Lions Clubs of Montana

Click here for a complete packet of info and registration form for the April 24 & 25 Convention in Glendive.

$95,000 LCIF Grant awarded to the Laurel Lions Club!

(1/16/2020) This evening I received word that Laurel, Montana Lions Club was awarded a $95,000 Grant from the Lions Club International Foundation to put in a handicap fishing dock and access to the Lions Park pond.

For several years I have advocated for Clubs to look at their communities’s needs. Ennis received $75,000 for their Senior Center, Great Falls received $100,000 for the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind for state of the art vision appliances (to be used throughout Montana), Turner-Hogeland received $10,000 for an emergency generator, and now Laurel is receiving $95,000 for a handicap fishing dock and access. These Clubs did not have the finances to do this on their own, and I am sure few Clubs do.

What does your community need? What are you planning for? Why aren’t you looking at possibilities? I can not guarantee that every proposed project will receive funding, but, I CAN GUARANTEE THAT EVERY PROJECT NOT APPLIED FOR WILL NOT BE APPROVED!!!

Do a community needs assessment ASAP. Donate to LCIF as a club or as an individual to keep funding of grants available.

Your in Lionism,
PDG Lary Garrison
Montana LCIF Chair

International 1st Vice President, Judge Haynes Townsend passed away on December 14, 2019. Judge Haynes Townsend, from Dalton, Georgia, USA, was elected to serve as second vice president of Lions Clubs International at the association’s 101st International Convention, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, June 29 through July 3, 2018.

At the 102nd International Convention in Milan, Italy, he was confirmed to serve as the association’s first vice president. Vice President Townsend served as a judge for the past 23 years. A member of the Dalton Noon Lions Club since 1979, he held many offices within the association, including club president, region chair, zone chair, district governor, district librarian, multiple district leadership chair and international director. He served on the international board from 2009 to 2011, and as chair of the Constitution and By-laws Committee (2010—2011).

He also served as a presenter at the USA/Canada forum. In recognition of his service to the association, Vice President Townsend received numerous awards including three Lion of the Year Awards, 15 District Governor Appreciation Awards, the Ervin-Crumbley Award, District 18-A Hall of Fame Award, six International President’s Certificates of Appreciation, two International Leadership Awards, six International President’s Awards, a Membership Key Award and a Knight of Strength Award. Director Townsend is a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow.

In addition to his Lions activities, Vice President Townsend was active in numerous professional and community organizations. He was the chair of the Dalton-Whitfield Christmas Parade and was honored as the Judge of the Year by the State of Georgia. Vice President Townsend and his wife, Donna, also a Lion and a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow, have two daughters, Morgan and Madison.

Although we morn his passing, the memory of his service to Lions Clubs International and Lions Clubs International Foundation, will linger in our hearts and minds for the generations to come. Memorials in his honor may be submitted to: Lions Clubs International Foundation 300 w. 22nd Street Oak Brook, IL 60523

The District is asking each club secretary to make a copies of the survey and distribute it to club members. When completed they should be forwarded to DG Verna at the following address: DG Verna D. Love; 820 North Montana Street #10, Dillon, Montana, 59725. If you wish, you may give them to your perspective Regionor Zone Chairperson.

The information obtained will be be held in strict confidence and not be shared with anyone within your club. The purpose of this survey is to determine and compare the health of your club in comparison with the reports generated by LCI, and,to access if we, as GMT, GLT or GST, need to reach out to you to help with any issues or concerns provided by the club members.

Click here to open a copy of the survey.

Remember, this is YOUR district; as district officers, we are here to assist you. Without your input and feedback, we can only assume, by means of statics, and paper trails that you are operating at your best levels. As your district Governor, I want to give you the best tools to grow and maintain your membership based on what is pertinent to the culture of your individual club.Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

DG Verna Love

Click here to open a copy of the newsletter.

The online version of the directory is updated as new information is provided. To open a copy of the directory click on the link under “Admin” in the banner above or Updated 2019-2020 Directory.

The District directory has been completed. Hard copies have been mailed to clubs, and a copy has been posted here on montanalions.org.  This online version will be updated as new information arrives. If you see changes that should be made, simply comment on this post through the “leave a comment” link below.

There is still time to register!

Click here for information and the September newsletter.

Click HERE to open a copy of the newsletter. Be sure to share it with others!

The Fort Benton Lions Club held their first annual golf tournament fundraiser on July 20^th at the Signal Point Golf Club in historic Fort Benton.  We raised over $1,500 for local diabetes care. 36 golfers signed up and competed for cash prizes and donated awards.  No one won the $10,000 prize for a hole in one, but it was a beautiful day and all participants were excited to come back next year.

The funds raised are already being used to pay for diabetes medications at local pharmacy for low-income diabetics, create low sugar/carb “food baskets” at local grocery, and offset costs for diabetes education through the local MSU extension office.  This tournament was a successful fundraiser and will no doubt grow much larger next year!

Where you in 1982?!

The advances in technology that began in previous years continue to gain speed in 1982 with the release of the Commodore 64 computer and the first CD player by Sony. The shift is so significant that Time Magazine names The Computer as the person of year Continue reading →

Lots of great opportunities to grow as a Lion! Visit the Forum webpage.

Click here to open a copy and be sure to share it with other Lions!

Greetings Lions of Montana:

International First Vice President Dr. Jung-Yul Choi and his wife Lion Seong-Bok Yang will visit Montana District 37 May 14-16. They wish to visit with as many Lions as possible during their stay. Our guests will arrive at the Bozeman Yellowstone International airport on May 14 at 4:50pm. A welcoming party will meet them at the airport.

Headquarters for the event will be the Element Hotel, 25 East Mendenhall, in downtown Bozeman. A meet and greet reception with hors d’oeuvres sponsored by the Montana Lions District 37 Friendship Committee will be held from 6:30pm to 8:00pm for the four Bozeman area Lions Clubs and all out of town Lions. Please RSVP to Lion Ben Apeland at benjamin@montana.com or 406-595-0102 no later than May 11^th.

Continue reading →

Open a copy bu clicking here and remember to share it with your club!

Friday night auction raised over $5,000 for the Montana Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation.

Saturday’s Parade of Green raised $26,289.02 for distribtion to authorized projects.

Presentations were made on behalf of many activities including:

• MT Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation
• MT Association of the Blind
• Leader Dog
• Plusoptix Eye Screening
• Lions/MT School for the Deaf and Blind Reader Project
• Lions Sight for Life
• Lions Clubs International Foundation
• NAMI – a new membership and Lions clubs growth initiative.
• Questions and answers about Lions International.

Entertainment was provided by a local band, school choir, and a cowboy poet.

PCC Ben Apeland

Ben was officially endorsed by the District 37 Convention to be a candidate for International Director.

Prodiji Connect reader

Hey Lions! The first 25 magnifying readers for vision impaired students have been delivered and are being used! The machines are part of a lending library at the Montana School fot the Deaf and Blind where specialized equipment is made available for students.

The program is now fully funded so the goal of 100 machines has been met. More machines are in the process of being manufactured (the supplier custom crafts each machine). This is a significant success story for readers and Lions that are continuing to meet the need. Our work is not done yet.

Save the date of September 27-28 for the Forum in Helena. Information will be available as plans ate developed.

The Convention opened with training, tours, and other events on Friday, April 26. The evening was a fun gathering with auction benefiting the Montana Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation.

Sidney Leos plant a linden tree as part of the convention as an Arbor Day event.

Friday social and auction.

Register before the end of April and save. Click on “Sidney Convention” in banner above for the convention information package. The registration form is at the end of the document.

A complete package of convention information is now available. It has been distributed to clubs and is also available HERE. Included in the package is venue locations, speakers, schedule, info on hotels and local attractions and the most important registration form (last page of the packet).

Register today and be part of what looks to be a great and informative convention! And thanks to the Sidney Lions for a great effort!

NOTE: the following phone numbers for lodging were corrected in the original packet:

Click HERE to open a copy of the newsletter.

To the Lions of Montana District 37.

We have received word that Lion Pat Witzel, Spouse and Companion in Service of PDG Ted Witzel of the Kalispell Lions Club,  passed away Sunday, January 10.  Services have been scheduled for Wednesday, January 16, 11:00am, at Michelotti-Sawyers Funeral Home, 1001 Alderson Ave., Billings, Montana.  PDG Ted and Lion Pat represented District A on the Multiple District 37 Council of Governors during the Lionistic year 1969-1970. Lion Pat’s obituary is available at michelottisawyers.com/patricia-ann-larson-witzel/

She will be greatly missed by the Kalispell Lions Club.

Respectfully submitted, PCC Lion Ben