by Bob Porteous
When an airplane “stalls”, it doesn’t mean that the engine has stopped running. Stalling an airplane means slowing down to a point where the flow of air over the wings no longer provides sufficient lift to support the weight. As a result, the plane noses over and starts to fall.
It is the same with a service club. If a club slows down to the point where the flow of work and the interest in what the club does deteriorates, the club will start to fall. Just like too much work, too little work can cause a club to fade and struggle to continue to exist. This COVID-19 thing is very difficult on Service Clubs, and we here in Winchester are no different.
We miss our two meetings per month where the requests for donations, the problems of the community, the needs of individuals, the ideas of members, the reports on completed actions and the many other things that would or could be raised and pondered over. These meetings are the life line of a service club, otherwise interest wanes and members slip quietly into the night.
The past few years, as times have changed, we have found it increasingly difficult to attract new members. Frequently, prospective members say they don’t want to attend meetings, they don’t want to be formal members, but they will help out if we ask them. Normally, if we have a prospective member, we encourage them to attend two or three meetings before making up their mind or whether they wish to become a LION.
By attending our meetings, they get the chance to see and hear about the things that we are doing, they have the opportunity to ask questions, and develop an understanding of the organization of Lions International in Canada and the USA.
There are many advantages to being a service club member. You will be expected to participate in the decisions of the Club by expressing your opinion. You will be given the opportunity in planning, participating in, and probably, leading initiatives at some point. Granted that this sounds like work and who needs work?
But, you will also benefit. You will lose your aversion to standing up in front of people to express you opinion or explain your ideas. You will learn how to keep track of expenses, income and budgeting, and that has never hurt anyone. It is this writer’s opinion that the rewards to the individual can serve the individual in many other aspects of their life. And besides, they’ll have something to be proud of.
We wish to welcome Elva Patterson Rutters to our “fellowship”. Elva is joining us, and if she likes us and what we do, we will induct her into the the Lions Club of Winchester, Inc. when we can have a regular meeting with everyone in attendance. Elva has been a volunteer at our Thrift Store for some time now, so she knows of some of the good work that Lions do for our community. Welcome Elva, we hope to have you as a full fledged Lions member in the near future.
We wish to congratulate each new Club Officer.
President: Lion Tammy Cinnamon
1st Vice Present: Lion Rob Sadler
Secretary: Lion Doris Baker
Treasurer: Lion Shawn Doolan
Past President: Lion Guy Belliveau
Two Year Director: Lion Suzanne Belliveau
Two Year Director: Lion Doug Padbury
One Year Director: Lion Marlane Fraser
One Year Director: Lion John Cinnamon
