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District Governor's Message

Our International President, Lion Albert F. Brandel selected the slogan “Miracles Through Service” for the 2008-2009 theme.

Day after day, year after year our miracles through service fill gaps in out communities. We play the role of the everyday heroes; we go about our service, greatly enriching the lives of others without much glory or attention. We make out communities much better places to live and raise families.

In 2008-2009 we will focus on Community Service, a key factor of our members. Visible community projects attract new members, and involving members in hands-on projects keeps members active, develops their leadership and team work skills, and renews their commitment to Lionism.

We will focus on Membership. To maintain a strong thriving membership is necessary to meet community needs through service. Service is a source of member pride, service helped recruit new members. Team leadership is necessary to succeed in recruiting and retaining members as well as organizing new Clubs.

In his presidential year, President Al will celebrate Lions for performing miracles through service and for being everyday heroes. This is no about self-congratulation.

Instead, it is a way to further our services. It is to celebrate Lions Community service, renew pride in what it means to be a Lion and tell the world at large about that we do build a better tomorrow. Taking pride in what we do will give us more energy and motivation to continue our great works and increase our service.

Let us celebrate ourselves, let us tell our story to those around us and the rest of the world who do not yet know what it is we do, and how well we do it.

 Important Dates for Lions Activities
All over the world, people know of the miracles of service that Lions clubs provide. Here are some important upcoming events in 2009:

New Lions Clubs International Web Site to Debut in March
As part of our major branding initiative, Lions Clubs International is launching a new English Web site. This new Web site will:

  • Explain who Lions are and what we do.
  • Make it easier to find information—and complete tasks.
  • Tell the Lions’ story dramatically in pictures and in words.

The new Web site will have familiar sections, including About Lions and News and Events. There will also be new sections:

  • Our Impact will include stories and photos that show how Lions make a difference. Plus, “Tips and Tools” for projects.
  • A new Member Center will provide information that Lions need to do service projects and manage clubs and districts.
  • Online Community will allow Lions to connect with other Lions on MySpace, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter and share their stories and photos with Headquarters.

The following features of the current Lions Clubs International Web site will not change in March:

  • Language Sites: Our new Web site will launch in languages later this year. Our current language sites will stay online until we launch the new language Web sites.
  • Submitting Reports: Lions will have uninterrupted access to the current WMMR Web site.

Learn more about the new Web site by reading the Web site features story in the March 2009 issue of LION Magazine.

New Tranfer Form For Club Secretaries
Attention Club Secretaries:
A new transfer form is now available for your use. The form contains vital information for both clubs commonly involved in the transfer process and also contains a contact us section for the MMR/WMMR user.

Final Deadline Notice for the Lions Environmental Photo Contest
Winning multiple district photos must be submitted to Lions Clubs International by March 1, 2009.  Multiple District winning photos will appear at the 92nd Lions International Convention in Minnesota in July 2009. Read further for contest details and view winning photos from last year.

Ninth Annual Lions International Performance Festival will be held on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 during the 92nd Annual Lions International Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. To participate, e-mail: programs@lionsclubs.org

Be Aware of Suspicious E-Mails
Be aware of e-mail scams that fraudulently use the Lions name or Logo or other trusted and well-known names. The goal of these types of scams is to trick people into revealing personal and financial information about themselves, which can then be used to commit identity theft.

If you receive a suspicious e-mail, please follow these guidelines:

  • Do not reply
  • Do not open any attachments
  • Do not click on any links in the email

Please delete the suspicious email and do not respond.  If you wish, you may report the email to local authorities in your jurisdiction for further investigation.

  
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