Some people will go on to other Lions Clubs. Others will look elsewhere for opportunities to volunteer. In the end the busy lives we all lead caught up with us. As a group we became increasingly unable to find the time, energy and effort that being a member of one of the world's best known community organisations demands. Busy careers, growing families and passing through different stages of our lives overtook our good intentions. Rather than limping on, we collectively decided to call it quits. And that was despite the support from the Lions hierarchy which did everything to help the Club continue.
In today's fractured and frenetic community getting the loyalty and attention of a volunteer is impressive Getting seven years from a volunteer is a real achievement. But there are more traditional souls who see being a member of Lions, Rotary or similar organisations as a lifelong commitment akin to what used to be expected from Catholics or Communists.
As we disband I would like to think that all sides in the Canberra volunteer triangle have benefited. Individual members were able to multiply their personal efforts by drawing on the support and camaraderie of tens of thousands of brother and sister Lions across the globe.
For nealry a decade the Lions organisation was able to tap into the services of well established career professionals with a wide range of talents. But most importantly our local community - particularly older Australians from migrant backgrounds, young people entering the workforce and people in the community sector - hopefully gained a little something from our Club's efforts.
2 comments:
Bob, I am sorry to hear that your Lions Club felt it necessary to "pull the plug" on your chapter of Lions International. As a 22-year member of Rotary, I am a great believer of the viability of service clubs and a long time admirer of Lions Clubs and all other service organizations. My "life long" commitment to membership in a service club is NOT akin to Catholicism (I am a recovering Catholic)nor to Communism. Both of these rely on blind faith or lemming-like followers. As a matter of fact Rotary (which exists in 182 countries)is asked to leave by totalitarian governments who rely on a population that looks to their "dear leader" to solve their problems rather than private individuals. Conversely, when Communism or totalitarianism crumbles or falls, groups such as Rotary are welcomed back. This happened in the former Soviet Union in 1990, when a Rotary Club was formed in Moscow. I know this because my husband (a fellow Rotarian) made up at a meeting there in 1990. So, I hope you and your fellow Lions find another way to volunteer and enrich your lives. All of us are busy these days but there is always room for "service above self" no matter where you find it.
Thanks Rosanne for your insights into the power of voluneerism. I'm sure my colleagues and I will find other ways to contribute to our communities. In fact I'm transferring to another local Lions Club
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