MERL: Where are we going with it? Is it working?

[Eric Holmden]

My Thoughts on MERL:

Existing: Recruiting & retention is a constant battle, we loose members for Non Attendance, Non Payment of dues and the clubs just let them go.

Why does this happen? Whose fault is it?

Leadership: Existing.

The Leadership Chair does his/her best to Train Club Officers to be good leaders. Is it working?

We setup training sessions that very few clubs members attend. Why? Maybe too busy with club functions and looking after local issues. Travel costs. Full day away from home. Cost. Etc.

District MERL Team attends Zone Meetings to get message our to Presidents, secretaries and maybe 1st. Vice Presidents. Is This information passed onto general membership. (not likely). Not enough time, Presidents remarks of meeting simply give an overview of what took place with little of no discussion. Usually remarks only contain general information. And the minutes usually give the same information.

So what I am saying is that the information is not getting to the general membership.

We train the District MERL Team who pass on the information on to clubs, set up training sessions that are poorly attended, perhaps for the reasons mentioned above.

International sets up programs to help, clubs don’t participate, so what good are the programs if the clubs don’t get the necessary information?

Possible solution. (food for thought).

District MERL team continue to do the District Training and include the Region Chairs. Make it the Region chairs job to promote the MERL program at the Club level.

Existing: The region chairs are passing on the same information, in most districts the same information as the zone chairs and District governor in giving them information on general District activities and Governors and International goals. There in not normally MERL information or it is only mentioned in general terms. This is not to say that this is wrong and there is only so much time for the Governor and ZC to speak.

Why do we not train the Region Chairs and make it their responsibility to give a 15 minute interactive presentation to the club on MERL during their official visit. Each Region Chair visits every club in their region and this way the message could get out to every club member in attendance.

The presentation should be prepared by the District or Multiple district Merl team for the RCs use.

Results: Same message would get out to every member of each club. Each Lion would receive the same information as the and leadership training as the MERL team.

It would give the Region chairs more to do and also make them better qualified to move up the ladder.

The cost would not increase, or very little.

The presentation would have to be short, perhaps 15 minutes or club members would be restless.

Club members would not have to travel to workshops with time away from home and added costs.

The club member would get the information and training to assist them in understanding recruitment, Retention and give them the leadership to be better members and to understand what their role should be.

This memo are just some thoughts that was running through my head as I lay awake this morning trying to get back to sleep. I did not go back to sleep. I got up and put my thoughts on paper.

I would like some feed back on this. You may think it is not worth perusing. That’s fine. If you wish to pass it on to others its OK with me. Perhaps it has enough valid points to generate some discussion.

VDG Eric Holmden, District A-3.

[Wayne Chambers]

The idea of using the Region Chair's to deliver the MERL message directly to Clubs has merit. Mupltiple District "A" might consider redesigning the "Region Chair Visitation Form" to include a step-by-step guideline for Region Chair's to follow. In some Districts the Region Chair's make traditional visitations. Other Districts are using the RC's to perform MERL duties/assistance. More continuity and direction may be needed. At this time the position of Region Chair is "optional" and there are areas of Lionism where RC's do not exist.