As council chairperson, you have the important and rewarding task of coordinating the multiple district in its quest to advance the purposes of Lions Clubs International. Because each multiple district is different, and each council chairperson has different styles of coordination, this manual’s intention is to offer suggestions and information that should be adjusted to suit your local conditions and needs. However, it must be emphasized that the multiple district council chairperson is expected to be a coordinator and a facilitator of the council of the district governors. You are the link among the district governors who are individually responsible to their own districts.

Vice-council chairperson
Election/selection of the vice-council chairperson is at the discretion of the multiple district council of governors, unless otherwise indicated in the multiple district by-laws. Since the vice council chairperson is optional, it is not an official LCI position.
When the position is implemented, the vice-council chairperson assists the council chairperson in fulfilling his/her duties as well as representing the council chairperson in his/her absence.
Council secretary-treasurer
According to the Standard Form Multiple District By-Laws, the council secretary-treasurer is under the supervision and direction of the council and shall:
(a) Keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all meetings of the council, and within ten (10) days after each meeting forward copies thereof to all members of the council and the office of Lions Clubs International
(b) Assist the council in conducting the business of the multiple district and perform such other duties as are specified or implied in the constitution and by-laws, or as may be assigned to him/her from time to time by the council
(c) Receive and give proper receipts for all member dues required to be paid to the council secretary-treasurer by the sub-district cabinet secretary-treasurers, deposit the same in a bank or banks designated by the council, and disburse the same under the supervision and control of the council by checks drawn against said deposits signed by himself/herself and counter-signed by the council chairperson or other duly authorized council member
(d) Keep accurate books and records of account and minutes of all council and multiple district meetings, and permit inspection of the same by any member of the council or any club in the multiple district (or any duly authorized agent of either) at any reasonable time for any proper purpose
(e) Secure bond for the faithful performance of his/her duties in such sum and with such sureties as may be required by the council
(f) Deliver the general and/or financial accounts, funds, and records to his/her successor at the conclusion of his/her term of office

MULTIPLE DISTRICT COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS POWERS
Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and the By-Laws, and the Board Policy of the International Board of Directors, each Council of Governors shall supervise the administration of all multiple district affairs, and may choose such officers, hold such meetings, administer such funds, authorize such expenditures and exercise such other administrative powers as are provided in its respective multiple district constitution.
Responsibilities of the Council of Governors as noted in the Article VI of the Standard Form Multiple District Constitution:
(a) Have jurisdiction and control over all officers and agents, when acting as such, of the Council of Governors and all committees of the multiple district and multiple district convention;
(b) Have management and control over the property, business and funds of the multiple district;
(c) Have jurisdiction, control and supervision over all phases of the multiple district convention and all other meetings of the multiple district;
(d) Have original jurisdiction, when authorized under policy of the International board of directors and under rules of procedure prescribed by said board, to hear and rule upon any complaint of a constitutional nature raised by any sub-district or districts, and Lions club, or any member of a Lions club, in the multiple district. All such rulings of the Council of Governors shall be subject to review and decision by the International Board of Directors;

(e) Have control and management of all budgetary matters of the multiple district and committees of the multiple district and multiple district convention. No obligation may be approved or made which shall effect an unbalanced budget or deficit in any fiscal year.
Additional responsibilities of the Council of Governors as noted in article III of the Standard Form Multiple District By-Laws:
The Council of Governors shall:
(a) Make all contracts and approve all bills relating to multiple district convention administrative expenses.
(b) Designate a depository for multiple district funds.
(c) Determine the amount of surety bond for the council secretary-treasurer, and approve the surety company issuing said bond.
(d) Receive financial reports, semi-annually or more frequently, from the council secretary-treasurer, and provide for a review or audit at the end of the fiscal year of the books and accounts of the council secretary-treasurer.
OFFICERS OF THE COUNCIL
Your Multiple District Constitution and By-laws should specify the officers of the council, which usually include the council chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary and treasurer and other officers as the council of governors deem necessary. In general, these officers are elected annually by the council of governors. However, in some cases the council chairperson is elected by delegates during a multiple district convention.
Your Multiple District Constitution and By-Laws should also specify the removal process in cases were the Council Chairperson should be replaced. The standard form Multiple District Constitution and Bylaws provision for removal states that the members of the Council of Governors, other than a District Governor, may be removed for cause by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire number of the Council of Governors. If this provision is not included in your Multiple District document, the Standard form provision would apply.
MULTIPLE DISTRICT COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON
It is required that the selected council chairperson be a past district governor when he/she takes office and it is recommended that the council choose an individual who has recently served as district governor and able to objectively serve the needs of the multiple district. For this reason spouses or close relatives of the district governors should be discouraged from taking the position.
Unless the multiple district constitution and bylaws outlines a different procedure, the council chairperson should be selected during a meeting of the district governors of the multiple district who will be in office during the term of the council chairperson. This meeting should take place after the multiple district annual convention, but no later than 30 days following the closing of the International Convention.
The following can be found in Article III of the Standard Multiple District By-laws are as follows:
MULTIPLE DISTRICT COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON. The Multiple District Council chairperson shall be the coordinator of the multiple district and shall act on behalf and upon delegation from the Council of Governors. His or her specific responsibilities shall be to:
(a) Further the Purposes of this association.
(b) Provide leadership, direction, and initiative for international and multiple district programs, goals, and long range planning.
(c) Create and foster harmony and unity among sub-districts, and assist district governors with solving issues.
(d) Chair over the multiple district convention and all meetings of the Council of Governors.
(e) Submit reports and perform such duties as may be required by the multiple district constitution and bylaws.
(f) Perform other such administrative duties as may be assigned by the Council of Governors.
(g) Deliver, in a timely manner, at the conclusion of his/her term in office, the general and/or financial accounts, funds and records of the multiple district to his/her successor in office.
MULTIPLE DISTRICT COUNCIL SECRETARY-TREASURER. Under the supervision and direction of the Council of Governors, the council secretary-treasurer shall:
(a) Keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Council of Governors, and within ten (10) days after each meeting forward copies to all members of the Council of Governors, and the office of Lions Clubs International.
(b) Assist the Council of Governors in conducting the business of the district, and perform such other duties as are specified or implied in the constitution and by-laws, or as may be assigned to him/her from time to time by the Council of Governors.
(c) Receive and give proper receipts for all dues and taxes required to be paid over to him/her by the sub-district cabinet secretary-treasurers, deposit the same in a bank or banks designated by the Council of Governors, and disburse the same under the supervision and control of the Council of Governors by checks drawn against said deposits signed by himself/herself and countersigned by the council chairperson or other duly authorized council member.
(d) Keep accurate books and records of accounts and minutes of all Council of Governors and multiple district meetings, and permit inspection of the same by any member of the Council of Governors or any club in the multiple district (or any duly authorized agent of either) at any reasonable time for any proper purpose.
(e) Secure bond for the faithful performance of his/her duties in such sum and with such sureties as may be required by the Council of Governors.
(f) Deliver, in a timely manner, at the conclusion of his/her term in office, the general and/or financial accounts, funds and records of the multiple district to his/her successor in office.
(g) In the event that separate offices of council secretary and council treasurer are adopted the duties herein are to be attributed to each of the officers according to the nature of the duties.
Additional information concerning committee appointments, multiple district convention procedures, multiple district dispute resolution procedures and endorsement policies and explained in more detail in the Standard Form Multiple District Constitution and Bylaws.
The Council of Governors has the authority to revise the Multiple District Constitution and By-laws in accordance with the relevant amendment procedures as outlined in the Multiple District’s Constitution and By-laws. In cases when no provision exists in the current Multiple District’s Constitution and By-Laws, the Standard Form Multiple District Constitution and Bylaws would prevail.