Service Activity Report: Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I calculate Lion Hours?
• Are clubs able to report on fundraising activities? 
• Can we report club visitations, zone meetings, and other attended events?
• How do we report events that take an extended time to plan and organize?
• Is there a feature we can use to copy the same activity from month to month?
• How do I report activities related to the Global Service Action Campaigns?
• Can you make a prior month report or can you only report in the same month?
• How do I print and/or save the monthly activity report?
• Once I finish entering activities, how do I submit my monthly report?
• Who receives the reports when using the new system?
• How do I report “no activity?”
• How do I complete the annual report?  Is there a special form for this?
• How do I obtain the Certificate of Excellence for completing the annual report?
• Will there be training/online tutorials on the Lions Club Service Activity Report?
• Is it possible to search for activities that have been submitted by other clubs?
• Who will have access to the searches? 
• Are districts and clubs required to set annual goals and objectives?
• What is the difference between a goal and an objective?
• Can goals be adjusted during the year?
• What is a "Signature Activity"?

How do I calculate Lion Hours?

The report is designed to measure direct service hours. Clubs should only include hours that were devoted to the actual service project. For example, if there were 3 Lions involved in carrying out the service project and they each dedicated 2 hours to this, the Lions hours would be calculated as follows: (3 Lions x 2 Hours) = 6 Lion Hours.

Are clubs able to report on fundraising activities? 

Yes. Club secretaries may choose a fundraising category when they add new activities (i.e., activities that are strictly focused on fundraising rather than providing direct service to the community). Clubs can also specify funds raised and funds donated when reporting any other service activities.

Can clubs report club visitations, zone meetings, and other attended events?

Yes. To report club visitations, zone meetings, and other related activities, club secretaries should select the appropriate activity type under the administrative category.

How do we report events that take an extended time to plan and organize?

To record service hours dedicated to project planning (such as meetings and visitations), club secretaries should add this as a separate activity and select the appropriate activity type under the administrative category.

Is there a feature we can use to copy the same activity from month to month?

Yes. There is a signature activity feature that allows clubs to designate certain activities as ones that clubs engage in on a regular basis. For more information regarding this feature, please see the FAQs related to the signature activities below.

How do I report activities related to the Global Service Action Campaigns?

Clubs that participate in activities related to the Global Service Action Campaign should select the appropriate campaign box when adding new activities.

Can you make a prior month report or can you only report in the same month?

The system allows you to report activities throughout a fiscal year. For example, activities for July 2011 can be reported until June 2012. However, this can only be done during a fiscal year, which means that clubs will not be able to modify records after July 16 of the new fiscal year.

How do I print and/or save the monthly activity report?

Clubs can now print a copy of the monthly report directly from the monthly activity report page by clicking on the print icon at the top of the page. 

Once I finish entering activities, how do I submit my monthly report?

Once the activity information is saved and added to your monthly activity list, you will not need to do anything else to complete the report. The information will be saved in the system and will be available to you and other MyLCI users who have access to your report. 

Who receives the reports when using the new system?

Club and district officers who have access to the MyLCI are able to view all the activities that have been entered in the system for their club/district. District officers can see the same list of activities that club officers can, but they are not able to change/edit any of the information.

How do I report “no activity?”

If clubs do not have any activities to report for a given month, there is nothing to do. We prefer that only actual service or administrative activities (such as meetings, club visitations, and training) are added to the report.

How do I complete the annual report? Is there a special form for this?

Club secretaries are asked to complete the service activity reports on a monthly basis using the MyLCI Web site. We are no longer using paper forms or accepting reports by mail/e-mail.

How do I obtain the Certificate of Excellence for completing the annual report?

The Certificate of Excellence is awarded to club secretaries who have successfully completed service activity reports in the Web Monthly Membership Reporting (WMMR) system. The certificate can be downloaded directly from the reporting system at the end of the fiscal year. Club secretaries have until the 15th of July to complete the reports and download the certificate for a given fiscal year. 

Will there be training/online tutorials on the Lions Club Service Activity Report?

Yes. Announcements about upcoming training and archived presentations are posted on the Lions Club Service Activity Report page.

Is it possible to search for activities that have been submitted by other clubs?

Yes. MyLCI users can now view activities that other clubs choose to share using the new search feature. Clubs can search for activities using a variety of criteria including the activity type, geographic location, month/year, or specific key words. 

Who will have access to the searches? 

Club and district officers with access to MyLCI have the ability to search activities. However, when viewing activities outside of their club/district, only shared activities will be displayed. 

Are districts and clubs required to set annual goals and objectives?

No. This feature is an optional tool that districts and clubs can use to set goals and objectives related to their service and monitor their progress (using information collected through the service activity report) throughout the year.

What is the difference between a goal and an objective?

A goal is a broad, general statement of an intended outcome related to service. An objective, on the other hand, is a narrow, precise statement that is measurable and focused on a specific service activity in support of the  goal. 

Example:

Goal: To increase club participation in environmental projects during the 2010-11 fiscal year.

Objective: By the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year, our club will plant at least 1,000 trees as part of our tree planting activities.

Can goals be adjusted during the year?

Yes. However, it is recommended that goals and objectives are  set on an annual basis so that clubs can monitor their progress throughout the year.

What is a "Signature Activity"?

A signature activity is a popular, re-occurring activity that a club organizes on an ongoing basis. By designating signature activities, clubs will be able to streamline their reporting (by being able to select these activities from a drop-down menu instead of re-typing the activity information every month) and search for these types of activities using the new search feature.