MD1 e-Magazine (Lite) Vol. 7 - Issue 3, September 2019 6
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MD1 Lions & Leos Monthly e-Magazine
working on improving service reporting through MyLion. I realize this will be a bit of a challenge while LCI works through some of the issues with the new system, but it is still vital in order to inform the Districts and LCI know what we are doing.
Council Chair Speaks:
In September six of the MD-1 governors will be headed to the USA/Canada Forum in Spokane. With six of us in attendance we should have many of the sessions covered. I am looking forward to the sessions, and the opportunity to pick up some new ideas to bring back to the state. I will provide some of the highlights in the September issue of the state magazine.
Greetings, Lions of MD-1 We have started our adventure together! Having just concluded the 2nd Council Meeting and MD-1 GAT Summit in East Peoria, I was impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm of the GAT representatives from throughout Illinois at the Summit. We discussed the goals from this year’s council for the GMT, GLT and GST teams. We also continued the work on membership from last year aimed at halting the decline of membership in Illinois. So far this year we have added 138 new members, but we have lost 165 members for a net loss of 27 members. Only one half of the newly installed members are still on the books three years later. It is apparent we need to work harder on retention. New members join to participate in service to their communities, and we need to find a way to keep them engaged once they join. Please stress to the membership chairs, and sponsors of new members to make sure they are immediately involved in your clubs’ activities. The GAT teams also followed up on a recommendation from last year. There will be several Multi-district Forums that are hosted jointly by the districts in order to make them more accessible to our members. Look for more information on these regional forums in future issues. The GST’s will be looking to identify some service activities that we can participate in at the MD-1 convention in Normal next Spring, like the opportunities available at the USA/Canada Forum and LCI Conventions. In addition, they will be 2
The postings for the State Secretary Treasurer position is posted on-line and in the Springfield State-Journal-Register, as well as on the MD-1 Website. It is the goal of the council to have this position filled by the end of October. Until that time PCC Darren VanDuyn will fill in as the acting SST. Finally, a reminder that the next scheduled Council meeting will be December 14th at the Marriot in Normal. All Peace Poster entries, and State Pin designs must be submitted to the Council for judging at that meeting. Lion Jerome Perez MD-1 Council Chair sycamorejerry@gmail.com
From State Leadership Chairperson:
Club Retreat Just what is a Club Retreat and how might it impact your club?
MD1 Lions & Leos Monthly e-Magazine
Well, a Club Retreat is a time that a club sets aside separate from a club meeting, fundraiser or service project to consider where it has been and where it wants to go. We all know that if we always do what we have always done that we will always get what we have always gotten. This works if things are clicking along, but what if there are other opportunities that could be relevant to your members and meaningful to your communities. What if your community needs have changed? What if your club members feel a pull to do something new? Step one is to determine a place, not your regular meeting place or night, to gather to share ideas. A Club Retreat needs to focus just on the sharing of ideas, not regular club business. Next determine a facilitator. The facilitator is the person who will collect ideas from the club members and keep the discussion moving. The facilitator, from your club or someone from the district, leads the discussion without a personal agenda. Prior to the retreat, the facilitator gathers information on what the club has done in the past or is currently doing regarding service, membership, leadership, club meetings and activities. A flip chart page works well for this. At the retreat, the flip chart pages are displayed for all to see. New ideas are brainstormed and added to the list. And, let’s remember when brainstorming, there are no wrong answers. No Lion can say…We did that before…That is not how we have always done it or anything negative. When brainstorming all ideas are included. Following the discussion, the members prioritize their choices. This can be done with a few stickers. Each member gets a few stickers to post near what he or she sees as great ideas. 3
This is a great time to take a break for food and fellowship as everyone is making their choices. The stickers show the club where they want to move ahead. They also show ideas that can be shelved for further discussion or discarded as not currently important to members. From there, discussion is held regarding the choices. Goals are set and an action is developed for each item. Basically, before leaving the retreat, it has to be determined who is responsible for each item, when progress will be reported and when and where action will take place. After the Club Retreat, the facilitator organizes the ideas in a word document that can be referenced. Progress is monitored at each club meeting. At the recent Streator Hardscrabble Lions Club Retreat the club came up with new fundraising ideas, new service opportunities and new membership goals. Plus, a couple of activities we had done for years and then stopped are back on the table. As a Lions Club who recently celebrated our 20th anniversary, this was a great way to look at our proud past and plan for an enthusiastic and energized future! If you have questions about a Club Retreat, contact PID Bud Wahl, 815-822-3015 or MD1 GLT Jama Wahl, 815-822-3014 ---------------------------------------------------------------
Send your articles, news, pictures to: IlStateEditor@gmail.com before 25th of every month.
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