Dear fellow Lions,
During the 26th Mediterranean Meeting in Bologna, one of the candidates for the position of International Third Vice-President claimed, on his social networks and then in a widely circulated newsletter, to have obtained the endorsements of all the constitutional areas.
This is not true.
To respect the values of our Association, it is essential to set the record straight.
Only two constitutional areas actually voted: Europe and Africa. Europe, which organized a show of hands, selected the aforementioned candidate. Africa, which organized a democratic vote, elected me with over 70% of the votes.
What about other constitutional areas, where no vote was organized? The said candidate was simply endorsed by officials alone!
But then, dear friends, what are these endorsements worth?
Within our association, endorsement is a procedure by which a Club, District or Multiple District recommends a candidate for an office. Endorsement is not intended to eliminate other candidates! It is not an election procedure per se, but an expression of preference. Why hold elections in Melbourne if, in the end, only a few institutionalists choose the candidate to be elected?
Dear Lions, our Association deserves better, don’t you think? It deserves democratic elections, allowing Clubs to elect the candidate of their choice.
If we really want to change the world, if we really want to increase our membership to better serve our communities, then we have to change ourselves.
Together, with your support in Melbourne, we can make the changes so many Lions
are waiting for!Together, with your support in Melbourne, we can make the changes so many Lions are waiting for!
