What former Lions Clubs International President was at one time the world's Light-Heavyweight Wrestling Champion?

Scroll down to the end of this newsletter for the answer!

Five Quick Tips
Boost Your Club's Public Image

1) Show your pride.  Encourage members to wear their Lions pin at all times.

2) Participate in community events.  March in a parade, have a booth at a fair or participate in any visible community happening.

3) Display the logo at all club projects and events. The Lions logo is an instantly recognizable sign.  Display it prominently on all promotional items for your club's events and have it visible on club projects, such as dedication plaques.

4) Create a 30-second "commercial": Enthusiastic members make the best spokespeople. Have each of your club members create a 30-second explanation of your club and what it does.  When people inquire about Lions, they'll be ready to give a short talk that really sells the organization!

5) Invite community leaders to a special meeting: Introduce community and business leaders to your club and the positive contributions it makes.

Program Spotlight
Lioness Bridge Program

The Lioness Bridge Program makes it possible for Lionesses to honor and acknowledge their proud past while enjoying all the benefits, rights and privileges associated with Lions club membership.  The program combines four elements:

• Use of "Lioness" in Club Name: Lions clubs may be chartered with the word "Lioness" in their name. When naming the new Lioness club, the word "Lioness" is always placed before the words "Lions Club" to read as "Lioness Lions Club."  For example, a Lioness Lions club in Oak Brook would be named the Oakbrook Lioness Lions Club.
• Lioness Fee Waiver Program: The Lioness Fee Waiver Program is in effect until June 30, 2003.  This program eliminates the entrance fee for former and current Lionesses who join an existing Lions club, and eliminates the charter fee for Lionesses (both current and former) who form new Lions clubs or convert their existing Lioness groups to Lions clubs or club branches.
• Lioness Conversion Program: The Lioness Conversion Program, which began in January 1996, credits Lioness service years when Lionesses become Lions or charter a Lions club.
• Special Lioness-Lions Pin: Lionesses who become Lions receive a distinctive Lions pin featuring the Lioness "L" logo to recognize their past service. This is the perfect symbol of the bridge built between the Lionesses' proud past and their promising future as a Lions club member.

For more information about the Lioness Bridge Program, contact the New Clubs and Marketing Department at phone: (630) 571-5466, ext. 305; fax: (630) 571-1691; e-mail: newclub@lionsclubs.org.

Developing Responsibility in Members

Several club presidents have expressed an interest in learning how to develop a sense of responsibility and accountability in their members.  This issue is a tough one for volunteer organizations. With so many demands on people's time - family, career, home -- volunteer activities sometimes fall to the end of the priority list, no matter how committed a person is to his or her club. While some people are very organized and honor all their commitments with ease - others need a little help.  Try one of these tactics:

• Print an annual calendar listing all pertinent dates.
• Print important dates each month in your newsletter and on your club's Web site.
• Review upcoming dates during club meetings.
• Create a phone tree.  A phone tree is designed like a pyramid -- the club president contacts a few members to remind them of an important date; in turn, those people contact a few designated members, who then contact their list of members and so on until all members are called.  This way, no one is burdened with phoning the entire membership.
• Create an e-mail loop.  Have all your members' e-mail addresses in one group.  Send reminder e-mails of important dates and activities.
• Have people sign up for specific duties.  Whether during club meetings, fundraisers or service activities, have all members commit to performing a specific task at a specific time. Have committee chairmen follow up with their committee members to remind them of their responsibilities.
• Keep your meetings interesting and fun.  Make sure your meetings are worth your members' time and effort.
• Spread out responsibilities evenly.  Ask all members to contribute.  Many hands make light work.
• Be sure your members feel involved and needed.  Give them responsibilities that match their talents and interests.

Retention Snapshot - Your Retention Priorities

In July, the Retention Snapshot survey focused on retention priorities. The results were consistent with what we have learned over the past year on this site.  Solid, productive clubs that have interesting meetings and involve their club members in meaningful activities do not have serious retention problems.  When the club is healthy, most members will choose to remain in the club.  These clubs also tend to reach out to members at the first sign of trouble to let them know they care about their membership. Almost half the respondents claimed that their clubs do not have significant retention challenges.

For those with retention problems, the biggest challenge mentioned was involving members in meaningful activities. The second most frequently cited challenge was dealing with cliques.  The third was lengthy/boring meetings.

In future issues of Retention Connection, we will address effective leadership tips and dealing with cliques.  For immediate advice on the top three retention challenges, download one of the President's Retention Campaign Clinic Series by clicking here.

To respond to this month's Retention Snapshot Survey about cliques, click here.

The ABCs of Retention

A is for Agenda: Don't run a meeting without one!

B is for Building a Better Tomorrow: Participate in this year's ambitious International Program and watch your club grow!

C is for Community: Make sure your Lions club is a vital part of the community by planning service activities that fulfill pressing needs.

D is for Dedication: One of the key characteristics of a successful volunteer!

E is for Evaluate: Take the time to evaluate your club and create an action plan to implement necessary changes. The President's Retention Campaign Clinic Series and How are Your Ratings? can help get the job done right!

F is for Fellowship: Plan social activities for club members to build the bond of  fellowship between them.

G is for Grow: Look into ways your club can grow this year. Consider one of the new extension opportunities such as a New Century Lions Club, Club Branch, Lioness Lions Club or Campus Club.

H is for History: Your club can acknowledge the rich history and traditions of Lions while planning for future success.

I is for Involve: Make each member an essential part of the club by involving them in meaningful activities.

J is for Jump: Be proactive and jump into action at the beginning of the Lions year. Your positive attitude will be infectious.

K is for Knowledge: The best Lions are informed ones. Encourage your members to have a thorough understanding of your club, its goals and its history.

L is for Leadership: Creating future leaders is important for building a strong club.

M is for Meetings: Long/boring meetings are the number one retention challenge.  How do yours measure up?

N is for New Members: A club can't grow without them!

O is for Orientation: A proper orientation is the best way to get a new member off to a great start.

P is for Publicity: Don't be afraid to "toot your own horn."  Obtaining publicity for your club's worthwhile activities will help ensure its success.

Q is for Quality: Strive for quality in everything you do, whether it be recruiting new members or beginning a new service activity.

R is for Recognition: Recognize the outstanding efforts of your members at every opportunity.

S is for Strategies: Turn to the President's Retention Campaign for successful strategies to combat all your retention challenges!

T is for Team:  Remember, Together Everybody Achieves More.

U is for Unity: Sharing common goals will help your members feel united.

V is for Variety: Try something new to keep your members interested and involved.

W is for We Serve: The motivating force behind what all Lions do.

X is for eXtra: Anything worth doing is worth doing well; encourage extra efforts from all your team members.

Y is for Year-Round Growth: Quality members aren't only available during certain months of the year.  Focus your efforts consistently all year-round.

Z is for Zest: Can you take care of business and still have fun?  You bet!  Make your club enjoyable and productive.

Tell  a Friend!

Enjoying what you read?  Encourage fellow Lions to log on to the Club President Connection to learn helpful tips and techniques to solve retention challenges and build stronger clubs!

Trivia Time! Answer

Past International President Johnny Balbo (1974-75) held the title of Light-Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.