President’s MessageCelebrate SuccessHello, Lions!I can’t believe my year as your international president is already coming to a close. But when I look back at the places I visited and the many faces I saw, I am humbled by the sheer scale of the work we do as Lions. We’ve had such incredible success!As we bring this Lion year to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on our year and all the good work that we did.Remember, success can take many different forms. Yes, success is when you complete a meaningful service project or raise the required amount of funds to keep things rolling next year.But when you are a Lion, success is also the smile you get from the girl entering kindergarten with a new backpack she got from Lions. Success is when the city council sees your tent up at the local fair and thinks of reaching out for help with a cleanup project at the park. Success is the young professional who joins because they were looking for a way to give back and found a welcoming home in Lions.While it’s our instinct to notice the things that need fixing, let’s also notice all that is right. Here’s to you, Lions. Serving as your international president has been the experience of a lifetime!Make a great day, Brian E. SheehanInternational President, Lions Clubs International Leaders Show the WayHello, Lions! Learning how to lead is one of the perks of being a Lion. We invest in our Lions to ensure that you have all the opportunities you need to become effective leaders in service, in your communities, and in life. But don’t mistake having a title for being a leader. You could be president of the world and still not be an effective leader. Leaders show the way through their actions. They inspire others by being the type of person others can look up to. Real leaders show up. They recognize what needs to be done. And they…more...Generations of Service Make Us StrongerHello, Lions! It’s amazing but not at all surprising to me when I meet a Lion who has served for five or six decades. Lions are the most dedicated people I’ve ever known. We live to serve, and we know our actions have real impact. But if we are to make a lasting impact, we must continue to bring new generations of Lions into the fold. Young people have skills and life experiences that can strengthen what we do and how we go about doing it. When experienced Lions welcome a new generation of members, clubs are strengthened, their service…more...Innovate—and Evolve. It’s in Our Roots.Hello, Lions! In 1917 a group of independent social clubs gathered at the LaSalle Hotel in downtown Chicago. They asked themselves if they might join forces to help their communities. At the time, it was incredibly innovative. International service organizations had yet to become a driving force for good in the world. But with the birth of the International Association of Lions Clubs, a whole new era began. Looking back, it seems so obvious. Of course those who have should band together and help those who have-not! But isn’t that how it is with innovation? When we look back, it…more...Building the Future We Want to SeeHello, Lions! Do you have big dreams for your club? Do you want to grow your membership, get young people more involved, or expand the kinds of service projects you do? When you dream big—and I know Lions like to dream big—it can feel overwhelming and hard to know where to start. But here’s the big secret of Lions—you don’t have to do it alone. The Global Action Team can help energize your efforts. We have a global foundation, LCIF, that’s here to empower you with financial support. And there are more than 48,000 clubs around the world who are…more...Fun is FundamentalHello, Lions! Well, I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing like a new year to fill me with a renewed sense of purpose, and I feel more eager than ever to do the important work that Lions do. Every year I like to take this time to pause and assess how we’re doing as a club. What have we done well so far and where have we stumbled? How can we build on our successes and learn from our mistakes? And, if your club is anything like mine, how can I prank the heck out of my Lion brothers…more...We are the Good ThingsHello, Lions! In Minnesota, even though December is cold and dark, our hearts are never more warm and filled with light than they are during this time. It’s in December that we share meals with loved ones and find ways to connect with friends we haven’t seen all year. We look for ways to give to those in need. And we are thankful, more than ever, for not only the things we have, but the ways in which we are able to help those who need us. Besides my family, there is nothing in this world I’m more thankful for…more...We are Team LionsHello, Lions! There’s one thing better than watching a great team in action—being on the team! There are few things I love more than pulling on a jersey, grabbing a glove, and taking my place on the field. It’s hard work, it requires dedication, but it’s also just so much fun. Of course, I’m talking about Team Lions. When my club goes out to serve, we do it as a unit. We wear our club shirts, we take our positions, and we use our individual strengths to help our team be successful. We aren’t just a club. We’re a group…more...Proud to be a LionHello, Lions! I’m proud to be from Bird Island. I’m proud to be a son and a father. But I’m most proud of my role as a Lion. Here in Bird Island everyone knows us. It’s a small community and our club has made our presence known in many ways, most prominently by building a large baseball stadium. But in lots of other small ways as well. You don’t have to do big things to make an impact in your community. Lions make a difference whenever they serve their community—whether it’s a food drive, participating in the peace poster contest,…more...The Many Ways We ServeHello, Lions! Just like we are all a little unique (or maybe even a lot unique) so is the way we serve. We are so diverse as Lions, and the people we serve are equally diverse. How I approach my service is based on what i saw my father do as a Lion and what my town needs from me today. How you approach service will be based on your background and what is needed in your community. And this is one of the many things I love about Lions. Having many ways in which we approach the world is…more...Together We Are Team LionsHello, Lions! Boy, am I excited to be addressing you for the first time as your new International President. If you know me, you know I like making everything just a little bit fun. And if you don’t know me, well, I hope you will come to know and love my approach to service—which is to do everything with a whole lot of energy and a smile. People say I have a lot of energy, and they’re right. And you know what, I intend on using every bit of it to lift you up and cheer you on this year.…more...