Convention & Special Notices – April 2026
OFFICIAL CALL FOR THE CONVENTION
The annual District Convention shall be held on April 17 and 18, 2026 in Columbia Falls, Montana. The convention starts as registration commences on Friday April 17, 2025 at 1:00pm.
CLUB DELEGATE FORMULA
Policy Manual, Article 8, Section B: Club Delegate Formula
Each chartered club in good standing in Lions Clubs International and this District shall be entitled in each annual convention of this District to one (1) delegate and one (1) alternate for each (10) members, who have been enrolled for at least one year and a day in the club or major fraction thereof, of said club as shown by the records of the International office on the first day of the month last preceding that month during which the convention is held. (NOTE: for the 2026 convention, that date is March 1st.) The major fraction referred to in this section shall be five (5) or more members. Each certified delegate, present in person, shall be entitled to cast one (1) vote only on each question submitted to the respective convention. All eligible delegates must be members in good standing of a club in good standing within the District.
This may be different than 10% of total members if clubs have “households” as the number of members eligible for the delegate calculation will be less than the total number of club members. Each household with 2 members will only count as one for this calculation.
Montana District 37 grants full delegate status to each past district governor who is a member of a club in such district independent of the club delegate quotas.
ONLINE CONVENTION REGISTRATION
Regular Registration of $135/lion for the 2026 District 37 Convention in Columbia Falls began on March 28th. Go to www.montanalions.org to register online or download the registration form that follows on pages 13 & 14 of this newsletter.
For Club Secretaries
Please note that ALL club delegates MUST be entered into the Lion Portal by your club secretary or other official with access and letters printed to bring to convention. Here’s a link to a short video which provides instructions for this process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcDtN5Cjmt8&t=28s
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 remember that all Lions clubs 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 this filing relates specifically to the 501(c)(4). If your Lions club has a foundation, which is a separate legal entity, the appropriate form will need to be filed as well. If you are unfamiliar with this process, please see the short video noted below.
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 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 – April 2026
APRIL CLUB ANNIVERSARIES
23 years of service!!!
Superior 04/03/1952
East Missoula 04/12/1967
Choteau 04/26/1927 (99 Years!!
Dillon 04/26/1979
Townsend Broadwater County 04/29/1982
2026 MD C CONVENTION
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
APRIL 10-11, 2026
GRAND PRAIRIE, ALBERTA
KEYNOTE SPEAKER – 1ST VP MARK S. LYON
MEMORIAL SERVICE – PIP JUSTICE BRIAN STEVENSON
APRIL 13, 2026
GRAND PRAIRIE, ALBERTA
2026 DISTRICT 37 CONVENTION
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
APRIL 17-18, 2026
COLUMBIA FALLS, MONTANA
KEYNOTE SPEAKER – PID DEB WEAVERLING
UPCOMING DISTRICT MEETING DATES
District Cabinet Meeting – April 19, 2026 @ 9:00am following the Convention
MT Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation – April 19, 2026 @ noon following the Convention
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
Sunburst Provides St. Patty’s Pancake Supper & Raises Funds for Project 250
The Sunburst Lions Club is making a difference in their community, raising over $1,500 for the American Legion Auxiliary’s Project 250 from their annual pancake supper. The funds raised will be added to the generous grant that the ALA received from the Montana 250 Foundation to place murals designed by past Sunburst resident, Alan Snell, in Sunburst, Sweet Grass and Oilmont.
This year, for the first time, the pancake supper was served prior to Northern Telephone Cooperative’s annual meeting and was well received by all in attendance. Combining our resources, the supper and the annual meeting had record attendance of approximately 150 community members!
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration – Seeley Lake Lions
Each year the Senior Citizens of Seeley Lake put on a dinner celebration featuring all the usual Irish fare including Corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, carrots and a specially prepared Irish Stew. The event was held on March 14th at the Senior Center.
Lions Liz Britt, Rob Shaffer and Clay Creek were responsible for cooking the delicious meal while other Lions helped with tickets at the door, serving, clearing of tables and we even had some Leos there helping us to sell 50/50 tickets. Several people donated items for a silent auction to help raise money for the center. There was also a cake walk where donated goodies were won by people participating in the fun game. Players enter the game for a dollar and walk in a circle on numbered spots. Music is played and when it stops they pull a number from a hat and if you are on that number you win the cake!
Lots of smiles, plenty of food and everyone was Irish for a day!
By Seeley Lake Lions Club
By BillingsHeights
Havre Lions Serving Area Schools
Eighteen Havre Lions gathered for a work party to make flag bases for the flags they will present to Havre First Graders during Presidents Day Week.
The work consisted of cutting bases, branding Lions Emblems on wood, and sanding smooth. They produced 367 bases which will hold the flags donated to First graders..
Havre Lions’ President Russ Stinnett presented a check for $500 to MSU Northern Sweet Grass Society to help support their 49th Annual Pow Wow.
By Havre Lions Club
March 2026 Newsletter
The publication of the district 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 – March 2026
“Leading with Heart: Service, Empowerment, and Community”
There is something about this time of year in Montana that feels full of momentum. The days stretch a little longer, projects start taking shape, and our service calendar begins to fill quickly. I continue to be so proud of the energy, creativity, and steady commitment I see across District 37. Whether you are in a town of less than 200 or 120,000+, you are making a difference and it shows.
I want to personally remind you about the upcoming She Leads Symposium on March 8 at 7:00 a.m. Mountain Time. Hosted through Lions International, this event is designed to inspire and strengthen leadership at every level. If you are able, consider turning it into a club watch party. Gather around a laptop at your meeting hall, meet for breakfast at a local café, or invite neighboring clubs to join you. Leadership grows stronger when we grow together.
Earlier this month, I sent the registration details from the District 37 email account. Please refer back to that message for details. She Leads Registration Link can be found here. I would love to see a strong Montana presence.
Looking ahead, April 18–26 marks the Environmental focus of the Lions Worldwide Weeks of Service. This is our opportunity to amplify what we already do so well — serve visibly and meaningfully. Plant a tree. Clean a stretch of highway. Organize an e-waste recycling day. Partner with your local school on a beautification project. Support a waterway cleanup. The project does not have to be elaborate; it simply needs heart and participation. When each club does something, our district impact becomes powerful.
And then, of course, District 37 Convention. April 17–18 in Columbia Falls will be here before we know it. The convention team has poured thoughtful planning into making this an event that balances education, connection, and fun. Convention is where we refuel, where we exchange ideas, where we laugh, and where we remember why we first said yes to Lionism. Be sure to register soon: District 37 Lions Convention Registration Link.
As we prepare for Convention and our annual Memorial Service, please take a moment to submit the names and information of departed Lions from your club at https://www.montanalions.org/memorial-necrology-service/ so that each life of service, friendship, and dedication is properly honored and remembered.
Lastly, if you are in Eastern Montana, consider traveling west by train with PDG Raleigh Peck. I have a feeling that trip alone could become a district legend. Good conversation, Montana scenery rolling by, and Lions fellowship… it does not get much better than that.
On behalf of District 37, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to our Lions neighbors to the north in Alberta on the passing of Justice Brian Stevenson, Past International President of Lions International. At the time of his presidency, we proudly shared a Multiple District with Alberta. PIP Brian will be remembered as an exemplary leader, devoted Lion, and true friend whose legacy of integrity and service will continue to inspire us all.
Thank you for continuing to lead with integrity and serve with generosity. District 37 is strong because of you. Let’s keep the momentum going as we move into a very full and exciting spring.
With appreciation and confidence in our shared mission…WE SERVE,
District Governor Corinna Christensen
Montana Lions District 37
Lead to Serve, Serve to Lead
By DG Corinna Christensen
Remembering Past International President Justice Brian Stevenson
From the Desk of CC Christine Lank
Lions of Montana, I wanted to let you know about the sudden passing of Past International President, Justice Brian Stevenson, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. PIP Justice Stevenson was elected to serve as the international president at the Lions’ 70th International Convention, held in Taipei, Taiwan, in July 1987.
PIP Justice Stevenson was a proud Lion since 1966 and a member of the Calgary Northeast Eyeopener Lions Club, and he held numerous roles within the association, including district governor, council chairperson (74-75), member of the association’s board of directors (77-79), a presidential appointee to the international board on five occasions, and served as a board trustee for Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF). For his many contributions, Past International President Stevenson received the 100% District Governor Award, the Senior Master Key, 38 International Presidents’ Awards, and the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the association’s highest honor granted to its members. He was a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow, along with his wife, Lion Patricia.
He wanted to leave this world a better place than how he inherited it through his work with the association, so he served as Canada’s constitutional area leader on the Global Membership Team, as the Canadian advisor on the LCIF Development Advisory Committee, and as Canada’s representative on the association’s Centennial Committee. He also represented Canada on the Vice-Presidential Candidates Evaluation Committee.
Past International President Stevenson served the community as a Lion, and as a dedicated and long-serving judge. PIP Stevenson retired from the Calgary justice system in December of 2024. While no official records are kept, it’s believed that Justice Stevenson spent more than 50 years on the bench, making him the longest-serving judge in Canadian history. Before being appointed as a judge in 1974, he was a partner in a Calgary law firm and served as a special prosecutor of narcotic offences for the Canadian Department of Justice.
In 1996, the City of Calgary recognized his substantial contributions by awarding him the Grant MacEwan Lifetime Achievement Award of Merit. In 2005, the Province of Alberta recognized his service to Alberta with the Alberta Centennial Medal. In 2002, Justice Stevenson was honored by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the Golden Jubilee Medal, and in 2023, he was again honored by receiving the Platinum Jubilee Medal. Not only did our association and our Lions benefit from Justice Stevenson’s passion, he also served as an advisor to Calgary’s United Way, as president of the Calgary Social Planning Council, and as a member of the City of Calgary Social Services Committee. He has also served as president of the Alberta Provincial Judges’ Association and as chair of the International Year of Disabled Persons for the Province of Alberta.
But his greatest achievement was his family, his beloved Patricia, who left his side in 2022, his blended family of four daughters, 24 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
PIP Brian Stevenson showed us what great leadership looks like, and his courage in serving humanity, his gentle manner, humor, and love of life and people should guide us all. Let’s remember what his life taught us and continue his work together. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Below is the link for Judge Brian’s celebration of Life:
https://www.arbormemorial.ca/en/edenbrook/obituaries/brian-stevenson/156380.html
The family wanted to accommodate Brian’s Lions family, so they are holding it on Monday after our MD Convention, which is in Grande Prairie. They also had his Law family to work with, hence the 4 pm start. The Red & White club is close to the Calgary Stampeders home stadium, McMahon Stadium.
Vice President Mark & Lion Lyn are staying in Calgary on Sunday night so they can attend on Monday. They are our guests at the convention. We are making arrangements at the Best Western Plus Village Park Inn 1804 Crowchild Trail NW, Calgary AB T2M 3Y7 (403) 289-0241. The Village Park Inn is across the street (Crowchild Trail) from McMahon Stadium and the Red & White Club.
Take care
CC Christine Lank
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