Why Does A Lion Drop Membership?

One of the challenges facing each Lions is a membership loss. For the North American Membership Initiative (NAMI) to succeed, Lions must reduce the number of membership drops. Let’s discuss some of the reasons for a membership drop. Some are within the control of the club.

There are some membership drops outside the control of a club. Death is one of those. Many times, a Lion moves after retirement to be closer to family. In this case, a drop may just be a change of clubs.

Mississippi is one of the states experiencing a “brain drain”. That means those active in the work force decide to leave and relocate to a place paying a higher salary than here. It’s a well-known situation that perplexes both state lawmakers and lobbyists. Again, Lions who relocate simply transfer to another club.

There are several reasons of resignation within the control of the club. One of those is competing interests. Perhaps the meeting time conflicts with ever changing family responsibilities. The solution is the club has to offer service projects on different days of the week and at different times. Providing service opportunities enhances retention.

Finances are another reason for drops. Finance’s has nothing to do with income. It has everything to do value. When a Lion no longer sees the value in their membership, they are very likely to drop. That is why a club cannot rely totally on virtual meetings. They have to offer service opportunities. There are projects for Lions to do while maintaining social distancing. Yet they still get to interact with others. Lions who live on a fixed income will remain Lions if they feel they are getting value for their dues.

Inaction is one of the main reasons that Lions drop membership within the first couple of years. Lions are great about carefully planning an event down to the smallest detail. Sometimes those discussions last several months for a 3 or 4-hour project. Younger people are not planners. They are doers. It’s up to the club to balance those. Let committees do the planning. That keeps the meeting discussions to a minimum. The end result is a well-planned project full of happy volunteers ready to serve.

It’s the responsibility of the club president and board of directors to strike the right balance to keep membership losses to a minimum. The more a club can control their membership losses, the easier it is for that club to reach their NAMI goal. The zone chair and district governor can keep the club focused on both.

We Serve because Kindness Matters 

Lion Andy Kalinowski (Andy K)
District Governor
662.549.3421
http://www.mississippilions.org/ 

https://www.facebook.com/Lions30M

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