April 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.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!
By Lion Peggy Tobin
From the Desk of Governor Corinna – April 2026
“Leading with Heart: Service, Empowerment, and Community”
Fellow Lions and Leos of Montana,
As we step into April, it’s incredible to realize that our Lionistic year is already 75% complete. The time has flown by, but our opportunity to serve is far from over. Now is the moment to finish strong, expand our impact, and continue changing lives across Montana communities.
District 37 Lions Convention – April 17–18–19
Cedar Creek Lodge | Columbia Falls, Montana
One of the most exciting events of our year is just around the corner! The District 37 Lions Convention promises to be an engaging, inspiring, and fun-filled gathering for all.
Friday Highlights:
- Officer Training (Morning)
Attend and receive reimbursement for one night’s lodging—a great opportunity to grow your leadership skills. - Area Tours (Afternoon)
Explore and enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of the Columbia Falls area. - “Montana Aloha Luau” (Evening)
- Silent & Live Auction
- Live Music & Dancing
- Hawaiian attire encouraged!
Saturday Highlights:
- Presentation of the Flags by the Columbia Falls American Legion
- National Anthems of Canada and United States performed by Craig Blair
- Special appearances by Miss Montana and Miss Montana’s Teen
- Leader Dogs for the Blind program presentation
- Convention business:
- Nomination of officers
- Selection of future convention site
- Leadership training opportunities
- Memorial Service
- SPEED LEARNING
- Parade of Green
- Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation presentation and raffle drawing
- Evening Banquet featuring keynote speaker PID Deb Weaverling
- District Awards Celebration
Sunday Highlights (Optional):
- Plus Optix Community Engagement Workshop
- District Cabinet Meeting
- Montana Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation Meeting
FULL CONVENTION AGENDA LINK…CLICK HERE
This convention is more than a meeting…it’s a celebration of who we are as Lions and Leos and the impact we make together.
Let’s Finish the Year Strong
With just a quarter of the year remaining, I encourage every club to:
- Expand your service efforts
- Invite new members to join your mission
- Look for new communities that could benefit from a Lions Club
Montana Lions District 37 is ready and eager to support the creation of NEW CLUBS in new areas. If you see a need, let’s meet it TOGETHER.
Reach out to DG Corinna or VDG Jon for:
- Guidance on starting new clubs
- Membership growth strategies
- Ideas to strengthen your service impact
Moving Forward with Purpose
Each act of service, each new member, and each new club strengthens our ability to serve. Let’s carry our momentum forward and make these final months of the Lionistic year our most impactful yet.
Together, we serve. Together, we lead. Together, we grow.
With gratitude and determination,
DG Corinna Christensen
By DG Corinna Christensen
LCI President’s Message-April 2026
President’s MessageLead to Serve, Serve To Leadwith International President A.P. Singh |
Dear Lion,
From the very beginning, Lions have welcomed everyone with a heart to serve — and that spirit shines especially bright when we engage younger generations. Young people bring fresh ideas, new energy and a passion for service that help keep our organization strong, relevant and growing.
To carry our mission into the next 100 years and beyond, we must continue inviting dynamic, service-minded people to stand alongside us.
Lions have a unique opportunity to grow alongside Leos through meaningful mentoring — including reverse mentoring, where young people inspire us with fresh ideas, new technologies like AI and service that speaks to their generation. By strengthening the journey from Alpha Leo to Omega Leo to Leo-Lion, and by building more family-friendly clubs, we open the door for younger neighbors, friends and families to join us in a lifetime of service.
The future of Lions is not ahead of us — it is already here, in the hands of the young. Together, across generations, we can continue to serve our communities — and the world — with purpose, compassion and love.
Together in service,
A.P. Singh
International President
District LCIF Co-Chairs PDG Mike Tobin & PDG Lary Garrison – April 2026
District LCIF Co-Chair Mike Tobin
Lions Clubs of District 37,
Happy Easter and the beginning of Spring! With winter over, it is time to get out and get things started. Most clubs are already planning their spring or summer fund raisers. But stop and think – is this the only thing you are going to do for your community this year? Is there not something your community needs that is way out of reach of your club’s finances? Maybe LCIF can help!
With all the programs LCIF has, there is bound to be something they can help with. All you have to do is look at your community’s needs and apply for LCIF assistance. If you need ideas, a club visit by one of the District’s LCIF Co-Chairs is needed. (See our contact information below).
Have you and your club been giving to LCIF on a Monthly basis? If not, now is a good time to start. It is surprising how fast a monthly donation of $10, $25 or $50 adds up towards a personal Melvin Jones or one that your club can award. And if your club has never given a Melvin Jones award, PLEASE contact myself or Lary Garrison to find out how District 37 can assist you in that process!
Yours in Lionism,
PDG Mike Tobin – PO Box 408, Sunburst MT 59482, 406-450-2780, [email protected]
PDG Lary Garrison , 703 Conway St., Billings, MT 59105, 406-855-6997, [email protected]
By LCIF CoordinatorsThe Measure of a Lion
After my recent article about club visibility and membership, I heard from a member in my club who asked a question I suspect more people are thinking but not saying:
“Are we appropriate members if we contribute so little?” She went on to describe a full life. Working full time. Parenting. Living outside of town. Wanting to help when she could, but feeling like the club’s expectations exceeded her current capacity. She had joined because she believed in community service. She still did. But she was quietly wondering whether that was enough.
IT IS!
And it is worth saying directly, because Lions culture does not always communicate it well.
Committees and titles are infrastructure, not the mission.
Clubs need officers. They need committee chairs. Someone has to sign the paperwork, plan the projects, and show up to zone and District meetings. That work is real and it matters, but it is not the point. It is the scaffolding.
The point is service. It is the food bank volunteer who shows up on a Saturday morning. The person who quietly sponsors a kid’s camp registration. The member who helps a neighbor move, organizes a school fundraiser, or gives time to a local church event. These things are Lions work whether or not they appear on a club calendar.
A member who holds no title and chairs no committee but lives a life oriented toward service is doing exactly what this organization exists to promote. A member who holds every title and attends every meeting but treats service as a quarterly checkbox is a different story.
Capacity is not a permanent condition. The member who can give two hours a month right now may be the one running a committee in five years. The parent who is stretched thin today has kids who will grow up watching what their family values. The person who joins because they believe in service and stays because the culture is welcoming becomes, over time, one of the people a club is built on. Pushing people out, or letting them quietly drift because they feel like they are not doing enough, is how clubs lose exactly the people they should be keeping.
Service is not a means to membership. It is the point. There is a version of Lions participation that treats service as the activity you do to justify calling yourself a member. Show up, log the hours, attend the banquet, repeat. Membership is the destination and service is the ticket. That is backwards.
Service is not what you do to be a Lion. It is what being a Lion means. The member who is stretched thin but still shows up for a neighbor, still coaches the team, still gives time to the school or the church or the food pantry, is not falling short of something. They are doing the thing itself. The rest is paperwork.
When capacity is limited, that is not a reason to question whether you belong. It is a reason to do the service that fits your life right now and trust that the life you are living, oriented toward community, is exactly the culture this organization exists to build.
The question worth asking in your club: Are you measuring membership by titles held and meetings attended, or by whether people are living the values? Both have a place. But if the first list is driving the conversation and the second list is an afterthought, some of your best members may be quietly deciding they do not belong.
They do. Make sure they know it.
By Lion Steve Dogiakos
Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation – April 2026
Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation Statistics
Please find below the statistics from January 1, 2026 to March 27, 2026
- Applications Received: 9
- Assistance Provided: 1
- Total Cost of Assistance Provided: $1,998.04
- Applications Received From: Belt, Emigrant, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula & Polson
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.
*Club Contribution – CHANGE as of January 1, 2025*
For over eight years, the Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation has not made any changes to the club contribution towards applications. However, due to the increase in the cost of hearing aids and other services over that time, the Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation voted at the January board meeting to increase all club contributions towards applications from $200.00 or 10% of the total cost, whichever is greater to $300.00 or 10% of the total cost, whichever is greater.
Thank you for your continued support of the Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation.
By Montana Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation
Plusoptix – Lion David Falcon – April 2026
District 37 PlusOptix Update
PlusOptix screening totals for school year September 2025 to June 2026:
34,112 students screened with 4,067 refers through March 2026.
A big “THANK YOU” to those that are turning in screening results. Great Job!
To the 26 clubs who currently have Plus Optix machines:
It is VITAL that you report your numbers each month to Lion Dave Falcon in order to maintain proper records. This assists in determining the effectiveness of this program! To date this school year, only 54% of you have sent in your monthly statistics. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me!!
Lion David Falcon, District 37 PlusOptix Chair
314 9th St. W., Kalispell, MT 59901; C. 406-253-1726: [email protected]
By PlusOptix CoordinatorConvention & 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.
Dates 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!
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