From our District Governor Chuck Schwab:
September 2026 -- Dare to Engage
“Space: the final frontier… to boldly go where no one (or Lion) has gone before”. These famous words from Star Trek remind us that the future isn’t just a destination – it’s an uncharted territory waiting to be shaped by those brave enough to explore it. As we enter September, our theme challenges us to do exactly that: “Dare To Engage”.
Just like the crew of the Enterprise, Lions are voyagers. Serving in the future means we cannot rely solely on roadmaps of yesterday. The world is changing rapidly and to meet tomorrow’s challenges, we must boldly evolve.
This month, I challenge you to engage the future in three ways:
- Engage in New Technology and New Innovations: Embrace modern tools to amplify our service and reach.
- Engage in New Leaders and Ideas: Welcome the next generation and their ideas to the captain’s chair and let them lead.
- Engage in Changing Needs: Immerse in our neighborhoods. Discover and answer the modern challenges no one else is tackling.
The future of service belongs to the bold. Let’s abandon the safety of “we’ve always done it this way” and chart a course toward a brighter tomorrow. Let’s boldly serve and chart a course to a brilliant future.
Let’s Dare to Engage and boldly go!
August 2026 -- Dare to Explore
Hello Lions, Lioness Lions and Leos,
Last month, we stepped up to the starting line and committed to “Dare to Lead”. Now that we have set our course and anchored our leadership, it is time to expand our horizons. This month, my challenge to you is “Dare To Explore”.
True service requires us to look beyond our usual routines and look deeply at the changing landscapes around us. Exploration isn’t just about charting new territory; it’s about rediscovering the very communities we call home with fresh eyes and renewed purpose.
This month, let’s focus our exploration on three vital areas:
- Explore Our Communities: Step out into your neighborhoods. Talk to local leaders, schools and residents. What are the urgent, unmet needs right now? How can our clubs evolve to meet them?
- Explore New Partnerships: We don’t have to serve alone. Look for local businesses, non-profits and civil groups whose missions align with ours. By building bridges and forging new coalitions, we can double our impact and share the heavy lifting.
- Explore New Membership Pathways: Out there in our communities are hands waiting to serve, just looking for an invitation. When we explore new areas of service, we naturally encounter community-minded individuals who share our passion. Let’s find them, invite them to join our mission and welcome fresh energy into our pride.
Lions, growth and impact happen when we venture outside of our comfort zones. Let’s be bold, curious and intentional this month as we Dare To Explore.
July 2026 -- Dare to Lead
Hello Lions, Lioness Lions, and Leos,
As we begin a new year of service, I am excited to introduce a dynamic theme for our journey together, DARE TO… This theme will evolve throughout the year with a different word added to this phrase, providing a fresh lens through which we can view our mission and our impact. It is an invitation to remain curious, to stay bold, and to constantly challenge the boundaries of what we can achieve for our local communities and the world.
We begin this journey with a call to action: “DARE TO LEAD”. Leadership within Lions International has never been about titles or positions; it is about the courage to take the first step toward positive change. DARE TO LEAD asks us to step out of our comfort zones, embrace new ideas, and take ownership of the impact we make. It is the spark that turns a good intention into a completed service project.
Throughout this month, I encourage you to focus on three core pillars of this theme:
- Courageous Service: Identifying unmet needs in our neighborhoods and being the first to offer solutions, even when the path forward is uncertain.
- Empowering Others: Real leadership is found in lifting others up. I challenge you to mentor a newer member or encourage a fellow Lion to take on a project lead.
- Visionary Thinking: Looking past “how we’ve always done it” to finding innovative ways to grow our membership and expand our reach through service.
Leadership is often a series of small, brave choices. Whether you are leading a large-scale service project or simply leading by example through a small act of kindness, your initiative is what keeps our District and your Club vibrant and strong.
I am eager to see how each of you interprets this theme. Let’s be bold, let’s be compassionate and above all let’s DARE TO LEAD.
