International Lions convene in Yorkton

The key to a highly successful Lions Club convention is great speakers and great food according to Don Reed, one of the directors of the local club.

By all accounts, the Multiple District 5 convention hosted by the Yorkton Lions last weekend was highly successful.

Speakers included Dr. Patti Hill, a psychologist and motivational speaker who was the first woman governor of the Lions Clubs of Northern Alberta.

Like many service organizations these days, the Lions are aging and one of the focuses of the conference was strategies for recruitment.

"One of the key future plans is membership and growth," said Marvin Chambers, a Lions International director from Fillmore, SK. "It's the highlight of our whole organization at the present time.

Hill's program focused on attracting youth. Reed said the gist of her message was, "if you want to relate to young people, you have to relate on their level."

Justin Flunder, a leadership consultant also addressed the interaction between generations during his keynote address.

Brain Sheehan, a Lions International director from Bird Island, Minnesota and a special guest at the convention, said to that end the Lions are seriously targeting social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

He said there is a lot to recommend joining the club.

"We're like one big family," he said. "Honestly, every time you see a Lion, all over the world, you're automatic family."

That international family is 1.35 million members strong in 207 countries. That gives the club the infrastructure, manpower and financial resources to be a big player, not only in providing local community service as everyone is aware, but for major disaster relief as well.

"When there's a disaster in the world, Lions are one of the service organizations there to help," said Dennis Becker, chair of the Multiple District 5 Council. "We're probably the best kept secret in the world and it's our own fault because we don't blow our own horns enough."

But the Lions aren't entirely about service.

"Lions have to have fun," Becker said. "We're serious, we do lots of great work, but we also like to have some fun."

And fun they had. The local club organized a Pirate Party for the Thursday night before the convention started and Friday's entertainment was provided by hypnotist Wayne Lee.

On Monday, Reed summed up the event simply and consicely.

"It went fantastic," he said.