Each year, on the last Saturday in April, Lions around the world host the Lions International Worldwide Induction Day, a global membership celebration to welcome our wonderful new members to their clubs.
Here are some tips on how to make this year’s celebration a success.
- Get the Word Out Soon – It’s always best to let members know about Worldwide Induction Day as soon as possible to give them time to build excitement about the event. Create a poster, send an email or two and post things everywhere you can to make sure that as many members as possible know about it. Don’t forget to enlist the help of your zone chairs to help spread the word as well.
- Social Media Is Your Friend – You should also take advantage of social media when planning your events. Remember that these are fairly new Lions, and the more exposure we can give them prior to their inductions, the easier it is to excite them about membership.
- Get Creative! – When planning your ceremony, don’t be afraid to get creative. At the event, use video to show who Lions are and showcase the different things about them. I would also recommend using your district Global Action Team (GAT) members. Introduce them to your governor and the GAT. Give each member a little bit of time to talk or play a video—I would recommend about 10 to 15 minutes tops. Too much information can sometimes be overwhelming.
- Create an Agenda – Always create an agenda for the event and be sure to share it. Let the guest speakers know how much time they have and make sure that the host of the event keeps them to it so that everything moves along nicely. If your guest speakers follow through on meeting the new Lions during the luncheon, they can answer questions at that time.
- Make It Fun – Add some humor to the presentation. Don’t let them think that this is all about the work because Lions like to have fun serving. During our event at the Marmora Crowe Valley Lions Club in Ontario, Canada, I played a couple of outstanding Lion videos—one was a comedy spoof and the other was a music video. These proved to be an excellent way to conclude the event.
- The More the Merrier – When setting things up, make sure that your new Lions know that they can invite family members to come and watch and share in the celebration. This is a great way to showcase Lions and all the life-changing things that we do.
- Pins Are Important – Invite your sponsors to pin the Lion pins on their newest Lions and invite the new Lions to pin the sponsor pins on their sponsors.
- Designate a Photographer – I would also recommend that you have someone assigned as the photographer at your event. Ask them to take as many photos as possible and then select the ones that you want.
- Be Prepared – Always be prepared for changes. Try to figure out a way to address the certificates prior to the ceremony. This way, when you display them, there isn’t a pile of certificates for people who couldn’t be there that day.
- Include Food – Make sure that you provide everyone with a snack or a lunch. This also offers you an excellent opportunity to socialize and introduce yourself to those in attendance.
A Wrap Up of Lessons Learned
We can always learn something from everything we do. Last year’s Worldwide Induction Day was my third time setting up this event, but our first time doing it in person. Here are some of the things I learned:
- Make Them Feel Special – Regardless of how many people attend, each person needs to feel that they are “the one” that this event is being held for. Introduce yourself to them as they arrive and make them feel comfortable. Briefly explain what is going to happen during the ceremony. We, as leaders, should introduce ourselves to everyone at these kinds of events, not just to long-time Lions.
- Sponsors Matter – Introduce yourself to the sponsors as well. For some of them, this may be the first person they sponsored into Lions. Let them know how much you appreciate them doing so.
- Don’t Sweat Stuff – Issues arise, technology freezes, names are sometimes wrong but always remember that most mistakes are ones that only you know about. Try to think quickly on your feet, redirect if need be and carry on. Remember: this is a special induction ceremony, and you have the ability to make it so. So, smile, laugh and keep doing what you do.
I hope some of these suggestions will help you enjoy hosting a Worldwide Induction Day in your own districts. Learn more about Worldwide Induction Day.
Lion Frank Hewitt is the first vice district governor of the Peterborough East Peterborough Lions Club in District A3 in Ontario, Canada.
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