Our New Direction is Taking Shape

Fellow Lions,
One month down! This month please try to attend your District Convention. District meetings are a great way to meet other clubs, learn what and how other clubs are doing, and to plan joint club activities. Exchange ideas! Registration – it's not too late! – and forms are included in this issue of the digital Canyon State Lion.

At the state level, we are in the process of putting together a communications system. This takes a lot of hard work and time from volunteers.  In the end, I think we all will love the finished product. 

The idea is to have a system established that will enable clubs and members to communicate:
  • Internally, with other Lions and clubs in Arizona, and
  • Externally, to publish on the web, social media, and other marketing platforms to inform our audiences about what we do!
We hope each club will be able to “piggy back” on this system and expand its marketing reach. So, please stay tuned!

Our Annual State Convention is this May 19-21, with the “Main Event” on Saturday at the Doubletree Hotel in Tempe. We are celebrating 100 years in "Lionism in Arizona!" One hundred years! Please send one or two members from each club to honor this mark. We are proud to have been serving our great state for 100 years and we are looking forward to serving for the next 100 years!

As many are aware, some of our state projects are in discord. As a state multiple district of Lions International (Arizona is in MD-21), we do not control our state projects. Each project is a separate and independent 501(c) (3) organization. The Council (comprised of our two District Governors and the Council Chair) has limited authority over a state project.

We do have authority over the recognition of a state project being able to use the “Lions” name and marks. As your Council, we are concerned with how our name and marks are used. To that end, we have been working to resolve the discord. It’s premature at this point to say more, but I am hopeful a resolution might be announced SOON and to honor certain folks who have devoted countless hours towards this endeavor.

I also encourage each club to promote its members to leadership. Moving into leadership brings many rewards – leadership training and learning public speaking. Becoming proficient in public speaking is a skill that is very hard to achieve. Opportunities simply are sparse and one of the great benefits in Lions Leadership is public speaking.

Phil Whitaker, council chair