February 2026 Newsletter
We are continuing to evolve the format of the newsletter notification emails. The publication of the newsletter is at the beginning of the month, but articles are posted all during the month. A second email notification mid-way through the month will be sent if there are additional posts to share.
You can reply to this email to give us feedback on the new format. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!
By Lion Peggy Tobin
LCI President’s Message-February 2026
President’s MessageLead to Serve, Serve To Leadwith International President A.P. Singh |
Dear Lion,
As a Lion, you are a leader in your community. Your belief in service and your desire to make a difference — both at home and around the world — are what inspired you to become a Lion.
Every project you begin and every role you take on is an act of leadership that strengthens our entire association. And every person you invite helps us reach our MISSION 1.5 goals and do even more good for the people who need us.
At this midpoint of the Lion year, now is the perfect time to reflect on how you can continue to be a force for positive action in your club and beyond. Show those around you what it means to succeed — and what it means to be a Lion.
Together in service,
A.P. Singh
International President
Convention & Special Notices – February 2026
OFFICIAL CALL FOR THE CONVENTION
The annual District Convention shall be held on April 17 and 18, 2026 in Columbia Falls, Montana. The convention starts as registration commences on Friday April 17, 2025 at 1:00pm.
CLUB DELEGATE FORMULA
Policy Manual, Article 8, Section B: Club Delegate Formula
Each chartered club in good standing in Lions Clubs International and this District shall be entitled in each annual convention of this District to one (1) delegate and one (1) alternate for each (10) members, who have been enrolled for at least one year and a day in the club or major fraction thereof, of said club as shown by the records of the International office on the first day of the month last preceding that month during which the convention is held. (NOTE: for the 2026 convention, that date is March 1st.) The major fraction referred to in this section shall be five (5) or more members. Each certified delegate, present in person, shall be entitled to cast one (1) vote only on each question submitted to the respective convention. All eligible delegates must be members in good standing of a club in good standing within the District.
Montana District 37 grants full delegate status to each past district governor who is a member of a club in such district independent of the club delegate quotas.
NOTE: If your club has members who are together in a household, the number available to calculate delegates will be different than what is listed above, as it will be based on households.
CONVENTION REGISTRATION
Early Bird Registration for the 2026 District 37 Convention in Columbia Falls ends March 27, 2026. The cost will increase from $110 to $135 on March 28, 2026.
Go to www.montanalions.org to register online or download the registration form on pages 15 & 16 of the newsletter.
For Club Secretaries
If you make changes to your club officers, meeting locations and/or meeting dates & times in the Lion Portal, please send a note to Lion Peggy Tobin, District 37 Secretary at [email protected] or call/text 406-461-4206 so she can more efficiently update the District website. The club directory information on the website is used by the district governor’s team to plan visits, set up meetings, and provide updates. THANK YOU!
For Club Treasurers
Please remember that all Lions clubs with annual gross receipts less than US$50,000 that are not required to file Forms 990 or 990-EZ must file the e-Postcard (also known as the 990-N). Please be advised this filing relates specifically to the 501(c)(4). If your Lions club has a foundation, which is a separate legal entity, the appropriate form will need to be filed as well. If you are unfamiliar with this process, please see the short video noted below.
District 37 Club Officer Training Videos
These videos are all accessible via the district website, www.montanalions.org under “Training/Resources”:
- All Club officers: Trainer PDG Mike Collins
- Club President: Trainer PDG Mike Tobin
- Club Secretary: Trainer Lion Peggy Tobin
- Club Treasurer: Trainer PDG Mike Collins
Short videos about how to do specific secretary or treasurer tasks:
Filing your 990-N (e-Postcard) (9 minutes)
With the release of the new LionPortal, we have added links to some of the short videos provided by LCI:
Newsletter Information
Any Lions club member can submit information associated with any type of Lions project or general club information. You can submit Club News ANYTIME! You are also welcome to email your news (hopefully with photo) to: Lion Peggy Tobin at [email protected].
Website Updates
In Addition to the “Tri-Fold Generator” for clubs to create their own club brochures, additional documents have been added under including Leo Application forms!! If you have trouble finding a resource and it’s not currently available on the website, please contact Peggy Tobin at [email protected] or call 406-461-4206.
Free Club Websites!
The club-level website is still being offered by Montana District 37 at NO COST! If you don’t already have a domain name, Deanna can provide one for a cost of $20/year after the first year. If you are interested in getting a website for your club, please contact Peggy Tobin at [email protected] or call 406-461-4206.
Dates to Remember – February 2026
FEBRUARY CLUB ANNIVERSARIES
351 years of service!!!
Kalispell Sunrisers 2/03/1969
Nashua 2/12/1952
Plains 2/23/1944
Bozeman Gallatin Empire 2/24/1969
Fairfield 2/26/1940
UPCOMING DISTRICT MEETING DATES
District Cabinet Meeting – April 19, 2026 @ 9:00am following the Convention
MT Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation – April 19, 2026 @ noon following the Convention
2026 MD C CONVENTION
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
APRIL 10-11, 2026
GRAND PRAIRIE, ALBERTA
KEYNOTE SPEAKER – 1ST VP MARK S. LYON
2026 DISTRICT 37 CONVENTION
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
APRIL 17-18, 2026
COLUMBIA FALLS, MONTANA
KEYNOTE SPEAKER – PID DEB WEAVERLING
LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION SCHEDULE
2026 Hong Kong – Jul 3-7
2027 Washington DC – July 2-6
2028 Singapore -June 23-27
2029 Minneapolis, MN
2030 San Antonio TX
2031 – Helsinki Finland
UPCOMING USA/CANADA FORUMS
USA/CANADA LIONS LEADERSHIP FORUMS CAN BE RELATED TO ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE – NOT JUST LIONS
2026 Memphis TN – September 3 – 5
2027 Huntsville, AB – September 16-18
2028 Grand Rapids, MI – To be announced
2029 Shreveport, LA – To be announced
Special Notice for Club Officers Unable to Register on the Lion Portal
ALL CLUB OFFICERS TRYING TO REGISTER ON THE LION PORTAL – Try Again!
We’ve had several club officers who are in the Lion Portal but cannot create a login. Please see the recent Facebook post below from the Lion Portal Forum (and if you use Facebook, this is a great source for seeing answers to common questions or to ask your own question).
If anyone has a Microsoft email account such as yahoo, outlook, msn, hotmail, etc., and were having trouble receiving Lion Portal emails such as verification codes or password resets, please try again. An issue was found with a vendor platform that we just resolved.
January 2026 Newsletter
We are continuing to evolve the format of the newsletter notification emails. The publication of the newsletter is at the beginning of the month, but articles are posted all during the month. A second email notification mid-way through the month will be sent if there are additional posts to share.
You can reply to this email to give us feedback on the new format. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!
LCI President’s Message-January 2026
President’s MessageLead to Serve, Serve To Leadwith International President A.P. Singh |
Dear Lion,
Lions are known the world over as being agents of positive change. We identify problems and work to find solutions.
Throughout the year, you’ve made plans. You’ve focused on growth. You’ve served. Now it’s time to reflect on what worked. And what didn’t. By reviewing your areas of strength and adapting to obstacles, you and your club will be able to serve better, serve more and create your path to success.
As you work to serve your community and meet your goals, it’s also important to take the time to recognize your achievements. Celebrate each victory with your club, motivate each other — and watch your service impact grow.
Together in service,
A.P. Singh
International President
Dates to Remember – January 2026
JANUARY CLUB ANNIVERSARIES
517 years of service!!!
Sun River Valley 01/05/1966
Helena Gold Rush 01/09/1984
Glendive 01/10/1944
Hot Springs 01/23/1940
Eureka-Tobacco Valley 01/16/2014
Cascade 01/25/1958
Denton 01/26/1955
Hamilton 01/27/1930 – 96 Years!
UPCOMING DISTRICT MEETING DATES
District Cabinet Meeting – January 10, 2026 @ 9:00am VIA ZOOM
MT Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation – January 20, 2026 @ 6:00pm VIA ZOOM
2026 DISTRICT 37 CONVENTION
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
MAKE YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS!!
APRIL 17-18, 2026, COLUMBIA FALLS, MT
LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION SCHEDULE
2026 Hong Kong – Jul 3-7
2027 Washington DC – July 2-6
2028 Singapore -June 23-27
2029 Minneapolis, MN
2030 San Antonio TX
2031 – Helsinki Finland
UPCOMING USA/CANADA FORUMS
USA/CANADA LIONS LEADERSHIP FORUMS CAN BE RELATED TO ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE – NOT JUST LIONS
2026 Memphis TN – September 3 – 5
2027 Huntsville, AB – September 16-18
2028 Grand Rapids, MI – To be announced
2029 Shreveport, LA – To be announced
Special Notices – January 2026
For Club Secretaries
If you make changes to your club officers, meeting locations and/or meeting dates & times in the Lion Portal, please send a note to Lion Peggy Tobin, District 37 Secretary at [email protected] or call/text 406-461-4206 so she can more efficiently update the District website. The club directory information on the website is used by the district governor’s team to plan visits, set up meetings, and provide updates. THANK YOU!
For Club Treasurers
PLEASE SEE THE RECENT POST NOTING THAT DISTRICT DUES WILL BE DELIVERED VIA QUICKBOOKS ONLINE! ALSO KEEP A LOOKOUT IN THE PORTAL FOR YOUR JANUARY 1ST STATEMENTS FROM LCI WHICH WILL REFLECT THE 2ND HALF OF THE INTERNATION DUES OF $25/LION
District 37 Club Officer Training Videos
These videos are all accessible via the district website, www.montanalions.org under “Training/Resources”:
- All Club officers: Trainer PDG Mike Collins
- Club President: Trainer PDG Mike Tobin
- Club Secretary: Trainer Lion Peggy Tobin
- Club Treasurer: Trainer PDG Mike Collins
Short videos about how to do specific secretary or treasurer tasks:
Filing your 990-N (e-Postcard) (9 minutes)
With the release of the new LionPortal, we have added links to some of the short videos provided by LCI:
Newsletter Information
Any Lions club member can submit information associated with any type of Lions project or general club information. You can submit Club News ANYTIME! You are also welcome to email your news (hopefully with photo) to: Lion Peggy Tobin at [email protected].
Website Updates
In Addition to the “Tri-Fold Generator” for clubs to create their own club brochures, additional documents have been added under including Leo Application forms!! If you have trouble finding a resource and it’s not currently available on the website, please contact Peggy Tobin at [email protected] or call 406-461-4206.
Free Club Websites!
The club-level website is still being offered by Montana District 37 at NO COST! If you don’t already have a domain name, Deanna can provide one for a cost of $20/year after the first year. If you are interested in getting a website for your club, please contact Peggy Tobin at [email protected] or call 406-461-4206.
2025 District 37 Post Convention Report – Saturday Evening
This will be the last post in the series of the 2025 District 37 convention reports held May 2nd and 3rd in Helena MT.
Saturday evening was the final event of the 2025 District 37 convention beginning with wonderful entertainment, a social hour, toasts and a delicious dinner.
The keynote address by International Director Robert “Ski” Marcinkowski focused on how to “Go Fishing” for new lions. This was followed by the induction new lion Chelsee Mahsman from Ennis.
The final event of the evening was the Governor’s award presentations.
Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to District GLT/Diabetes Chair PDG Mike Collins, District Leo Chair Adrian Miller and District Treasurer Steve Dogiakos.
Presidential Leadership Medals were given to Havre Lion Jerry Kuhn and Zone Chair Margaret Baylinson of Columbia Falls.
The Presidential Medal was awarded to Shepherd Lion Carl Vender.
Darcie Jo Jurenka, member of the Helena Gold Rush Lions and Convention Tail Twister was the recipient of the Certificate of Tiggerism award.
