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!!
By Lion Peggy Tobin
From the Desk of Governor Corinna – January 2026
From District Governor Corinna Christensen
As we welcome 2026 with fresh energy and optimism, I want to thank every Lion across District 37 for the service you have continued to provide throughout your communities. You are the heart of Lions, and it shows in every project, every act of kindness, and every person you serve.
One of our global priorities this month is hunger relief. I encourage all clubs to join our Hunger Week of Service from January 3 through January 11. Lead projects that address every aspect of hunger, including food security, community meals, food pantry support, and even agricultural assistance. Do not forget to capture your efforts. Clubs are invited to submit hunger-focused service videos by January 23, 2026 for an opportunity to be featured in the Weeks of Service Video Showcase. If you need ideas, I encourage you to watch the standout entries from our recent Mental Health and Well-being Showcase. You will be inspired.
Have you visited LionPortal.com lately? It continues to improve each month with new features, training tools, resources, and service ideas. You may have heard me mention my favorite form of “R & D”. Research and Development? Nope. Ripoff and Duplicate! Lion Portal is the perfect place to learn from successful club initiatives around the world or to reach out to the club in the next town for ideas. Work smarter and utilize the tools at your fingertips. Additionally, remember that you can start at MontanaLions.org for EVERYTHING Lions. There is News, Training, Directory, Links, and so much more.
Looking ahead, I am very excited for our District 37 Convention in Columbia Falls on April 17 and 18. This will be another outstanding opportunity to collaborate, learn, grow, and yes, do more R and D. We have incredible Lions in our district, and when we come together, our collective strengths shine even brighter.
New Year. New Clubs. New Lions. New Projects. New Leadership Roles. Let us make 2026 the best year ever for service in Montana. Together, “We lead to serve and serve to lead.”
Yours in service,
DG Corinna Christensen
District 37 Montana Lions
(Pictured at “Lion Lake” near Hungry Horse Dam)
By DG Corinna Christensen
By District Convention
Global Membership Team Report – January 2025
Global and Montana Membership – January, 2026
Connecting Clubs and Lions to One Another
As I have traveled to Lions Clubs across Montana over the past 11 years, I have observed that while some clubs are thriving, others are struggling with membership. One thing remains constant, however: every club is providing wonderful service to its community.
Recently, I have been tracking analytics from our website, montanalions.org. These analytics show how many members visit the site, what pages they view, and how long they stay. What I’ve noticed is that, unless it is close to convention time, relatively few members visit the website in any given month.
I have also looked at convention attendance. Last year, only half of our 58 clubs had at least one member attend the state convention.
Not surprisingly, many of the clubs that are struggling are also the ones not visiting the website or attending conventions. As a result, these clubs can become isolated—from other clubs and from the district as a whole.
Because of this, I ask those of you who regularly attend conventions to reach out to those who do not. Encourage them to attend this year’s convention. Consider traveling together or sharing a room. For many Lions, attending a convention alone for the first time can feel like a big step.
Sometimes all it takes is an invitation.
Just ask!
GMT Chair Richard Gessling
By Global Membership Team
District LCIF Co-Chairs PDG Mike Tobin & PDG Lary Garrison – January 2026
District LCIF Co-Chair Mike Tobin
Happy New Year District 37 Lions! Throughout 2025, Lions and Leos around the district have continued to serve Montanans, improving their lives and our communities through your generosity. LCIF grants have empowered our clubs in this district to reduce hunger, restore vision, help communities recover, rebuild after disaster, and so much more.
Thanks to your dedication and support, we are making strong progress toward our fundraising goals this fiscal year. As we move forward in 2026, please keep inspiring others to support LCIF and explore grant opportunities to expand your Club’s impact on your community. Remember to invite new donors to make their gifts to LCIF in recognition of Melvin Jones’ 147th birthday. Every donation makes a difference to someone in need and helps us leave our mark on our communities.
Now is the time to schedule a new recurring LCIF donation. Schedule an online monthly donation of $10 or more or a recurring annual donation of at least $120 to qualify for new recognitions available at the end of the Lion year.
Your contributions to LCIF bring us all closer to success!
https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/donate
Yours in Lionism,
PDG Mike Tobin – PO Box 408, Sunburst MT 59482, 406-450-2780, [email protected]
PDG Lary Garrison , 703 Conway St., Billings, MT 59105, 406-855-6997, [email protected]
By LCIF CoordinatorsUnderstanding District 37 Dues for the 2025–2026 Lionistic Year
District 37 will issue its annual dues invoices this month. This is a good time to clarify how dues work at both the district and international levels, since the structure can feel complicated if you do not see the entire system at once.
By Lion Steve Dogiakos
By Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation
Plusoptix – Lion David Falcon – January 2026
District 37 PlusOptix Update
PlusOptix screening totals for school year September 2025 to June 2026:
15,007 students screened with 1,826 refers as of December 2025.
NOTICE REGARDING S12 BATTERIES:
Some of our Plus Optix S12 users have had issues with batteries so I wanted to send a reminder to all:
The correct battery for the S12 is Eneloop, part number #BK-3MCDA8BA. They can be purchased on Amazon. Batteries should be changed out every two years and it is also important to NOT use old batteries with new batteries. Finally, NEVER use non-rechargeable alkaline or lithium batteries! I am always available if you have any questions.
Have a Happy New Year!
Lion David Falcon, District 37 PlusOptix Chair
314 9th St. W., Kalispell, MT 59901; C. 406-253-1726: [email protected]
By PlusOptix CoordinatorDates 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.
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