Lions International is the largest humanitarian organization in the world thanks to its 1.4 million members serving their communities in over 200 countries. This impact would be impossible without the strength and fortitude of its members. To maintain and even grow this positive impact, bringing in new members and creating new clubs is essential. Fostering a culture of recruitment at the club level ensures that new clubs and new members are excited to join the service-driven communities of Lions International.
The good news is that it can be as easy as just asking. The Just Ask! program has been designed to help clubs navigate membership growth while incorporating the Global Membership Approach. It also goes beyond recruitment. Just Ask! helps clubs effectively manage club growth through revitalizing membership and remotivating existing members.
Just Ask! and Global Membership Approach
Just Ask! encompasses the four steps of the Global Membership Approach process. The first step is to build a team of people who are dedicated to increasing a club’s membership. Once formed, the team should assess the status of their current club and the surrounding community to build a vision. It is important for your club to think about what the club wants to be and what goals the club wants to accomplish. It is important for the team to include input from all club members in the process whenever possible.
Once the vision has been set, the team needs to consider how they plan to accomplish these goals. This is about the who, what, where and when your club will begin. It is also important to consider how to approach new members in your community to learn about their interests and see how those interests can fit into your club. Once the plan is set, it is time to put it into motion. Whether this is through membership-focused events or inviting prospective members to an upcoming service event, the key to Just Ask! is simple: explore opportunities in your community and encourage club members to ask people they know to come and learn more about the club and how they can benefit by becoming a Lion.
Case Study: Multiple District C and Lethbridge West Lethbridge Lions Club
So how has this worked in action? How can Lions who are driven to grow their club and create new clubs take the first step to plan an event? Learn more? Or teach others about what Just Ask! has to offer?
These were some of the questions Lion leaders in Multiple District C in Canada asked themselves as they considered ways to revitalize the multiple district. As a first step, the 2022-23 ¬district governors, Suzanne Leshchyshyn and Darryl Rawleigh, teamed up with Global Action Team Area Leader Brent Johnson to plan an event in central Alberta. They wanted the event to be an opportunity to actively engage with Lions.
The team of District Governor Suzanne, District Governor Darryl and GAT Area Leader Brent organized the event in Olds, Alberta so Lions in both districts had the opportunity to take part. When considering what resources would be the most effective at communicating the message of membership growth, the newly redeveloped Just Ask! materials were the perfect fit.
Twenty clubs were invited, 10 from each district. Invitations were sent to presidents, membership chairmen, GAT coordinators, and anyone who had an interest in equipping themselves with new skills for member recruitment. On the day of the workshop, 35 Lions took part from about a dozen different clubs in Alberta. The new Just Ask! resources provided opportunities for interactive conversation and brainstorming to strategize prospective member engagement. These materials facilitated worthwhile discussion and drove home the message that leadership in the multiple district is there to support clubs with growing their membership. Participants left feeling positive and motivated to reinvent recruitment and hold member events!
The message continued to spread. In the weeks following the workshop, a fellow member in Area Leader Brent’s own club, Lethbridge West Lethbridge Lions Club, brought the Just Ask! guide to a club meeting. This motivated the club to hold a successful membership event with seven new members being inducted, four of whom joined as a direct result of the event. Additionally, Area Leader Brent has been taking the guides to zone chair meetings around his district as well as writing pieces for his district’s quarterly newsletter to keep up the momentum. Feedback has been continually positive, and membership is now a regular part of many club agendas in the multiple district.
“I feel that the Just Ask! program and brochure are a couple of the best membership tools ever created by Lions International. Our members who are interested in membership growth find them easy to use and the results are proven,” said Brent Johnson, council chair elect and Constitutional Area II GAT area leader.
Want to learn more about the Just Ask! program?
Check out the Just Ask! guide and excerpt. Other helpful resources to stimulate member growth in your club include the Club Quality Initiative, Club Community Needs Assessment and the Global Membership Approach.
Kelsey Ax is a Global Action Team field specialist at Lions International.
