410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014 Presidents “This is your Year”

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year”

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Congratulations. You are the future of our organisation, by accepting the role of Lion President of your Club you have committed to see our organisation grow and flourish under your leadership! But what does it mean to be the President of a Lions club and part of the worlds largest humanitarian organisation? Over the next hour I will try to explain what is required and what it means to be A Lion President. Which I hope will assist you in the road ahead. To those who are second term President or have had the role before I ask for your patience.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” • The Club President is the Chief Executive Officer of a Lions Club. • The responsibilities of that office shall be; • Presides at all meetings of the directors and club. • Issues the call for all meetings. • Appoints committees • Appoints the chairperson of such committees. • Ensures elections are duly called, noticed and held. • Inducts new members into the club. • Understands the roles of the Secretary and Treasurer. • Is an active member of DG advisory committee within the clubs • and the Zone • Regularly attends Zone meetings.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” • A Club President who follows the principal of the • “Lions Objects” will be a President to remember! • To Create and foster a spirit of understanding amongst the people • of the world. • To promote the principals of good government and good citizenship • To take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral • welfare of the community. • To unite the clubs in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship and • mutual understanding. • To provide a forum for open discussion of all matters of public interest, • provided however, that partisan politics and sectarian religion shall • not be debated by club members. • To encourage service minded people to serve their community without • personal financial reward, and to encourage efficiency and promote • high ethical standards in commerce, industry, professions, public works and • private endeavours.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” BY FAILING TO PREPARE; YOU ARE PREPARING TOFAIL! Benjamin Franklin

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” • Preparing to be a President. • Set your goals (What is it you want to achieve)? • Discuss your goals with your fellow Lions. • Discuss with your Lion members achievable dates! • Ensure that all your Lion members are on the same page and accept • your vision for the future! All must be part of the process and given a task. • Sit with your Treasurer and set your budget for your year. • The most important thing as you start your year is to ensure that all are • in agreement with what you want to do and how to achieve the result!

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Six Steps to a successful year for your club and you as a President A Major Service / Welfare Project. The foundations of a successful Lions club are built around successful projects! A project that involves all the members and has a significance to the community it serves. A major project attracts interest and imagination and aids in building of strong relationships and support between Lions and members of the public. What better way of attracting new members and retaining existing members than seeing Lions working and enjoying serving a community in need and building the bonds of friendship.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” 2. A Major Fundraising Project. Every successful club needs a large fundraising project to be able to survive! A fundraising project in which the community can participate and towards which the community can contribute. All successful fundraising projects involve all members and each member should be responsible for establishing , organising and affecting the program. Important note. The fundraising project must be of interest to the wider community, only if you attract the imagination of your community can you guarantee success and financial reward.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Communication A continuing line of communication between all members of the club and the community it serves will ensure support for the club and its activities. Presidents it is important that you have a individual allocated to preform the duties of getting the message out there! A good relationship with the local newspapers is a must! You need to ensure the media is constantly informed of club achievements and activities. To those who do not produce a newsletter or bulletin! You need to reconsider what can be better than a bright newsy club bulletin explaining your clubs activities and giving praise to those who have achieved! Also advertising upcoming events.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Well organised, Enjoyable Meetings. Club meetings must be stimulating, informative and enjoyable. Meetings should be thoroughly planned and agenda’s should be followed. All must be given a chance to participate and care should be taken to ensure the meeting is not hijacked for personal gratification. Items not on the agenda must be raised and discussed under general. Lively, interesting meetings will help create the impetus for individual members to participate even more actively in club activities.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Association / Club / Members Spirit. Each individual Lions should be made aware that they are part of a great organisation, that they are an important part of that organisation an organisation that is truly dedicated to humanitarian service. Presidents your role is to see that members take part in all functions of our organisation whether it be projects allocated from International Multiple District, District, Zone or Club. Encourage a strong social bond between members and other clubs introduce raiding and supper evenings etc. Remember as humans we want to be part of the crowd and socialise, by nature, we want to interact.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” 6. Strong Membership and Retention. Total involvement of new and existing Lions into club projects is the key to membership retention and growth. Presidents you must set one of your goals to ensure our organisation grows. Individual members should be encouraged to develop and attract new members into their respective clubs. Retaining members is all about the health of the club! Members who are active and enjoying what they do, will not leave! Where as if there is boredom and animosity you will see members leaving at a rate of knots!

Role of the President 410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year”

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” • Role of the President at a Meeting. • The President is central to the success of any meeting, therefore he must; • Arrive early to greet and meet those attending the meeting. • Use the correct protocol when effecting introductions of official guests. • Plan what it is you want to say at the meeting! • Encourage a dress code to be adopted by the club, remember if you look unprofessional that will be the public perception of Lions. • SOTFOT “Start on Time Finish on Time”!

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” • Role of the President at a Meeting. • Keep Control of the meeting at all times. • Use the gong when necessary but never in anger. • Allow acceptable debating time (3 to 4 minutes) be careful to avoid • tedious repetition and trivia! • Remember as President, good fellowship must be the keystone of all • meetings and when all else fails the rule of common-sense must prevail.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality Warren Bennie

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” The Qualities of Leadership. Presidents should build their clubs in everyway possible to be an example to other clubs and a credit to the community, the District and Lions International. Honesty Whatever ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a Lions club, its important to raise the bar even higher. Your club and its members are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behaviour a key value, your members will follow suit. Ability to Delegate Promoting your Lions brand is essential to creating an organized and efficient club, but if you don’t learn to trust your members with that vision, you might

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” never progress to the next stage. Its important to remember that trusting your members with your idea is a sign of strength, not weakness. Delegating tasks to your members is one of the most important skills you can develop as your club grows. The key to delegation is identifying the strengths of your members, and capitalizing on them. Find out what each member enjoys doing most. Chances are if they find that task is more enjoyable, they will likely put more thought and effort behind it. This will not only prove to your members that you trust and believe in them. But will build strong relationships and club fellowship. Confidence There may be days where the future of your Lions club is worrisome and things aren’t going according to plan. This is true with any club, large or small,

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” and the most important thing is not to panic. Part of your job as a President is to put out fires and maintain the members morale. Keep up your confidence level, and assure everybody, that setbacks are natural and the most important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the President, by staying calm and confident, you will help keep the members feeling the same. Remember, your members will take cues from you, so if you project a level of calm damage control, your members will pick up on that feeling. The key objective is to keep everybody working and moving ahead. Commitment If you expect your members to work hard and produce quality content, you’re going to need to lead by example. There is no greater motivation than seeing everybody down in the trenches working alongside everybody else, showing that hard work is being done on every level. By proving your commitment to the club and your role, you will not only earn the respect of your members, but will also instil that same hardworking energy among your community.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” It’s important to show your commitment not only to the work at hand, but also to your promises. If you pledged to undertake a project or attend a function , keep your word. You want to create a reputation for not just working hard, but also be known as a fair President. Once you have gained the respect of your members, they are more likely to deliver. Positive Attitude. You want to keep your members motivated towards the continued success of the Lions club, and keep the energy levels up. Remember that every member is an individual. Keep the club mood a fine balance between objectives and playfulness. If your members are feeling happy and upbeat, chances are they won’t mind staying that extra hour to finish a project, or devoting their best work to the Lions brand.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Sense of Humour. If your club fails on a project or your fundraising dries up, guiding your team through the process without panicking is as challenging as it is important. Morale is linked to success, and it’s your job as the President to instil a positive energy. That’s where your sense of humour will finally pay off. Encourage your members to laugh at the mistakes instead of crying. If you are constantly learning to find the humour in the struggles, your club environment will become a happy and healthy space, where your members look forward to working, rather than dreading it. Make it a point to crack jokes with your members and encourage personal discussions of weekend plans and trips. It’s these short breaks from the task at hand that help keep motivation levels high and morale even higher.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Dealing with difficult members. We all have difficult people we need to deal with in our lives on a daily basis. While such characteristics may be exaggerations, you may find traits of them in a few of the people in your workplace, amongst your friends, within your own Lions club or even a loved one. Psychological research has suggested several ways of coping with difficult people in your life, e.g. complainers, super-agreeable, know-it-all experts, pessimists, and stallers. Each of the above can cause havoc in your lives and erode confidence. What follows is a little guidance to assist you!

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” The Chronic Complainer They are fault-finding, blaming, and certain about what should be done but they never seem able to correct the situation by themselves. Often they have a point, there are real problems but their complaining is not effective. Coping with complainers involves, first, listening and asking clarifying questions, even if you feel guilty or falsely accused. There are several don’ts: don’t agree with the complaints, don’t apologize (not immediately), and don’t become overly defensive or counter-attack because this only causes them to restate their complaints more heatedly. Secondly, as you gather facts, create a problem-solving attitude. Be serious and supportive. acknowledge the facts. Get the complaints in writing and in precise detail; get others, including the complainer, involved in collecting more data that might lead to a solution.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” In addition to what is wrong, ask “What should happen?” If the complainer is unhappy with someone else, not you, you may want to ask, “Have you told (the complainee) yet?” or “Can I tell __________?” or “Can I set up a meeting with them?” Thirdly, plan a specific time to make decisions cooperatively that will help the situation…and do it. The Super-Agreeable What about the persons who are super nice and smilingly agree with your ideas until some action is required, then they back down or disappear. Such people seek approval. They have learned, probably as children, that one method for getting “love” is by telling people (or pretending) you really care for and/or admire them. Similarly, the super-agreeable will often promise more than they deliver: “I’ll get the report done today” or “I’d love to help you clean up.” They are experts in phoniness, so don’t try to “butter them up.”

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Instead, reassure the super-agreeable that you will still like them even if they tell you the truth. Ask them to be candid and make it easy for them to be frank: “What part of my plan is okay but not as good as it could be?” Help them avoid making promises they can’t keep: “Are you sure you can have the money by then? How about two weeks later?” Tell and show them you value their friendship. Let them know you are ready to compromise because you know they will be more than fair. The Know-It-All Expert Know-it-all experts are of two types: the truly competent, productive, self-assured, genuine expert and the partially informed person pretending to be an expert. Both can be a pain. The true expert may act superior and make others feel stupid; they may be bull headed and impatient with differing opinions; they are often self-reliant,

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” don’t need or want any help, and don’t want to change. If you are going to deal with the true expert as an equal, you must do your homework thoroughly; otherwise, they will dismiss you. First of all, listen to them and accurately paraphrase their points. Don’t attack their ideas but rather raise questions that suggest alternatives: “Would you tell me more?” or “What do you think the results will be in five years?” “It probably isn’t a viable choice but could we consider…?” Secondly, show your respect for his/her competence but don’t put yourself down. Lastly, if the expert can not learn to consider others’ ideas, you may be wise to graciously accept a subordinate role as his/her “helper.” True experts deserve respect. The pretentious-but-not-real expert is relatively easy to deal with because he/she (unlike liars or cons) is often unaware of how little he/she knows. Such a person can be gently confronted with the facts. Do it when alone with them. Help them save face. They simply want to be admired.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” The Pessimist Another “burden” to any group is the pessimist –the person who always says, “It won’t work” or “We tried that.” These angry, bitter people have the power to drag us down because they stir up the old pool of doubt and disappointment within us. So, first of all, avoid being sucked into his/her cesspool of hopelessness. Don’t argue with the pessimist; don’t immediately offer solutions to the difficulties predicted by the pessimist. Instead, make optimistic statements — showing that change is possible and encourage the group to brainstorm leading to several possible alternatives. Then ask what are the worst possible consequences of each alternative (this gives the pessimist a chance to do his/her thing but you can use the gloomy predictions in a constructive, problem-solving way). Also ask, “What will happen if we do nothing?” Finally, welcome everybody’s help but be willing to do it alone because the pessimist won’t volunteer.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” The Staller Every group has a “staller,” a person who puts off decisions for fear someone will be unhappy. Unlike the super-agreeable, the staller is truly interested in being helpful. So, make it easier for him/her to discuss and make decisions. Try to find out what the staller’s real concerns are (he/she won’t easily reveal negative opinions of you). Don’t make demands for quick action. Instead, help the staller examine the facts and make compromises or develop alternative plans (and decide which ones take priority). Give the staller reassurance about his/her decision and support the effective carrying out of the decision.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” Take Pride in your Achievements

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” When the Year is almost Over! Presidents should keep in mind that at the end of their term of office they will be called upon to give an account of their conduct and the clubs affairs during the year. This is a time to reflect on your years achievements! This is normally done at the induction of the incoming President. Remember it’s the incoming Presidents night so your time is limited! As you leave your office it is important that you honour those within your club who have helped in achieving the common goal of service, those who have supported you and those who have gone the extra mile, this is normally done by way of certificates, pins and plaques. The final act is to ensure that all club records are complete and handed to the incoming President.

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014Presidents “This is your Year” • REF: • Lions International Presidents Manual • Forbes Leadership Manual

410C Information and Training Weekend Sat 21st June Inter- Club Activities (Zone Chair Workshop) Planning WorkingTogether Motivating Projects

410C Information and Training Weekend Sat 21st June Inter- Club Activities (Zone Chair Workshop) BY FAILING TO PREPARE; YOU ARE PREPARING TOFAIL! Benjamin Franklin

410C Information and Training Weekend Sat 21st June Inter- Club Activities (Zone Chair Workshop) • Planning your year as Zone Chair! • Set your goals (What is it you want to achieve)? • Discuss your goals (Plant the seeds) with the Lion Presidents and members • as you visit their clubs and at Zone meetings. Build the expectation! • Discuss with your Lion Presidents and members achievable dates! • Ensure that all your Zone members are on the same page and accept • your vision for the future! All must be part of the process. • The most important thing as you start your year is to ensure that all are • in agreement with what you want to do and how to achieve the result!

410C Information and Training Weekend Sat 21st June Inter- Club Activities (Zone Chair Workshop) Choose a Project When choosing a combined project, choose something which will spark the imagination of the clubs and its members! Choose something which is guaranteed to be a success, Easily achievable and limited cost (remember not all clubs have big bank balances) A Lions Zone Project must include lots of member interaction! Ensure that all clubs have an active participation and guard against any club taking a controlling interest. Remember it is a Zone project! Pick projects which deal with people, Children, Senior citizens or the handicapped. These project have the ability to attract interest and invariably are a success and give the members that feeling of satisfaction.

410C Information and Training Weekend Sat 21st June Inter- Club Activities (Zone Chair Workshop) Working Together. As a Zone chair you know that you have achieved something when you see Lions from your zone working together and all contributing to service. The Zone chair must take a holistic view of the project. That way you can guide as and when the need arises! Be careful as it is easy to fall into the trap of club loyalties. Nip issues quickly in the bud and remember a happy group will perform and deliver a consistent output.

410C Information and Training Weekend Sat 21st June Inter- Club Activities (Zone Chair Workshop) Motivation If you expect the Zone members to work hard and produce quality content, you’re going to need to lead by example. There is no greater motivation than seeing everybody down in the trenches working alongside everybody else, showing that hard work is being done on every level. By proving your commitment to the zone and your role, you will not only earn the respect of the lion members, but will also instil that same hardworking energy among those that work with you. Maintaining the energy levels and passion are all positive to a success therefore If you want to keep your members motivated towards the continued success of the Zone project, and keep the enthusiasms high, remember that every member is an individual. Keep the mood a fine balance between objectives and playfulness. If your members are feeling happy and upbeat, chances are they won’t mind staying that extra hour or devoting their best to the Lions brand.

410C Information and Training Weekend Sat 21st June Inter- Club Activities (Zone Chair Workshop) During your project ensure there are lots of photographs taken and that all are included. Make sure that if the press are in attendance that they know it is a Zone project and all get an equal share of the credits! Finally at your next Zone meeting make a point of thanking each club for their participation. Do not single out any one person as it was a combined project and its success was that lions worked together to make it so!

410C Information and Training Weekend Sat 21st June Inter- Club Activities (Zone Chair Workshop)

410C Incoming Officers Training Weekend 21st June 2014 Presidents “This is your Year”