Giving Back By Christopher Durso

Take Away

Lions Share

One of the largest service organizations in the world doesn’t prioritize CSR at its annual meeting—because it’s already a core part of its mission.

You wouldthink that Lions Clubs International — the biggest service-club organization in the world, with 1.35 million members in 46,000 clubs — would have a mammoth community-service component at its annual International Conven- tion. And youwould be wrong. “Ourmotto is, ‘We serve,’” said Renée Aubin,

manager of Lions Clubs’ convention division. “It’s part of being a Lion. They give backto thecommu- nity wherever the need is.Wedothings at [the Inter-

throughout the previous year—andto send them home inspired to do even more. Otherwise, CSR- projects tend to be smaller-scale and interwoven among its daily activities. (See Take Away, at right.) Althoughthis year, the organizationmade an exception. Wing-Kun Tam, Lions Clubs’ newly installed president —its first fromChina—arrived in office with a vision: to plant a million trees around the world. And what better place to get started than the 2011 International Convention, which brought more than 15,000 members to Seattle on July 4–8? Partnering with its local host committee andthe

city of Seattle, Lions Clubs planted a parent red- cedar tree in Seattle’s Discovery Park.Then, inaball- room at the Washington State Convention and TradeCenter, the group’s750district governors-elect and their spouses prepared800red-cedar seedlings. “Because our conventionwas in July, it’s not really the season to plant trees,” Aubin said, “so the city andthehost committee are tendingtothese seedlings untilwe can plant them” sometimethis fall. WhydidTamchoose trees? “Environmentally

SEEING RED: Lions Clubs’ 750 district governors- elect andtheir spouses preparedred-cedar seedlings for planting in the host city of Seattle.

national] Convention, but I don’t know that I would look at it as a largecommunity-service proj- ect tied to each convention.” Instead, each International Convention is an

opportunity for Lions Clubs to celebrate what its members have accomplished in their communities

he wanted to give something back, and with the longevity of trees, it would be something that would continue on and help the environment,” Aubin said.“We are such an internationalcommu- nity that it was something that all Lions could participate in. Thatwashis message:‘Gohome,help your community, help the environment.’” And while Tam’s goal was to plant a million

trees, since Seattle the project has taken on a life of itsown, withLions Clubs around the world plant- ingmore than twomillion trees —and counting. “It’s almost feeding on itself,”Aubin said.“There’s competition out there —getting the president to vis- it, and every time he goes somewhere, he plants a tree.” She added: “He’s ecstatic. It turned out hewas right. Itwassomethingeverybodywouldparticipate in and embrace.”

ON_THE_WEB: For more information about Lions Clubs International’s Million Tree Planting Campaign, visit http://bit.ly/pchw5p.

28 pcma convene November 2011 ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT HANSON

Hear Them Roar Lions Clubs inter- weaves community projects throughout the year and at its annual meeting: Eyeglass recy- cling: One of the Lions’ signature proj- ects is preventing blindness and saving sight—symbolized by the organization’s year-round collection of used eyeglasses. Peace Poster Contest: Kids world- wide ages 11 to 13 submit entries each fall, with the winners announced at the International Convention the fol- lowing summer. “It’s interesting to see the difference between what someone in Egypt or Iraq would depict as peace,” Renée Aubin said, “compared to North America or Europe.” Blind Essay Contest: Since the organization is “so involved in saving sight,” Aubin said, this was offered for visual- ly impaired students last year as an alter- native to the poster contest—so they too could “express their feelings of peace.”

Christopher Durso is executive editor of Convene.

Giving Back is sponsored by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, www.fairmont.com.