Governance of MD202

Council Chair Past District Governor Pam Harvey

Multiple District 202 Council Chair for 2025-2026 – Pam Harvey

As I begin my year as Multiple District 202 Council Chair, I offer some biographical background that has brought me to this role:

• I had a family upbringing with an ethos of helping other people in the community (Father a Rotarian, Mother in Inner Wheel) so this was just something that we did.

• Following a family tradition of teaching as a career, I became a teacher myself, mostly in rural, multi-level classes, then later specialising in working with students who had extra learning needs. I was invited to set up and run a Learning Support and Special Needs Department in a large city school, with a team of specialist teachers and learning assistants. I also ran a Kip McGrath Education Centre.

• Upon retiring, I moved back out to Amberley and was almost immediately drawn into the Lions Club, as one of the first few women members in the club in 2017.

• I took part in a wide range of club projects, playing a leading role in some of them, and was quite quickly voted in as 2^nd VP, then 1^st VP, then as the first woman President that the club had had.

• I was invited to join our District Cabinet as an assistant with Marion McWha in her role as ChCh Schools Music Festival Liaison. Also as District Youth Exchange Coordinator, but when Covid intervened in this role, I was appointed as Region Chair for the southern half of the 202e District.

• This was followed by being voted in as SVDG, then FVDG and finally DG.

I see the role of Council Chair as being one of encouraging and enabling the group of District Governors, Council Advisory Board members, Global Action Team, LCIF Coordinator, Youth leaders to work collaboratively, where decisions arise out of discussion and consensus. Although there are times when a Council Chair would have to make a quick decision, for the most part, I believe that decisions and plans can be made collaboratively, rather than unilaterally, with the Council Chair as a facilitator. I have found this style of leadership to work most effectively throughout my experiences as a leader. From what I have come to know of the Lions in this year’s Council team, there is an abundance of ability and initiative to function in this way, and I look forward to working with these people to provide inspiration and support for all the Lions working in this Multiple District area to make a significant difference in the lives of the people we serve.

WE SERVE TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE