Membership is Every Lion’s Responsibility

by Mahendra Amarasuriya
President
The International Association of Lions Clubs

Is there anything on earth more precious and darling than a baby? And what is more wrenching than a severely ill baby with little chance of growing up normal and healthy? Lions in Nairobi, Kenya, are saving babies from such a fate. With help from Lions Clubs International Foundation (which, of course, means support from Lions such as yourself), Lions in Kenya support a clinic for babies of mothers infected with HIV. My wife, Kushi, and I visited the clinic recently and we were overwhelmed by the care and love these innocent babies receive. I have always believed Lions are a great gift to the world, but that visit made my heart swell with immense pride and satisfaction.

Lions, never forget that we are indispensable. The service we provide is invaluable. Without us, babies would die. Young people would not be educated or learn self-control and self-discipline. Mothers and fathers would lose their vision and could not take care of their families. The elderly would live out their years in a state of neglect instead of being cared for. Disaster victims would not be clothed, fed and housed. Those with disabilities would not be given opportunities to contribute to society. Children would lose their sight and their future because of river blindness, trachoma and other diseases.

We know this. We know Lions do great work. But we need to do something about it. We need to make sure our level of service remains high and even increases. We need to recruit new members. We need to reach out to current members to keep them in the fold. Membership is every Lion’s responsibility. A Lion does not have to heroically recruit 100 or 50 members. But if every Lion could invite just two or three solid community members to join, our association would grow and prosper as never before.

I really believe a new golden age for Lions is within our grasp. But it’s up to each of you—Lions in small towns and big cities, in developed and developing nations, in well-established clubs and in relatively new clubs—to channel your passion for Lions into an enthusiasm for inviting others to share in your service. It’s entirely praiseworthy to do service in your community. But please serve, too, the overall mission of our association by adding to our membership rolls.