The Seal Beach Lions Club has been serving the community of Seal Beach, California, USA, since 1939. As of April 2022, they have 420 members, making them the largest Lions club in North America. They know a thing or two about community service, and successfully recruiting and retaining members. Their secret? If you build it, they will come.
Read on to learn more about their club’s success and how you can take the same action to grow your Lions club and community impact.
Make your club visible in the community
The Seal Beach Lions are involved in approximately 120 service projects a year, from the Christmas parade to their annual Fish Fry, from historic restoration projects to rubber ducky races. Wherever Lions go, they’re proudly displaying the Lions club logo. They want people in the community to see them and say, “Everyone seems to be a Lion in Seal Beach. How do I get involved?”
Take action:
- Wear shirts, polos or vests with the Lions emblem at all of your community service projects and events. Check out the Lions Shop for branded apparel.
- Put up signs at every service activity and leave brochures wherever you go. Download Kindness Matters signs to get started.
- Include the Lions logo on everything! From pop-up tents to flags, business cards to vans, make it known across your community that Lions are there to help. Find Lions logos and emblems.
Partner with local organizations and businesses
The Lions in Seal Beach reach out to City Hall, the police, the lifeguards, the fire department, the school districts, and ask: “Do you need help?” They are proactive in their engagement. They’ll help other organizations with fundraisers and open houses. They’ll be there to set up, clean up, and everything in between.
Take action:
- Identify your club’s unique strengths and motivations, and determine how to apply them to the needs and opportunities within your community. Use the Club and Community Needs Assessment to assist you.
- Ask local businesses to hang up flyers promoting your next event in their storefront windows. View the Brand Advance Kit for flyer templates and more.
- Approach other organizations to work together toward a common goal. Download the Guide to Developing Local Partnerships.
Involve youth in community service early
“Family is at the center of Seal Beach Lions. We have members with children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, and it just becomes a family affair.” Lion Scott Newton’s entire family is in the Lions club. His son, Grant, was a Leo, and is now a Lion with children in the Cub Program. By making their meetings welcoming for young families and children, they keep entire families engaged in service. Their Leos serve alongside them, seeing the Lions have fun, and many have become Lions as soon as they turned 18.
Take action:
- Start a Cub Program to teach your children about kindness and community service at an early age. Get started and find Cub Program activity ideas.
- Ask Leos to: run their own booth at your next event, create a plan for your social media presence, or babysit Cubs at your next meeting. Invite Leos to all your service projects. Download Leo Club resources and a checklist for engaging Leos.
Support members’ passion projects
When a new member joins the Seal Beach Lions, they are put right to work. They not only bring new ideas, they bring unique passions and skills. “When a new member has a passion, our more senior members are there to mentor them and help make sure it’s a successful project,” says Lion Scott.
Take action:
- Give new members a voice and use your volunteering and planning experience to set them up for success. See our Service Launchpad for more planning resources that can help you.
- Help get the word out about your fellow Lions’ passion projects. Visit the Lions Press Center and Social Media Center for public relations and marketing resources.
Learn more about the Seal Beach Lions Club. Read about their Veterans Memorial project in the LION Magazine.
Jacqui MacKenzie is the social media and community manager for Lions Clubs International.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted communities around the world in different ways. To ensure we’re serving safely wherever we live, Lions should follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization or local health authorities. Visit our Serving Safely page for resources that can help you safely serve your community.
