Keys To Lions Membership Growth

Convincing someone to join Lions Club International (LCI) is only the beginning. There are three other parts to the recruiting process. Let’s discuss those today.

Orientation – When someone joins any organization, an orientation usually follows within the first 15 days. With Lions, it’s no different. Probably the best time to conduct the orientation is immediately before completing the membership application. Explain every facet of the club. Start with a brief history and include club milestones. Identify club officers. Explain the dues structure. Brag about service projects. Tell about fund-raising endeavors. This prevents unpleasant surprises after joining.

Induction – Have a prompt formal induction ceremony for each new Lion. That’s more impressive that having an induction ceremony once every six months. Individual inductions allow personalization. The induction ceremony serves as a reminder for the new Lion about LCI. Remind them of our association’s history and major milestones. Explain how the local club serves the community. Encourage them to become an active part in the club. A ceremony also brings about a feeling of change. A marriage ceremony signified two becoming one. It’s the same with a Lions induction ceremony. The club readily accepts expansion and change.

Mentoring – This is by far the most challenging. It’s easy to do an orientation within 15-20 minutes. An induction ceremony lasts 10-minutes at most. Mentoring is an on-going process that can last weeks or even months. Do more than just invite the new Lion to the next meeting. Be sure to personally greet the new Lion. Begin to develop friendships. Involve the new Lion when discussing plans for service or fund-raising event. Perhaps the new Lion has a special talent the club needs but lacked in the past. Make sure the new Lion experiences the personal joy and fulfillment when serving the community. Those are ways to make a new Lion feel like they really belong in the club. If those things happen, the next is a natural outflow of their personal experience in your club.

Result – You have found a new Lion. That new Lion received a proper orientation. That new Lion had a formal induction ceremony. Someone took the time to mentor the new Lion. The new Lion worked a service project. That makes it very easy for the new Lion to suggest someone else for Lions membership. Why? They started on the right foot. It’s very likely the new Lion can reach someone that other Lions in the club do not know personally. When that happens, the cycle repeats itself.

We Serve because Kindness Matters 

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

https://www.facebook.com/Lions30M