My Life as a Lion

Oh dear! When I wrote my last blog I honestly intended to be more diligent in writing the next issue but here we are almost three weeks later.

Since the last post I’ve had a number of meetings, club, zone and committee, as well as attending Worcester’s charter anniversary. As all of these were similar to other events I have blogged about I shan’t waste your time going into detail. I will, however, mention the last district cabinet meeting on Sunday 27th November, the day after the charter dinner. Christine and I made the sensible decision to leave the charter at a reasonable time but some carried on partying until the early hours of Sunday morning. 1st Vice District Governor Paul still made it to cabinet by 9am but others who will remain nameless were seen sneaking in at 11am faces covered by dark glasses. The meeting itself was a good one with lively debate where required and an excellent presentation at the end on long rabge planning by yours truly and Paul. Our 5-year plan is, at last, up and running.

I‘d like to spend the rest of this post telling you about my club’s Christmas activities and some of the work that goes into making them happen.

Each year Marston Green & District Lions Club carry out a door-to-door collection around Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green and preparation for this starts 14 months beforehand when application has to be made to Solihull MBC for a street collection licence for the following year. The collectors are accompanied by Santa on a sleigh pulled behind a Land Rover and the next bit of preparation takes place around September when we apply to Jaguar Land Rover to see if they will, once again, loan us a vehicle. In all but one of the previous 30+ years they have come through and generously loaned us a vehicle complete with a full tank of diesel. Without this help we would struggle to carry out our collections and would have to consider the significant expense of hiring a vehicle.

Around October we normally review the eight different routes that we collect on to make sure that through roads are still through roads and that turning circles exist at the end of cul-de-sacs. The lists of streets for each evening’s collection are sent to the local press for publication as well as being placed on our website. A friend of the club who runs a garage conducts an inspection of the sleigh around this time to ensure that it is roadworthy. At this time we also start circulating volunteer sheets around the club and our supporters as for each night we need a Santa, a driver, a team leader (goes in front to direct the collectors), a controller (stays with the sleigh and tells the driver when it is clear to go) and four collectors.

For the weekday collections (Mon-Fri and the following Tuesday) we just knock on doors and ask for donations but on the Saturday and Sunday around Marston Green we collect pre-delivered envelopes. These are delivered by the club about a week beforehand accompanied by a card explaining what we do. These cards have to be designed and printed in advance and we have to make sure we have enough envelopes and, if not, order some more. Once the printed cards are recieved they are distributed to the members for folding and delivery. The final bit of preparation is to insure the Land Rover and to make sure that the batteries that run the lights are charged, make sure Santa has a costume, sort out hi-vis jackets and flashing armbands and prepare a playlist of Christmas music. We are able to play the music through a licence from the performing rights society (PRS) who give us a 100% discount on the normal cost as we are a volunteer organisation.

It all starts this Saturday when I will be going to Land Rover at Gaydon to pick up the vehicle and then setting up the sound equipment so we are ready to take Santa to Marston Green Cricket Club between 2 and 4pm. Then all next week we will be out between 6 and 9pm in different parts of Chelmsley Wood and at the weekend between 3 and 7pm round Marston Green. A day’s rest will be followed on Tuesday 20th December by another 6-9 session round an estate bordering both towns and ending up with a small apres sleigh party. I’m down to do every night as team leader and Christine is down to drive every night.

I will try to let you know via this blog how we are getting on but given my recent track record I’m not promising anything.

Lion Simon Moss

@simonhmoss @MarstonGnLions @lions105m @lionsclubsorg

530 miles travelled so far as 2nd VDG

164 hours since 1 July 2011 on Lions’ business