President’s MessageServing with LoveDear Lions,As a Lion, one of my favorite projects during this time of year is serving food to those who don’t have enough to eat. And one of the things I think about a lot when I do this is how important it is to serve from the heart.Now, I can go to a soup kitchen, and I can just stand behind a table with all of this beautiful food, or I can stand there with a smile. I can do it simply because I volunteered to do it, or I can do it with love and kindness. I can do it from my heart.The people who eat at soup kitchens don’t want to be there. They don’t want to ask for free meals. Many are dealing with hardships, are lonely, or are suffering from poor health. It’s important that I stand there with love and kindness in my heart, that I smile, and I offer that food with warmth. People can feel your energy. When you do something with kindness, it radiates from you.If I have a smile on my face, and if I'm feeling good about what I'm doing, I think people pick up on that. They see it. They feel it. And the people we serve feel it too. So be aware when you serve. Ask yourself—am I doing it from my heart, or am I doing it just because it was something I said I’d do? There's a difference.People need to feel wanted and appreciated, no matter what their station is in life. So, this month and every month, when you're serving that meal, serve it with a smile, serve it with tenderness, and serve it with kindness. Because it truly matters.Yours in service, Douglas X. AlexanderInternational President, Lions Clubs International We are FamilyDear Lions, As anyone who is close to me knows, there is nothing more important to me than family. Family first. That’s my motto. When someone tells me they can’t make an event because they have a family obligation, I tell them, “Yes, of course! Go be with your family.” Quality time with our loved ones gives us the strength we need to go out and give of ourselves. We cannot fill another’s bucket if our own is empty. However, Lions are a kind of family as well – a really big family with all kinds of aunties and uncles…more...The Beauty of Life Can Be Felt In the HeartDear Lions, It’s been a while since I’ve walked the halls of the Boys’ High School in Brooklyn, New York, where I went to school, and a lot has changed since I graduated. In the seventies it became the Boys’ and Girls’ High School and relocated to a bigger campus on Fulton and Utica. But the original building at 832 Marcy Ave, the one I remember so well, is known for its Romanesque Revival architecture, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is considered one of Brooklyn’s finest buildings. It was a memorable place to spend my…more...Give the Gift of BelongingDear Lions, We often talk about the power of working together. We know we are stronger as a club than as individuals. When I became a Lion, I knew I was joining something bigger than myself. I felt honored and excited. I felt like it was the natural extension of my life’s work. It gave me purpose and direction for all the good I knew I wanted to do. And do you know what else it gave me? A new kind of family. I come from a big family and a close-knit community, so I was no stranger to the…more...The Secret of ServiceDear Lions, For my first message to you in LION Magazine, I want to talk about the small things. When Lions Clubs International was started more than 100 years ago, it was founded on the idea that those who can help, should. It was that simple. I grew up with those same values. I was raised in Brooklyn, where most families worked hard and came home tired at the end of the day. But they saw the value in supporting one another. They knew they were stronger together. And they knew that as tired as they were, or as steep…more...Showing UpGreetings Lions, The two years that I have had the great honor of serving as your international president have been some of the most memorable and meaningful of my life. It’s inevitable that one goes into this role with a set of expectations about how it will be, but I can surely say that my tenure in this role was nothing like I expected and far exceeded all my expectations. While I never anticipated I would serve two full terms as your international president, the past sixteen months have been different than we all imagined. This year has changed me.…more...Lessons from the PandemicGreetings Lions, Out of all the diverse talents Lions possess, one in particular seems to be consistent across clubs and constitutional areas: the ability to turn difficult situations into opportunities. Now that we are well into 2021, more than a year since the first lockdowns began, many clubs have adjusted to a new normal. The rules of the pandemic no longer seem strange, they are simply a part of our life. While we know it won’t be this way forever, some of the adaptations clubs have made in the past year have been truly innovative. And it’s worth looking at…more...Be the RiverGreetings Lions, How does a stream become a river? It begins as a trickle of snow melt at the top of a mountain and flows downward, picking up more water as it runs, joining other streams. It wears away rock and soil as it flows, carving a path and shaping the landscape until one day it’s a roaring river. Lions, this is how change happens. Slowly. Over time. And by joining together. Like most of you, I have long been trying to lessen my impact on our planet. I recycle, I reuse items before replacing them, and I try to…more...Feel the EnergyGreetings Lions, In Busan, March is the time of year when everything starts to warm up a little. Animals come out of their dens, birds venture further from their nests, and people begin strolling around the streets, enjoying the reprieve from a long winter. There is an energy in the air as everything begins to come back to life, even in these challenging times. It was, and still is, a time when I feel a renewed sense of purpose as a Lion. While there are plenty of constitutional areas that are not entering Spring, there is still much to get…more...Service Is LoveGreetings, Lions. Over the years I have had the great honor and blessing of a loving family. But I’ve also found love in unexpected places. I’ve seen it in the eyes of an orphan as he played sports on a sunny afternoon. I’ve felt it in the warm hands of an elderly woman thanking me for helping her to see again. And I’ve known it in the faces of my fellow Lions. The men and women I serve with show love in everything they do. You, Lions, show love through clothing drives, food pantries, eyeglass donations, beach cleanups, and the…more...We Can OvercomeGreetings, Lions. The past year has been one marked by struggle. The struggle to stay healthy; the struggle to serve those in need; the struggle to maintain some sense of who we are in the face of such unprecedented circumstances. But a new year lies ahead. And with that, a renewed sense of purpose and meaning. When I think of all we have faced I am reminded of the words of Helen Keller, who praised struggle as one of our greatest blessings. It teaches us patience and sensitivity, she said. It teaches us that although the world is full of…more...