Why is NAMI Important?

Lions Club International almost had 1.5 million members three years ago. The key word is almost. Lions never achieved 1.5 million members. 

For 38-straight years, Lions in the United States have had declining membership. That’s the main reason for the North American Membership Initiative (NAMI). We have to reverse a nearly 4-decade trend. 

FVDG/DGE Andy Kalinowski
Last year Lions from fifteen states came together. They had one purpose. They began to critically examine every facet of Lionism. We can relate to three of those fifteen states. They are fairly close to home. One area is the northern third of Alabama. Another is the east-central part of Tennessee. Northwest Georgia is the third area. They began NAMI. 

Lion leaders from these fifteen areas collaborated. They discovered many common traits to explain membership loss. Each reason is just as important as another reason. 

One finding is that today’s meeting format does not match today’s lifestyles. Lions love exciting service. Unfortunately, many clubs do not try new service projects. Instead they rely on past service projects. Some put having meetings ahead of doing service. 

The pilot NAMI group explored some broader reasons for the membership decline. These reasons have nothing to do with Lions. Yet they have everything to do with membership growth. 

Lions have a good name and a solid reputation among community leaders. That is something Lions seem to take for granted. The community needs constant reminding about our work. They need a periodic recap of the value that Lions bring to a community. We can’t keep the good news to ourselves. Lions should not be the best kept secret. We should be the talk of the town, 

A number of clubs did not recognize changes in the community. There is a nationwide decline in local newspaper readership. There is a common characteristic of Lions Clubs who experienced membership growth. It’s an easy concept. They leveraged social media to promote their club. 

There are broader issues. Major industries are relocating in northern Mississippi. When a major industry begins operation, they create secondary and tertiary jobs. A secondary job could be with company that supplies the raw materials to the major industry. A tertiary job could be one in the hotel or restaurant industry. Clubs need a plan for marketing Lions to the people in these new businesses. 

Some external issues threaten the community. One is limited healthcare in rural Mississippi. Another is the quality of public education. How do Lions minimize the impact of those threats? 

Membership growth or the lack of it has many facets. The best analogy for Lions membership loss is familiar. For years Lions concentrated on seeing individual trees rather than appreciating the entire forest. It’s in the forest where “We Serve.” It’s in the forest where “Kindness Matters.”  It’s in the forest where you find new trees. 

The coronavirus changed Lions meeting habits. Those who used virtual meeting software took a step in the right direction. Clubs that found a way to serve their community suddenly became relevant. That is a fresh start to thinking outside the box. 

Innovating thinking leads to membership growth. Next time we will examine one way that any Lions Club can use innovation to grow membership and reach their NAMI goals.

We Serve because Kindness Matters 

First Vice District Governor / District Governor Elect 
662.549.3421 

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