My fellow Lions,
Today, we are 1.4 million members in 47,000 clubs across 200 countries. Our impact on the world is undeniable, and our expertise is recognized by the biggest international institutions: UN, UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO, Council of Europe… In 2023 alone, 1.2 billion dollars grants were paid out, including 65 million collected by LCIF alone.
We can be proud to be Lions!
But can we do as well tomorrow?
For some years now, we’ve been struggling to increase and rejuvenate our membership, particularly in historical geographical areas such as the United States and Europe. That’s why, if we want to continue the legacy bequeathed by Melvin Jones and his companions, and go beyond our goals of “Mission 1.5”, we need to adapt our association to the evolutions of our times, and listen more closely to our Clubs. There are many questions we need to ask ourselves, but we have three years to address them.
What is our association’s carbon footprint? Aren’t we in danger of being blamed for it one day? Do we really need to increase membership fees to achieve quantitative or qualitative objectives? What about electronic or proxy voting, which would enable all Clubs to express their views? Should Lionism be developed in partnership with companies? How can we change the Lions Club’s image to reflect new modes of expression? How can we share our altruistic ethic in an increasingly fragmented world? The list is obviously far from exhaustive.
As President of our fine association, I will work with you and the Lions General Assembly on this major modernization project.
Let’s not be afraid of change. We are Lion!
I thank you and count on your support in Melbourne.
