How do I become a Lion? You have to join a Lions Club to become a Lion— a member of the International Association of Lions Clubs. You can not just join Lions Clubs International; Lions Clubs International is an association of Lions clubs. Members of Lions clubs become members of Lions Clubs International when they are inducted into a Lions Club.
How do I join the Vancouver Lions Club? Membership in the Vancouver Lions Club, as with all Lions clubs, is by invitation. Membership is open to all men and women over the age of 18 who are willing to serve the needs of our community. You need to fill out an application for membership and pay the initiation fees and club dues. A member of the Club will ordinarily sponsor you, although Lions from other clubs can (and do) sponsor new members to the Vancouver Lions Club (and Vancoiuver Lions Club members sponsor new members to other Lions clubs as well). Your application for membership is submitted to the Club's board of directors for approval. Once approved, you will be inducted into the club at a regular club meeting.
How much does it cost to join the Vancouver Lions Club? You pay club dues, pro rated to the month during fiscal year (July through June) in which you join, plus an “entrance fee” that the Club pays over to Lions Clubs International. Annual club dues is currently $90.00 for regular members, $75.00 for for each family member, and $68.50 for students and young adults under the age of 30. Members can pay dues in installments. The entrance fee that goes to Lions Clubs International is $35.00, except only one entrance fee is charged for up to 4 family members who join together and there is no entrance fee for former Leos, Leo Lions, students and young adults under the age of 30.
Do I have to pay dues to Lions Clubs International, too? No. You do not pay any dues other than the annual dues to the Club. That being said, the Club is charged an annual assessment from Lions Clubs International and from Multiple District 19 Lions for each club member; The Club's annual dues are structured to cover the assessments it receives from Lions Clubs International and Multiple District 19. The annual assessments from Lions Clubs International are $43.00 per capita and the annual assessments from Multiple District 19 are $25.60 per capita. That means the Club retains $22.40 of the annual dues to pay for club operations and expenses: Club operational expenses are paid for only through member contributions and Dues; All funds raised by the Club from the public are returned charitable needs and causes supported by the Club— no public funds are used for Club expenses.
What else do I have to pay to be a Vancouver Lion? There are no assessments or charges you are required to pay to be a member of the Vancouver Lions Club other than Club dues. The Club's regular meetings are dinner meetings, so there is a charge for dinner if you choose to have a meal (it is not required). There is usually a “REX” drawing (a 50/50 raffle) at club meetings which you may participate in (the cost is $1.00) if you choose. The Club's “Tailtwister” is always out and about at Club meetings to collect “fines”, auction “prizes”, or to collect “Happy Bucks” for the privilege of addressing the Club. The “fines”, auctions and raffles are not burdensome and the money collected goes to the Club's administrative account to pay member expenses to attend conventions, conferences and other functions as a representative of the Club. It is of note that Club operational expenses are paid for only through member contributions and dues— all funds raised by the Club from the public are returned to public, charitable needs and causes supported by the Club— no public funds are used for Club operations.
What is this Multiple District 19 stuff? The Vancouver Lions Club is a member of Multiple District 19 of Lions Clubs International. Multiple District 19 covers the Lions Clubs located in Washington, Northern Idaho and British Columbia, Canada. It consists of 5 Districts, named as Districts L, I, O, N and S; The entirety of Lions Clubs International is divided into geographic Districts for organizational purposes, about 750 Districts worldwide. Think of Multiple District 19 as a group of 5 Districts that have consolidated their administrative needs into a single office. For the record, the Vancouver Lions Club is in District 19N— District N of Multiple District 19—which covers an area from the Pacific Ocean on the West to Lyle, Washington on the East, and from Vancouver, Washington oN the South to Bremerton, Washington to the North. Not to confuse, but District 19G is further divided into 11 Zones, numbered 1 through 11, from North to South— The Vancouver Lions Club is in Zone 10 (19N–10).
How do I make a donation to the Vancouver Lions Club? The Vancouver Lions Club established the Vancouver Lions Foundation, a non–profit, §501(c)(3) corporation, as the Club's charitable arm. You may mail donations or contributions in care of the Vancouver Lions Foundation at Post Office Box 441, Vancouver, Washington 98666, or to the Foundation's president if you have any questions or need additional details. Contributions sent to the Vancouver Lions Club that are not specifically earmarked for operations will be donated by the Club to the Vancouver Lions Foundation.
How do I request donations or contributions from the Vancouver Lions Club? The Vancouver Lions Club established the Vancouver Lions Foundation, a non–profit, §501(c)(3) corporation, as the Club's charitable arm. To request funds from the Vancouver Lions Foundation, please: Send a letter to the Vancouver Lions Foundation at Post Office Box 441, Vancouver, Washington 98666, or; Send an email to either the Foundation's president or secretary, with a detailed explanation of the purpose of the request, together with reliable contact information.
Can I help with a project even if I am not a Lion? You may volunteer to help with a service project by: Writing the Vancouver Lions Club at Post Office Box 441, Vancouver, Washington 98666; Sending an email to the committee chair for the service project you want to volunteer for, or; Contacting the Club president.
How do I get the Vancouver Lions Club to adopt a project? If you are aware of a community or a humanitarian need and want to request assistance from the Vancouver Lions Club, either: Send a letter to the Club at Post Office Box 441, Vancouver, Washington 98666, or; Send an email to the Vancouver Lions Club president with a detailed explanation of the project together with reliable contact information.
Where does the money raised by Vancouver Lions Club projects go? All money raised by the Vancouver Lions Club from fund–raising activities is returned to the public through the Club's charitable foundation, the Vancouver Lions Foundation. All club operational expenses are paid for only through member contributions and dues— all money raised by the Club from the public is returned to public, charitable needs and causes supported by the Club— no public funds are used for Club operations.
I still have a question, who can answer it? The Club does not publish member telephone numbers or addresses, for obvious reasons. So, you need to contact the Club through mail or email. If you could not find an answer to all of your questions, or if you just want some more information, check our Contacts page and send an email to the committee that looks like the most likely able to respond to your question. Or, if none of the contacts look like they will work for you, email your question to the Club president.
