I would like to thank all the clubs and Lions for their contributions to the Tornado disaster victims in Greenback last month and also for those who assisted in helping our Lions members with their son’s hearing aid in the Powell Club.

We are a generous people and it does not go unnoticed.  However, we as Lions, must be careful on what seems to us to be nothing but to the public may appear differently.  For example when representing our clubs in public, if we act out in anger towards a business person because he or she may not want to donate to one of the clubs charities, we have violated the Lions Code of Ethics which we all have sworn to uphold.  We displayed unethical behavior in public and disgraced the Lions Logo and what it stands for.  When we hold projects to raise monies for our charities, we need to be on our best behavior.

When I worked in retail, at one of the Managers seminars we were told, “In retail you never have a bad day with the public”.  I never really understood that message until one of my clerks at the store I managed, got into an angry argument with a customer.  I managed to break up the mess but, I had a very difficult time calming down the customer and keeping the clerk from starting it all over again.  I tell you this story to illustrate that in that short argument not only did that customer lose all respect for my clerk but lost respect for the company I worked for.  We as Lions must never have a bad day when dealing with the public.  It takes a lot to build a reputation but only a matter of seconds to lose it completely. If  we conduct ourselves inappropriately, even just one time, the people around us will lose all respect for us and those things Lions stand for.

I would like to also mention another issue which has come up several times this year and has become a major subject of discussion at Lions International, that is the protection of our Lions Logo, the double faced Lion, and our motto “We Serve”.  If we are not careful on how these symbols are represented we can:

1. Loose the copy write to either the logo and/or the motto,
2. The club can face disciplinary action from Lions International as drastic as suspension of its charter, and
3. the individual(s) involved can be terminated as Lions.

Lions International provides all Clubs in good standing with an automatic one million dollar liability Insurance coverage whenever we or our clubs are doing Lions work.  There are three ways we can lose that insurance even if we think we are correct in what we are doing.  That Liability insurance is suspended when; alcohol is being served, Pornographic or lewd events are being sold or displayed and,  anything that violates local customs or standards is involved with the Lions event.  If we put on an event and beer is being sold, Lions International’s coverage stops and, should there be a claim against the Lions, International will not pay the claim and the burden will fall upon the club holding the event.  That means even if you are not the primary event sponsor but are only running a booth at the event, you may not be covered and you need to contact International to verify if you are.

We are starting to move into our busy season with summer fast approaching and I wish all of you a safe and enjoyable summer.  I hope to see some of you at the State Convention coming up in a few days, or at one of you events.  Please let me know if you would like my presence for anything special event and I will try my best to be there.  A Day with the Lions Walk for Sight is coming up on May 21^st.

DG Bill McDonald