The importance of starting a new club
Adding new clubs to our communities offers a world of benefits — both for the community and for our association. New clubs help grow and strengthen our membership, build stronger bonds within our communities and bring fresh perspectives from new members.
Pre-planning resources
Starting a new club requires some pre-planning, like understanding the steps of sponsoring a club and ensuring you have the printed materials you need to recruit and welcome new members. Using these resources in conjunction with workshops and grants can help set you up to successfully add clubs to your district.
Workshops
Districts can find support through New Club Development Workshops, which are held in certain constitutional areas and are led by Lion consultants with extensive knowledge in chartering new clubs. If a workshop is not available in your constitutional area, you may choose to host your own workshop.
Grants
Lions International offers a variety of grants for districts and multiple districts to help cover the costs associated with club development and membership growth, including the Membership Development Grant, New Voices Grant and Specialty Clubs Workshop Grant.
How to start a new club
There are a few important steps to developing a new club. Before getting started, explore the New Club Development Guide for an overview on the process of starting a new club. If you’re planning a New Club Development Workshop, review the one-day training PowerPoint or the four-day training PowerPoint to guide your workshop.
Develop your team
Ensure you have a team ready to work together as you begin your planning. Use the Training Support Guide to help facilitate team training and consider working with your new club’s Guiding Lion for additional support.
Research and identify opportunities
Different communities have different needs, so use the New Club Development Community Needs Assessment to identify community needs and determine how a new club can help meet these needs.
Promote your club and recruit new members
Spread the word about your new club to potential new members using the Hello Brochure and the New Recruitment Poster. Consider hosting a Just Ask! Workshop, supported by the Just Ask! Guide, to help train members in recruiting. You can find additional information about the recruitment process the Member Recruitment webpage.
Host information and organizational sessions
The Informational Night Meeting PowerPoint and Organizational Meeting PowerPoint templates can help guide conversations with potential new members who want to learn more about joining your new club.
Application documents
Find all the documents you need to get your charter members ready to start their journey as Lions.
Lions Club Charter Application Worksheet
A guide for obtaining all information to complete the charter application in the Lion Portal.
Charter Member Application
A helpful hand-out for potential charter members interested in joining a new club.
Membership Dues and Fees Chart
See current dues and fees for clubs and members, along with information about any special certification requirements.
Report of Charter Members Worksheet
Designed to easily collect member information to be entered in the Lion Portal.
Charter Member Transfer Form
Transfer a member from an existing club to become a charter member of a new club using this form.
Branch Conversion Form
Convert a club branch to a new club using this form. Please submit with the Lions Club Charter Application Worksheet and the Report of Charter Members
Celebrate and get recognized
Once your new club and new charter members are reported, take time to celebrate and learn about club chartering awards you may be eligible to receive.
Charter night
Plan a charter night celebration to welcome your new club and charter members and present the club with its official charter.
Club chartering Awards
Find out your eligibility to earn recognition for chartering a new club through the Extension Awards.
