By Peggy Tobin
LCI Dues Adjustment Resolution To Be Voted On
Lions Clubs International supports clubs and members around the world so we can advance our global mission of service together. Our international support and the work of Lions Clubs International is fueled by the international dues of our incredible members.
In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that the services Lions Clubs International has been able to provide to members with the available budget is no longer in line with what Lions need and expect.
The International Board of Directors voted in October 2019 to approve an international dues adjustment resolution that would be voted on at the 2020 International Convention, but it was postponed due to the cancellation of our 2020 convention and the move to a virtual convention in 2021 as we adapted to the pandemic. The new dues adjustment model will be voted on at the 2022 International Convention in Montreal.
The Board of Directors undertook an extensive review of Lions Clubs International’s financials, including the implementation of substantial budget reductions. After much consideration, the board proposed to adjust dues $7 over a three-year period.
Under the proposal, international dues would be adjusted according to the following schedule:
- $3 increase on July 1, 2023
- $2 increase on July 1, 2024
- $2 increase on July 1, 2025
We realize the association has been reluctant to adjust dues over the years, and we have not adjusted international dues since 2011. The proposed adjustment will help cover our costs and allow us to suitably serve our members’ needs. With that said, the Board of Directors did not take this issue lightly, nor are we minimizing the value of each dollar that our members contribute.
As we consider this dues adjustment, it is essential that we keep in mind that our global efforts and initiatives support more than 1.4 million members in 50,000 clubs around the world. Through the support of staff, we are able to serve globally on the level that we do, keeping members and clubs fully supported with service resources, training events and software, club operational support, hybrid convention, international meetings, language services, technology, Foundation support, leadership support, and everything else we have come to expect as Lions.
A dues adjustment will allow Lions Clubs International to provide improved support to Lions and to continue to invest in improving programs and digital products such as our website and MyLion. It will also allow us to invest in new programs such as the Learning Management System (LMS), development of new curriculum such as digital literacy, training videos, global advertising, marketing automation, digital and video storytelling and other tools and initiatives that will enhance our impact, our brand, and our membership.
Essentially, we have to decide whether or not we want Lions Clubs International to continue to grow and thrive. Lions is more than a way of life. It’s also an investment of money, time, energy and passion. As with any good investment, the more we put in, the more returns we see.
I hope that you will see this adjustment as we do: as an investment in the future of Lions. Through your support, we can ensure that Lions are positioned for success in the future.
Yours in Service,
Douglas X. Alexander
International President
Helena Lions Club Foundation Donation
The Helena Lions Club Foundation donated $4,000.00 to the Helena Babe Ruth Baseball Association to help fund a playground to be built at Ryan Park in Helena. This park has eight baseball fields that young boys and girls use all summer for Babe Ruth baseball and other activities for children. The playground equipment will be a new part of the park that people can bring their children to play on. The Helena Lions Club has sponsored a Babe Ruth team for over 60 years and this donation put a cap on the $38,000.00 the new playground equipment will cost. Installation will start the Spring of 2022 and the Helena Lions Club will be helping on the installation.
Pictured from left is John Cochrane of Helena Babe Ruth Baseball, Lion Jim Brown and Lion President Jack Berry presenting the check.
