July 2024
Dear members of District 113,
It is with great joy and deep gratitude that I stand before you today to inaugurate my term as Governor of District 113. It is an honor and a responsibility that I accept with great humility and no less enthusiasm.
First and foremost, I'd like to express my gratitude to my predecessors and to all the members of District 113, whose commitment and determination have enabled me to achieve remarkable things and helped me to become the Lions I am today. I have seen how, thanks to their tireless efforts, initiatives such as Sight First, the Food Bank, Overcoming Cancer, and support for Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and many others such as Project 1.5 and the founding of "passion" clubs, have had a significant impact in our communities.
Some of them embodied, and still embody, the ubiquitous Lions slogan of late: Kindness matters... they certainly weren't sheepishly kind, but they knew how to show unfailing benevolence and kindness. Above all, they left their mark on me.
As I take over from them, I pledge to pursue these causes with the same zeal and dedication.
However, each mandate is an opportunity to bring new perspectives and enrich our common action with other initiatives.
Today, I'd like to share with you the three priorities that will guide our action over the coming year.
Firstly, youth. Given my "school" background, you won't be too surprised.
Young people represent the future of our society, and it's our duty to support them, to encourage them, to offer them development opportunities, and to encourage them to take the path of volunteering as we have done before them.
Collaboration with schools and continuing the contacts initiated with universities should help us strengthen the links between the generations.
Which brings us to the 2nd theme close to my heart: intergenerational relations. In an ever-changing world, it's crucial to strengthen links between generations. We'll be developing projects that promote exchange and solidarity between young people and their elders. A conference on the subject, as well as walking and cycling events in the greater region, will give concrete expression to this principle. These initiatives will not only combat the isolation of the elderly, but also enhance their experience, while enriching young people through the sharing of knowledge and values.
Finally, the 3rd theme: Europe, and more specifically the Europe of volunteering. As members of the Lions Club, we are an integral part of a vast international network of volunteers. I want to strengthen our ties with our European neighbors and promote cross-border exchanges and collaboration. Together, we can share best practices, learn from each other and join forces to tackle common challenges. By strengthening the spirit of European solidarity, we can maximize the impact of our actions and inspire a greater number of people to get involved as volunteers, all the more so as, given the results of the last European elections, this European solidarity is far from being a given...
Before concluding, I would also like to express my deep gratitude to the board with whom I have had the good fortune to work throughout this year of preparation. Their support, expertise and dedication have been invaluable. I sincerely hope that they will continue to work alongside me, for it is only together that we can be stronger and achieve extraordinary things.
Stronger together!
Monique ISEBAERT-LEEMANS
District Governor
2024-2025