“As Lions, we need to first take care of our own communities, where our members live. This is my basic philosophy of our commitment as Lions. If we do this, we will encourage other community-minded citizens to join our clubs, and upon meeting local needs, we can expand our outreach on a global humanitarian basis.”

With these words, Jimmy M. Ross, the 2006-2007 President of Lions Clubs International, explains his approach to enhancing the image of Lions clubs as the leading volunteer service organization in their communities and, by extension, throughout the world.

A “Lone Star” Childhood
President Ross was born in Memphis, Texas, about 60 miles from his family home in Flomot. His childhood on a large farming ranch was an ideal setting for practically any boy. His early years there revolved around agriculture, cattle, horses and the great outdoors. 

He attended grade and high schools in Flomot, which is located about 100 miles from Lubbock, and was valedictorian of both graduating classes. Following high school, he received a scholarship and enrolled in West Texas A&M University and was granted another scholarship to attend the University of Arizona in Tucson. At both schools, he majored in agriculture and business.

Family and His Decision to Become a Lion
The international president credits his wife and family as instrumental in inspiring his efforts both professionally and as a Lion. He and wife, Velda, have three daughters: Julie, Janet and Sammie-Dee and a granddaughter, Braley Quinn, the daughter of Janet and her husband, Josh. Sammie-Dee is married to Cory and Julie is single.

What first interested Jimmy Ross in becoming a Lion? Neighboring communities had active Lions clubs and he took note of all they accomplished. Furthermore, when he was a sophomore in high school, his father became the charter president of the Flomot Lions Club. He says, “it was a natural process for me to become a Lion.” He began purchasing land near the town of Quitaque, about 15 miles from Flomot. He became active in the community and was invited to join the Quitaque Lions Club, an offer he accepted immediately because he was already familiar and impressed with the work of the Lions, having joined the South Plains Lions Club of Lubbock in 1969. Only a year later, the energetic young Lion was elected president of the Quitaque Lions Club.

The new president stimulated his club to become still more active in the community and to “have fun." The result of this early leadership: At the end of the year, attendance in the Quitaque club had doubled to 52. The town only had about 450 people, so 52 Lions represented an excellent percentage of the population. “Because of our activities and the way we enjoyed ourselves,” says President Ross, “we didn’t need to have a membership drive. Residents came to us and asked to join.”

Early Projects
His first club project after becoming president was a community clean-up, which was “not a huge endeavor,” he recalls, “but one that took about 40-45 minutes to remove weeds growing among the sidewalks in town and from the flower beds.” This he sees as a solution for all Lions clubs just starting out: to gradually build their strategy in being a force for community betterment.

“Begin with small activities. Don’t look to projects on a grand scale at the very start. In so doing, building membership will be easy.”

His club’s next project was, indeed, somewhat larger in scale: installing street numbers on houses in town. There were street signs, he says, but no numbers. So the Lions went about figuring out a numbering system and placed many signs on the homes of people who wanted them. Following this, an early club fundraiser was selling Halloween candy, still another project that met with success. The international president views this gradual increase in community service as crucial to his club.

The Community and Professional Leader
President Ross has also applied his vision as a Lion to his professional career and other community endeavors. Now retired, he had been primarily self-employed in farming and cattle raising, spending long hours in the field every day. He built a successful business, with a large number of employees, earning their loyalty and willingness to exert their greatest effort, he says, “by never asking them to do something that I wouldn’t do. You lead by example, not merely by giving orders, and that’s what I’ve tried to do all my life.”

He also served in a number of capacities in his community—as a board member of both Water Control and Improvement and the District Juvenile Probation and  organizing chairperson of the 911 All Emergency Systems in 26 Texas counties. President Ross additionally held the position of county judge, where he also presided over probate and juvenile courts and was in charge of emergency management for the county.

Toward the Presidency
Two years after his tenure as club president, he was asked to become a zone chairperson, and shortly after he was soon asked to stand for lieutenant governor. After discussing with his family what he knew would be a time consuming office, he accepted and was elected in the early 1980s at the first district convention he ever attended.

He retired from farming in the mid-80s and was, therefore, in a position to devote more time to leadership as a Lion. He was elected governor of District 2-T1 for the 1985-86 term and determined to do his very best. He gave testimony to this by organizing eight new Lions clubs that year. The following year, he chartered six more new clubs as his reputation grew as a leader in club extension.

He has personally organized more than 200 clubs. “I really don’t consider it all that difficult,” he states, “because once you understand the needs and aspirations of prospective Lions and realize they are your customers, you establish conditions that meet those needs and what they expect as members. Do this, and you will ensure solid and steady club growth.”

His success in establishing new clubs and strengthening membership was duly noted by the leadership of Multiple District 2, and he was chosen council chairperson. That year, with Lion Ross traveling throughout the state, 68 new Lions clubs were chartered in Texas. Then it was time to choose a candidate from Texas for international director, and not surprisingly, the name of Jimmy M. Ross was at the head of the list of possible nominees. Endorsed by his district and multiple district, he was elected to the post of director at the 1996 International Convention in Montreal.

He was endorsed as a candidate for second vice president in 2003 and elected at the 2004 International Convention in Detroit/Windsor. Now that he has been installed as the association’s chief executive officer, he says, “I don’t just want to occupy this office and say with pride that I served as international president. No—when I depart I want this organization to be even more exciting and vibrant, and we can accomplish this by embracing what I call the Paradigm Shift. How will we achieve this?

A paradigm shift happens when people and organizations undergo a fundamental change in attitudes and perceptions about how things should be. It’s about looking at problems and “the way things are” from new perspectives. 

“Ask members and potential members what they want as Lions and then work to meet those needs. Only then will we strengthen the foundation of our clubs, districts and this entire association. This is what the Paradigm Shift is all about.”
 
Experiences as a Lion
As an executive officer, he recalls a number of instances that were inspirational and instructive. Participation in missions to bring eyeglasses and sight-restoring treatment to people living in poor areas of the world was especially enlightening because, he says, this gift of sight changed peoples’ lives. For example, during a mission to Guatemala City, a 12-year-old girl was escorted into the room. Her eyesight, the president recalls, was so bad that she couldn’t read the big “E” on the chart. In less than two hours, she was examined and fitted with a pair of eyeglasses that now permitted her to read and experience near 20/20 vision. “That changed her life,” he says, “and I want Lions to eventually put glasses on every person in the world who needs them but doesn’t have the means or opportunity…and we can do it!”

The new international president also admires the Lions Quest program and wishes to introduce the curriculum in every school in the world. However, to achieve this, he realizes we must seek funding from outside sources: foundations, corporations and governments in order to put the program in place everywhere. Lions Quest, he is certain, will grow to be yet another identifying mark of a community’s active Lions club.

Membership and the Paradigm Shift
The president is confident that Lions need to be motivated, to be complimented for their involvement and to be reminded often about the importance and impact of their service. “They must be shown that their efforts are valued and that they are an integral part of their organization and community. This is the responsibility of our association’s leadership at every level. This is what I call value added to their membership—what they can expect as club members.”

President Ross underscores the importance of chartering new clubs and recruiting men and women who have already demonstrated their capacity for leadership in their community and profession. They will be ready to accept the reins of leadership in their Lions club and districts. 

Looking to the Future
President Ross is focusing on a number of objectives for his year in office and for the future of Lions Clubs International. Among the most important is Campaign SightFirst II. He recognizes CSFII as this association’s far-reaching endeavor to be a compelling humanitarian force in the years to come. He is also committed to expanding the Leo club program, International Youth Exchange, the affordable hearing aid project and other activities in which we, as an association, are involved.  

In terms of membership recruitment, he sees the importance of targeting young men and women between 21 and 35 years-of-age. He is certain that once they become active Lions they will have the potential and desire to become leaders at every level.

Serving the Whole Family
President Ross believes that an important objective of this association is to serve the needs of the entire family. How can we help parents relate and motivate their young children to be the very best they have the ability to be? How can we help make it possible for mothers and fathers to best influence the lives of their children from ages one to pre-teenage? The Leo program will reach out to teenagers and young adults, and the Leo club advisor has the responsibility to help them realize their own potential. 

International President Ross emphasizes that he wishes his legacy to be the success of those who follow him in office because of the programs and approaches developed during his presidency. He doesn’t have a personal theme for his year. “We Serve says it all,” proclaims the man from small Quitaque in the Lone Star State of Texas. “They are two words that have given inspiration and guidance to the growth of the greatest service club organization in the world…and they will continue to do so.”