At the USA Canada Forum last weekend Naresh, our Lions International President, was speaking to about 1400 Lions over a meal. I was gnawing on a hunk of bread slathered with orange paprika butter when he said something like, "If every Lion would bring in a new Lion..." and just then a paprika flake sent my taste buds soaring and my mind off somewhere else and I lost most of the rest of what he was saying.
3 days later while chauffeuring the DG back from a visit to Asotin, Naresh's words popped back into my brain and I tried to start a conversation with DG Crystal about how amazing what he said really was... What if every Lion would bring in a new lion this year? We tossed it around for a few miles while my tired eyes scanned the road shoulders for deer and badgers.
Just how would bring in a Lion work? Think this through with me, please.
I could commit to personally finding a new Lion! Actually, it happened the next day when a 20-something named Zach said he'd like to join my club. Yikes! Twilight Zone music out of nowhere and As a man thinketh slogans slowly roll across my mind.
Maybe you could get your son to join? Tell him it's time to do what a man should do in the world. Maybe someone else would invite their niece or nephew to a service project and tell them truthfully that their help is needed to change their community and the world.
Another Lion could look over his barbed wire fence and strike up a Lions conversation with the guy in the next field. Stranger things have happened.
Naresh has nailed it! "If every Lion would bring in a new Lion.." we wouldn't be listening to tired people griping about how the same 5 Lions do all the work on their club's projects.
"If every Lion would bring in a new Lion.." it would be so much more fun watching an ancient Tail Twister trying to remember everyone's names.
"If every Lion would bring in a new Lion.." there would be more support for Little League teams, soccer teams, band trips, FFA and 4H and Scout Troops.
"If every Lion would bring in a new Lion.." our contributions to LCIF and Leader Dogs and Care and The Northwest Lions Foundation would double.
"If every Lion would bring in a new Lion.." there would be more new officers and van loads of people visiting clubs and going to conferences.
"If every Lion would bring in a new Lion.." the old guys could quit worrying about their club existing after they pass on.
Sometimes a leader will say something so profound that when you turn it over in your head the best thing that comes out of your enlisted soldier brain is something like, "Oh, Wow!" or "Wow, Sir!"
At that point, if you are a good Sergeant, you translate it for your troops, get on with the mission and take the objective.
