The Lions Blog

Are you attending the 2013 Lions International Convention in Hamburg on July 5 – 9? Be sure to check out the Social Media Lounge, which will be held inside the main Exhibit Hall at the Hamburg Messe all week long. At the Social Media Lounge, you’ll be able to get hands-on assistance setting up a Facebook or Twitter account and using these social media sites to promote your club’s services.

If you’re already social-media savvy, then use your skills to help other Lions get connected. Sign up to volunteer with the SMiLe (Social Media including Lions Everywhere) team at the convention!

Social media is a great way to not only connect with your club’s members, but also to reach out to your community and to the world. Let everyone know about the local volunteer opportunities that your club provides, and how you’re making an impact every day.

In addition to the Social Media Lounge, there will be several different seminars at the convention to help you get started. Check out the entire list of convention seminars and activities.

What is your favorite social media site for promoting your Lions club?

The Kaikoura Seaward Lions Club in New Zealand has found a creative way to recycle and reuse trash in their community: the Recycled Trash Fashion Show. The event has become a great way for the entire community to get together, have fun and use their creative muscles to turn trash into fashion.

Watch the video above to see how participants are putting their recycled, environmentally-friendly creations on the runway. If you’re interested in starting this environment project in your own community, check out the Lions in Action Recycled Trash Fashion Show story for more information and tips.

April’s Protecting Our Environment global service action campaign is still going strong. How is your Lions club participating?

Today’s photo features the Mercury Lions Club in the Republic of Korea providing food to elderly and homeless people in their community. Feeding the hungry is just one of many ways Lions everywhere make an impact every day. Your Lions club can provide food to people in your area by organizing a food drive, assembling and delivering food baskets, volunteering at a local food bank or starting a soup kitchen.

How does your Lions club feed the hungry?

Having a website is crucial to keeping Leo members updated and informed, especially as today’s youth depends on the convenience of the Internet every day. Lions Clubs International provides e-LeoClubhouse, a free, easy way to create and maintain a website for Leos.

Why Start a Website?

Perhaps your Leo club already has a Facebook page to keep members updated. Facebook is a great way to connect with members on a daily basis! However, as your Facebook page constantly changes with new updates, messages and photos, certain information can get buried. Your e-LeoClubhouse website keeps all the pertinent information – meeting locations, projects, events, member/officer information and more – in one spot.

Features and Benefits:

• Choose from two predesigned templates that incorporate the Leo brand.
• Use the system calendar or link to an already existing Google calendar for important dates.
• Feature photos from your projects by posting them to the website or linking to your Flickr gallery.
• Post key contact information for people who are interested in getting involved.
• Member-only features include newsletter templates, message boards, group email and texts, e-vites and social media integration.

Submit an application to get started!

Do you have a website to promote your Leo club’s youth volunteer opportunities? Share your site and any tips in the comments below.

Incorporating families into your Lions club not only helps increase membership, but it also helps families grow closer together. Children can learn the value of serving their communities at an early age by volunteering with their parents. Current members can invite sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles to help out with community projects. Grandparents can spend more time with their grandchildren. All the while, Lions are making a bigger impact.

Below are some considerations to take when planning family-friendly Lions projects and meetings.

Don’t:

• Organize activities that require a lot of physical movement if your members include senior citizens.
• Mix families with small children and community agencies with small children (supervision may become an issue).
• Hold club meetings at a bar or other location not suitable for children.
• Plan fixed, recurrent assignments that will make families lose interest.
• Organize projects over several hours long that might not work for families with young children.

Do:

• Hold club meetings at a time and place that is convenient and appropriate for families of all ages.
• Plan projects that offer fun, hands-on opportunities for kids.
• Organize service activities with single-function tasks that can be broken down for people of varying skill levels.
• Keep project schedules flexible to accommodate families.
• Plan projects that require multiple skills, talents and knowledge.
• Plan projects such as: helping senior citizens, literacy projects and environmental projects.

Do you have any tips for organizing family-friendly Lions club projects?