by Marilee Seef

Within walking distance of downtown Aberdeen, South Dakota is Northern State University. The university is the birthplace of the first campus Lions club in Multiple District 5, Northern State University Lions Club.

Tena Westling, club president of the NSU Lions Club, remembers when she first learned about the new campus Lions club being formed at the university in the spring of 2004. “I wanted to be active in Lions, so I snatched up the opportunity.”

She and her three roommates attended the first informational meeting, and Tena then helped to encourage other students to join with them. Since the club’s charter in May 2004, the campus Lions have been widely recognized for their energy, enthusiasm and service to their community. They enjoy being a part of the Lions fellowship. “Our sponsor Lions (Aberdeen Lions Club) are amazing,” says President Westling. “And the district (5-SE) has welcomed us with open arms.”

Growing up in her hometown of Alcester, South Dakota, Tena was aware of services that the local Lions provided in this small town. She recalls that her grandfather experienced decreased vision in his later years, and the Lions supplied him with reading and visual aids. Amber Welke, also a member of the NSU Lions Club, is a third generation charter member. She states, “My grandfather is a charter member (1958) of the Redfield Lions Club. My father is a charter member (1978) of the Warner-Stratford Lions Club. Both my grandfather and father feel that giving back to the community is very important, and they have given countless hours of service to their respective communities. They have instilled the value of helping others in me, and that is the reason I wanted to become a member of the prestigious Lions Club organization.”

The NSU Lions enjoy spreading their enthusiasm and sharing their joy of service throughout the district. “The students are very proud of their club, as well they should be. They are very active, but make sure that they have fun doing the activities,” says Guiding Lion Dr. Sharon Paranto.

“When they rang bells for the Salvation Army, they ended up having a group of members stand nearby and sing songs as folks entered the building. This was very impromptu, very spontaneous. I have to say that when the NSU Lions visit other clubs, the excitement and energy of the students seem to flow to the ‘older’ members in the other clubs and everything becomes more ‘fun’ for the other clubs, as well,” continues Paranto.

The club’s two Guiding Lions, Paranto and Dr. Marje Kaiser, provide much support to the NSU Lions Club. Both are members of the Aberdeen Lions Club, the sponsoring club. Paranto is a faculty member at NSU and the club’s faculty advisor.  Kaiser, who is the superintendent at the nearby “sister school,” the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SDSBVI), has taken the NSU Lions under her wing to collaborate with them on projects for the visually impaired students. The NSU Lions have chosen to contribute much of their service activities to this school. Some of the activities have included organizing and assisting with a Valentine’s Day party, back-to-school picnic, Halloween Costume Party/Dance, Christmas parties and sponsoring SDSBVI students during the Christmas season.

Campus Lions are active participants in the eyeglass recycling program on the NSU campus. Within the district, Lions have assisted with eye screenings, mobile unit health screenings, the Special Olympics and the Dash for Diabetes event, which generates funds for Camp Gilbert, a camp for diabetic children.

The NSU Lions have demonstrated leadership abilities as well. They hosted a leadership training session on their campus for the various Lions clubs in the region and organized a “Governor’s Night” event held on campus. In June 2005, several members of the NSU Lions spoke at the Lions MD-5 convention. Together with Dr. Paranto, members of the club helped present a session titled, Starting a Campus Lions Club. “This was a great opportunity for the members to learn more about leadership and service, and at the same time promote Northern State University and help other colleges and universities establish similar clubs,” says Paranto.

In January 2006, the NSU Lions set up an information booth during the Lions state convention to help promote the campus Lions club program. They also took a very active role in the opening ceremony and the necrology service during the state convention. Because of the club’s success, their district voted to pay for the cost of sending the club president to the Great Plains Lions Leadership Training in 2005. Both Multiple District 5 and District 5-SE have also waived their multiple district and district dues for the campus Lions.

In recognition for their outstanding service, the NSU Lions received the distinguished 2004-05 Organizational Leadership Award from the South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs the system of public higher education in the State of South Dakota. This award recognizes student organizations for outstanding activities that provide effective student or community leadership. Four members of the club, joined by their Guiding Lions, proudly attended the Board of Regents meeting during the summer break to receive the award. 

The club members stay connected and meet every first and third Tuesday on campus. Their meetings are fun, friendly and less formal, and they frequently communicate through campus e-mail and post card reminders placed in their student mailboxes on campus. They also utilize a phone tree when necessary. “When a new project is underway, Lion Tena will often call a special meeting, assign responsibilities, decide when the groups should meet to report progress, and adjourn the meeting. Students like this and started referring to these meetings as Lion Tena’s famous five-minute meetings,” says Guiding Lion Paranto.

Guiding Lions serve valuable roles in the early stages of a campus Lions club, and they help to contribute to a campus Lions club’s success. “It’s important to be available to the students,” says Paranto. “Preferably, one of the Guiding Lions for a campus club is a staff member on campus,” continues Paranto, to enable easier communication with the students. She sees her role as a supportive one, attending meetings to lend her guidance and support and offering suggestions as needed. She also encourages the members to attend district training sessions and lets them know about multiple and district projects that may be of interest to them.

In her initial attempts to help organize a campus Lions club, Lion Paranto recalls utilizing a different approach to reach students and generate interest in a new Lions club. She believes “the Lions should go to the students.” As a faculty member, she sent a short e-mail directly to the students, mentioning the valuable service opportunities and recognition for Lions service. She also mentioned the long-term benefits of being a Lion, where lifelong connections could be made with potential affiliations with other Lions clubs upon graduation from the university. Lastly, she stated the date and time for a brief informational meeting. She received positive responses, and thus the NSU Lions Club began its formation.

One of the ways the NSU Lions have distinguished themselves is through the design of their own Lions club t-shirts, which includes the name of the club and the Lions Clubs International logo on the front. The back of the t-shirt displays their “top 11 reasons” for becoming a member of the club. A phrase on the t-shirt says, “Heck yes I’m in the Lions Club” indicating the pride they feel to serve their community as Lions.

The NSU Lions Club has enjoyed much success, but faces significant challenges as well. “One of our challenges is sustaining our membership,” says Westling. “Another one is keeping members involved.” A third challenge is maintaining a healthy balance between educational and volunteering endeavors. But new projects are underway. The club is currently organizing a “Spring Fling” for students of the SDSBVI. They will sponsor a carnival with games and other fun activities for the students.

If you are interested in forming a campus Lions club and would like more information, please contact the New Clubs and Marketing Department by phone: 630-571-5466, ext. 522, or e-mail. More information is also available by clicking here.