What the Flin Flon Lions Club lacks in numbers, it makes up for in service to the community.
And while he is grateful for that service, Omer Champigny knows that without more members, the club could find itself in trouble.
“I sure hope that Flin Flon goes out there and gets new members, because you really need them,” Champigny, district governor for Lions clubs in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, told local Lions last week.
Champigny was the guest of honour at the Flin Flon Lions Club’s Charter Night, held last Wednesday, Nov. 5 in the Flinty Room of the Victoria Inn.
Addressing 20 Lions and guests, most of them gray- and white-haired, he said he sometimes worries about their club given its reduced size.
Whereas the club once had roughly 60 members, and about 40 as recently as a decade ago, membership today stands at 21.
Champigny urged a focus on attracting young members. He also stressed the importance of retaining existing members by ensuring they have work to do and feel a sense of accomplishment.
A retired Mountie and one-time Flin Flon area resident, he said his district has lost nearly 50 members this year. With 1,220 members, the district is in danger of being amalgamated with a neighbouring region.
More unwelcome news came when Champigny announced Manitoba Lions clubs in The Pas, Souris and Pierson are folding due to burnout and an inability to attract new members.
Plus side
On the plus side, Champigny, who resides in Oak Bank, Manitoba, near Winnipeg, said there is the possibility of new clubs starting up in other communities.
Prior to Champigny’s address, the district governor and other club officials handed out awards to some of this past year’s most outstanding Lions.
In a break from past practice, the Judge Brian Stevenson Award for community service went not to club members, but to two of their spouses in Val Wasylciw and Kathy McCormick.
Attendees saw merit in the choice, as spouses play a key role in the club by supporting their partners and stepping up to help with various fundraisers.
Another major award, the Lions Foundation of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) Medal, went to long-time Lion Terry McLennan.
The Melvin Jones Fellowship, one of the highest honours a Lion can receive, was awarded to Monica Lone.
Charter Night celebrated the club’s 61st anniversary. The organization received its charter on Sept. 28, 1953, making it one of the longest-serving organizations in the community.
The first Flin Flon club featured a modest 25 members, all men.
