District Governor's Visit

The Juneau Mendenhall Flying Lions was honored to have District Governor Karen Burns visit Juneau this week as part of her annual visit.  Clubs in Southeast can feel distanced from the rest of the district at times as most Lions clubs are further up north; we're about 900 miles from the next closest club.  But.... the silver lining is when a distinguished member from district comes for a visit, we usually get them a couple days due to flight schedules!  Can't complain there!

Not only do we love being tour guides as much as we can and show off our fair city but we try to fit a social event into the mix where we can spend more one-on-one time with the District Governor.

This trip Lions Bob and Donna Hurley hosted a social and asked DG Karen if she would swear in our 1 Year Director Susan Albury.  We don't normally wear our Lions vest to social events but Lion Susan felt strongly about having a vest on during this special moment so for this picture she is acting president!  It was all done in fun!

DG Karen Burns and Lion Susan Albury

Yes, we are honored whenever our distinguished guests from up north take time out of their extremely busy schedule to visit us in Southeast.  It's important that our members see the bigger picture in Lions.  Yes, we love serving our community but there's so much more to being a Lion if you want it.

District Governor Karen Burns and Lion Susan Albury

District Governor Karen shared her vision for this Lion year and that is to start new Veterans Club, provide a service dog to a Veteran with PTST, and increase membership by 100 new members.  That's certainly doable!  We have recently learned that for every new member we bring into Lions, 70 people in our community can be served!  

DG Karen presented our Club President Lion Donna Hurley with a 4 Diamond Centennial patch for completing all four of the Centennial Service Challenge activities:  Engaging Our Youth, Sharing the Vision, Relieving the Hunger, and Protecting Our Environment.

Lion Donna Hurley, DG Karen Burns

We also received a Bronze and Silver patch for completing two Legacy Projects:  The Bronze patch was for planting a tree at the American Legion post and Silver patch for bringing the USS Juneau Presentation Silver back home.

As with all good things, the District Governor and her husband, Mike, had to return to the Anchorage area where they will continue to share her vision, and that of the International President.

L/Back: Lions Bob Hurley, Soapy Lingle, Susan Albury, Mike Norton, Nancy Norton, Donna Hurley, and Tom Dawson
Front:  Lion Chevelle Hogan and District Governor Karen Burns

I, for one, feel this visit is never long enough!  But we'll meet again.   Until then....
 
We Serve!
Lion Nancy Norton

A Message from the District Governor

Fellow Lions

It’s a great feeling to be a LION.  And I would like to share some things with all of you.

My Philosophy for my year is “Opening Doors”.  Play the following youtube video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIHtuKc3Gjg    The message is clear.  Make a decision to do something new to change where and what  you are.   As a person, as a Lion, or as a Lions club.  Be brave and try something new.  You never know what you may find. “Opening a door is more than a physical act. It's about putting yourself out there, getting to know people, making them feel comfortable, and making them feel welcome.” Josh decided to make a change that ultimately had a dramatic impact on his life and on the lives of his fellow students. I hope his story is as inspiring to you as it is to me”

To be a 100% club, a large percentage of my year’s focus is for each of you to try new things.  You will find the Zone chairs checklist include both required “new things” for you and your club to attempt.  NONE of the things I will ask of you are difficult, or will take a lot of time.  It will however, take some dedication to “go for it”, update your success’s with the attempt with your zone chairmen.  It will be an adventure for you and your club to find out just what new things are out there.  Your zone chair can help you

Because many attempts  at doing new things “fail”, I have started a Governor’s “failure” Fund.  This is an admin fund that will be returned to the clubs that have made significant strides to achieve or attempt new things.  The fund goes like this:  There is approx 20 “new things” for you and your clubs to work on.  When you have accomplished these items, report it to your Zone Chairman for his checklist, and donate $1 per accomplished new item to the Zone Chair to pass on to the district Treasurer.  For most clubs, this would be $20 or so once you have.  I will match all donations and put into the “failure fund”.  Presently, the fund is at $217.   There is NO LIMIT to how many new things you may wish to try and get credit for.  I will match at least the first $1000 in “new work” that you do which could mean well over $2,000 back to the clubs next spring!

The more “new things” your club accomplishes and donates the $1, the larger the fund will become.  If all clubs just do the minimum and donate, the fund once matched will be about $1600, and will be “awarded” by some kind of process that I have not yet determined.  Its easy to do, gets you $100% return on your investment in one year (that is an excellent return, btw), and will be lots of fun.  Go enjoy and find out what is out there.  When you do these new things, look for opportunities to ask others to join us in serving our communities.  You will find them all over, and be willing to do so.

One major part of the “required” new things is a training called Mentoring.  It is on the Lions International Website.  Go find it and get your mentoring team to take it. 

Your Zone chair is your best friend over the next year.  If he/she does not call you, CALL HIM OR HER and discuss things you want to know about.  Build those relationships and move forward.  As with everything, make it fun, light hearted while doing good things in your communities.  In November, one of the main players of the attached https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YGsi8EeC3M will be her for our Midwinter.  She is going to be FUN and enjoy our Alaskan hospitality.  Don’t forget to sign up for your trip to Kodiak for Mid Winter!

Yours in Lionism

DG Mikie 

When an Incoming DG Visits

Living in Southeast Alaska can leave one feeling isolated from the rest of the state at times.

And this is true for Lions.  It's more difficult to build a relationship with members from other local clubs because there might not be any nearby.  Attending new charters, fundraising events, and even regular club meetings is difficult to near impossible.

So we travel to conventions and conferences to be a part of the bigger picture, to meet new Lions, to meet up with old friends, to have a connection.

But when a Lion comes to Juneau to see us, it's always an honor and helps bridge that gap a little.
 

We had the privilege of entertaining District Governor Elect Lion Mike Brown this last weekend.  TWO WHOLE DAYS worth of picking his brain, hearing his goals for this coming Lion year, laughing, and feeling a part of the bigger picture.  It was great!

While here, the Mendenhall Flying Lions had a social where members could meet Lion Mike Brown and learn, first hand, what his year is going to be like.  We also took advantage of so many members in one place and had our end-of-year social where Lion President Mike gave out awards.   Below is Lion Allen Butner receiving a much deserved award for all his hard work in changing banking institutes.

End of year awards were presented to members.  All Lions received a Centennial pin for their 100% attendance award, Lion Neil Atkinson received a camouflage hat because he's already received every award imaginable, and Lion Nancy received Lion of the Year award for MFLC.

DG Elect Lion Mike also inducted incoming officers.  As you can tell, we all take our roles very seriously!

It was a great evening of fun!  Thanks to Lion Mike Brown for making it special and to all members who took time out of their busy schedules to join us!

During our down time, we did some sight seeing, met up with a couple members from the Juneau Lions Club, and got a better idea of what our next Lion year is going to be like.  Fun!  

Another successful Lion year almost over!

We Serve! 
Lion Nancy Norton
LIONS#100

District Governor Visits Juneau Club

Neither rain nor sleet nor blizzards will keep the District Governor from visiting Juneau as was apparent by yesterday's visit. 

Lion Mike and myself joined the Juneau Club at their regular monthly meeting and greeted District Governor Lewis. 

He brought with him some good news:

• 49A was up 51 new members!
• DMV is taking orders for Lions license plates now.  Only $50.  This would be a great Christmas present for your spouse!
• There's still openings for the Leadership Academy in January.  Think of it.... two and a half days in warm and sunny North Pole....  He's offering a $400 grant to two people who want to go.  This is open to Lions and non-Lions.  If you're interested in details, contact Zone Chair Lion Mike Norton.
• There's a new club in Bethel; the Winterhouse Program.  It's not chartered yet but the papers are signed.  I believe this is a house for people who don't have a place to sleep and the Lions run it.  What a great concept. 
• The district's web page is being revamped and we can expect to see a new, improved website by the end of June.  They've opted to use the e-clubhouse template. 
• Specialty Clubs are often more about their specialty than "serving."  He's working hard at getting the mindset changed to Lions first, then racing (or whatever the specialty is).  This is a good thing.

It was a good visit.  Maybe he'll visit again soon.