Lions Dist. Governor says there are many ways to serve

    Ed Dunn of Grant wears a lot of hats—one of them this year is serving as District Governor of the Nebraska Lions Clubs in District L.
    That area encompasses much of the western part of the state. Dunn, who is the Grant City Superintendent, has a busy schedule but found time to visit the Imperial Lions club May 23.
    In his visit with Imperial Lions, Dunn discussed membership, noting “several organizations are feeling the heat” of declining volunteerism.
    He said that usually leads to a core group of members “who do everything.”
    That’s why it’s vital, he said, to do all club members can to keep the ones they have, “or they will walk out the door.”
    It’s also important for all members to get involved, he said.
    Dunn lives by a simple phrase and encouraged all club members, active or not, to consider it: “If not now, when? If not me, then who?”
    In his travels across the district, Dunn said other clubs are coming up with creative ways to attract new members.
    Several clubs attend their local high school career fairs and provide membership applications. It’s been very successful for the Grant Lions, he said, and resulted in formation of a new Leo Club in March for high school students.
    One of the Grant Leo Club’s first projects is to clean up one of the park’s planters, he noted.
    Other clubs utilize residential door hangars, similar to those used for political campaigns, to attract new members.
    Dunn said most clubs have three kinds of members—those who only want to do service projects, others who like the business part of the meetings and those who are happy to only pay dues.
    “There are several ways to serve and it’s okay to be any of these,” he said.
    Dunn reminded members of the Lions State Convention in Grand Island/Hastings June 2-4. This year’s international Lions Convention will be headquartered in Boston July 7-11.
Imperial club donates
to Campbell field dugouts
    At last week’s meeting, the Imperial Lions voted unanimously to donate toward improvement efforts at Campbell field ahead of this summer’s State Jr. Legion Baseball Tournament Imperial will host.
    The club voted unanimously to give $8,600 to the Imperial Baseball/Softball Association for costs related to upgrades to one of the dugouts. The dugout will be enlarged with a new concrete base and exterior.
    The club also plans to sell peaches again this summer.