Seal Beach Lions Club - General Club Information
This general information guide is designed to help you understand what we do as an organization, who we are as a club, and what is expected of you as a new Lion. This guide is only a supplement to the other official publications, which defines who we are. You are encouraged to read the information in your new member’s packet as well as the materials in this guide.
Who are we? We are the Seal Beach Lions Club numbering over 170 members (the largest club in Orange County and District 4-L4). We are also the 3rd largest Lions Club in California. Our club was founded in 1939 and has been a dedicated local service organization for more than 72 years.
Who are the Leos? Our club sponsors the Seal Beach Leo Club that has around 120 members ranging in age from 12-18. They have their own fundraisers and service projects and provides support to our projects as well. Several Lions act as advisors to this community service group for teenagers.
Meetings – We meet at 7:00pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at Khoury’s Restaurant in Long Beach. Most people get there early to socialize – the room is open at 6:00pm. The first meeting of the month is a combination general and board meeting. Members are encouraged to stay for the board meeting and your input is welcomed. The second meeting (3rd Wed.) is program night. We conduct less business and usually have an informative program. Dinner is available but you are not required to eat a meal. Attire for meetings is casual. Special events and functions requiring more space are held in different locations from time to time.
At the beginning of general meetings, we say the pledge of allegiance; say a prayer for the City of Hope and a prayer for the meeting. You will probably be asked to do one of these from time to time. They are a lot easier than you think so volunteer if you can. Prepared prayers are available or you may say your own.
Fines – At each meeting there is a “Tail Twister” who fines members for various things. Coming late, no badge, failure to shake the hand of the Mystery Lion are all $1 fineable offenses. Other fines for talking too much, not talking enough, promoting your business, receiving cellular calls, bad jokes, bad haircuts, and more are delved out during the meetings to raise funds for our administrative account and to keep FUN in the meetings. Fines usually do not exceed $1-3 total. Fines are meant to be fun and are not serious stuff. Don’t be offended if you are fined – it is part of the fun.
Guests – Guests are allowed at all Lions functions and meetings. Several times during the year we have meetings in which spouses and guests are encouraged to attend: The Student Speaker Contest, Installation of Officers, Teachers Appreciation Night are a few of the special guest nights. Prospective members are welcome at all meetings and events. You are encouraged to bring prospective members and promote them for membership.
Other Costs- Your initiation fee of $25 includes a club pin, a club badge, your new member kit, and the fee to Lions International. Annual club dues are $100 and are due by May 1st each year. (Special dues rate for former Leos and Family Members). We suggest you purchase a club T-Shirt for $5. Other costs may include dinners, drinks, event tickets, opportunity drawing tickets, etc. – these are all optional.
Service Projects – Our club performs many service projects throughout the year. Service projects include Opening day at Seal Beach Pony Baseball, River and Beach clean-ups, Breakfast with Santa, Seal Beach Holiday Parade, Sail for the Blind, Ronald McDonald House, CASA Youth Shelter, Roar for Autism, Beepball for Braille, LAHS Every-15-Minutes, and many more. These are rewarding projects that require little time. You are encouraged to sign up to work or help chair one of these projects. If you have an idea for a project, bring it up at a meeting.
Fundraisers - We have four main fundraising events each year in which significant club membership needs to be involved. They are the Pancake Breakfast & BBQ in April, the Car Drawing from March-July, the Golf Tournament in May, and the Fish Fry in July. These projects are labor intensive (especially Fish Fry) and require as much help as we can get. Annually, we raise around $60,000 which is then used to fund service projects and is donated to various charities and organizations.
Visitations – We visit other Lions Clubs throughout the year to gather ideas and to promote our club projects. Our club is awarded points for these visits from the district and we need 6 members to make up a legal visitation. All members are encouraged to attend at least one during the year. We visit clubs from August through March. We will attend other club meetings and attend their Fundraising events. You can see from one of these visits how your club compares to other Lions clubs.
District Meetings – There are several District and Regional meetings a year at which Regional and International Lions programs are discussed. These are opportunities to get the “big picture” of Lionism and see what other clubs are doing.
Conventions – There are three Lions conventions each year. The MD-4 Convention is in February and encompasses Lions from all over California. The International Convention in July is attended by more than 25,000 Lions from all over the world. The convention most attended by our members is the District Convention held in May. At this convention, club awards are given and the new District Governor is elected. Locations include Palm Springs, San Diego, Ventura and Big Bear. Our club often hosts a hospitality suite.
Officers and Elections – The current club officers can be found on the front cover of the monthly Growl newsletter, or on our web site. Elections are held each April with the term of office running from July-June. All members in good standing are eligible for election to club office. The Lions who are active and involved are the ones who move to higher office within our club. Most of our Presidents have been with the club less than 4 years when elected to this office.
How can I have input into the Club? Your input and ideas are greatly encouraged. Your ideas regarding project management, future projects, donations, etc. will be heard and never ignored. The Board of Directors is charged with voting for all expenditures, donations and major project and fundraiser involvement. The Board makes it’s decisions based on the input from other Lions and committees. From the day you are voted into this Lions Club, your voice counts and is listened to.
What is required of me as a Lion? Come to meetings when you can, help with as many service projects as possible, and plan to work our major fundraisers. You must always have a positive attitude, promote Lionism in the community, and most of all – have FUN!
Proud Lion Award – The best measurement of a good Lion is receiving the “Proud Lion” award. This award is given to new Lions who in a 6 month period complete the following tasks: 1) Attend a board meeting; 2) Bring a guest to a meeting; 3) Work on a club project or fund raiser; 4) Visit another club; and 5) Attend a District, Region or Zone meeting. If you complete these five items you will receive a Proud Lion Award and become a better all around Lion.
Measurement of a Good Lion – Recognition by our club, the District and Lions International is given to all Lions who bring in new members. The lifeblood of the organization is the people and we can always use more good Lions. Our club also gives special recognition to Lions who chair or co-chair projects and fundraisers. The more involved you are, the better the Lion you are and greater the recognition.
How can I get involved? There are a number of committees in our club, which handles Charitable Giving, Elections, Finance, Publicity, Eyeglass Collection, Communications, and much more. New Lions are encouraged to be active in the club workings through committee involvement. Co-chairing a fund raiser or service project with a more senior Lion is also a great way to get involved.
Communications – Every month you will receive a copy of THE GROWL which is our club newsletter. This award-winning bulletin is an important communications tool of our club. Most of our events, fund raisers, and service projects are announced in The Growl. It also contains meeting minutes, financial reports, a message from our President, event pictures and more. All members are encouraged to submit articles, letters, pictures and announcements. We also have a club website: Sealbeachlions.com. The Growl is posted on the web site along with pictures of events and announcements of upcoming events. We can also find us on FACEBOOK….Be a fan of the Seal Beach Lions Club.
The most important thing to remember is this: We are Lions because we want to help those less fortunate than we, and, in the Seal Beach Lions Club, there is a strong element of FUN in everything we do. 8-15-11
