5%

On one our club visits a couple of extremely seasoned Lions were  struggling with the amount of dues their club paid upward to Multiple District 19 and Lions Club International. They asked two extremely pointed questions. One went something like, "There's children and poor people in our town who could really use the $1,000 bucks we pay for dues. How can we justify sending money like that away from our town?" The other went more along the lines, "What does the dues money we pay actually go for?"

The Lions in this club were not parsimonious. Quite the contrary, they contributed generously to the four Lions charities for which we collected. They had Melvin Jones Fellows among their membership and in their history.

Your Lions pin, the sign that announces club meeting times at the edge of town, the painted logo that adorns your clubhouse and the medallion on your podium have something in common. Each have the picture of a Lion and then the words Lions Club International. There are 46,000+ Lions clubs in the Lions International World. All across the world, Lions clubs like yours work hard to be salt of the earth, youth supporting, environmentally caring, vision enhancing and hunger abating leaders of their communities. It is a great thing to think about!  You are not alone in your efforts to do good! 1.4 million individual Lions in the next town, the next county, the next state, the next country and on the next continent are doing just what you are doing! Wow!

Yet, members each of these clubs, by right of membership in Lions International, have the privilege and opportunity to extend their humanitarian reach beyond the borders of their own town. Dues and contributions see to that. Dues provide the organizational structure that our Lions charities and good works hang on.

When VDG Governor Crystal and I visited our 46 Clubs we passed around 4 cookie jars labeled Lions Club International Foundation, Leader Dogs & Guide Dogs for the Blind, Northwest Lions Foundation and CARE. Club members in all our clubs contributed to all the charities and it was wonderful to watch pocket change, bills and checks turn into more than $5,000 dollars.



Donations from District 19F's 46 clubs get combined with Pacific Northwest clubs from MD 19's District 19A through 19I clubs (that's about 430 Clubs) to where serious money is applied to alleviate suffering, blindness and to the support of youth and the world's environment.


I quoted myself a few times at different clubs with my 95 to 5% maxim. "Of course, 90 to 95% of your fund raising should benefit your town's local activities. But when you give the extra 5-10% to benefit your zone, region and world then you truly are part of Lions International."

At the end of the visit where the two seasoned Lions had asked their pointed questions, one 30ish Lion in a vest and a ball cap put a cherry on top on the discussion by saying, "I am proud to be a part of an International organization that does good all over the world."

Well said.

You Guys are Great!