The mission:
MISSION 1.5 is the drive to reach 1.5 million members worldwide, so we can better meet the growing needs of our communities and serve more people than ever before.
Challenge accepted by:
Hyogo Mirai Lions Club
Location:
Hyogo, Japan
Summary:
The Hyogo Mirai Lions Club is focused on recruiting capable young people to ensure a bright future for Lions in Japan. The club, made up of 27 members with an average age of 35, hopes to model a solution to aging membership and is working to remove the financial barriers that make it difficult for young people to join.
About the club:
Since being chartered in September 2023, the Hyogo Mirai Lions have added six new members and have five prospective members in the pipeline. Their goal is to reach 50 members by June 2025.
New members are drawn to the club’s vocational diversity within a shared generation. They are executives, manufacturers, marketers, accountants, dentists, schoolteachers and more. And with the addition of new members with diverse experiences and skills, the club is constantly evolving.
As the club becomes more established, the community challenges it wants to address are becoming clearer. So far, their service has focused on promoting blood donation and providing respite for families in need. Their “Childcare Sento” initiative, for example, gathers families at a public bathhouse (sento) and offers quality childcare, giving overburdened parents much-needed time for refreshment and reconnection.
Hyogo Mirai Lions Club’s Five Tips for Club Growth
- Share the vision of what you want to achieve. We align all activities with our vision, which is “to brighten the future of Hyogo with youthful ideas and action.”
- Give every member a role. New members often struggle to find their place. We help them discover where they fit, like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle.
- Be open to new members. We place great value on the contributions of new members and welcome the fresh perspectives and ideas they bring to the club.
- Be a club that members feel proud to belong to. A club that earns respect from one’s family and friends brings joy in belonging and participating. We strive to make our club's name well-known and respected, inspiring others to serve with us.
- Create smiles and joy in the community. Serving can come with challenges and be exhausting at times. However, staying positive while helping others can help spread smiles and joy, which generates interest in our club and the work we do.
Ready to join the mission?
Visit lionsclubs.org/mission1.5.
Taylor Birkey is a creative lead for Lions International.
