While attending the State Convention in Amarillo, I sat with Fred and Carol Smith at one of the meal functions. When I mentioned to Lion Fred that I was planning to run for First Vice District Governor, his response to me was “What kind of difference do you want to make?” He explained that he had been talking to a mutual friend who said that the only reason a person should run for District leadership would be to make a difference. That question got me started thinking.

I know that Lions Club has made a difference in my life. It has been a means of exercising my desire to serve. I was a minister for twenty-five years, and just because I decided to spend the last few years of my professional life in the private sector did not mean that I was abandoning the desire to serve which prompted me to become a minister. That was not the reason I became a Lion; when Lion Ralph Smith took me to my first Lions meeting, I discovered that I enjoyed the fun and fellowship I found in the Irving Noon Day Lions Club.

It was when I participated in the Sports Extravaganza that I became a LION. I saw the look on the children’s faces when they were able to run a race or throw a softball, or even to shoot an arrow at a target. I saw the pride on their faces as they walked around with three, four or five medals hung around their necks. All of a sudden, the Lions mission of fighting blindness became more than a checkbook issue, a vague goal I was willing to contribute money to, and it became something I could be a real part of. As I went back year after year, I would see the same young people coming back, a few inches taller, a year more mature, a little more self-confident, and I knew that my participation made a difference in their lives.

Getting involved in the District taught me to become more outgoing, and to take the risk of reaching out to people I didn’t already know. When I attended my first USA/Canada Forum, I had received a coupon for two free dinners in the buffet at the hotel where I was staying, just across the street from the venue for the forum. It got to be the last meal before the start of the event, and I had not yet seen anyone I knew. I went down to the buffet, and saw two men approaching the entrance who looked like they were Lions. I went up to them and said that if I could eat lunch with them, one of them could have a free meal, or they could both eat for half price. They accepted my offer, and it turned out that one of them was the vice-chair of the Forum, and the other would be the vice-chair of the next year’s Forum. It was a fascinating lunch. I would never have done that if it were not for the experience of being a Lion.

Lions also make a difference in the world. Not only do we sponsor pancake breakfasts and chili suppers, but we provide a camp for physically limited young people. We have helped to wipe out “river blindness” in South America, and are working toward that goal in Africa and Asia. We funded a vision van to test school children to see if they need glasses. Lions make a difference.

As I thought about Lion Fred’s question, I came to realize that making a difference does not necessarily mean doing things differently. We make a difference by doing the same things we have been doing for years – making a difference in our communities and in the world—and doing it with a renewed dedication and enthusiasm. As we continue to do that we will continue to grow in harmony and enthusiasm, and others will see what we are doing and will want to be a part of us, as well.