Lions Club kicks off convention at the Lodge
Lions Club members from across southern Alberta flocked to the Medicine Hat Lodge Friday for the start of the group’s regional convention.
This particular weekend conference is a special one, celebrating 100 years of Lions Club International, which is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
“The purpose of this event is for clubs in our district to get together for socialization, of course, but also some ability to share comments with each other (and) share experiences with each other,” said Kim Simpson, convention chair and secretary for the Medicine Hat chapter.
“We also have service sessions tomorrow afternoon. Instead of sessions that are more educational, we’re getting off our butts, and we’re doing some work in the community and for the community.”
Some of the initiatives the regional groups are working on this weekend include providing food donations to the Medicine Hat College Food Bank, giving packages of candy to emergency workers and collecting used glasses for those with eyesight difficulties who can’t afford a pair.
They’re also hosting a silent auction to raise funds for the Lions Club International Foundation, which assists with global disaster relief, as well as a 50-50 draw to raise money for the Lions Foundation of Canada, which provides service dogs for people who are blind, deaf, autistic, seizure-prone, diabetic or developmentally disabled.
The boundaries of the southern Alberta region extend from Calgary to the U.S. border and from the British Columbia to Saskatchewan border.
Vice district governor Tyler Bray of the Foothills Lions Club said he appreciates the camaraderie and outreach promoted by the group.
“Fellowship, interaction with other members, seeing people, gathering ideas — what works in their areas? How can we improve our service,” he listed as some of the reasons he made the trek down from the Calgary area.
The second vice district governor, Brent Johnson, came from Lethbridge, where he belongs to one of its two Lions Clubs.
He said being a Lion runs in his family.
“I’ve been a member since 1990,” he said. “It was a family affair, basically. My father was a Lion and I just thought they did great stuff, so I decided to join.”
District governor Cathy Anderson also came from Lethbridge.
She said Medicine Hat, one of 80 clubs in the southern Alberta district, was a great choice to host the event.
“They have a history of putting on a great convention,” said Anderson. “Their club is energetic, enthusiastic, and they step up and they do so much in their community to help with humanitarian services and giving back.
“Medicine Hat’s always been a very warm, friendly city.”