Lions Charter Night Address

October 30, 2008
Presented by Bob Nelson

There is an old adage. They say, “If we forget the past, history will repeat itself.” What a great saying. Perhaps it would be instructive to take a few moments in time and contemplate some of our own history, history that got us to where we are today. In the beginning God, oh, too far back, huh.

On the national scene, Lions International came about by way of a dream of a business leader Melvin Jones. He believed that local business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large. Born in 1879, Melvin Jones, the man whose personal code was, “You can't get very far until you start doing something for somebody else" became a guiding principle for public-spirited people the world over. Melvin died June 1, 1961 at 82 years of age, but not before he saw an unselfish motive grow to one of the largest service organizations in the world.

While the Tar Heel state was not there at the beginning in 1917, by 1922 we had recognized the importance of his mission and 10 clubs were organized in the state that year. Winston Salem being the first and our sponsoring club Raleigh (host) Club was organized in May of that same year.

Organized June 12, 1935, we received our Charter September 5 of that year. There were 20 charter members present. Tonight we celebrate our birthday. For 73 years our club has had the stellar distinction of being significant in the operations of District 31F. Often we have been the largest club in our district, winning awards in so many ways, a significant contributor toward the District’s budget and, maybe most importantly, the resource of 12 past and current district governors spanning from 1938 to 2008. Men such as Charles Lano, Lynn McIver, Stacy Budd, Glenn Edwards, King Moore Willis, Russell Mann, Avron Upchurch, who also went on the become president of the NC Lions Foundation for the Blind 1983-84, Winston Hester, Milton Sommers, Tony Williams, Roy Jernigan and our current DG, David Martin. We have averaged a district governor about once every 6 years. These gentlemen have carried the pride of this Club to a much higher calling; you make us proud to be part of this Club. You have recognized the importance of looking beyond just the trees but to the existence of the forest; you are the heroes of this world. You, along with the leaders of this club, not just those in office but those who truly care about this club and its mission, remind us it is not what we have done but what we failed to do that we should have done.

Beyond our district governors, we have also been the sponsor of other clubs both within and without our District. Our flag proudly displays those Clubs.
But I return to my opening remarks, will history repeat itself? Better yet, will this club survive? And if so, how?

I stand here and look at the lions and lioness that have helped shape my 30 years in this club. You have brought me along into positions of responsibility, leadership, and administrative tasks but most importantly the desire to serve. You have never asked me to say thank you for what you have done for me but to merely ensure that the flame that drives this mission will not go out. I marvel at the fact that just when I think you can give no more, you find ways to do just that. We have accomplished so much together but how we serve in the future might look much different than how we served in the past.

We need to continue our focus on the mission, “we serve”. We need to be about Club continuance. For it is Club continuance that ensures that “we serve.” This will not always be an easy task. We are beginning to cross generations. We lived to work; the generations following us work to live. We functioned best with face time; the generation following us has grown up in a world of texting.

Does this sound familiar, Club president John receives a call from someone who needs transportation to Carolina Eye Association for an eye exam. John comes back to the club; he makes a general appeal for volunteers to make the trip. John makes two, maybe three different appeals, might even establish a committee to find someone. Someone finally volunteers and at the next awards night we give them a certificate.

Our members in the future will still want to serve, but in all likelihood in a much different manner. They may simply go online, review the immediate needs of the Club, the requests we have received to serve; they will pick one because they have the opportunity to help at that moment and they’ll get it accomplished. No need to go to a meeting, no fan fare, just the same basic need to do what is right. The results will be the same but the execution oh so very different.

We’ll still be about serving, but it will be about networking the needs of the needy with the needs of the future servers.

Our legacy is not what we did in the past or how we did it. Our legacy will be how we make sure that it continues in perpetuity. Are you up for the task?