Two Lights Montana – September 2026
March 23, 1775 — the Quote Heard ’Round the World
WHAT – Patrick Henry warned the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond that conflict with Britain was inevitable; the colonies must prepare to defend their liberty. His speech ended with one of the most famous lines in American history: “As for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
WHO – Henry was a prominent Virginia-born lawyer known for challenging British authority. His courtroom success launched a political career and made him a leading voice for colonial resistance.
WHAT FOLLOWED – The Convention narrowly approved Henry’s call to organize a Virginia militia. Soon after, armed conflict began between colonial forces and Britain, pushing the colonies toward revolution.
WHAT MOST DON’T KNOW – Henry’s speech was not written down at the time. The version known today was reconstructed decades later from eyewitness accounts.
ONE SIMPLE TAKEAWAY – Henry’s speech marked a turning point when many colonial leaders accepted that resistance—and eventually independence—would require war.
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.
By Global Service TeamMontana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation – September 2026
Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation Statistics
Please find below the statistics from January 1, 2026 to August 26, 2026
- Applications Received: 27
- Assistance Provided: 11
- Total Cost of Assistance Provided: $25,318.49
- Applications Received From: Belt, Billings, Bozeman, Emigrant, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell, Libby, Missoula, Ovando, Polson, Sidney, Trego and Whitefish
Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation Fellowships
Foundation Fellowship: Foundation Fellowships can now be purchased by individuals. Foundation Fellowships are used to recognize outstanding Lions and other deserving individuals. The Board of Trustees of the Foundation endorses this Fellowship. The Fellowship award includes a lapel pin and a mounted certificate and may only be bestowed by a Lions Club on an individual or group of individuals with a donation of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) to the Montana Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation.
PID Fellowship: The PID Dave Hajny, PID Tom Lehman, PID Gary Tschache and PID Ben Apeland Fellowships are now available. The fellowships recognize the contributions to Lionism made by PID’s Dave, Tom, Gary and Ben. The new fellowships are a great way to provide recognition for a deserving Lion. Fellowships can be purchased for five hundred dollars ($500) to the Montana Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation.
Life Membership: A Life Membership to the Foundation, which includes a lapel pin and pocket card can be bestowed by an individual, group of individuals, Lions Club or can be purchased by an individual with a donation of one hundred dollars ($100) to the Montana Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation.
Memorial or Honorarium: Remember a loved one or honor that special person by donating to the Foundation. What better way to remember or honor someone than having your donation live in perpetuity? Your Memorial or Honorarium donation is never spent; only the interest earned on these assets will be used to further the purpose of the Foundation.
Thank you for your continued support of the Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation.
Does Your Club Collect Glasses?
Used glasses can be dropped off in Great Falls at Floors and More, located at 920 1st Ave N, Great Falls, MT.
Please place the following address on boxes of used glasses:
Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center, 9013 Mullen Road SE, Olympia, WA 98513
By Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation2027 MLS&HF Raffle Tickets Have Been Mailed!
This year’s raffle tickets for the ATV were mailed out on Monday, August 24, 2026. If you have NOT received your tickets in the mail, please contact Lion Monte Weisser via email at [email protected]. You don’t want to miss out on a chance to win!!
Plusoptix – Lion David Falcon – September 2026
District 37 PlusOptix Update
Good Morning District 37 Lions!
I hope everyone had a great summer. It is that time of year when schools are getting ready to start back up. Please check your S12’s to make sure they are ready to go. The most recent Plusoptix update is 8.0.3.0. If you find anything wrong, please let me know. I still have a few warranties left to use to repair them. There aren’t any new updates for this year.
When you are done screening for the month, please make sure you send me your numbers so I can add them to our District 37 totals.
There is now a course you can take to get certified as a vision screener. This isn’t a requirement, but if you are interested, it is located on www.lionskidsightUSA.org. There is information to study and at the end, there is a 50-question test. Once you get into the website it tells you what to do. If you do get certified, please let me know, and if I find out anything else, I will let you know.
Have a great year!
Lion David Falcon, District 37 PlusOptix Chair
314 9th St. W., Kalispell, MT 59901; C. 406-253-1726: [email protected]
By PlusOptix CoordinatorSpecial Notices -September 2026
For Club Secretaries
New Training Videos Available on District the Website
LCI has provided several new training videos that reflect the updates that were completed in the Lions Portal over the past year. They include “How to Create and Report Service”, “How to Add a Member”, “Assigning Lion Club Officers for the Next Year” and “How to Manage a Sponsored Leo Club.
These videos are available on the home page of the Lion Portal Website and have also been put on the Training Page of the District 37 Website at the link below:
https://www.montanalions.org/training/
For Club Treasurers
Club statements are no longer being mailed and can only be accessed via the Club Portal.
If your club’s treasurer has not created an account on the portal, that is the first step to completing the process of being able to access your club statements. The login is the email address that LCI has on file for each officer. If an email address has not been provided to your club secretary, you will NOT be able to create an account in the Lion Portal.
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)
District 37 Facebook Page
We all know that Lions serve from the heart, and now we want to see YOU in action! Whether you’re planting trees, organizing a food drive, helping out at a community event, or any other service activity, we want to showcase the amazing work our Lions are doing.
We’re looking for candid shots of Montana Lions actively engaging in service. We appreciate the posed group photos that commemorate events but we want to see how you have captured the real moments that show the spirit of Lionism in action!
How to Participate:
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- Snap candid photos of Lions in action during service activities.
- Share your photos via message to the District Facebook Page (https://m.me/MontanaLions).
- Include a brief description of the activity and the names of the Lions involved.
- Bonus points for Lions wearing Lions Club logos on hats, vests, shirts, etc.!
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Let’s fill our media with the heart and soul of our District’s service efforts. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words—let’s show the world the impact of the MT Lions Clubs of District 37!
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 including Leo Application forms and Club Service Project Ideas. 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.
By Lion Peggy TobinDates to Remember – September 2026
SEPTEMBER CLUB ANNIVERSARIES
172 years of service!!!
Culbertson 09/13/1946 – 80 years
Sunburst 09/13/1934 – 92 years
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
UPCOMING DISTRICT MEETING DATES
District 37 6th Annual Leadership Retreat – October 2 – 3 2026, Lewistown, MT
MT Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation – October 17, 2026 @ 10:00 Jefferson High School, Boulder MT
District Cabinet Meeting – October 17, 2026 @ noon, Jefferson High School, Boulder MT
2027 District 37 Convention – April 16-17, 2027, Choteau, MT
LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION SCHEDULE
2027 Washington DC – July 2-6
2028 Singapore -June 23-27
2029 Minneapolis, MN – June 29 – July 3
2030 San Antonio TX – June 28 – July 2
2031 – Helsinki Finland – July 4-8
UPCOMING USA/CANADA FORUMS
USA/CANADA LIONS LEADERSHIP FORUMS CAN BE RELATED TO ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE – NOT JUST LIONS
2026 Memphis TN-50th Annual!! – September 3 – 5
2027 Huntsville, AB – September 16-18
2028 Grand Rapids, MI – To be announced
2029 Shreveport, LA – To be announced
Helena Lions August News
The Helena Lions Club welcomed public official Lt. Governor of Montana, Kristen Juras, at their August Meeting.
By Helena Lions ClubTo The Lions of Montana District 37 and Alberta MD-C
It is with heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of PDG Steve Hadnagy on August 1, 2026. Lion Steve was a great Lion who was instrumental in shaping District 37 and Multiple District C into what we are today. He was a true friend, a mentor, and a leader in our world of service. Just knowing Lion Steve brings back memories of his personality and his dedication to the causes he believed in.
Lion Steve was a long time member of the Butte Mile High Club along with dedicated support of the Anaconda and Deer Lodge Clubs. During the Lions year 2002-2003 Lion Steve served on the MD 37 Council of Governors representing District D along with Shirley Dillman from District A, Ken Pickett from District B, Gail Witherspoon from District C, Dennis Stevenson from District E, Allan Reed from District F and Betty Ann Robson from District G. Now Lion Past International President Dr. Patti Hill served as Council Chair during the Lions year 2002-2003.
A memorial service is planned for Friday August 28th at the Wayryen-Richards Funeral Home, 1800 Florence Ave. in Butte at 1 PM.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Lion Steve’s name may be made to the Lions Club in care of the Funeral Home. Here is the link the funeral home and the official obituary.
https://www.wayrynen-richards.com/obituaries/steven-hadnagy/#!/Obituary
Respectfully submitted,
Lion Ben Apeland
A Special Memory from IPDG Corinna Christensen
Thank you for sharing this sad news and for honoring the remarkable service of PDG Steve Hadnagy.
I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to meet Lion Steve during a visit to the Butte Lions Club in May of 2025, when I was serving as First Vice District Governor. Although he had become less active in his later years, Steve made a special effort to attend that meeting. He came not only to visit with me, but also to be there for a very memorable occasion—the induction of an incredible six new Lions into the Butte Lions Club.
It was clear that evening how deeply Lion Steve cared about Lions and about seeing the organization continue to grow and serve. Watching a longtime Lion and Past District Governor be present to welcome six new members into our Lions family was especially meaningful. It was one of those evenings that reminded me of the legacy our longtime Lions leave behind and the responsibility we have to carry their dedication to service forward.
I only had the privilege of knowing Lion Steve for a short time, but that evening made a lasting impression on me. I feel truly blessed to have shared it with him.
My heartfelt condolences go out to Lion Steve’s family, his fellow Lions in Butte, Anaconda and Deer Lodge, and all of the Lions throughout Montana and Alberta whose lives were touched by his friendship, leadership and service.
Rest well, Lion Steve. Your legacy of service lives on.
In Lionism, IPDG Corinna
Lion Steve was a Lion for the ages. Spoke his mind and listened. Rest in peace.
PDG Richard Gessling
By PID Ben ApelandHeads Up Treasurers (and Presidents)
By Lion Steve DogiakosWinnett Lions August News
Winnett Lions have been busy with community beautification projects. We planted our hanging baskets and with help from Fergus Electric boys, placed them on Main Street light poles.
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We purchased another custom-made bench and placed it in front of another business. The owner was thrilled we did that. We also added a couple of planters and filled them with flowers for her. We also recruited three new members in July!
By Winnett Lions Club
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