Fargo Lions Roar

I'm preparing to leave for Fargo on Tuesday and thinking about those pioneer women I'll be interviewing, so I can't help but give a little shout out to my Fargo Lions.

In our Philanthropic Studies curriculum that's dominated by the charitable nonprofits [501(c)3], the mutual benefit organizations that are service clubs are often overlooked [501(c)4]. That's one of the many reasons I'm investigating a Lions Club for my thesis research. For the two years that I lived in Fargo I was also an active member of the Fargo Lions (I'm still a member of this club although I'm inactive living in Indy). When it comes to building social capital, mobilizing volunteers and raising funds for local charities no one does it better then the Fargo Lions.

Lion John Dobbs is one of my Lions mentors and now a dear friend. Our friendship is an example of how service clubs bring generations together among members and among the community (what could be better than bridging AND bonding social capital?!). John will always have a special little place in my heart - - he was my dad's insurance agent and he insured me when I was a babe. Indeed, we're quite sure John held me as a baby at more then one office visit ... now, 30 years later, we're friends!

That's me & John at the Fargo Lions 2007 Take the Cake auction - ROAR!