Mid-month Newsletter

Club News, District News, Mid-month Newsletter

Dillon Lions News

Providing Vision Screening in Beaverhead County

The Dillon Lions have begun their annual vision screening for schools in Beaverhead County.  Lion Members use the Plusoptix machine and began screening for Wisdom, Grant and Reichle Schools on September 14th.  Screenings continued in Wise River on October 14th and will run through November for the other schools in the county. Photos below are from the screening on October 14th in Wise River.

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Sunburst Lions Get Back To Work

Around this time every year, there’s a chill in the air, and the Sunburst Lions get busy with all things community!! 

September 16th & 23rd – The Sunburst Lions were in Shelby on the 16th to screen approximately 200 K-5 Elementary students.  A week later, we were joined by 2nd VDG Gary Van Dyke to screen another 200 High School students.

Wednesday, October 7th we had about 20 lions joined by several FCCLA and Football team students cleaning up the highway   Afterwards a chili & cornbread feast was enjoyed by all at the community center. This is one of the many activities our fine organizations take part in together. 

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Cut Bank and Sunburst Lions

JOIN FORCES FOR PLUS OPTIX

October 6th & 14th – Sunburst headed to Cut Bank on the 6th to screen over 300 Cut Bank Junior High and High School students and completed the elementary screenings on the 14th. 

This partnership has allowed us to screen students in all of Toole, Glacier and Pondera counties. We go to Conrad and Valier in the spring and in addition to the public schools we serve the Hutterite colony schools and preschools in all the areas WE SERVE.

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Helena Lions October News

Helena Lions Serving at Helena Food Share

Quarterly, the Helena Lions Club joins hands with Helena’s Food Share to help “build” boxes of food for the community!  It’s fun and it’s great to serve!  On Tuesday, October 13, Lions Lynn Voss, Byron Beley, Bruce Coen, Diane Gray, and Gene Hill participated.

Helena Lions Small Fry Football Win Championship

Congratulations to the Helena Lions Small Fry Football Team (5th Grade Division) for winning their championship game Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Nelson Stadium on the campus of Carroll College.  The team is sponsored by the Helena Lions Club.

District News, Mid-month Newsletter

Two Lights Montana Series -7 Facts – How American’s Independence Became Official

  1. January 14, 1784 – This is when U.S. independence became legally binding.
    The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, but it wasn’t law until the U.S. Congress ratified it on January 14, 1784.
  2. America existed in a legal “in-between” period for months.
    From September 1783 to January 1784, the United States had declared independence but was not yet fully recognized under international law.
  3. Britain officially called the U.S. “free and sovereign States.”
    The treaty recognized the United States as independent states—plural—reflecting early federalism before the Constitution existed.
  4. The U.S. gained massive territory overnight—on paper.
    The treaty set U.S. borders all the way west to the Mississippi River, instantly doubling the nation’s claimed land.
  5. Independence was secured before the Constitution existed.
    The treaty was ratified under the Articles of Confederation, meaning the U.S. became a recognized nation before having a strong central government.
  6. The men who negotiated independence were diplomats, not generals.
    Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay negotiated the treaty—not military leaders.
  7. This happened before America had a president.
    The treaty was ratified five years before George Washington became president in 1789.
Join Lions across Montana in celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary through learning, civic participation, and community service. Plan or participate in a service project on October 24—Montana Makes a Difference Day—and share your efforts using #TwoLightsMT and #D37Lions.

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Winnett Lions News

Winnett Lions helped with the purchase of USA 250 banners that were placed above our Main Street hanging baskets. In addition to our annual highway cleanup, we are set up for our annual side by side fundraiser. We are still giving out memorial donations and doing ‘care baskets’ for our community folks in distress. Our Cancer Walk was a big success with the sale of 149 luminaries. Our proceeds totaled $3,900 that will be donated to Lewistown’s Cancer Center. Our two new members increased our membership to 18!

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Club Treasurers: File Your IRS 990-N e-Postcard

IRS 990 Annual Tax Filing Reminder

Please remember that all Lions clubs, districts and multiple districts 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 that this filing relates specifically to the 501(c)(4). If your Lions club, district or multiple-district has a foundation, which is a separate legal entity, the appropriate form will need to be filed as well.

Please review the Annual Tax Filing information below. Thank you!

Annual Tax Filing Information 

Please note that Lions Clubs International is not authorized to provide guidance regarding your filing. For specific questions, please contact a local tax professional or the IRS.

Kindest regards,  Legal Division, Lions Clubs International

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Seeley Lake Lions Fall News

Fall Highway Cleanup

Twice a year in the fall and the spring, the Seeley Lake Lions gather for our annual highway cleanup in an effort to keep our community beautiful. On September 27, 2026 our own Lion Rachel Feigley along with her husband Lion Pete coordinated the gathering, reflective vests, grabbers and garbage bags to hand out to everyone. 

In all we had 17 Lions come out to scour the highway and cover a 2-mile stretch. While it may not sound like much, over a dozen bags of trash was collected!  And the Leos did their part by getting permission for their own mile stretch of highway led by Leos advisor Bridget Laird and her band of eight Leos.

It’s very exciting to see the kids get involved with their town. Afterwards pizza was had by all for a job well done. Even our own District Governor Jon Kimble as well as our first Vice District Governor Gary Lewis were on hand to clean it up.

True Lionism by all!

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Helena Lions September News

Helena Lions Welcome Helena’s New Mayor

Helena Lions 1st Vice President Art Rinaman and President Gene Hill present the Honorable Emily Dean, Mayor of Montana’s Capital City, as Speaker of the Day on September 8, 2026.

Helena Lions Visit Gold Rush Lions

Helena Lions, Art Rinaman, Gene Hill, Jack Berry, Byron Beley, and Stuart Beagles visited the Gold Rush Lions Club September 10, 2026. 

Lion President Gene Hill presented Lion President Cory Sena of the Gold Rush Club a check for $2,500 for the Gold Rush’s service and assistance with the Lewis and Clark Last Chance Stampede Rodeo and Fair.

District News, Mid-month Newsletter

Two Lights Montana Series – Lexington

April 19, 1775 — the Shot Heard ’Round the World

On April 19, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War and changed the course of history. What had been a growing political conflict between Great Britain and its American colonies became open armed resistance. The fighting that day did not just launch a war. It marked the moment when Americans took a decisive stand for self-government and liberty.

In the months leading up to the battle, tensions had been rising across Massachusetts. The British government had imposed tighter control over the colonies, while colonial resistance continued to grow. British troops were sent from Boston to seize colonial military supplies stored in Concord and to disrupt the patriot movement. But the colonists were prepared. Riders, including Paul Revere and others, spread the alarm that British regulars were on the move.

At Lexington, a small group of militia faced the advancing British troops on the town green in the early morning hours. No one knows with certainty who fired the first shot, but within moments, the confrontation turned deadly. The British pushed on to Concord, where colonial militia regrouped and resisted at the North Bridge. As the British began their return to Boston, they faced relentless attacks from colonial forces firing from behind walls, trees, and buildings along the road.

By the end of the day, what began as a mission to assert British authority had become a costly retreat. More importantly, the events at Lexington and Concord proved that the colonies were willing to fight. The battles became a defining symbol of resolve, courage, and the belief that freedom was worth defending.

The phrase “the shot heard round the world” is often tied to Lexington and Concord because the significance of that day reached far beyond Massachusetts. The struggle that began there would lead to the birth of a new nation and inspire future movements for liberty around the world.

Remembering Lexington and Concord is not just about looking back at the first battles of the Revolution. It is about remembering the Americans who stood their ground at a moment of uncertainty and risk. Their actions helped begin the long and difficult fight that ultimately secured independence and shaped the United States.

Join Lions across Montana in celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary through learning, civic participation, and community service. Plan or participate in a service project on October 24—Montana Makes a Difference Day—and share your efforts using #TwoLightsMT and #D37Lions.