12: VICE DISTRICT GOVERNOR CANDIDATE

 A LION’S JOURNEY has started…

After dedicating more than 30 years to serving the community, I was approached by club members to go further in Lionism. They expressed their wish to have a district governor (DG) from the club. Recognizing my status as the oldest member, they believed it was high time for me to step forward and run for governorship, to bring a sense of achievement to the club. 

During a club meeting, the board formerly persuaded me to stand for Vice district governorship (VDG) and gave me immense support which filled me with great excitement.  My inner self also spurred me to take it a step further in the Lions’ hierarchy. 

I considered myself blessed when my family and club members fully supported my aspirations. Ultimately, I agreed to stand as a candidate.

Soon, my name was tabled at the Board Meeting and was endorsed for the VDG candidacy. The club then formally submitted the application form to the district.  Before this, I conducted thorough research to determine if any other Lions, from the district were vying for the position of VDG. As anticipated, three individuals expressed their interest in this role.

I travelled to Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh to personally engage in conversations with each of them, alongside my fellow club members. Ultimately, they graciously stepped aside and pledged their support for me to become the VDG. 

34TH MULTIPLE DISTRICT 308 LIONS CONVENTION
6/4/1996 SIBU.

I participated as a VDG candidate at the 34th MD308 Lions Convention in Sibu. I observed the delegates showing interest in approaching me and expressing their well wishes. Numerous individuals requested to take pictures together. It felt as though I was a celebrity. Surprisingly, I recognized more delegates than I had anticipated as they introduced themselves. Remaining true to myself, I humbly requested for their blessings, support, and votes.

As a VDG candidate, I needed to be presented to the delegates. I was fortunate that Anthony Goh, the second past president of the club, offered to do it. His enthusiasm to be the introducer was evident, and he did an excellent job. His introduction speech was flawless, covering everything from A to Z. The audience rewarded him with a big applause, and I wished for the same response when it was my turn. Being the sole candidate, I made sure and prayed to secure a 100 percent vote from the voting delegates. After delivering my speech, my campaign team and club members stood up, much to my surprise, followed by members from sister clubs and a few others. I felt relieved and overjoyed by the audience's response.

Thanks to this seamless transition, my candidacy has been smooth sailing. I continued with my election campaign for two days at the convention. 

During the Convention, my campaign team welcomed Lion delegates strolling into my hotel suite at every interval immediately after an earlier function in the district. 

Most of the Lions came in groups till my suite was overcrowded. We had to expand the space to the foyer to accommodate the guests.
 
Besides tip-bits from the hotel, we served Penang's famous biscuits to entertain the delegates. The guests were overwhelmed with excitement and that cost me a hotel billed me RM500 for a broken table when I checked out. It was worth paying as I can see the merriment and joy I created that evening. 

Something hit me that evening and I felt I had the votes from these supporters who came to visit me. My tip for future aspirants is to be always humble, mingle freely, and be empathetic. The personal touch!

At the convention closing ceremony, the candidature results were announced and I was elected as Vice District Governor for District 308B. Members of my Home Club rejoiced over the result. There was no turning back for me as the District Governorship came a-calling the following year. 

I immersed myself fully in my VDG’s position and I realized that I needed to be better versed in Lionism to be a serious DG candidate the following year. I was fully committed to having a good and fruitful year. Thanks to my District Governor then, Leong A Sam who had given me great guidance so generously.  Without fail, during his term as DG, I sat through all his cabinet meetings. I diligently recorded all the necessary notes for my personal future use. This would certainly benefit me and I learned a lot from these meet-ups.

At times, I did ask seemingly “stupid” questions. But somehow, they turned out to be important and relevant!

That way, I was able to find out about the activities of the clubs in the District and their membership.

Additionally, I took the opportunity to participate in club meetings/functions whenever I received an invitation. This allowed me to gain insight into the
activities and membership of these clubs.

Upon being asked to attend events on behalf of the DG, I ensured the effective communication of his message. I meticulously analysed and assessed the various clubs I visited, pinpointing those in need of improvement in preparation for my future role as a district leader.

As VDG, I went around the district and met with Lions whom I was able to actively seek out dedicated and committed ones. I needed to gather all this information before the fiscal year ended. My aim was to establish an effective administration during my year throughout the district and to accomplish this, I was required to appoint Lion representatives in every corner of the district to form a strong and effective cabinet and help in the district administration. However, all these efforts needed to be carried out discreetly.  It was indeed an unforgettable year as VDG.

There was no turning back for me as the DG-ship came a-calling the following year. It was full throttle in my campaign for DG during the election call.  

In April 1997 the electorates in the Lions Convention in Melaka decided that I should head the movement in District 308B. The pinnacle of Lionism in Malaysia!