lions
Lions Of South Dakota
  District  5 SE
DG Notes

DG LeeAnn Haisch
From the District Governor - LeeAnn Haisch
  

Jan

With coffee in hand and an outside temp of -14, I sit down to write this newsletter article hoping for inspiration from this frozen world. The sun is bright and I would love to go out and absorb its rays, but the wind chill makes it too cold to remain outside for any length of time.

The gravel road beckons me to take my daily walk, but the snow has crusted over to an icy layer too slippery to traverse. It all seems so dreary.

Then it hits — that is my inspiration! There is beauty in this landscape and this isolation. It is a time to dream and plan and renew commitments made at the turn of the calendar year.

What do I really want to accomplish this calendar year? What steps can I take to make the world a better place for others? Who can I help through even the smallest of gestures — a phone call, a card, a coffee together at the local coffee house? And how am I taking care of myself? Suddenly, the dreariness washes away and I can see the possibilities, even through the frost of the windows. What do you see for possibilities?

I have a few suggestions from a Lions perspective:

1. Increase your knowledge of Lions by taking a course through the Lions Learning Center on www.lionsclubs.org. If you are a club officer or would like to be, there are short courses on what you should know to best serve. If you are just curious about Lions and want to know more, there is a course for you.

2. Plan a new service project for your club. Dare to dream and make a plan. Don't be paralyzed by what has always been or fear of the unknown. As I have said in earlier newsletters, BE BOLD.

3. Recognize the contributions of club members through your own club awards — make them fun. We have formal awards through the district and LCI, and you are encouraged to award them, but we also need to be a little spontaneous and goofy.

4. Encourage members of your club to attend our district convention in Freeman on April 6. Get a car load and come to the event. It is guaranteed to be fun and you will get to meet wonderful Lions from across the district.

5. Challenge yourself to invite at least one person to join your Lions Club. We have added 55 new members to our district so far this year, but we have dropped 31 members. Who are your newly retired or empty nest friends — invite them. What about your sons and daughters — have you asked them to continue your Lions legacy? How will you speak to young people about the service of Lions?

 6. Call Lions clubs in your zone to see if you can work on a project together. Learn from each other.

7. Be adventurous — attend the International Lions Convention in Melbourne Australia this June. If that seems a bit too far, plan to attend the Multi District 5 Convention in Minot, N.D., May 16-18. The registrations are included in this newsletter.

8. Volunteer to take a role on the District 5SE cabinet for 2024-2025. Dedicated individuals with a love for Lions are always needed.

9. Dedicate yourself to earning the Club Excellence Award for your club.

10. Help a neighboring community start a Branch Lions Club so Lions service can spread.

11. Donate individually to SD Lions Foundation and Lion Club International Foundation.

Let's make 2024 a year of renewal of purpose through bold ideas and dedication to Lions Service.


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Nov Dec

Gratitude and Joy are two of the strongest feelings humans can have. Neither are not limited by time or space because each comes from the depths of a person's being. 

 
The holiday seasons evoke these feelings. Families gather, traditions are shared, memories are made. We are grateful for the moments; we are filled with joy. 
 
As Lions, gratitude and joy are part of us. We are grateful for what we have and how we serve the needs of others. 
 
Our joy is in knowing that we make a difference. How are you making a difference? 
 
When this Lion's year started, I asked each club to develop a vision for your club, make a plan, take action, and celebrate your success. How are you doing with your service plan?
 
Does it need to be revisited and revised? At this month's meeting, reflect on the first half of the year and talk about the gratitude and joy your club has found in service. 
 
Celebrate your successes and share your success with the rest of us.  We all want to know how Lions are making a difference. 
 
Write a newsletter article and submit it; put pictures on Facebook with a short description of the event; invite other clubs  to your next service opportunity or fundraiser. I know good things are happening around the district because I can see that 74% of our district clubs have reported service.
 
Let's take time to visit other clubs, join together for service events, share our successes and challenges. Together we can do so much.
 
Club Excellence
Each year clubs have the opportunity to meet the requirements for a Club Excellence Award as put forth by LCI. The requirements ask that clubs grow by at least one over last year's club membership; clubs report service to LCI and donate to LCI; clubs pay all dues, report officers, and train officers; clubs report service through a social media posting. 
 
Please go to www.lionsclubs.org for a full list of requirements. Your zone chairperson can help you. 
 
Last year's Club Excellence Awards make up about 28% of our clubs — and I am sure many more clubs qualified for the award but did not fill out an application. Please do it this year — our district is strong, let's prove it by having 51% of our clubs applying and receiving the award this year.
 
Clubs receiving Club Excellence 2022-2023.  Congratulations and keep up the good work!
•    Aberdeen Lioness Club
•    Brookings Lions Club
•    Canistota Lions Club
•    Dell Rapids Lions Club
•    Groton Lions Club
•    Huron Eye Opener Lions Club
•    Mitchell Lions Club
•    Mitchell Palace City Lions Club
•    Sioux Falls Sioux Empire Lions Club
•    Sioux Falls Sioux Land Lions Club
•    Sioux Falls Siouxrise Lions Club
 
Zone Chairperson Excellence Award
Congratulations to Jackie Cerkowniak, chairperson for Zone 7, has received the Zone Chairperson Excellence Award for her continual work to bolster leadership, training, marketing, and reporting among the clubs in her zone. 
 
She works tirelessly for the Lions in her zone and in the district. The criteria for this award can also be found at www.lionsclubs.org. Congratulations, Jackie!
 
New Members
As of this month, District 5SE has added 35 new members to our club rosters. We are well on our way to reaching our goal of 60 new members, but we need the help of all clubs in the district.
 
This is a repeating theme, but here it goes again — if each club would end the year with a net growth of even 1 member, we would see growth. When I asked a sponsor from Freeman how she managed to bring in 2 new members, she said, "I asked". 
 
It is that simple. Rarely will people come to you to join. You need to ask them to join. 
 
Let's make January our largest recruitment month of the year. A new year with a new resolution to make the world better. 
 
The following clubs have added members to their rosters this year - 35% of our clubs:
•    Aberdeen Lions Club - 2 new members
•    Aberdeen Lioness Lions Club - 6 new members
•    Alcester Lions Club - 2 new members
•    Canistota Lions Club - 1 new member
•    Clark Lions Club - 1 new member
•    Dell Rapids Lions Club - 3 new members
•    Freeman Lions Club - 3 new members
•    Mitchell Lions Club - 2 new members
•    Redfield Lions Club - 3 new members
•    Sioux Falls Downtown Lions Club - 1 new member
•    Sioux Falls Siouxrise Lions Club - 4 new members
•    Tulare Lions Club - 1 new member
•    Warner-Stratford Lions Club - 3 new members
•    Watertown Lions Club - 3 new members
Can your club be on this list by the end of January?
 
Lions Peace Poster Contest
Thank You to all the clubs and coordinators who helped to make our Lions Peace Poster contest a great success. Winning posters from Redfield Lions, Alcester Lions, Sioux Falls Lions, Freeman Lions and Yankton Lions were submitted to Peace Poster Chair Rebekah Cotton. 
 
Several of those clubs had 17+ entries from their schools and organizations, so those submitted to the district were of very high quality. Our district second place winner was Harper Weisenberger from Yankton. 
 
Our district first place winner was Theodore Curry from Freeman. Theodore received a $100 check from the district. 
 
Both Theodore and Harper's posters will be featured in the 2023-2024 Lions Peace Poster Calendar which will be available in June of 2023. Please purchase a calendar each year as it always features our top 2 winning posters from District 5SE. 


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Sept

As I write this September newsletter, I am keenly aware of how quickly the first quarter of the Lions year has gone. It takes me a bit by surprise and sounds an alarm of action in my mind.  

I have so many things I want to accomplish; so many goals I have set for myself both personally and as district governor; so many clubs in the district I have yet to visit. And just as panic begins to set in, the words of International Director Lion Joanne Ogden ring clear – "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."

She is right. Focusing my energy on a couple areas at a time will help ensure a thorough plan and success.  

How about you and your club? Have you found your focus yet? Where will your energy be spent? Are you following a plan for service and growth?   

Lions Clubs International has plans like Achieving Club Excellence and Global Membership Approach for Clubs. There are also ideas and plans for so many service project ideas: www.lionsclubs.org is your resource.

Using the search button (magnifying glass), you can find countless ideas to help focus your energy. Perhaps you would like to have monthly service projects that coincide with LCI's monthly focus:

  • October: Vision Awareness, Lions Membership Growth, Leo Membership Growth.

  • November: Diabetes Awareness  - World Diabetes Day is Nov. 14.

  • January: Hunger Awareness, Melvin Jones Birthday is Jan. 13.

  • February: Childhood Cancer Awareness.

  • March: Lions Day at the United Nations.

  • April: Environmental Awareness, Family and Friends Month, Leo Club Awareness

Let's find our focus and eat one bite at a time. Don't forget to SHARE  your projects with fellow Lions by submitting newsletter articles and creating posts on your club's Facebook page.

Then start following the Facebook pages of other clubs and South Dakota Lions - District 5SE. Visibility on social media is an important key for attracting new members

Best Wishes to all of you as we begin the second quarter of the Lions year.

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July
Greeting to you, my fellow Lions.  It is an honor and privilege to be serving with you as District Governor of 5SE Lions.  When I first became a member of the Alcester Lions Club, I had no knowledge of the immensity of the International Lions Organization.  As far as I knew it was just a local club doing really good things in the community.

Through the years, as my Lions journey has taken me through trainings, meetings, and events, I have come to understand appreciate the far-reaching effects of this 1.4 million member international organization called Lions.  This past July my husband and I were able to attend the International Lions Convention in Boston.

A personal highlight was being part of the Parade of Nations with 11,000 Lions dressed in their national dress  marching through the streets of Boston.  I could finally see how we are all connected in service to the world, though we are just small town clubs doing really good things in our communities.  We are part of something great - something that changes not only our communities but also our world.  International President Patti Hill's theme for her year is "Changing the World".

My theme as District Governor adds to her theme: "Changing the World through Compassion, Service, and Fellowship".  It seems a simple theme, but it is really a challenge to each club and each member.  Let's find new ways to serve.  Our communities need us now more than ever.

Look compassionately at the needs and develop plans for servicing those needs.  Also, let's  gather Lions and guests in service but also in fun.  Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, achievements --- just gather.  Society fills our agendas with so many events, let's make sure to leave room for the good work of Lions.

The South Dakota Lions State Convention is September 29-30 in Sioux Falls.  It would be a perfect chance to gather with fellow Lions to learn and to have some fun.

I look forward to meeting each of you as I travel the district for club visits, events, and conventions.  Please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.  There is a great support system in our volunteer cabinet members, team members, and past district governors all working to assure our District 5SE Lions Clubs are strong and that each member has access to training and growth through Lions Clubs International.

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