ZC Sharon Cain sharoseh43@gmail.com 250-540-8270 2023 It’s a New Year! This is the year to inspire new ideas, engage and keep your members, and empower current and potential club leaders and zone chairpersons. Hunger is a problem without borders. LCIF’s Hunger Grant program helps Lions support school-based feeding programs, food banks, feeding centers and similar facilities that provide food to people when they need it most. LCIF offers grants to Lions districts in amounts from US$10,000 to US$100,000. Check out if this is something your club could use. Get more information on the LCIF website. Secretaries – don’t forget your MMR’s this month. Vision Screening will continue in the North Okanagan School District 83 beginning in April. The results from School District 22 show that this program helps many children. Out of 1554 children screened, 117 children were referred to an optometrist for further examination. So - - -What have our clubs been up to: Our zone just met on Jan. 15 with Armstrong Club hosting and 16 Lions attending representing every club. The Armstrong members provided a delicious lunch with a variety of sandwiches and homemade cookies – yum. Thank you - Armstrong. Each club reported their activities since our last meeting. Many fundraisers, community services, donations, Christmas parties and ideas were shared. You can read the recap of these reports in our ZONE meeting minutes. I am so proud of the clubs in our zone – all are active, all are growing in membership and all are having fun and working together. Thank you to Judy Louis for being such a great secretary for our zone this year. Next newsletter I will be asking what your club is doing so please let me know. Pictures are always welcome in your reports. Zone Chair: A very rewarding experience Have you ever given thought to being one? It’s an easy job. You get to visit the clubs in your Zone twice. They usually provide a meal, sometimes even a gift. You get to know so many wonderful people in the clubs you visit. The paperwork is minimal, and it really doesn’t take a lot of your time. MD19 is with you every step of the way. A great training manual is provided on-line. An in-person or on-line training is also provided. Milage to your clubs, to training, to conferences and conventions is paid to you as well as partial hotel costs if required. The clubs in our zone each provide a stipend to help cover other costs of the zone chair. We really need a Zone Chair for the upcoming new year, 2023-2024. If interested or would like more info, please let me know. Each club has been asked to nominate a prospective Zone Chair for our next meeting in March. Until next time, ZC Sharon Cain DATES TO REMEMBER: March 19, 2023 3rd Zone meeting, 10 AM, Enderby Club hosting – location TBA March 27, 2023 Vision Screening Training for North Okanagan. 1 PM at Armstrong Lions Den April 3 – 28, 2023 Vision Screening in schools in Salmon Arm, Canoe, Celista, Sorrento, Enderby and Armstrong. Volunteers from all D1 clubs participating. May 4-7, 2023 Northwest Lions Leadership Institute Ross Point Conference Center 820 S Ross Point Road Post Falls, ID 83584 The Institute offers outstanding seminars designed to develop and enhance leadership skills that will foster communication and team building in a rewarding learning environment. The cost is $350 and MD19 participants are eligible for a $200 scholarship. I am suggesting that our clubs sponsor the remaining $150 for each club member attending. So - - mark your calendars today and register (Website: www.nwlli.org ) to attend this terrific learning experience. The application process includes several steps which must be complete and submitted by April 1, 2023 April 28-29, 2023 MD19 Spring Convention, Vernon Prestige Inn This will be the last District D conference, as we will soon be District I under the new redistricting that will happen July 1. Mark your calendar, and plan to attend. More info to follow soon. Contact Information Zone Chair Sharon Cain: 250-540-8270 sharoseh43@gmail.com District Governor Debbie Allan: 250-554-1498 dandballan@telus.net Second District Governor Michael Livingstone: 250-809-6027 mickstone2@gmail.com Websites: • MD19 https://lionsmd19.org • District D https://e-district.org/sites/19d • LCI https://lionsclubs.org Armstrong Lions Club https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/armstong/ Enderby Lions Club https://enderbylionsclub.org Lake Country Lions Club www.lakecountrylions.com Lumby Lions Club https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/lumby_bc/ Vernon Lions Club https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/vernon_bc/