Membership resources
- New Member Information Booklet
Many club members tell me that they are involved in their community and that people in their community know about their Lions Club. I am sure that is true. But I wonder if being known in the community is the same as being involved with the community. For example, the Guelph Lions Club made a donation to the Guelph Public Library. A picture appeared in the local electronic newspaper and hundreds or even thousands of people may have seen it. That is good publicity and it lets people know that the Lions Club is supporting the community. But how many of those people would be more likely to become Lions because they saw the picture? Probably not very many.
So what is missing? I think part of what is missing is trust and a personal connection. Most of us don't join an organization simply because we have heard of it. Usually we know something about it, feel comfortable with the people involved and think we would enjoy being part of it. Quite often there is a person involved as well. Someone we know asks us to help with a project, come to an event or attend a meeting. We trust that person, so we say yes.
That is why I think community involvement and membership are so closely connected. There is a difference between doing something for the community and doing something with the community. Writing a cheque to a community organization is a service. Running an event for the community is a service. But when Lions work side by side with other people from the community, something else happens. We get a chance to talk to them and they get to know us. They see what Lions actually do rather than simply reading about it. Most importantly, we start to get to know each other.
That doesn't mean everyone who helps with a Lions project is going to become a Lion, and that shouldn't be the reason we hold a service project. But it does give people a chance to experience Lions before anyone ever asks them to become a member.
So here is something I would like you to think about. How many people who are not Lions have actually worked alongside your members during the past year? If the answer is very few, perhaps that gives us an opportunity. Maybe we could invite friends, neighbours, coworkers or family members to help with a project. Maybe we could work with another community organization on something they are already doing.
Maybe gaining a new member doesn't start by asking someone to join Lions. Maybe it starts by asking someone to join us in doing something for our community.
Garry
District A15 GMT
Garry Ransom
519-835-3170