriers and territorial borders that we have established over the years. We must remember and embrace our Lions Clubs International motto “We Serve”.  This doesn’t say that only Bob from the Myrtle Creek Lions serves.  We have to be willing to work together and do away with the old school ground mentality of “if I don’t get my way I’m going to take my ball and go home”.  We have to work as one to continue to further our cause and to survive in this current environment.  If we are willing and able to do this I see great things on the horizon for our multiple district.

     Finally, I would like each and every one of us to look for leaders in our clubs. We are severely lacking in new leaders in our multiple district. If you look at our current list of MD committee chairs and the officers and committee chairs of each district you will see a number of vacancies, especially in cabinet positions, and a lot of familiar names filling positions for another term.

     We must find and develop new leaders and the only way to do that is to ask someone or allow someone who asks to take on a role. So what if they make mistakes or do it differently, we all have!

     These are a few of my goals for this year.

Yours in Lionism, Council Chair Bob Chaney

So Many Resources at Your Fingertips

September 2021 - Lions Magazine

Step up and lead.

     We as Lions over the last several years have got caught up in a growing concern of loss of members. This is a legitimate problem throughout North America. Clubs have been losing members at an alarming rate and district losing clubs and the snowball effect continues except in the opposite direction, uphill.

     Which brings me to the substance of this rant, loss of leadership. As we lose members we are also losing the pool of leaders that have been percolating.

     I know as I made my rounds as District Governor in 2017-18 I identified several promising leaders in the clubs within my district and then just two years later when I made the trek again in my second stint a lot of these individuals were gone or not interested in moving up in district leadership.  I know that this scenario is not unique to District 36E, just take a look at our committees in each of the four districts and at the cabinets in a couple of our districts.

     It hearkens to the old saying that good people are hard to find but I think the good people are there they are just a little gun shy about stepping up because of some of the horror stories and myths they had been told.  So for those of you that are out there and would like to take advantage of the leadership opportunities that Lions offer go ahead and step up and lead.  There is a network of individuals who are willing to assist you in any capacity that is needed.  There are so many resources at your fingertips from the assistance of the LCI website to your district governor and Global Action Team.

     This year’s group of District Governors made a concerted effort to bring new faces into leadership roles wherever they could and this philosophy has been embraced as several of the multiple district committees have new chair persons.  Some have hit the ground running and are enthused about their role and you will see the trickle-down effect of this as we progress through this Lions year.

     Another big thing on our leadership plate is the return of Northwest Lions Leadership Institute. The exact date has not been nailed down as of this writing but will be by the time you read this but it is going to be in April of 2022.  For those of you who have had the opportunity to attend this leadership training you know what I am talking about when I say it is one of the most rewarding and inspiring experiences that you will have in your Lions journey.  For those of you who haven’t have the pleasure of attending one get in contact with your club secretary or the cabinet secretary or even your district governor and tell them you want to attend.  This will not only provide you with leadership training that you will use in Lions but it will provide you with enrichment in your personal life.

     Finally, if you have been thinking about taking on a leadership role at the club level let someone know you have this desire to do more. Tell your club president or secretary.  If you have a passion to serve in any specific area that the district committees address let your district governor know or if there is an area not covered by one of the committees, take the initiative and step up and lead by creating.

There are many different ways to lead and be a leader all you have to do is step up and through the enthusiasm that new leaders bring we will continue to restore the Prides of this multiple district.

And as always I thank each of you for your service to Lions.

     Council Chair Bob Chaney

Lions, The Greatest Service Organization In The World But The Best Kept Secret.

Let’s get loud about Lions

     Hello everyone, I’m baaaaaack! And so is the Multiple District, to in-person meetings that is, Yaaah!  I am so looking forward to seeing each of you in-person and being able to embrace or shake hands or just converse.

     This last year and a half has been trying not only for all of us Lions who have “suffered” through countless Zoom meetings and not been able to put boots on the ground but to those who have lost in their everyday lives.  The floods, fires and this pandemic have certainly taken a toll on all of us individually and collectively so as we start to emerge from under this guise let’s remember why we are Lions, To Serve! 

     This year first and foremost we are going to have fun.  You have a Council of Governors who are looking forward to serving each of their districts and having a lot of fun in the process.

     Probably the biggest concern facing Lions in the multiple district and throughout North America is membership. We are losing Lions at an alarming rate and if we are not able to stem the tide we will soon be unable to conduct business.  But here’s the thing. It’s not that hard to ask someone to join and if we all ask at least one person odds say that between 30 and 50 percent will say yea. What does that mean?  If you look at our current numbers across our Multiple District you will see a total of 2,997 that would translate to between 899 and 1498 new members. Just saying, can you imagine the influx of new ideas and energy and passion?

     That brings me to the theme for the multiple district for this year.  Restoring Prides Through Service.  What does this mean?  Well we as Lions were able to provide some much needed service in the form of meals up in the Gates area following the wildfires and this service will go a long way to keeping the Lions name known and even possibly re-establishing a club in that area.  Also all of the outreach that clubs have done through all kinds of service have resulted in new members like the Mt Hood club who had a net gain of 10 in membership this last year.  We sometimes don’t know that breadth and depth that our service projects have on individuals and on a community as a whole.

     There are times when we become discouraged or disenchanted with some of the things we do and these last 18 months has certainly played heavy into that. I know personally that I was starting to be a bit disillusioned but when we were able to get together for training the passion and enthusiasm of your District Governors reinvigorated my soul.  I know this group is going to do great things this year so I hope you give them the opportunity to lead.

     Another issue I see that is paramount with this group is making sure that everyone is willing to work together. As our motto says We Serve. I know that most of you will remember my first term as District Governor I had a theme of Together We’ll Restore the Roar and I still feel that way that by working together across all borders that we will be able to return Lions clubs to the robust and vibrant entities they were.

     I have long been a proponent of tooting our own horn, Roaring, if you will and we must continue to do this in order to get away from that old saying I have heard since I joined Lions some 18+ years ago, Lions, the greatest service organization in the world but the best kept secret.  Let’s not let Lions be a secret any more. Scream it from the rooftops, shout it from the mountain tops, show it in everything we do.

     We are the best and largest service organization in the world and we should be proud of that fact.  So remember as we traverse through this coming year we are going to make a lot of noise and get loud about Lions and have a lot of fun doing so as we Restore Prides Through Service all across this multiple district.

Council Chair Bob Chaney

Hope Is Eternal

     Believe it or not – the end of the year is here already!  Seems like yesterday we had the start of a new Lions Year, with its promises of great things to come.  Even though we had already suffered the indignity of not being able to meet in person – Covid had its fangs already set with forced Zoom-type meetings, and lessened activities at the club and regional levels, we never thought that it would last for over a year.  Presently it appears that some lessening of pandemic rules may allow for in-person training, meetings, fundraising and activities.  Let us all hope it does come to pass that most will have been vaccinated soon, that masks will not be necessary, that things will open for all, and that we will once again have some semblance of normalcy!

     The last issue of the year will be a summary of happenings, both highlights and downers for the state of Lionism in MD36.  Saying that masks, distance and awaiting vaccines are an integral part of the “new normal” we hope that things will allow for better ways for us to meet the needs of our communities and its people.  The ability to meet in person or via a hybrid method, that fundraising will again help us meet the myriad needs we know that exist, and that the calendar of events will again be met with pomp and circumstance, making us all busy and happier than we’ve been for the past several years.

     Hope remains eternal, but reality must be reflected and then purged!  We as a Multiple District continue to lose too many Lions through dropping out.  This must stop!  The loss of more than 350 Lions does not allow us to truly serve the needs of our communities, state or world!  Dollars donated are as well lessened with fewer fundraising opportunities taken.  Even at the local club level we seem to have more open offices going unfilled or repeat office holders – some serving upwards of 5 or more consecutive years in the same office.  This is wrong as members with less years of experience are being thwarted from accessing leadership or becoming qualified to do so.

     District level events must be evaluated, addressed and solved.  For many districts there are openings in governance level offices – first and second vice district governors not being elected at conventions, regional and zone offices going either unfilled or those appointed not getting the job done.  Cabinet meetings often have few members in attendance or some with no reports given or presented.  Some of these by request of the District Governor!  Come on – get real – look at the duties for each Governor, Cabinet member, Club Officer, etc.  Renew yourselves, first perhaps by re-acquainting yourselves with your obligations and fulfilling them.

     Conventions via Zoom only save the need to travel, stay over-night and plan meals!  It is cheaper, but at what loss – seeing each other, the ambiance of being there in-person, seeing those friends more than once per year, and essentially doing those esoteric things that Conventions are made for.  Zoom becomes a poor second!  We need to once again have the District and Multiple District Conventions where we meet, greet, do business and have fun being Lions of one mind, social animals with WE SERVE as the prime motto!

     In summation – this has been a very difficult year – pandemic and other issues that split us instead of bringing us together.  Faults lie in each of us via failure to properly communicate needs and furthering Lionistic ideals.  Hope is eternal – may those governing in 2021-2022 come to grips with what is needed, work together, gain membership and the camaraderie of efforts Multiple District wide. I leave the year as Council Chair disappointed by actions and lack thereof, of some working to lessen what we could have done, and how the future has to change for the positive.  Clubs – have meetings, do your activities, make your reports and re-engage yourselves in WE SERVE – making our communities better places to live work and play!

Make A Positive Difference In The Lives Of Our Communities

     Do April Showers really bring May flowers?  A thousand questions and too many answers that may not truly apply to Multiple District 36!  There are really certainties though – ten months down and two more reports to go!  Although we often use the pandemic woes of Covid - 19 to act as cover for not doing, its new normals have created various opportunities for each of us to embrace and use to our fullest!  Zoom meetings afford us to save time and travel – but the negative is not having the ambiance of in-person contact, as well as often not following closely the agendas created.

     All the while, meeting in person or via Zoom type activities, as Lions Leaders we have to ask ourselves – are we doing our best to serve the needs of our members and communities?  District Governors – are you doing all in your power and interest to seek new members in an organized way, utilizing your GAT and NAMI appointees?  Have you had actual contact with your members throughout your districts?  Are your Zone Chairs meeting and reporting their efforts?  If not – the time left is a must, as the membership numbers continue to show losses multiple district wide. Coordinate your efforts at ensuring there is a remedy to this, so that your legacy can be on a positive uptick for your successor Governors.  Stop the drop, contact those Lions who have dropped membership this year and find out why they have chosen to drop as Lions – that must be done to assist membership improvements for the future.

     District Conventions are about finished with R being held on May 1 and the MD on May 14-15 for the grand finale.  Planning is in the future by next year’s DGs, and hopefully they will have in-person components if not being fully in person.  Vaccines should allow for the vaunted ‘herd immunity’ to allow for much greater personal contact times for Lions – to do activities, serve their communities in fundraising as well as in service projects, conduct meetings and enjoy Lions camaraderie world-wide.  Of course we still must be aware of personal distance and mask up when necessary.

     Did you know the easiest method for supporting our Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation is through monthly checking account or credit card deductions via a process called PRIDE?  It is a seamless way of assuring your support for those in need of vision assistance and/or hearing improvements.  I am asking that you consider this way of donating – it’s almost totally painless, you get a tax deduction and your money goes to a great cause!  Just lately, Lion Brad King has traveled throughout the state delivering mugs as well as glasses recycling boxes to various local areas to in turn be delivered to those members who currently give to PRIDE, and boxes to collect used eyeglasses to either replace old ones or to new locations.  Will you join us in doing so?  Let us see if every club has at least one PRIDE donor, and those who already donate recruit others to donate as well.

     May often means planting gardens – veggies as well as flowers.  Mowing lawns, ensuring our homes look attractive and even beautifying our surroundings.  We can attempt to do the same with our Lions Clubs and Districts through volunteering our expertise and time assisting elected leadership, becoming a part of making our clubs the best they can be.  Volunteerism is not yet dead – we collectively can make a positive difference in the lives of our communities, making them better places to work, live and play!  All it takes is time dedicated to a cause – working at cleaning up roads, volunteering at a club event, recycling pop and beer cans and bottles, becoming a club board member or officer, attending a Lions District Governor Cabinet meeting, or many other activities that could pique your interest and be fulfilling!  Let’s start making it a priority as WE SERVE in all capacities to make things better for everyone!

Always Remembering To Thank And Appreciate Those Dedicated Lions

     April already – where has the time gone?  Conventions have come and gone and yet more on the way.  Elections for filling offices for next year are in the forefront and training for Officers and Cabinet Positions now become a must.  Our Virtual MD36 Convention is shaping up with ID Justice C. Shea Nickell and his significant other Dr. Carolyn Sue Watson from Kentucky our International Guests.  We’ll have a great time getting to know them and visiting with each other to share ideas, projects and learning some new skills along the way.  Be sure to take advantage of whatever convention you attend and volunteer to share with your clubs and members the new ideas and experiences you have.  WE SERVE being the motto, does not mean that your new knowledge is held within – share these new experiences widely, after all, as Lions we represent the best in our communities – and they deserve our participation in making things better for one and all!

     Every year for the past too many, the Lions of MD36 have decreased in membership. The current year we have lost members in every District.  District O has 42 fewer members than they had in February 2020, District R now with 45 fewer, District E losing 28 and finally District G has suffered a loss of 40.  This means that even without the problems associated with the Pandemic of Covid, with less members we have not the capacity to continue with the regular activity agenda we have been doing!  Less service, money raised, individuals involved, etc, and even more so, less people being served at both the local and international levels. It is now the time for vigorous recruiting – new members as well as trying our best to capture some of our more experienced Lions who have dropped out of our prides!  I hate to bring up California as an example, but there are more clubs, many more members and obviously more people being served than last year!  If they have found success, we should be able to as well.

     Speaking of our money issues – how well have we raised and donated to the two best Foundations associated with Lions?  Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation needs and deserves our unqualified support both as clubs and individuals.  The OLSHF does much more than screening of school age kids, service to needy is truly a motto they have filled for all the years they have been around.  What a dedicated staff: friendly, efficient and caring, from Executive Director Doug Thompson to those who volunteer in some way to assist them in their work.  Lions Club International Foundation is as dedicated to International efforts to assist those in need throughout the world.  In Oregon we have been the beneficiaries of about $2 million in grants from LCIF, Emergency grants for fires and floods, purchasing needed PPEs and medical needs, assistance in creating eye clinics, food banks, purchasing ambulances, rehabilitating hospital rooms and much, much more,  WE must work at increasing the donations to these excellent Foundations as clubs and individuals.  Let us step up and work on new and innovative fundraisers that will give us the funds so badly needed  for the dedicated Lions and others serving foundations.

     When we reflect on where we are, where we have been and where we want to be, let us determine first what the needs are, then how can we best achieve meeting those needs, and always remembering to thank and appreciate those dedicated Lions ever doing the necessary work to make the whole world a better place to work, live and play.  We can ill afford to sit back and watch, we must step up and play our part!  Thanks to the many who served in the past, who currently give and whose involvement may even increase.  You are needed and I applaud your time and efforts.  Until next time, I remain as your servant leader, CC – Z, awaiting my new Boston Terrier pup – Rhett! (He will be here before this issue is printed!)

We Can Overcome Obstacles

     It’s now March, normally the middle of the time for District Conventions, the elections for District Administrations, the incoming District Governor, First Vice Governor and Second Vice Governor all being chosen, the new Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Trustees for each Districts elected, and the usual awards ceremonies designating the honors received by deserving Lions for their service in Lionism.  However, since Covid–19 took center stage the normal was thrown out the window.  In-person Conventions replaced by fully media generated ones, or at best with modified in-person and zoom generated experiences will be the normal for this year and perhaps years to come.  The advantages for Zoom type meetings is lower costs, less travel and the ability often to serve with more members being present for learning.  The real disadvantage – the actual loss of being there – lack of ambiance of presence.  What we have experienced in the past may no longer the present and future.  Whatever the mix, we need to embrace the possibilities and make better use of technology with all its uses!

     Now two thirds of our COG year has passed.  Some clubs have embraced the technology of meeting via our computers, phone and tablets.  We’ve even continued service projects as well, although with fewer participants and perhaps less money raised and subsequent less given to various causes.  My own club has somewhat embraced meeting every two weeks with zoom, but our service has essentially gone by the wayside.  We did substitute the lack of doing our traditional Old Fashioned 4th of July Fireworks with a blast our 2020 New Year’s Eve presentation, but no parking cars at the County Fair or Harvest Fest, no Western Antique Automobile and Aeroplane Fly In cooking, and many other opportunities to meet, greet and do things in person.  The need to fund-raise and donate is ever more important and the needs ultimately greater!  Luck was with us in budgeting as we did not spend all of our previous year’s Administrative account.  So we could meet most of what our club saw as annual obligations – so we are spending down the rest of what we have saved.  We will be looking and searching for opportunities to replenish that account with fewer members involved and greater emphasis on efficiency.

     Now is the time as well for all clubs to search for new members, personally interview those past Lions who have dropped out the past two or so years, and actually honestly evaluate where we are as viable Lions Clubs.  We can overcome obstacles put in place when we collectively determine how to overcome them.  Find out why we’ve dropped members, determine how we can recruit new Lions and how each of us get involved in both this recruitment process as well as recognize those who have ‘done the job’ for Lions everywhere in the past.  With determination as well as reality thinking, these problems can be overcome.  Do not use the pandemic as an excuse – let’s collectively get to work with recruiting to truly make our communities great places to live, work and play.  It is up to us, the time is now, and the possibilities for success are actually almost endless.

     My challenge to District leaders – let us as well evaluate where we have been as well as where we want to go.  Fill up those cabinet positions with Lions willing and trained to get the job done.  Create those training programs that will give opportunities for new and varied leadership, look at the unrepresented Lions and ask why they may not have stepped up.  Make opportunities for new members, new leaders and new Lions – it is imperative and necessary that we change what we are doing now and in the past, as with fewer members we can no longer do what we have been doing.  Our successes can be endless if we just do some possibility thinking and action.  It is up to us – individually and collectively.  So – JUST DO IT!   ‘Til next month – I remain your humble servant leader.

What Can We Do as Lions

     A new month, new US President and Administration, new Oregon Legislative Session with requests, bills, etc. all happening at once - - but under the same old “New Normal” Covid–19 issues being paramount!   District and probably Multiple District Conventions will be held via social media – less expensive but the ability to attract more numbers in attendance, different methods in presentations for Lionism to come to you - the various Lions throughout Oregon and Northern California.  Take advantage of this opportunity to learn what is happening in our Districts while staying in your living room in comfort without having to venture to far away locations!  Pajamas may even be worn, and that “cuppa joe” warmed anytime will be the fare!  District Convention Committees are trying to work the miracles of getting good topics together, interesting presentations ready and recruiting Lions to attend.  Takes away the expensive way to participate in Lions at a higher level – and one can even attend all of the district and multi-district events without breaking your bank account.

      What can we do as Lions as far as activities?  Things can be similar to what we normally do with imaginative twists.  My own Eye Opener Lions Club has been putting on the 4th of July Old Fashioned Fireworks since the Jaycees folded around 1980.  For many years the fireworks were set off by fuses – hand lighting each, then even before the tube cooled down, a new explosive was placed in and once again, hand lit.  Neither safe nor well-coordinated. For safety, in the early 2000’s several of us pyros worked on an electrical switching panel, boxes of switches, wiring tube racks and all the rest.  Then came 2020 and Covid-19 – and no way for July 4th Fireworks due to Covid-19.  Undaunted we spoke to each other in late summer/early fall and decided to work the calendar for New Year’s Eve.  Getting permission from the Port of Hood River to set off pyrotechnics, permits from the state fire marshal, raising funds and doing a quick set-up and firing off the shells and boxes at 8 PM.  Some thought it could not be accomplished, but the fireworks were appreciated by thousands who observed! We Blew out 2020 and now look forward to doing the 4th once again.

     Parking cars at local events, cooking breakfasts and lunches at others, have been our main money raisers.  Some clubs have invested in trailers for bottle and can recycling – which has proved profitable but care needs to be taken due to the pandemic when sorting – masks, distance, etc.  So – what are your clubs doing since we can no longer do the usual fundraising activities?  Cyber eats and take-out meals could be considered.   Let us know what your clubs are doing and share the ideas!  Auctions and raffles need to become a greater part of fundraising as there is less personal contact and you still can have fun participating. 

     Serving the needs of the local community and the broader needs all over the world costs money and time.  Luckily we do have several foundations associated with Lions that we can become an integral part of.  Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation serves us locally with visual screening of school kids and similar localized activities.  Lions Clubs International Foundation serves more broadly – Grants for Disaster Relief, fighting to make the world a safer place with fewer diseases, curbing hunger, becoming better environmental stewards, and more – to make the whole world a better place in which to live, work and play.  These efforts take money, time and effort!   You can help as can your clubs.  Donations made to both Foundations will help fulfill their goals.  Individually, donate to PRIDE via credit card or bank auto withdrawal – it’s easy and you are helping a great cause.  I make automatic $20 per month to Pride and every other year $1,000 goes to LCIF for a Melvin Jones Progressive award, and I also give more to both sporadically.  Makes me feel good that I can assist - can you?  So – go forth, fundraise, donate, give your efforts to help and say HI and HOPE YOU ARE WELL to your friends, neighbors and relatives!  Let everyone know you CARE and WE SERVE!

Where Do We Go From Here?

     The holiday season has now come and gone – Christmas, Kwanzaa and all the other celebrations a mere memory of good times. Of remembrances and of honoring those who have gone before us or at least thinking of what the season truly stands for.  The year has past, may 2021 become a year of promises kept, of better national health, the real vaccine to help eradicate Covid–19, the installation of a new president and – we need – the healing of all from the discord of the past.

     It has been said that time heals all wounds, but it takes an honest person to acknowledge their own foibles.  Although we can never truly take back things we have said in anger or disgust, we can all model the appropriate behavior we all know to be correct.  Let us all as Lions really start the healing from the past.  Half a year has gone by, Oregon’s share of tragedies are being addressed, lost homes, from the conflagrations we suffered in September will be remedied through rebuilding, the forests will be replanted and nature will heal the wounds suffered.

     So, where do we go from here?  Covid still will linger for a period, conventions will be done through the social media of Zoom or some other offering. Some of us will in all probability be able to meet in person, as long as we take proper precautions, masks, safe distances and honoring the edicts from state, medical and national rules and regulations regarding the pandemic.  As Lions we must both adjust and proceed somewhat as usual.  Our collective numbers are dramatically down from last year, so we must strive to increase them.  Some have left the den as we have not addressed their needs.  Others dropped membership because of not having meetings – often either in person or social media.  AS members have you contacted or asked how your fellow Lions are doing?  Have you asked about their health or mental state or even made contact if only to say “Hi”?

     Clubs need to remember that not only have we a responsibility to serve our communities, we need to serve members as well.  Service programs that have been somewhat ignored need to be re-thought as to ensure their successes.  Working with other community organizations should give you at least some satisfaction of doing a great job in service to others.  Using our collective imaginations should lead to innovative activities for fundraising, for making our town and areas better places to live work and play.  Go out and seek new members, create the good in Lions and then make it work for one and all.

     Clubs are said to wither when there is no excitement about what we are doing.  Let’s change that into vitality with action.  Become the leader that can and will take us to the new levels that create success and make more individuals want to join in on the fun of Lionism.  Lions Clubs International is there to assist us in making our clubs better for all of us.  Check their website often, take part in what they have available online, learn and then implement what can be done locally as a club, and regionally as a zone.  Lastly, do not forget that we have several great Foundations – our own Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation serving the basic vision and hearing needs of our communities (as well as working to combat other tragic maladies), and Lions Clubs International Foundation working to end vision problems, childhood cancer, world-wide hunger, save the environment, make the world a better place for children and truly put the SERVE into Action.  Let’s make a resolution to donate money to both foundations as clubs and individuals – make the world a better place!  Then – be sure to put our motto into active mode – WE SERVE!

Pulling together, we succeed and prosper!

     December and the year is half over – hard to believe that although 2020 seems to truly drag on with COVID–19 and its problems. Still time marches on!  May we embrace this Holiday Season and let the spirits move us to help make things better for everyone – family, friends, neighbors and the whole world!  The saying “Where there is a Need, there is a Lion” could never be more true than now.  Oregon with its fires has demonstrated needs that the Lions of the districts more than fulfilled.  From seeking and securing grants to continually using portable kitchens to feed those in need – you are to be applauded for your efforts.

     Looking back on 2020 we started the year out with tons of promising activities, with conference planning going great for each district and the Multiple District.  Then along came March and the big shutdown that meant cancellation after cancellation.  Conventions planned and promises of great times with the camaraderie of like-minded Lions came to an abrupt halt as COVID-19 and the impact of this deadly corona-virus spiking and waning left us all in the lurch.  Thus, districts had to create alternate programs to elect new officers, recognize worthy Lions for their efforts and plan opportunities for a new normal that we still find wanting.

     Probably the worst case is that we can no longer operate as we once did, with face-to-face meetings, fundraising activities or community gatherings.  Postponing or canceling things right and left is still the operative action for the day.  Schools essentially crippled in their educational pursuits, school vision clinics and activities done away with, even parades of celebrations in many communities eliminated.  Will we ever come back or is the so-called new normal here to stay?

     There is hope, with using social media coming to the rescue of meetings, either zoom type or even hybrid programs, to keep us informed and involved.  Club meetings have changed – and some would say for the better, as if one does not want to watch or hear – there is an easy off button to hit.  This means that we must alter the way of doing business, making our meetings both more exciting and worthwhile. At the same time, one hopes that we can meet and get more individual participation and commitment from our members.  Even so, we have to look for those opportunities and activities that are meaningful and allow Lions to serve our purposes in new ways, e.g., drive-by food drives or similar activities with most of what we do for fundraising and other activities.  Now we have to imagine what to do, not just do the same old thing repeated for so many years.

     Of course the time of cooking in-house pancakes, sausage and eggs may be a thing of the memorable past, but using our brain power we should be able to create the good via alternative methods to reach out to our communities.  While I doubt virtual meals will ever catch on, serving those in need must continue to be our mission.

     With December coming and then going, we will be in a New Year, hopefully we can make it a better one for all involved and rewarding for those who put in the time and dedication to serve.  Conventions for a while will probably be virtual, selection for officiating our clubs, zones, regions, districts and even international will be a challenge we will overcome successfully as it is with confidence in Lionism we all move forward as one pride!  Let’s take this opportunity to remember those in the past, honor their service and work for inclusion of so many more that we can find who have similar principles of WE SERVE!

     Life gives us both challenges as well as rewards.  Do not let life’s little diversions get in the way of positive progress of mankind.  Pulling together, we succeed and prosper!  Make this Holiday Season one to remember fondly and with grace as well as humility.

Lion Duties Will Continue Year-Round

     November is normally in the middle of Autumn – days may be dreary, weather a bit wet and perhaps even snow piling on at higher elevations.  But – as I write this column we’ve not even had a frost, sunshine has allowed days in the upper 70s and low 80s, and the fires of September seem to still be burning but not threatening anyone at this time.  These fires were devastating for many of our friends and neighbors and the aftermath is in its beginning stages including documenting the financial loss, getting permission for cleaning up the debris and planning for rebuilding homes, places of business and municipal buildings.  FEMA is now on the ground assisting these many folk in evaluating the damages and creating pathways for the future.  May they be expeditious in their attempts and allow our displaced citizens find some normalcy,

     Usually by now here in the Upper Hood River Valley we will have had a killing frost, the last of the tomatoes and squash plants showing signs of past life, grape leaves shrinking and falling, even apples and pears showing fall colors by mid-October.  Nothing of the kind so far.  My pears harvested and several apple trees yet to be pick, final sprays done on the major orchard areas, preparing for winter and time to enjoy the slower lifestyles of winter to come.  Crops were adequate although some frost marking from cool spring weather.  Average crop tonnage all around, not a bumper crop, yet I am sure most will be sold in various markets.  Just to let you all know – orchardists never know at harvest time what they will make – but find out next year – August for the Bartlett pears and by October for the D’Anjous.

     Lion duties will continue year-round, recruiting new members and clubs will always be paramount in what we do, although Covid-19 has definitely placed a damper on activities.  Zoom and other visual meetings have become popular as well as necessary.  Hybrid meetings where video and in-person assemblages are taking place, as are teleconferencing.  Sure wish at least locally we could all go back quickly to in-person meetings as they are more informative and being able to be with friends beats merely seeing visuals! 

     2020 surely has negatively impacted what we can do as Lions.  Not being able to do many of our service projects will potentially cause losses in membership.  Fundraising has, for a great many, halted what we do as well. Through all this Lions International continues to offer a plethora of activities, webinars and assistive programs.  The North American Membership Initiative (NAMI) has roots in each of our districts and with the Global Action Teams (GAT) will do the best to slow down the drop in members, recruit new Lions and clubs and retain those Lions thinking about dropping membership.  We all need to work together and think of new ways for service to make our clubs better, our communities more fulfilling and our lives filled with hope and pleasure. 

     Lions International hosted the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum the in September fully via social media.  Some glitches were encountered in connecting, but many good sessions delivered.  It demonstrates that we can survive via this new and demanding process, but I still want in-person meetings, trainings and gatherings to take place.  Perhaps once a Covid-19 inoculation becomes proven and is used widely, we can all come together and welcome each other to another ‘new normal’ seeing each other once again without fear!  In all probability the next Council of Governors and Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation meetings will be via Social Media, but I hope that in the new year we’ll be able to rub shoulders once again!  Until our next issue – I remain your servant leader – contact me if you need help or wish to converse!

Enhancing Lions and Possibility Thinking

     As I sit here in relative safety from fire or wind, I feel it is time to reflect on a number of things.  Several years ago, with the Columbia River Gorge fire I was placed on a Level 2 Evac Notice – gather your stuff, put it all into your most trusty vehicle and wait for further instructions and, if Level 3 comes, get the heck out of there to a safe place!  This conflagration for many of our friends and neighbors is different – more fires, more populated areas, lots of wind and, I would imagine, even some human caused fires.  Almost seems the whole state is on fire west of the Cascade Summit from north to south.  Let us as Lions not only observe what is happening, but help or donate and assist those in need.  I pray for few losses of life, but hold my breath that little human damage occurs.  Our state will look different once this is over. So, as they say, let the healing begin.  Forested areas can be replanted and lost homes rebuilt. Those suffering losses will need our empathy, help and understanding.  Time will heal the ugly burn scars, but the human toll and needs will be great and long lasting.  May we as Lions be up to the task, ensuring our communities are a better place to live, work and play.

     LCIF, our International Foundation, has a number of grants available to assist disaster areas.  Immediate $10,000 grants are available and additional monies can be used with a match program to help local communities impacted by disasters.  Districts O, R and E are eligible now to take advantage – after all, “Where There is a Need, There is a Lion”.  May we also as individuals and clubs step up and help!

     Every year there is the mantra from Lions Clubs International to increase our numbers as well as ensure the retention of loyal Lions.  All too often we take for granted that Lions will continue to stay without question.  We need to change that paradigm, as often what we as clubs have to offer no longer interests or satisfies the needs.  Whenever a Lion drops membership have you actually found out why??  A myriad of reasons can be given, but essentially all too often clubs do not respond to the times or desires of membership.  Are your activities fulfilling and satisfying – or merely doing it as “we’ve done it the same way for years”.  Do we as leaders involve members in the decision-making process consistently?  Do we as clubs change leadership on a regular basis – including chairmanships of different activities and fundraisers?

     Lions Clubs International has a plethora of programs that will assist clubs in almost every way.  However, we need to encourage our members to use what is available as well as to share the new ideas and skills we may amass when we take the opportunity to learn from others.  Even though the Corona Virus has all too often interrupted our lives and activities, there are ways that we can still progress.  My own club has decided to “blow out 2020” with a New Year’s Eve Fireworks extravaganza.  I guess we feel that even with COVID-19, we want to serve our community and move it forward!  Snow and rain will not stop us and we are now in the planning stage after receiving permission from the Port to proceed!

     Enhancing Lions and Possibility Thinking have been my mottoes of late, the ideas of we can, we must and we serve are all akin to what Lions can accomplish when pulling together.  So – continue to recycle those eye glasses and hearing aids, screen for vision and hearing in school and community events and really make your places of living places anyone would be happy to live in.  Think of those less privileged and work to improve their lives, whether they are your neighbors, relatives or from a foreign country.  Continue that sense of volunteerism that we are known for, as it warms our hearts and minds when we see the appreciation it brings!  Until next month – stay safe and work your Lions Heart to its fullest.