One of the questions many new Club Secretaries ask at the beginning of the Lions year is:
“Our club doesn’t have its own Constitution and By-Laws. Does that mean we don’t have any rules?”
The answer is simple: No.
If your club has never adopted its own Constitution and By-Laws, the Standard Club Constitution and By-Laws of Lions Clubs International automatically governs your club. Every regular Lions Club operates under this standard document unless it has adopted a club-specific version that complies with Lions International policies.
As Club Secretary, understanding this document is one of the most important responsibilities you can take on. It defines how your club functions, how officers are elected, how meetings are conducted, how finances are managed, and how members participate in the life of the club.
Why Every Club Secretary Should Read the Constitution & By-Laws
The Constitution and By-Laws is more than just a legal document—it is your club’s operating manual.
Whenever questions arise such as:
- Can we change our meeting schedule?
- How are vacancies filled?
- Who has voting rights?
- How are committees formed?
- What happens if an officer resigns?
- How should club funds be managed?
…the answers are usually found in the Constitution and By-Laws.
A Secretary who is familiar with these provisions can confidently guide the President, Board of Directors, and members while ensuring the club remains compliant with Lions policies.
What Your Club Can Customize
Although the Standard Constitution applies by default, clubs are encouraged to adopt their own Constitution and By-Laws to reflect their local needs, provided they do not conflict with International, Multiple District, or District governing documents.
Common areas that clubs customize include:
- Club meeting day, time, and venue.
- Board meeting schedule.
- Local dues and payment procedures.
- Standing and special committees.
- Attendance expectations.
- Financial approval limits.
- Club traditions and ceremonies.
- Membership orientation process.
- Internal administrative procedures.
These changes help the club operate more efficiently while maintaining consistency from year to year.
What Cannot Be Changed
Some provisions are established by Lions International and must remain unchanged.
These include:
- Membership eligibility requirements.
- Official club officer positions.
- Officer terms and election requirements.
- Rights and responsibilities of members.
- The club’s non-political and non-sectarian character.
- International dues and obligations.
- Dispute resolution procedures required by Lions International.
- Rules relating to charter status, suspension, or dissolution.
Any club-specific Constitution must always remain consistent with these higher-level governing documents.
Modern Policies Worth Adding
Many clubs still rely on documents written years ago, long before cloud storage, online meetings, and social media became part of daily operations.
Today’s clubs may benefit from including policies covering:
- Digital records and cloud document storage.
- Website administration and ownership.
- Social media management.
- WhatsApp and digital communication guidelines.
- Online or hybrid meetings (where permitted).
- IT or Technology Committee responsibilities.
- Password and digital asset handover.
- Expense reimbursement procedures.
- Record retention policy.
- Officer transition and handover checklist.
Adding these policies can prevent confusion and make leadership transitions much smoother.
A Practical Tip for Every Incoming Secretary
Don’t wait until a dispute or procedural question arises.
At the beginning of the Lions year:
- Obtain a copy of the Standard Club Constitution and By-Laws.
- Check whether your club has adopted any local amendments.
- Review the document with the President and Board of Directors.
- Identify areas where club-specific policies may be useful.
- Keep a digital copy readily available for future reference.
A few hours spent understanding your club’s governing document can save countless hours of uncertainty throughout the year.
Final Thoughts
The best Club Secretaries are not simply record keepers—they are custodians of good governance.
A well-understood Constitution and By-Laws helps meetings run smoothly, protects the club during disagreements, ensures compliance with Lions policies, and provides continuity for future leaders.
If your club has never reviewed or updated its Constitution and By-Laws, this Lions year is the perfect opportunity to do so. A modern, well-documented governance framework is one of the greatest gifts today’s officers can leave for tomorrow’s leaders.
Very nicely presented to help to build self confidence of secretary he has to be diligent in taking care that club runs in proper manner keeping the constitution to work so that the club activities are controlled and runs in order and mote presentable giving opportunity to all proper coordination between the team to avoid conflicts and smooth functioning between members and leaders to come out with great ideas and more community service and help the club to shine in the District, Multiple and International.