Almut Eger currently holds the annually changing role of president at Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan, which opened its doors to women a couple of years ago, marking a significant shift.
Lions Club is an international service organization that was established in 1917 by a Chicago businessman, Melvin Jones, in response to the social problems created by World War I and rapid industrialization. The mission of the club has always been to give back to the community, in order to improve the lives of others and create a lasting change in the spirit of the organization’s motto: “We Serve”. Over the past century, the organization has expanded internationally with 1.4 million Lions spread around the world. Among them is Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan, based in the city of Zurich, Switzerland, which was founded in 1984. Almut Eger currently holds the annually changing position of president. She joined the club three years ago as one of its first female members. Almut shares her insights on the activities in Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan and her own involvement in the organization.
Almut Eger, could you provide an overview of Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan and its mission?
Our club is a combination of offering services and friendships. Maintaining a friendship is fundamental but going beyond that – supporting one another within the club, drawing upon our business expertise and extending assistance to those facing challenges in life – is what I perceive as valuable. We want to help wherever we can, whether it’s by supporting activities or assisting financially. When helping financially, we know exactly where and with whom the money ends up. Our slogan is “We Serve” and it is important for the club’s members to live by that.
How does Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan serve in the region of Zurich?
Our focus is to help people we know or those with connections to our members. For example, we supported a single-parent family when one of our members, who tutors a child in that family, learned that the child couldn’t afford to join the school’s ski camp. We were there to cover the cost of the entire week, including the rental of the ski equipment. Another example is our support for an event organized by scouts in Zurich called “Pfadi Trotz Allem” (eng. Scouting Despite Everything). The event provided various workshops for children with disabilities and several of our members volunteered to assist throughout the day. This allowed the scouts to focus on activities and care for the children and their parents. We recently organized a project with the students of the Gymnasium Stiftung Mittelschule Dr. Buchmann. Our members shared insights into business and education, addressing questions about career choices, what to study and whether university is the right path. Our goal was to offer positive guidance, helping students understand career options and encouraging intergenerational exchange. This was especially valuable given that young people today have a different perspective on work-life balance compared to previous generations. It’s important to understand that we are not just a charity club. While we do provide financial assistance, our work goes beyond that, focusing on education, community support and fostering meaningful connections.
What inspired you to become involved in Lions Club?
I came to know about Lions Club in the early years of my life, as my father was a Lions Club member and took me to several events. I always considered it an inspiring environment to be in contact with people of diverse backgrounds, mindsets and political affiliations, who hold various positions in different companies. It’s about being open minded.
How did you come to join Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan?
When I started my career, I was hoping to join a Lions Club. Unfortunately, I could not find a club to join, as women were not allowed to be part of Lions Club at the time. After 10 years of hopeless search, I gave up. A few years later, a friend of mine told me that there was a club in Zurich searching for female members. She connected me with Peter Sany, a member of Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan. After several encounters, he welcomed me and another female candidate into Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan. We became the first female members around three years ago.
How would you describe being a member of Lions Club?
Being a member of Lions Club is meant to be a lifelong commitment. Of course, there are members who leave the club due to family or business-related situations or because they move away and join a club elsewhere. Being a Lion means to align yourself with the code of conduct and have a deep understanding of serving and giving back to your community, as not everyone has been blessed with the same opportunities in life.
What is the code of conduct of a Lions Club member?
As a Lion, you commit yourself to being a good person, open to helping and serving wherever it’s needed. You are part of a very inspiring community, consisting of good people.
What do you like most about Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan?
The cosmopolitan way of thinking aligns with my own. It’s great being part of this club and getting into inspiring discussions with the other members, I enjoy learning about their experiences and thoughts on the economy and on leading a company. It is a window to the world. We are very open minded. Our members have diverse backgrounds and come from Germany, Sweden, Austria, Spain, France, Italy, Canada, Czech Republic, Turkey, Iran and Switzerland; hence, the name “Cosmopolitan.”
Who can join Lions Club?
The club is open to everyone. You don’t need to be wealthy or hold a high-ranking position in a company to become a member. What matters most is embracing Lions Club’s core values of integrity, accountability, teamwork and excellence. It’s important to be dedicated to serving others, as emphasized by our motto, “We Serve”.
How can individuals join Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan?
Individuals are invited by a club member to attend a couple of meetings to see if they align with our values of serving and giving back to the community. Based on these meetings, we decide if they will be accepted into the club.
How many members join every year on average?
Around one or two members join every year. It isn’t good if our club is too big or too small. Usually, Lions Clubs consist of 20 to around 30 members. Unlike many other clubs that face the problem of diminishing members, our club is growing, which makes me proud.
What collaborations or partnerships have been particularly meaningful for the club?
For many years, we’ve supported the Swiss-based EurAsia Heart Foundation, a global organization that focuses on heart diseases in children and adults. We’ve also helped disabled children visit circuses, schools and scout events. Additionally, we assisted another Lions Club with a remarkable initiative they organized: they created a website for Caritas designedfor children from low-income backgrounds. On this website, children were able to register their Christmas wishes, and members from various Lions Clubs and other people bought the gifts listed on the site, which were then packed and delivered to the children. Currently, we have plans to support the Kenyan-based NGO Sustainable Organic Farming and Development Initiatives, also known as SOFDI, over the coming years.
Discover more about Lions Club Zurich Cosmopolitan here:
zuerich-cosmopolitan.lionsclub.ch
Order the first print issue of QISMAT here:
https://qismat.ch/order-the-magazine/
