Member Orientation and Retention

From Lions International:

• Member Orientation
• Mentoring Program

The Club Officer Team
(Shared Responsibilities)

From  Lions Clubs International:

• LCI Club Officers Manual
• LCI Club Resource Center
• LCI Standard Form Constitution and Bylaws PLEASE NOTE: individual clubs may find necessary or desirable to adopt variations from the standard form documents. However, you must take care that any changes do not adversely affect your Federal income tax status or your standing as an affiliate of Lions clubs International. Please direct inquiries about proposed changes to your constitution or bylaws to the District Constitution and by-Laws Chair.

Power Point Presentations:

Additional Resources:

Center for Community Based and Nonprofit Organizations (Austin Community College)
See especially their Online Library, with information on such topics as Leadership & Team Building and Volunteer Engagement and Management.

Presidents and Veep’s  

Leadership Tools:

Also, please refer to the Club Officers Manual and other documents in section, “The Club Officer Team (Shared Responsibilities).”

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For Club Secretaries 

Submitting Reports
Ordering Supplies (coordinated with club Treasurer)

• Order online
• LCI Club Supplies Order Form

Also, please refer to the Club Officers Manual and other documents in section, “The Club Officer Team (Shared Responsibilities).”  

For Club Treasurers

Payment of Dues and Contributions

Tax and Reporting Responsibilities

Ordering Supplies

• Order online
• LCI Club Supplies Order Form

Also, please refer to the Club Officers Manual and other documents in section, “The Club Officer Team (Shared Responsibilities).”

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Top of Page

For Tail Twisters

“It’s a long way from Tail Twister in Plains, Georgia, to the Presidency of the United States” 
President Jimmy Carter, District Governor 1967-68

THE ART OF POSITIVE TAIL TWISTING  by Steven R. Halseth P. D. G. Buffalo, MN, at the 20th Annual USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum, Milwaukee, WI. September 1996

Multiple District 36 (Oregon) Tail Twister Resource Guide
Multiple District 19 (Washington-British Columbia) Tail Twister Manual

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Lions Learning and Networking Opportunities

District 2-S3 Calendar

• District Cabinet Meetings
• Zone and Region Meetings
• Mid-Winter Conference
• District Convention

USA-Canada Leadership Forum

Texas Lions Leadership Forum  (Registration Form)
            (Mid-March of each year, in Austin)

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Forming a Lions Foundation

All Lions Clubs are generally exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, under a “group” exemption granted to Lions International.  In general, this means that clubs are not subject to tax on their net income in the way that corporations and individuals are.    However, exemption under Section 501(c)(4) does not mean that individuals that make contributions directly to the club may deduct those contributions on their income tax return. 
To qualify for deduction as a charitable contribution, a gift of cash or property must be made to an organization that is exempt from tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and has been recognized as such by the Internal Revenue Service.  To qualify for exemption under Section 501(c)(3), a legal entity must be organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational or religious purposes.  A Lions Club cannot itself qualify under this standard. 
Our major Lions charities, and many local organizations your club may wish to support, are already recognized as “501(c)(3)” organizations.  If your club does not have a separate “501(c)(3)”, any individual who wishes to make a tax-deductible contribution to a Lions charity should be advised to write a check (or transfer property) directly to that organization. 
Many Lions Clubs have found it useful to form a separate legal entity to obtain exemption under Section 501(c)(3).  Such an organization can be controlled and managed by the Lions Club. 
Information on this process can be found on the Lions International web site:

• Information on forming a Lions foundation
• Criteria for using the Lions name/emblem  
• Application for using Lions name/emblem  
• Sample Lions Club resolution to establish a foundation  
• Sample Articles of Incorporation for a Lions foundation  
• Sample By-Laws for a Lions foundation

NOTE:  Texas Lions Clubs should obtain the assistance of an attorney to ensure that foundation articles of incorporation and by-laws conform with the Texas Non-Profit Corporations Act and other relevant provisions of Texas law. 
Further information on forming a nonprofit corporation in Texas
One-time costs associated with forming a foundation include a nominal filing fee to the Secretary of State, and a “user fee” to the IRS for filing the exemption application.  The user fee can be substantial: 

• $400 for organizations whose gross receipts do not exceed $10,000 or less annually over a 4-year period
• $850 for organizations whose gross receipts exceed $10,000 annually over a 4-year period

Someday (!) the IRS expects to have a way to complete the application online (using software called Cyber Assistant), and the application fee will be reduced to $200 for Cyber Assistant users.  However, on May 7, 2010, the IRS announced another delay, and Cyber Assistant will not be available in 2010.  (Current as of July 7, 2010)
IRS Resources: 
Form 1023, “Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code”
Instructions for Form 1023 

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