Hey Lions of MD 36, it’s almost “TIME TO START YOUR ENGINES”! The racing of Pinewood Derby cars begins about 4:00 pm on Thursday, May 21st, in Seaside at the Seaside Convention Center. This will be the kick-off of the MD 36 Lions Annual Convention. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Seaside to celebrate all of our successes with you this year. After the race, we will head out to the sand to stay warm and enjoy the fun with a bonfire on the beach and s’mores. (I’ve heard some say this is where you burn the cars that didn’t win, but we will have firewood so the cars will not be necessary fuel!)
Did your Lions Club hold a “Friends & Family” membership event during the month of April? If so, please share your information about your event and be sure to report it to LCI. Many clubs recruited new members in April so we need to continue to build and grow our clubs.
There were 37 Lions from MD 19 & MD 36 combined that participated in 2 ½ days of Northwest Lions Leadership Institute training in Salem, April 10 – 12. I’m looking for new great leadership from these Lions. If one of your club members was part of that group, please encourage them to share the experience and enthusiasm with you and the rest of the club. You will recognize these Lions if they start any report or introduction with, “My Fellow Lions”, it was part of their work during the Public Speaking portion of the Institute.
The Executive Committee of USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum will arrive in Portland for three days of inspection of hotels, the Oregon Convention Center, public transportation, food service providers and much more in preparation for planning of the 2017 Forum in Portland. Some time after this visit, we will know the name of the Lion from our Multiple District who will be the Host Committee Chair of the event. Then the planning will begin. We will need the help of all of the Lions of MD 36 and some from MD 19 to make this event a huge success. We did it in 2003; we now need to show that we can do it again! The Forum in Portland will be the first major event to showcase what Lions Clubs International and our local Lions have planned for the next 100 Years.
You still have time to register and attend both the International Convention in Honolulu in June and to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan in September for this year’s edition of the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum. We will have a host and information-only booth in Grand Rapids to spend time inviting Lions to plan a trip to Oregon in 2017. We want to encourage our Lions from all over MD 36 to help promote and participate in all of the Forums especially in Grand Rapids and then again next year in Omaha. We anticipate well over 2,000 Lions to join us in 2017.
Now, celebrate all the good successes you and your fellow Lions have accomplished so far this year! The year is not over. There are two months left to do more GREAT things in your communities.
Recognize and reward your members as you plan for the next year with your new officers.