Acceptance Speech from the District Governor 2024/2025
The Area Leader CA8, The Immediate Past District Governor, Colleague District Governors from MD404 Vice Governor, Past District Governors, Distinguished Guests, Lions, Leos, Members of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I received the baton as the District Governor for D418, Ghana, for the 2024/2025 service year on the 4th of May 2024 at our District Convention. On that day, I informed members that there would be an Investiture ceremony where I would also swear in my Cabinet and hold a fundraising event.
Today is the day. We need support, in cash and in kind, to carry out at least two high-impact
Global Cause activities at the District level as the District Governor Legacy Project.
I thank the Almighty God for bringing me thus far, as He has shown Himself strong and faithful at every turn, keeping me focused on a course He has charted for me. I also sincerely thank the Club delegates who played a major role in making this possible, beginning about 3 years ago. I express my gratitude to the Governors who have occupied the seat before me and who worked hard to nurture our young District. Your efforts and sacrifices will never be in vain.
My appreciation goes to members of my Club, Kumasi Royal Lions Club, for accepting to put me up for this ultimate position when some Clubs in Accra and Tema suggested this to them. I am extremely grateful to the Lions and Leos of District 418, who assisted me in diverse ways up this road. Last but not least, to my nuclear family, my children, the Lions and non-Lions, who have stuck by me through thick and thin, I offer you loads of gratitude.
This position is a one-year journey, in practical terms, about 10 months, so one needs to hit the ground running from day one to contribute one’s quota towards the building of the District and also to offer quality, impactful service to the underprivileged in our communities. Every minute of the year should not be wasted. I wish to assure you that I will use my 3Ts, Time, Talent and Treasure, to the cause of Lion Service in this role.
Vision
My vision is to foster unity among our members to enhance our service to the community, grow our membership, effectively support the training of Lions and Leos for service and personal development, and encourage donations to LCIF. Where there is unity, there is friendship, the feeling of being one another’s keeper. Such a relationship established amongst us can easily be transferred on a greater scale to the community we have come together to support, to make their lives better.
The theme of the International 1st Vice President, who took office on 1st July 2024 as the International President for the 2024/2025 Lions Service year, Lion Fabricio Oliveira, is “Make Your Mark”. For the 2024/2025 service year, D418 will make indelible marks in all four areas of Lions’ activities, and our slogan is “Let’s Make Our Mark! Yes, we will” .
We will employ Transparency and Accountability in every move because members will need to know what we do and how well we are leading them in the right direction. As Lions of D418, we will also need to show more transparency and truthfulness in all we do, within our Lions’ work and also in our personal lives. “Let’s Make Our Mark! Yes we will”
Every voice from every tier of the District structure will count. As long as suggestions are brought to our attention, we will discuss them and determine whether they are worth implementing in their current form or need some tweaking. We will operate an open-door policy; however, we shall frown on gossip, peddling of falsehood, hypocrisy and undermining of leadership, which are inhibiting the growth of the District. “Let’s Make Our Mark! Yes, we will”
Theme
My theme for the 2024/2025 Service Year is “Inspire, Involve, Innovate”. We will Inspire members to give their best in all areas of Lions service and open our doors and arms to Involve every Lion and Leo because togetherness is needed to achieve greater results in service delivery and growth. We shall introduce innovation in our administration and service activities during the year. A few examples of innovation are the following:
Club Officers Training was held in June so that Officers hit the ground running from 1st July. Zone Chairpersons workshop has also been held early in the year, July 6. It was slated for the end of June, but for obvious reasons, it had to be moved to after July 1. There will be a quarterly online Time with the District Governor open interaction with Lions and Leos of the District. Many more innovative actions will be rolled out in our work within the year. All these are aimed at greater efficiency and impactful service and these will enable us to ‘Make Our Mark’.
The four priority areas of our work will be pursued: Membership growth and Mission 1.5, Service, Leadership Development and support to Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).
Membership and Mission 1.5
The LCI-led Mission 1.5 programme is to grow our membership to 1.5 million globally by the 1st of July 2027. For the 2024/25 service year, D418 has been given a target to charter seven (7) new Clubs, a membership increase of 259 and a net growth of 21. This means that while we grow membership, we will also need to close the back door so that as many as 238 members do not slip through. This figure of membership increase looks ambitious but it is attainable as we will put in place innovative strategies for membership growth. “Let’s Make Our Mark! Yes we will”
I congratulate the Club Boards of Directors, Membership Chairpersons and members for growing our membership to this level in the 2023/24 service year and enabling us to achieve full-district status. I am anxiously looking forward to the Multiple District status.
Membership growth is our collective responsibility. It lies in the hands of all of us to put in measures to retain and to recruit quality members. The Association depends on people to carry out service, lead and donate to LCIF. Membership growth will, therefore, be given great attention. In the same vein, existing members will be retained by listening to their concerns and finding ways to satisfy them so they actualise why they became Lions in the first instance.
Leadership Development
Various leadership training options, including in-person self-funded affordable institutes, will be introduced to empower Lions at all levels to serve better. Lions and Leos who self-study at the Lions Learning Centre for specified periods will be rewarded. We desire to offer training to every Lion and Leo on the fundamentals of Lions service, the workings of our Association, the rights and responsibilities of membership, empowerment for service, and knowledge for our personal lives.
Service Activities
Quality and Impactful Service will be on our front burner. Project scoping will be given more attention since impactful activities depend on proper background work. We will seek the indulgence of Clubs to engage the community in the planning and execution of service activities so that the community will own and maintain them when completed.
Depending on the availability of funds, the District may launch each of the 8 global causes with an activity. Clubs would be invited to participate in and report without making any financial contribution. Service reporting will be pursued rigorously, as an unreported project is the same as an unexecuted project in the LCI scoring scheme.
Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)
The Good Book says when you give bountifully, you receive bountifully, which is similar to the strategy LCI is pursuing now. When a District contributes to LCIF and applies for a grant, its contribution would be looked at to determine whether to consider the application or how much can be given.
Every District is given a target amount to contribute annually by LCIF. In the current service year, I understand our target is $25,000. The target for the 2024/2025 service year is usually higher by a 10% increase on the current year’s target. LCIF expects leadership to lead by example in donations, so I will do so, and at least 15 of my Cabinet members will also do so. We expect the rest to come from members of D418. We shall therefore put together structures and plans, especially aggressive marketing strategies at the individual Club level, considering the country’s prevailing unstable foreign exchange market. “Let’s Make Our Mark! Yes, we will”. We will achieve our target.
Marketing & Visibility
Lions Clubs International is still not well-known in our country, as expected. This is worrisome after we have been around in the country for about 38 years now. To improve our visibility and image, we shall embark on rigorous marketing and branding of the Association through various means, including partnerships with the media.
Strong Structures for District 418
We were aware that D418 is an arm of Lions Clubs International before voluntarily joining the Association. During our induction, whether as charter members or new members, we all pledged to abide by the rules and regulations of the global Association passed down to us. These rules and regulations are what have guided the Association through its 107 years into a strong and well-organised Association that we are all proud to belong to. We shall therefore be guided by the various levels of the Lions Clubs International Constitutions, rules and regulations, principles and procedures, as well as the Board Policy Manual in all our day-to-day Lions’ activities and actions. The Lions Mission, Purpose, Objectives, and Code of Ethics will also be respected. We are all expected to be Lions with Integrity, and so we need to uphold the tenets of our dear Association.
My Team and I will not undermine our Constitution and By-laws that we have sworn to uphold. As stated categorically at the District Governor-Elects’ Seminar in St Charles in February 2024, the District Governor is required to uphold the Constitution and enforce all Rules and Policies set out by LCI at the District level. I will do so dutifully without fear or favour.
We will ensure that the rules are applied to all. Lion leaders will be urged to set good examples for the younger Lions. Policies that will guide us as to what we should do to strengthen the District structures will be put together and distributed as appropriate to members. The bad eggs among us who tarnish our image and credibility within and outside our fold will be called to order with the appropriate LCI sanctions. We should have Integrity. We cannot belong to a body where we will pick and choose what we wish to do out of the totality of expectations. We can only achieve excellent results when we approach what we do with discipline and good planning, and I must say that we need more of those. One important issue that most of us pay little attention to is the lack of support for Club leaders in office by some members. Most often, only a few members are burdened with the administrative and service activities of the Club. This leaves the leaders exhausted, and so when their term ends, they go to sleep, and the cycle continues. We plead with Club members for a change for the better, as the current situation does not allow the Clubs and the District to be strong. We all joined to serve together. Let us therefore serve together but in different capacities annually.
We should always remember that the District structure consists of Clubs. Without members, there will be no Clubs and without Clubs, there will be no members, nor Presidents, Zone Chairpersons, District Officers or District Governors. We will lead, consult and direct and not lord it over Clubs and members. We, the District leadership and the Clubs, will grow the District together as it belongs to us all, and we have a responsibility to nurture the District into one with a firm and strong foundation.
Leos
Leos today are the Lions of tomorrow; others say ‘the future of Lions is the Leos’. We should remember that Leo Clubs are an activity of Lions Clubs, and this is why sponsoring Clubs pay the Leo Clubs’ LCI dues annually. To this end, while working with and training Leos to become good leaders, we will also guide them to abide by the Constitution. Lions are Lions and Leos are Leos. To have quality Lions in future, we will need to bring in quality young people as Leos, ensuring that the existing ones are of good quality and their roles and responsibilities are spelt out for them. We also need a lot of discipline and restructuring at the Leo level, and these will be looked at. Entrepreneurship training will be offered to those interested. Over-aged Leos and those gainfully employed will be encouraged to form Leo-Lion Clubs.
Partnerships
In this age of scarce resources, strong long-term partnerships which are mutually beneficial are the answer for development. Long-lasting partnerships will be sought for our global causes with companies and organisations whose modes of business are in line with our causes. Other partnerships to support the administrative, media and logistic needs of the District will also be sought. We will be knocking on the doors of several companies and organisations and we will be glad to receive support from Lions who are closely related to such companies to lead or introduce us.
Conclusion
Fellow Lions, I became a Lion because I have a passion for service to the needy and, more so, in an organised group like the Lions Club. I am not a Lion for any other reason. We have come together to serve the needy, and so we need to concentrate on our purpose. The dislike, backbiting, insults that replace healthy criticism, and laying of false claims on people are becoming too many. The situation whereby when one asks for the right thing to be done, one is disliked, or the wrong triumphs over the right, is making Lions Clubs in Ghana unattractive. We are supposed to be the salt of society, worthy examples for society, and so I plead that we tow that line. We need to seriously reorient our minds to the main purpose of becoming Lions. My Team and I will do our best to Make OUR Mark. We will work with an open and honest heart, and the Almighty will reward us with success for District 418.
Let us all put our hands on deck to build our District and serve the underprivileged more effectively as we have come together to do. Let us exceed what we have so far achieved.
“Let’s Make Our Mark! Yes we will.”
I thank you.
Long Live, District 418,
Long Live, Constitutional Area 8B,
Long Live, Constitutional Area 8
Long Live, Lions International,
Lions ……We Serve, Leos…….We Serve
LION DR. HELENA ASAMOAH-HASSAN PMJF, GLCF
District Governor 2024/2025
