March, 2026:
Fellow Lions, Lioness-Lions, and Leos,
What a wonderful February it has been, witnessing the incredible impact our clubs are making across District 24-L! Each visit reminds me of International President A.P. Singh’s powerful message to Lead to Serve and Serve to Lead—a philosophy that perfectly aligns with our district theme of Navigating to the Future. We move forward by serving others, and through service, we grow as leaders.
I had the privilege of visiting three Leo Clubs in February, and each experience showed me just how bright our future truly is. On February 10th, I joined the Stafford Middle School Leos as they delivered handmade Valentine’s cards (yes, I made a few too!) to residents at a retirement community—an act of kindness that touched every heart in the room. On February 11th, I visited the Sherando Leo Club, again helping create Valentine’s cards for the same purpose of spreading joy through service.
On February 25th, I visited the Colonial Forge Leos and had the honor of welcoming THIRTY new Leo members! What a powerful example of growth through service. On February 18th, First Vice District Governor Chuck visited the Justice Leos for officer installations and new member inductions. They are preparing “You Matter” bags for Ronald McDonald House in partnership with the Bailey’s Crossroads Lions and a Lions of Virginia Foundation grant—demonstrating how service and collaboration build stronger communities.
Looking ahead, on March 19th, District Leo Chair Pam Martinov will host a District-wide Virtual Leo Summit, connecting Leos across 24-L to share successes, challenges, best practices, and fellowship. Leos are not just our youth program—they are our future Lions. By investing in them today, we are truly navigating toward a stronger tomorrow while teaching them lifelong leadership and service skills.
I am also proud to announce that Multiple District 24 will be launching a March Madness Membership Contest across the state. Each club is challenged to bring in two new members during the month of March, so that together we can expand our ability to serve. Clubs that bring in at least two new members will be recognized at the State Convention. The club with the most new members in each district will receive special recognition, and the top club in the state will be crowned MD-24 Champion—all in the presence of incoming International President Mark Lyons!
Membership is the lifeblood of service. The more Lions we have, the more needs we can meet. I ask every club to embrace this challenge and show our International leaders that District 24-L is committed to our motto: We Serve—and we grow so we can serve even more.
On the leadership front, the first weekend of March brings the Regional Lions Leadership Institute in Charlottesville. I am humbled that thirteen Lions from our District will be attending to strengthen their leadership skills as they continue their Lions journey. Chuck, Greg, and I will attend Sunday morning to watch their final presentations.
I also encourage all clubs to begin preparing your slate of officers for the 2026–2027 Lions year. Sharing officer duties with your members helps educate and inspire future leaders. Succession planning is essential to navigating our future successfully. If you have not yet completed this year’s officer training, please visit our website to take the online course.
Lastly (and no, I still don’t get paid by the word), I strongly encourage you to attend the MD-24 Lions of Virginia State Convention in Bristol, Virginia, the last weekend in May. The convention will feature on-site officer training, sessions on leadership, membership, service, and leveraging technology, as well as a hands-on service project supporting homeless veterans and survivors of domestic violence—along with fellowship and fun with Lions from across the state. Registration is now available on our website.
Thank you for your selfless service and for allowing me the privilege of leading such an extraordinary group of volunteers. Together, by leading to serve and serving to lead, we are truly navigating toward a brighter future.
Yours in Lionism,
DG Dan