Experience vs Enthusiasm

It's coming to the end of the fiscal year and a new set of people are going to sit in the leadership positions whether it is club, district or international. Every time such a transition occurs, the question of Experience versus Enthusiasm comes in to play.

For a healthy club playing by the rules, the norm would be the ascension of the 1st VP to presidency, 2nd VP to 1st VP and etc. The outgoing President does not really have a say (other than his/her one vote) as to who should succeed him/her. The incoming President also does not (and should not) dictate who should be elected into positions in the new Board. The general membership in nominating the Board are the ones who weigh the Experience of all the members, their past contributions and activeness and their potentials. They also weigh the Enthusiasm of new members, their freshness and new angles to service. Then after the nomination, the Board of Directors are duly elected by all members at the Election Meeting. In most cases of such a healthy club, the new Board would consists of a good representation of new Enthusiastic and old Experienced members. This time-tested method does not look at who serves as the president, it looks at who can best serve the club and help it achieve its goals.

However, in a weak club, the scenario is starkly different: a presidential candidate dictates who should be in his/her board, often filling it with his cronies who may be coerced into joining the club for the wrong reasons. This may result in a flood of megaprojects carried out by the cronies for the sake of pleasing the president though without support from the rest of the membership. Or no projects at all as the cronies and old members wage warfare over control of the club (especially the funds). Here is where some of my fellow Lions said this blog should be called "Experience versus Cronyism."

I am not against Enthusiasm, I embrace it wholeheartedly. Many new ideas and much life have been added to a club facing lethargy and dullness after years of doing the same thing. Not every new member is or will become enthusiastic. However, because of their newness, most new members are often the most active. It thus falls on the existing members to tap this enthusiasm to make it work. And Enthusiasm needs to be tempered with Experience so that past lessons learned can be passed on, successful methodology and projects are continued, and that the new Lions are guided correctly. Even LCI recognizes this when they included positions like the IPP and 2-year directors into the standard club constitution. This check and balance practice, proven since Lionism started 90 years ago, ensures continuity for existing club policies, goals and directions.

But I am against cronyism! Unlike the followers of a strong, visionary or charismatic leader, cronies are 'yes men (and women)' who do not think for themselves, but blindly do what their leader want in return for acceptance or favors. They are selfish and willingly perform the dirty work so that their smarter leader will appear clean. Does such lowlifes exist in our elite Lionistic circle? Oh yes they certainly do! History will testify to the many cases of cronies of failed presidents who leave their club when they finished filling their greedy pockets. What's the use of a boardful of cronies who would agree to everything the President desires with no consideration for the rest of the members or the club and its future?

The Lions club, because the membership remains mostly the same after every fiscal year, is fortunate. Errors in judgment could be quickly corrected as continuity ensures the survival of the club. At a higher level, it is a different story.

The District, unfortunately, does not elect its Cabinet Officers. Only the Governor and the Vice Governor are elected. The officers are then appointed by the Governor. The cabinet serves for one year and is dissolved. There is no continuity, no requirement for the next Governor to reappoint certain officers. The Governor is king.

The wise Governor would seek to put the best and most capable Lions (even if they are vocal in contending issues) in his/her cabinet to ensure LCI, District and club goals are met. This is because he values their contributions towards a common goal.

On the other hand, some Governors would fill the cabinet with their cronies to ensure his/her personal goals are achieved. No opposition is tolerated. So, with a constitutionally given right to about RM100,000 in membership dues plus whatever can be raised through 'charity' projects, all in the name of Lionism, a cabinet can be pretty powerful to dispense 'goodwill' and 'rewards' to justify its reign. There is no real check and balance to ensure fair play. And when grassroot members decided to question certain (mis)usage at the annual convention, it is already 10 months since the said Governor and his cabinet performed their final duty. A new cabinet (who would probably inherit the sh*t) is already ending its fiscal year.

And Lions do have such short and forgiving memories, sigh!