June 2026
Fellow Lions, Lioness-Lions, and Leos,
Before I share my monthly update, I want to remind everyone that our Incoming Officer Training begins this upcoming weekend. Past Council Chair Wilma has assembled an outstanding training program for our incoming Presidents, Secretaries, and Treasurers. Please register through our website to receive the Zoom link. The following Saturday, our incoming Zone Chairs will participate in in-person training at the Remington Lions facility.
This training is an investment in the future of our clubs. Strong leadership drives meaningful service, healthy clubs, and membership growth. Thank you in advance to all of our incoming leaders for stepping forward to serve.
Dorothy and I recently returned from the Lions of Virginia State Convention in Bristol, and what a wonderful and truly magical event it was!
One of the highlights was the honor and privilege of hosting International First Vice President Mark Lyon and Lion Lyn Lyon. In just a few short weeks, Mark and Lyn will become our International President and First Lady, making this one of the final opportunities for Virginia Lions to spend time with them before they assume these prestigious roles. Their warmth, passion, and commitment to service inspired everyone in attendance.
Mark's message was both simple and powerful: everything we do begins and ends with service. Membership growth and retention are not goals unto themselves—they are the fuel that allows us to serve more people and create a greater impact in our communities. He also challenged us to continue developing opportunities for Leos to remain engaged in Lionism as they transition into adulthood and continue their journey of service.
The convention was filled with celebrations of service and talent. One of our District 24-L instrumentalists captured first place in the Bland Music Contest, while one of our vocalists finished among the top three in the state. Congratulations to all of our talented participants and thank you to PDG Jim Christiansen, PCC Shirley Wilson, and every club and zone that hosted local Bland competitions throughout the year.
Another memorable moment was our statewide hands-on service project. Lions from across Virginia assembled 100 "You Matter" Bags for homeless veterans and 100 Care Bags for survivors of domestic violence. MD-24 Leos created heartfelt cards of encouragement that were included in every bag. The completed projects were presented to two local organizations during the convention, and the event was even featured on local television news. It was a powerful reminder of who we are and what we do best—We Serve.
The convention also provided an opportunity to recognize outstanding Lions from District 24-L for their exceptional service and leadership.
Lion Jim Paige of Alexandria Host and Lion Pam Martinov of Bailey's Crossroads received the International Presidential Award, the second-highest honor in Lionism. PDG Jim Cech also received the International Presidential Award for his outstanding leadership and dedication to Lions Clubs International Foundation.
Lion Bill Poole of Clifton Lions received the International President's Leadership Award, the third-highest honor in Lionism.
Lions Vicki Davies of Stephens City, Sally Cooney Anderson of Fredericksburg Host, Thomas Rachele of Montclair, Chuck Schwab of Broadway, and Glen Logan of Alexandria Asian American Lions received the International President's Certificate of Appreciation.
Lion Dorothy Visone was honored with a Melvin Jones Fellowship Award in recognition of more than 43 years of dedicated service to Lionism.
Ten 24-L clubs were recognized for their participation in the March Madness Membership Contest with the McLean FilAm Lions winning the District 24-L and MD-24 Champion Patches!
Please join me in congratulating each of these outstanding Lions for their remarkable contributions and commitment to serving others.
We also raised over $7,000 with our Virtual Ducks Races for LCIF – great job PDG Jim Cech as our MD LCIF Chair and FVDG Chuck as our District LCIF Chair on doing trying something new, innovative, and fun – it was very well received!
Service leadership continues throughout our district. Through the partnership and collaboration of Districts 24-C, 24-I, and 24-L, we successfully applied for and received a $5,000 Lions Clubs International Foundation Disaster Preparedness Grant. These funds will support the purchase of disaster preparedness kits and help strengthen partnerships with local communities as we develop disaster response plans alongside Lions. Thank you to Lion Greg DeRosa and PCC Marty Alford for their leadership in making this initiative a reality.
Our Listen Up! hearing screening initiative also continues to gain momentum. Lions Evelyn of Montclair and Sandy of Winchester Host have done an outstanding job coordinating roadshows and training sessions across the district. Our goal is to have the program fully operational in 2027. Imagine District 24-L helping identify hearing challenges in preschool children throughout our communities. This visionary project, originally championed by PCC Jean Cook, will help make Virginia the first state in the nation to provide this level of hearing screening support to young children. Please consider volunteering and supporting this important initiative as your clubs plan future budgets.
Dorothy and I were honored to celebrate the first Charter Anniversary of the McLean FilAm Lions Club. During the event, I had the pleasure of assisting PCC Glen Logan in inducting ten of the seventeen newest members. Their passion, growth, and commitment to service are truly inspiring and demonstrate what can happen when clubs focus intentionally on both service and membership.
We also celebrated the chartering of the Colonial Beach Rivah Lions Club. PID Jay Moughon inducted the new members, and the energy in the room was absolutely contagious. It was exciting to witness the beginning of what will undoubtedly become a strong tradition of service within their community.
Dorothy and I, along with Lions from Reston and the Aquia Stafford Branch Club, participated in the Foundation Fighting Blindness Vision Walk in Washington, D.C., which raised more than $195,000. Special thanks to Lion Davida for coordinating support and donations from clubs throughout our district for this important cause.
We also joined many District 24-L Lions in marching and riding on our Lions float during the DC Memorial Day Parade. PCC Glen Logan did an outstanding job coordinating the event alongside MD-22 after assuming leadership from PDG Woody. Lions were proudly represented as we honored those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and our freedoms.
As I reflect on this year, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to serve as your District Governor. Watching our clubs grow, lead, and make meaningful differences in their communities has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Our Cabinet members, zone chairs, club officers, and Lions have demonstrated every day what it means to "Lead to Serve, Serve to Lead."
But we're not finished yet.
We have ONE MONTH remaining, and June is our opportunity to finish this year with a ROAR!
Membership fuels service. Every new Lion brings new ideas, new energy, new hands, and new hearts to our mission. More members mean more service projects, more lives impacted, and stronger communities.
District 24-L proved what we can accomplish during our March Madness Membership Contest, bringing in more new members than any other district in Virginia, while the McLean FilAm Lions Club captured the MD-24 Championship.
Now it's time for one final challenge: More Members. More Service. Less Hair.
If District 24-L recruits at least 40 new members during June AND achieves positive net growth for the month, I will shave my head during our Visitation Kick-Off and Awards Celebration. And to make it even more memorable, the top five clubs in membership growth will each get an opportunity to help with the shearing!
Let's honor International President A.P. Singh’s theme, "Lead to Serve, Serve to Lead," by finishing this year stronger than ever. Let's grow our membership. Let's expand our service. Let's leave a legacy of impact.
We have one month left. Let's make it count.
Navigating to the Future,
DG Dan