Lions Committee

Written by Rob Unsworth Tuesday, 24 February 2009 09:59

Duty to Your Successor

No matter if your successor is the President, Vice-President or Chairman of a Committee, that Lion is going to need your help.

Without intruding in the least on their prerogative, you can be a tower of strength during your successor's term of office. Perhaps you had kindly help from your predecessor. If so, you will appreciate its value, and feel a sense of obligation to pass on what you have learned. The program of Lions is based on continuity. Succession of office marks no real dividing line. As a past office bearer your experience has taught you much, you are now a wiser person.

If you had to repeat your year you might have worked it differently. There are things that you thought of that were not even started, and things attempted that if you were to do them again you would possibly carry out in a different manner. There are things that need to be planned now, if they are to reach finality during the coming year. This is one place where you can help your successor.

Incoming Officers will need encouragement and stimulation in the coming months. During these next few months, share your knowledge and experience in Lions with them. This will assist them to become familiar with the duties that very soon will be their responsibility, and assist the Club to operate smoothly and efficiently, to make it all round a better Club.

About Lion Committees

A committee is a group within a Club that has the responsibility of examining specific problems, and presenting its findings to the Board of Directors for ratification.

To be effective and have its findings adopted, a good committee bears in mind the varying shades of opinion prevailing within the club. Thus its recommendations are usually an acceptable compromise, and harmony prevails.

To achieve this happy result, any committee should realise that it can co-opt any member of the Club to assist in its deliberations, and should consider helpful and constructive suggestions put forward by any member. No one knows it all.

A committee which says in effect, "This is our business and you keep your nose out of it", is limiting its own effectiveness and antagonising its friends. It cannot do its job to the best effect.

Remember, every Lion is interested in everything that is going on within the Club. You can use their interest to make your job easier.

Committee Chairmen sometimes complain that they are given a job, and left to do it by themselves. We would ask them to examine this kind of situation, to see if perhaps this may be a self inflicted wound.

The initiative is with the Chairman, who needs confidence to boldly approach those people who are needed to help. This kind of confidence is infectious, and will make them all want to help. Think about it.

Are the moans about the lack of cooperation the cause or the effect?

Don't wait to be helped, you'll wait forever. Approach your operations with the enthusiasm and confidence, which will make those you want on your team to be ready and anxious to get with it.

CHEERFUL CONFIDENCE RUBS OFF.