by Dr. Ashok Mehta, President, The International Association of Lions Clubs

Lions clubs, for nearly nine decades, have achieved remarkable success in reaching out to meet needs in their own communities and the world community. It is a record of unparalleled service that can be traced directly to those members who have occupied leadership positions because, I assure you, quality service depends on quality leadership. However, to make this a reality, proper training simply must be in place. Consequently, I have made club and district officer training a priority this year.

Through extensive faculty training, we will be able to disseminate the knowledge and instruction to those Lions who have a passion to lead, who wish to assist their fellow Lions in raising the standards that will still further enhance the image of our emblem in communities the world over. Therefore, I encourage members who know they possess the potential to instruct and who are enthusiastic about leadership to develop their skill levels by participating in leadership development opportunities such as Lions Leadership Institutes, MERL Chairpersons Seminars and the online Lions Learning Center. The result will be better educated leaders who will inspire more focused clubs. The ultimate target of all this training is, quite naturally, greater community service. This is all in keeping with our 2005-2006 theme Passion To Excel.

Among the most important responsibilities of leaders at the club level, for example, is to provide effective orientation for new members. It is an unfortunate fact that half of all Lions who drop their membership do so within three years of being inducted into their clubs. When they joined, they were filled with anticipation on all they could contribute as members, but sadly they were not provided the assignments and did not share in the fellowship that would maintain this energy. Consequently, they chose to forfeit their membership, to the detriment of not only themselves, but to the entire community. It is the duty of the club presidents and all officers to ensure that this does not occur. But to do so requires strong and effective leadership to bring about success in retention, an accomplishment that often determines the extent to which any Lions club will be an influence in its community.

Our passion to lead, and our uncompromising commitment to design and reinforce the tools necessary to develop the highest quality of leadership possible, are two of the primary reasons Lions Clubs International has become the world’s largest and most active service club organization. These are the programs that all Lions who desire to rise to leadership positions need to attend…and club and district officers must make every attempt to help them fulfill their individual leadership potential by making these tools available. If you are a club president, do not doubt for a moment that there are a number of Lions in your club who would welcome opportunities to hone their leadership skills. They are the men and women who will enable your club to set its sights even higher in the years to come, Lions who will help maintain your club’s tradition for excelling in everything it sets out to do.

There is yet another responsibility Lions in club and district leadership positions need to assume, an important ingredient because it will provide them with the incentive necessary to carry on giving generously of themselves in community service. The art of recognition should be an important element in the agenda of every Lions club in this association. Members need to know their efforts and contributions are appreciated and that their peers respect all they have achieved. This recognition can be a special gesture such as an award or even a sincere “thank you.” What does matter is that they are acts that will nourish their pride in membership and inspire a deep passion to make We Serve an even more intense part of their lives.

Effective leadership demands many skills and numerous applications. It’s more than just the spirit of “Follow Me.” It means planning, encouragement, setting the proper example, assistance, providing opportunities, recognition and much more. By putting each of these into practice and making them an integral part of the direction in which a club or district is going, our Passion To Excel will be enhanced every step of the way.