Club President
You're the CEO of your club — but your authority isn't absolute. A short, interactive tour of the president's duties, the board of directors that shares the load, and how to plan a year your Lions will remember.
As CEO, the buck stops with you — but you don't lead alone.
What you'll be able to do
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Explain the president's core duties and how authority actually flows from the constitution, bylaws, and the board — not from the person.
- Identify every seat on the board of directors and how the two-year and one-year director terms actually work.
- Describe how to work effectively with vice presidents, the secretary, and the treasurer.
- Plan and run meetings using a clear agenda and basic parliamentary procedure.
- Run a compliant, on-time election and make sure the results are reported correctly.
- Build a communication plan that reaches every member — online and offline.
- Plan recognition and a smooth transition — starting before the year even ends.
The president's duties — mind map
Six duties define the job. Tap any branch to reveal what it actually involves.
Where does presidential authority come from? Not from the person — from the club's constitution and bylaws, and from the board of directors' decisions. The board can modify, overrule, or rescind the unauthorized or inappropriate action of any club officer, including the president.
Board of directors — hierarchy
The board is the club's management committee. Tap any seat to see its role.
Directors are elected to a two-year term. In their first year on the board they are correctly called "two-year directors" (two years remaining); in their second year, "one-year directors" (one year remaining). They are often mistakenly called "first-year" and "second-year" directors instead.
What the board actually decides
Oversight & policy
The board oversees club operations to keep them in line with both the club's and Lions Clubs International's constitutions and bylaws. All new business is handled by the board first, then referred to the appropriate committee for study and recommendations. The board also considers and shapes new club policy before it's presented to the members for approval.
Finances
The board approves expenditures in line with the club budget and makes sure the club doesn't go into debt. It ensures an annual audit is done and made available to members on request, approves the club's financial institution, and should consider bonding any officer or Lion who handles money.
Two separate funds — never mixed
Administrative (Lions) money comes from dues, internal raffles, and tail-twister fines. Activity money comes from the public — fundraisers, projects, donations. The board ensures these are never intermingled, and activity money is never used for the benefit of the club, its members, or their families.
Authority over officers
The board has the power to modify, overrule, or rescind the unauthorized or inappropriate actions of any club officer — including the president. And once the board makes a decision, it should present a united front to the club, even if a member wasn't initially in favor — unless genuinely new information has come to light.
Working with your officers
You need to understand their roles to work effectively with them. Tap a role to see what it does.
A rule for every vice president: they assist committee chairs and members — planning, coaching, acting as a sounding board — but they never take over the chair's job. The same rule applies to you with your committees.
Committees — where the work gets done
- Membership, Finance, Nominations, Constitution & Bylaws
- Appointed by the president for the whole year
- The president is an ex-officio member of every one
- Struck for one issue — e.g. club rebuilding
- Exist only as long as it takes to resolve the issue
- Dissolved once the job is done
When selecting chairs and members, match their interests and skills to the job — and don't be afraid to bring in new blood to revitalize a committee. If there are no job descriptions, write some with the vice presidents so committees understand their mandate and future committees have something concrete to build on.
Keep in touch with committees through the vice presidents. Regular reporting to the board and membership — before, during and after a project — keeps everyone informed and keeps committees focused on their task.
Beware the "committee of one." Even a second person to share the load and bounce ideas off makes a committee stronger — and the club more likely to follow through.
Meetings — the president's cycle
Every meeting runs through three phases.
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Before: build the agenda
Work with the secretary, get input from committee chairs and vice presidents, and review past minutes so nothing is overlooked. The secretary sends it out a few days ahead, with paper copies on hand at the meeting too.
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During: preside with procedure
Call the meeting to order and preside using parliamentary procedure — motions, debate, voting, reconsidering motions, and recognizing speakers — most commonly Robert's Rules of Order.
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After: verify and prepare next
Review the minutes before they go out to make sure they're correct. Use a checklist to make sure nothing was missed, then start on the next agenda right away, while everything is still fresh.
Bring this to every meeting
- Minutes of all prior meetings
- The agenda
- Officer and committee lists
- Constitution and bylaws
- Robert's Rules of Order
- Your district directory
Parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure is the body of rules Lions Clubs International uses to conduct meetings, and it wants clubs to use it too. It governs calls to order, the kinds of motions, debating, voting, reconsidering motions, and recognizing speakers — most commonly through Robert's Rules of Order.
When conflict arises
The Lion in the chair — president, vice president, or committee chair — holds standing authority in the moment. For techniques to handle conflict, see Lions University Course 109 (Conflict Resolution) and the LCI dispute resolution guidelines for issues that need mediation.
Elections — the annual cycle
As president you ensure elections happen every year, whether you run the process yourself or delegate it.
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Appoint a nominating committee
Their job is to propose a slate of candidates for the vacant positions.
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Get candidates' permission first
Never spring a nomination on someone — confirm they genuinely want the job before their name goes forward.
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Allow nominations from the floor
It's a democratic process — members can nominate at the nomination meeting itself.
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Hold the election and announce results
Keep Lions informed of the procedure throughout, so they feel part of the process, not bystanders.
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Report to Lions Clubs International
The secretary files the officer reporting form (PU101) via MyLCI — but ultimately it's the president's responsibility to make sure it's done.
Deadline: May 15. Club elections must be held no later than May 15, with results reported to LCI by the same date. Once June 30 passes and the Lions year ends, officer information on MyLCI does not carry forward — so this needs to be done on time. Review your club's constitution and bylaws — and the International Standard Constitution and Bylaws, Article 3, Sections 1–8 — to understand your club's exact election process.
Communication — inside and outside the club
A club lacking effective communication is more likely to have members who feel disconnected.
Keeping members informed
Pass on district activities and newsletters, have committees report to the board, and publish club and board minutes. Buddy up any non-email Lion with one who has email so they never fall out of the loop.
Communicating beyond the club
Establish a protocol for who responds to outside inquiries — secretary, committee chair, vice president, or you — but stay in the loop, since you're usually the listed contact. Follow up after a reasonable time to confirm action was taken.
A good public relations chair matters: writing articles, sharing photos, inviting media to club functions, and leveraging social media — especially to reach younger Lions. And whoever runs the website or Facebook page needs to keep it current; nothing is more frustrating than finding information that's years out of date.
Leadership & motivation
Create the atmosphere
You can't force motivation — only create an atmosphere where Lions feel motivated to get involved. Build a shared vision through the Club Excellence Process (CEP).
Delegate, coach, don't take over
Give Lions responsible jobs and let them get on with them. Coach and encourage, but let them take reasonable risks — that's part of leadership development.
People are resources too
Past presidents and officers, experienced Lions, the district governor and vice governors, and zone and region chairs are invaluable. If you don't have a mentor, get one.
Learning never stops: Lions University webinars, district and multiple-district training, and institutes such as Emerging Lions, Advanced Lions Leadership, the Faculty Development Institute, and the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum. Lead by example — attend the trainings yourself, and invite your Lions along.
Before you take office
With the sitting president's blessing, start meeting incoming officers as soon as you're elected. Work with vice presidents to fill committee chairs and members. Have everyone in place and ready to go by July 1.
Planning your handover
Start planning the end of your year the moment you take office. Keep records current all year, review them with the board before turnover, and make sure ongoing projects don't fall between the cracks.
If you need to replace a Lion in a role, tell them yourself — nothing is worse than hearing it secondhand. Thank them for their contribution and frame it as a chance for someone else to grow.
Recognition & awards
Recognize Lions throughout the year — and mark the end of the year with a real celebration.
Plan a special meeting, party, picnic, or excursion. Invite a district officer to help present awards, invite the media (or send them photos and a write-up), and include family members and the community volunteers who helped throughout the year.
Awards should recognize genuine achievement and contribution — not just your favorite Lions. Striking an awards committee reduces bias, spares the president some difficult decisions, and makes sure the award is truly deserved.
Check yourself
Eight quick questions. Pick an answer to see instant feedback.
Bring it home
- Do your vice presidents, secretary and treasurer know exactly what you expect of them — and do you know exactly what they need from you?
- Are your club's two funds — administrative and activity — kept clearly separate, with the audit and reporting up to date?
- Have you already started planning your handover, even though you may have just taken office?