Dates to Remember – December 2025
DECEMBER CLUB ANNIVERSARIES
893 years of service!!!
Forsyth 12/03/1924 – 101 years!
Columbia Falls 12/03/1952
Missoula 12/04/1928 – 97 years!
Shepherd 12/05/1967
Cut Bank 12/06/1929 – 96 years!
Bozeman Sweet Pea 12/08/2004
Conrad 12/10/1928 – 97 years!
Seeley Lake 12/11/1978
Big Timber 12/12/1925 – 100 years!
Great Falls 12/20/1922 – 103 years!
Roundup 12/22/1925 – 100 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
By Lion Peggy TobinGreat Falls Sunrise Lions Receive Northwestern Energy Award
Northwestern Energy joined the Great Falls Sunrise Lions Club for their annual fundraiser in September. Eleven NWE employees assisted with set up, serving food and cleaning up afterwards. The time and effort of those 11 employees resulted in an $1,100.00 donation to the club ($100 per employee who participated). This is a win – win for Great Falls Sunrise Lions – additional hands to help AND a donation for their community service!
Pictured from left to right:
Shawn Etzweiler, Community Relations Specialist from Northwestern Energy.
Lion Bob Stubbs, President
Lion Charley Hibl and Lion Mike Schmit current and former Northwestern employees.
NorthWestern Energy has an Employee Volunteer Program that encourages employees to volunteer by providing paid time off and granting funds to the organizations they serve. For individual volunteers, NorthWestern Energy can donate up to $400 per year to an organization, while teams of at least three employees can earn a $100 donation per employee.
Program highlights:
- Paid volunteer time:Employees are given paid time off to volunteer.
- Grant money for organizations:The company provides grant money to the nonprofits employees volunteer with.
- Individual volunteer grants:Employees can earn up to $400 annually for an organization they serve.
- Team volunteer grants:When at least three employees volunteer together for a special event, NorthWestern Energy donates $100 per employee to the organization.
- Employee choice:Employees can choose the charities they want to volunteer for and NorthWestern Energy will support those efforts.
By Great Falls Sunriser Lions ClubSeeley Lake Lions Receive Membership Satisfaction Award
Yay Seeley Lake Lions Club!!!
Seeley Lake Lions Club was the proud recipient of the Membership Satisfaction award from our International President Fabricio Oliveira. For our little town in Montana to be recognized in this fashion is truly an honor.
All of the members are part of this and the reason we continue to succeed in Seeley Lake. This award is not frequently given. We are hot!!
Once again because of our hard work and drive to sustain and increase our membership, we have been recognized by the International President for the great work we continue to do. I can’t stress enough the importance of continuing to get out the word about our club and getting new members in to help move us into the future. Remember, every little bit helps when it comes to the activities we perform in our town and that comes from you, the members. Thank you for all that you do!
By Seeley Lake Lions Club
EYEGLASS RECYCLING IN MONTANA
Here in Montana, Vision is one of the Causes that many of our local clubs participate in. We focus on collecting and providing eyeglasses and vision screening in schools and underserved communities throughout the state.
Collection spots can be found in many optometrist offices, as well as in various private businesses throughout the state. Click here to see current list of drop off locations.
We gratefully accept all types of eyeglasses, loose lenses, contact lenses, and hearing aids for recycling. To help our club volunteers who collect the glasses from various drop off locations in their area, we kindly ask that glasses be separated into five categories if possible:
- Single vision lenses
- Bifocals/trifocals
- Sunglasses
- Broken/damaged (still send us)
- High End/Speciality Glasses
(We understand progressives can be hard to distinguish from single vision — just do your best!)
Please do NOT include the following items in your donation as they cannot be used:
- Reader glasses
- Hard cases (soft cases can be reused in shipping)
If you prefer, you can mail your donation directly to the recycling center:
Northwest Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (NWLERC)
9013 Mullen Rd SE
Olympia, WA 98513
If you write “Free Matter for the Blind” on the package, the post office MAY ship it at no cost (check with your local branch for details as it’s at their discretion).
Thank you again for helping give the gift of sight — your donations make a real difference.
By District Convention
November 2025 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!!
From the Desk of Governor Corinna – November 2025
District 37 Lions — Message from District Governor Corinna Christensen
Dear Lions of District 37,
As we head into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I find myself reflecting deeply on the blessings that come with being a Lion. The friendships I’ve built across Montana, throughout our nation, and around the world have enriched my life beyond measure. Each encounter, whether over a shared meal at a small-town fundraiser or in the grand halls of an international convention, reminds me how powerful our bond of service truly is.
Being a Lion is more than wearing a pin or attending a meeting. It’s about belonging to a family that leads with heart and serves with purpose. Together, we bring light to our communities through acts both great and small…feeding families, supporting youth, preserving sight, and protecting the environment. Every Lions project begins with compassion, grows through teamwork, and ends with gratitude.
This season of thankfulness is the perfect time to express my appreciation to each of you. Your commitment, generosity, and spirit of service make Montana shine bright in the Lions world. Whether you’re collecting food for local pantries, providing eyeglass screenings, or assisting at community events, you’re demonstrating what it means to “Lead to Serve, Serve to Lead.” Thank you for giving your time and heart so freely.
By DG Corinna Christensen
LCI President’s Message
President’s MessageLead to Serve, Serve To Leadwith International President A.P. Singh |
Dear Lion,
Whether you are a new Lion or have been a member for years, you are here because someone invited you to join. To help us grow our clubs and our service — and reach our MISSION 1.5 goals — now it is your turn to invite someone else and share the joy that service brings.
Growth is essential for us to be able to continue to improve the service that Lions are known for around the world. We are a people-driven organization where service is at the heart of everything we do — and we need dedicated Lions like you to help us make an even greater impact together.
So invite friends and neighbors who have the heart to serve. Welcome diverse individuals and groups who will offer us fresh perspectives and energy. This is how we will keep our organization growing and thriving.
Growth benefits us all — our clubs, our communities and the people we serve. I look forward to seeing your club and your service grow.
Together we serve,
A.P. Singh
International President
Global Membership Team Report – November 2025
Global and Montana Membership – November, 2025
Congratulations to Lions Clubs and Members for starting off the Lions year 25-26 with remarkable membership numbers. For the first time in over 10 years our district has a net gain of over 20 members.
We can’t stand of our laurels however, as we should continue to engage our communities with new members, new ideas for service and energy.
All members should get with the program and ask a friend, neighbor, or a stranger if they would like to help their communities. We need to remember our challenge “WHERE THERE IS A NEED, THERE IS A LION”.
GMT Chair Richard Gessling
By Global Membership Team
District LCIF Co-Chairs PDG Lary Garrison & PDG Mike Tobin – November 25
District LCIF Co-Chair Lary Garrison – November 2025
This will be my last year as the Lions Clubs International Foundation Coordinator.
This has been one of my most satisfying positions serving Lions Clubs International. As I passed my 80th year on this planet it became clear that it was time to ensure the continued emphasis on District 37 receiving grants and supporting fundraising for OUR FOUNDATION! Please contact me with any questions or interest.
About 15 years ago our district supported LCIF moderately while also using grants sparingly. We occasionally received emergency grants as well as a few matching grants. With some emphasis on the variety of available grants clubs, District 37 started using them to remodel a Senior Center, purchase 100 state of the art readers used throughout Montana, purchase a state of the art ambulance, an emergency generator for a community shelter, a handicap fishing dock, youth diabetes camps, flood recovery, equipment for a food bank, and several Plus/Optix eye screeners.
By LCIF Coordinators
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