District 1A Governor Newsletter. Lions & Leo's Monthly e-Magazine for the Month of August 2023. by Dr. Austin Prabhu

District Governor News January, 2024 By Tom Elsey

Introduction I am writing this Governor Newsletter article on New Year’s Eve prior to having the pleasure of watching two of our grandkids for the night so their mom and dad can ring in the new year with their friends. Barb and I want to wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I am looking forward to seeing the progress our clubs are making serving their communities and causes. Thanks to all clubs, the leaders of our great cabinet for a great first half to our lion year. I certainly appreciate all the hard work everyone does to help those less fortunate than ourselves. By the time you read this newsletter, the registration form should be out on the district website for you to fill out and return to the district to reserve your spot at the 55 th Annual District 1-A Convention. Let’s all look forward to “Celebrating the Service” we provide our communities and causes.

December Governor Travel On December 1st and 2nd, we traveled to Springfield , IL for the MD-1 Holiday Party and the MD-1 Cabinet meeting on Saturday. It is always nice to get together with our Council Governors and their spouses and others from the state. At the Council meeting, one of the most exciting outcomes was approving and beginning the process of updating the MD-1 Constitution & By-Laws which culminates at the MD-1 State Convention. A vote will take place at the State Convention allowing all club delegates to help approve the update to the MD-1 Constitution and By-Laws. December 6th, we had the pleasure of attending Franklin Park Manila’s Governors Visit. The club also teamed up with the local American Legion Post to honor a first Responder from the Police and Fire Department in Franklin Park. It was the first time I was able to attend such an event and I think all lions’ clubs should consider this to honor those who serve. On the 10th, we held the District Christmas Party at The Great Escape. We ended up moving the party to the enclosed Patio area to accommodate all the festive lions in attendance. The place was filled to the brim with holiday cheer! Thanks to Maryanne O’Reilly for all her hard work preparing for the party (including the centerpieces) and to all those that brought the art and craft supplies for the residents of Park Lawn School and Activity Center. Page 1 Governor Newsletter

Barb and I attended club Christmas Parties for Chicago Nurses for Diabetes (12th), Chicago Bayanihan-Sampaguita Lions Club (15th) and Chicago Healthcare Alliance (23rd). All of the parties were fun, festive and full of entertaining games, raffles and of course great food and fellowship. I had the honor of inducting a new member and one charter member unable to make the induction at the clubs charter nite in November into the Chicago Healthcare Lions Club. Thanks to the clubs, we had a great time. The 17th brought a Memorial Service for Vic Benig, a Charter Member of the Chicago Philippine Lions Club (July 6, 1975). Lion Lourdes Mon led the memorial service in a dignified manner with assistance by me, Mercy Matousek and Faye Mendiola. Charter Member Lion Dr. Virgilio Jonson, MD and PDG Ernie Lapid gave inspiring remembrances in honor of their friend and fellow Lion Vic. You can tell he was a great lion and will be missed. On the 29th, Barb and I were honored to visit the Chicago Jose Rizal Lions Club for their Governor’s Night, Induction of five new members and installing an entire slate of new officers. We had a wonderful time meeting the members of Chicago Jose Rizal and their guests. They are excited to begin meaningful service projects in the new year and continue to serve their communities and causes to the best of their abilities. It is an honor to celebrate with the great clubs in our district. If you club would like to schedule a governor’s visit, please contact me to see if I have a specific date available on my schedule. If I do not have a date available, we can also offer the 1 st or 2nd Vice District Governors as another choice. I was also able to attend NW Area 2, SW Area 4 and SE Area 6 Region meetings during November. I am so appreciative of all the great service projects the clubs are providing their communities or causes. Keep up the great work! I would like to thank the clubs that have paid their membership dues. We still have a few clubs that owe some first half dues for the District and State. Of course, by the time you are reading this the new International dues and District/State dues will start being sent to all clubs. The DUES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PAID WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ISSUANCE. The treasurer of your club will be receiving the statements/bills in the mail (or online if your club chose that option) All International Dues are available for review in MYLCI also. If you need help navigating MYLCI, please contact you zone chairperson for assistance.

Thanks for all the great service projects that your clubs are doing in your communities. Please post the service projects into the MYLION application so others see the wonderful work we do. Let’s “ROAR” LIONS. Raffle Tickets are available for purchase. Why not consider purchasing a ticket of two and have a chance at winning the top prize of $10,000. Do you feel lucky?

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Travels of the Governor/District Events January 2024 8 – Westchester Lions Club Meeting 9 – Chicago Windy City Lions Club. 15th Charter Anniversary Maggiano’s Little Italy, 240 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523 12 – Chicago One World Centennial Governors Night 13 – Chicago Ridge Holiday Party, Rosa's Pizza & Italian Restaurant, 9909 S Harlem Ave, Chicago Ridge, IL 60415 27 – Mid-Year Forum, Oak Brook Park District, Family Recreation Center 1450 Forest Gate Road, Oak Brook, IL 60523

February 2024 2-3 – Council of Governors Meeting, Embassy Suites, East Peoria, IL 5 – Stickney – Forest View Governors Night 11 – Chicago Rogers Park Governor’s Night, TBA, 1:00pm – 4:30pm 17 – Westchester Lions Club Winterfest 2024, Joe’s Saloon, W. 47th St, Brookfield, IL 7:30pm 29 – Chicago Jose Rizal Lions Club Governors Night

District Goals It is always good to be able to review goals and programs for the coming year, so I am including some of the information I shared with you in prior articles this year! As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Mission 1.5 Mission 1.5 is the drive to reach 1.5 million members world-wide, so we can better meet the growing needs of our communities and serve more people than ever before. We have committed the next four years to reaching this historic Lions Clubs membership goal.

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Patti Hill’s Theme/Program President Hill’s programs and initiatives will focus on four key priorities for Lions International that are critical to our mission of service. 1. Creating a greener, cleaner environment 2. Sharing our stories with the world 3. Reaching our full potential as Lions and leaders 4. Supporting our global foundation, LCIF

Changing the World Changing the world is a journey. There is no middle and no end. There is only a beginning—and it starts with us. It happens through the many small choices and acts of kindness we make every day. Together, the sum of our efforts makes the world a better place, one life, one relationship and one community at a time. President Hill’s programs and initiatives will focus on four key priorities for Lions International that are critical to our mission of service. 1 - Create a greener, cleaner environment Protecting and improving our environment is a fantastic way to engage with our communities. By helping to protect and restore our natural resources, we can change the world. Let’s act boldly and let us act now.

2 - Share your story with the world Developing great marketing skills can help you tell the world who you are and what you do. Social media and local media, and online and offline marketing give you new ways to tell your stories. Shine a light on your club and invite your community to be a part of the change as Lions and Leos.

3 - Reach your service potential People want to be a part of something that matters. So set service goals that push your capacity and create opportunities for even more impact with new members. Find ways to ensure your club is inclusive and welcoming to all.

4 - Empower even greater good Our foundation empowers us to do so much more than we can do alone. LCIF enables us to think big and undertake projects that can truly change the world. So, support LCIF, and let LCIF support you.

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BE THE CHANGE…….Believe in Yourself To change the world, we first must believe change is possible. Here are some key steps that can help you face the challenges ahead. Be brave. In the causes you tackle and in the work that you do, don’t shy away from something that may seem too difficult. You’re up to the task and other Lions are here to support you. So, take that bold first step. Invest in the future. We all have a reason to invest in the future, and young people may be uniquely positioned to help us create change. We are better able to deal with the issues facing our communities when they are at the table with us. Let’s invite the next generation of global leaders to serve with us as Lions. Collaborate. We do our best work as a team. Work with community leaders, other service organizations, and each other to address the biggest problems facing your communities. Collaboration makes change happen faster. Lead the way. Lions and Leos lead by example. We show the world what is possible when people care about their communities and when kindness is the goal. Lead the way, and others will join you.

District Goals Recognition Program As part of the Build A Vision Session in February 2022, an important request of the participants was the need to consider implementing a recognition program within our district. It will include what types of achievements to consider for these awards, this will include such areas as individual and club, membership, service and leadership, and monthly, quarterly, yearly, etc. This is in addition of the Club Excellence Award (19 awarded in 2021-2022, Gail Anton’s year) and in (2022-2023, Tony Zartler year had twelve clubs earning the Club Excellence Award). It is a great program, and we need to continue encouraging program involvement by our clubs. If your club would like to consider trying to get the Club Excellence Award, please reach out to your Zone Chairperson. To qualify for the Club Excellence Award, clubs must meet specific requirements in four categories: Membership, Service, Leadership & Organizational Excellence, and Marketing. More information is located on the LCI Website: https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-members/resource-center/club-excellence-awards

Membership As I am writing this newsletter article, our District is +110 for the current year. For the month of December 2023, District 1-A added 9 new members and dropped 27 members for a net decrease in our membership of 18. Fifteen of the member loss was the result of two clubs Page 5 Governor Newsletter

that will be closing. They are Chicago Mexica and Cook County. Let’s see what District 1-A can accomplish for the coming year. New Clubs Over the last five years, our district has averaged two new clubs per year and lost an average of one club A goal of three clubs is possible. GMA for Clubs Ready to move your club in a dynamic new direction using the Global Membership Approach? Then start planning for your success with the Global Membership Approach. This process can help you attract new members, overcome challenges, and develop new goals and strategies. The process is built on four steps designed to not only to grow your club, but also to inspire new ideas, engage your members — and improve retention — and empower current and potential club leaders. You can start by taking the Global Membership Approach Course as well as the SWOT Analysis Course available in Lions Learning Center. More information is available from the GAT Team and your Zone Chairpersons! Service This year’s goal is to increase the number of clubs reporting service in MyLion or the new software once available to 75% of our clubs. We are currently reporting service by 33% of our clubs. Two reasons this is so important to Lions. Reporting it on MyLion allows our International organization to create more accurate reports to share with our global partners that generously donate to LCIF funding and allow us to serve more people in need. When those partners don’t see everything, we do, it might limit the amount of money we can get. The second part of reporting service is to make sure we share it on social media outlets, including Facebook, Twitter, web pages and sharing our service projects with others in our communities hopefully will inspire others to join in our service endeavors.

LCIF Our District has been generous to LCIF, and I am sure we will continue to do so. Now more than ever, the need for funding is necessary and will likely continue to increase. This year’s goal is to increase individual donations to LCIF by 25% and Club donations by 20%. Lion Barb and I would like to wish everyone have a Happy and Prosperous New Year. We also know many dedicated lions will be helping those less fortunate during the holiday season with meal preparations, donations to food banks, delivering food baskets to others in our communities in need. However, you chose to celebrate or help, thank you for the service you provide. We Serve! Stay safe, I am looking forward to seeing everyone during 2024. Page 6 Governor Newsletter

Yours in Service, Tom Elsey 1-A District Governor

GMA /GMT Coordinator: PID Dan O’Reilly January 2024

Global Membership Approach January marked 30 consecutive months of positive membership for our District. We did lose twoclubs this month, both have been inactive for several years. Our District membership remains strong at a plus 111 as of December 30th. We are top in MD-1 in terms of growth and second in CA1. Our 2nd half of our Lions starts with 27 of clubs adding members, with 18 of those clubs having a plus in membership. We ask that you continue strengthen your clubs, enabling more hands to help serve those in need in your community. Replace your loss members with fresh energetic members who want to help your communities and continue to grow.

New Club Development & Club Rebuilding Page 7 Governor Newsletter

Two clubs are in the rebuilding process and Guiding Lions are working hard to save those clubs. We are working with two separate areas to add clubs to our district currently and have a third community in mind to bring a club back. As always, please contact out team if you have a group or area that you believe would continue to move our District forward in positive membership growth and more service to area underserved.

Join me and except the challenge of Mission 1.5

MISSION 1.5 • A growing membership is vital to our clubs, our service and our communities. Because the more we grow, the more we can give. • That’s why we’re launching MISSION 1.5. • MISSION 1.5 is our drive to reach 1.5 million members by 2027, so we can better meet the growing needs of our communities and serve more people than ever before. • It will require the commitment of every Lion to reach our MISSION 1.5 goal. • We need to grow our clubs. And start new ones. Page 8 Governor Newsletter

• So I ask you to invite a new member. And ask the Lions in your club to invite a new member. • Help your club and district leaders implement their plans to grow. • Our communities are depending on us, so we need to make a real commitment to growing our membership. MISSION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GST Coordinator: Lion Maryanne O’Reilly January 2024 I would like to thank all the generous Lions for their gifts to our Park Lawn friend that were collected at the District 1A Christmas Party on December 10. This is the thank you I received on behalf of District 1A from Nancy Schmitz, Director of Development at Park Lawn. On behalf of everyone at Park Lawn, I’d like to thank the Lions of District 1-A for generously donating gift cards and art supplies. Every item will be put to good use in our community day programs as the participants truly enjoy going for lunch and creating art pieces. We truly appreciate your ongoing support and generosity. Please forward our gratitude to the clubs within your district. Thank you again and Merry Christmas! I hope you have a happy and healthy 2024! Thank you for reporting your club’s service activities in MyLion. I am happy to share that the number of clubs reporting service is steadily increasing each month. Please remember to report the many wonderful acts of kindness and service that your club participated in during this year’s holiday season. Let’s make a New Year’s resolution to report your service for our 2023 – 2024 Lions year. For every club, service reporting provides even more value, including: Enabling stronger club communications, Shows club effectiveness, and provides insight to Lion Leaders. Clubs that report service are eligible for awards and recognition, including the Kindness Matters Service Award and the Club Excellence Award. The prestigious Kindness Matters Service Award is given annually to a select number of Lions and Leo clubs for preforming an outstanding Service project in one of our global causes’ areas. Nominated at the club level, the Kindness Matters Service Award is a challenge for Lions and Leos to develop exceptionally. innovative and creative service projects with the aim of leaving a positive impact in their communities. The Club Excellence Award is achieved when a club meets specific requirements in four categories: Membership, Service, Leadership &amp; Organizational Excellence and Marketing. District 1A is proud to have had clubs achieve this award for the 2022 -2023 Lions year. Your club has another six months to meet the requirements for our 2023 – 2024 Lions year. Another award is the District 1-A Celebrate Service Challenge. Your club will receive one raffle. ticket for each current Celebration of Service activity reported on My Lion. At the conclusion of our Lion Year 2023 -2024, we will draw two clubs to each receive $50. Let’s take advantage of our quite winter months to plan our future service projects, it’s not too early to plan your global causes Environment service project. Please let me know if you need help reporting your club’s service. New adventure and service is around the corner in 2024! Happy New Year! “Celebrate Service” Lion Maryanne, GST

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Please report your service regularly and help surpass the District Goal of 75% of the clubs reporting… ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LCIF COORDINATOR: District 1-A PID Dan O’Reilly One of our Goals for our District is to increase participation of Individual giving by Lions. The club excellence award for clubs this year requires that a club donates at least $5.00 per member to the foundation. Not a great feat for most clubs. 20 members at $5.00 = $100.00. We have clubs giving far more than that each year. But you must start somewhere. Any individual donation by a Lion also counts as a club donation. Also new this year, Presidential LCIF Supporter Recognition. At LCIF, to honor your commitment and support, we are thrilled to introduce the Presidential LCIF Supporter program. This initiative aims to recognize and celebrate individuals who have contributed with heart and soul, making a significant impact on our mission. By participating in the annual program, you become an integral part of our honored supporters. Melvin Jones Fellowship (MJF) credits will be earned based on the one-time donation amount you provide. Your generosity not only earns you well-deserved recognition but also helps us make a lasting difference in the lives of those in need. There are multiple levels of recognition to honor donors based on their one-time donation amount that meets the eligibility criteria as noted in the levels of recognition. The levels are as follows: Bronze Pin - US$50 to US$99.99 Silver Pin - US$100 to US$199.99 Gold Pin - US$200 and above Leo-Presidential LCIF Supporter - Minimum donation of US$20 Page 10 Governor Newsletter

Impact… Our foundation empowers us to do so much more than we can do alone… LCIF enables us to think Big and undertake projects that Change the World… So, support LCIF and let LCIF support you…

Empower even Greater Good… Magnifying Your Use the QR code and donate today… Know that LCIF allocates 100% of your donation to grants and program expenses, no administrative expenses… District 1-A Vision Coordinator: Lion Mike Smigielski November 2023 VSP Eyes of Hope Program

Lions, This program can really benefit your Lions Club. Lions using this program can get free eye exam and glasses for the people in your communities. First, their income needs to be twice that of poverty level or less. Which is approximately $19,000 with an addon for other family members of 9,500. They cannot have other Vision insurance that provides for eye exams and eyeglasses. They can only use this program once a year.

Where to get Certificates?

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I have certificates and they are easy to get from me. Because I have to record the use of the VSP Certificates, I need the Lions Club representative to contact me with the following information: Persons Name Date of Birth Address Telephone Number I will then send the VSP Certificate to the Lions Club For them to present to the family or person. I want the Lions Club presenting to get the credit. There are many optomitrists who accept this certificate. On the certificate is a phone number to call for an optomitrist close to the patient. For more information, please call me, Lion Mike Smigielski at 708-307-6357 or email – lionmikesmig@aol.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

District 1-A Club News C

l ce

Chicago Mabuhay Centennial Lions Club --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Foundation Sight and Sound Sweepstakes!

Greetings Lions of District 1A:

We're thrilled to announce the annual Lions of Illinois Page 12 Governor Newsletter

Get ready for an adventure that combines the power of giving with the thrill of winning. This sweepstakes is not just an opportunity to win fantastic prizes; it's a chance to contribute to the Lions of Illinois Foundation's impactful work. Before we dive into the details of the sweepstakes, let's take a

moment to reflect on the Lions of Illinois Foundation's noble mission. As proud Lions, our commitment to service and community is unwavering. The foundation tirelessly works to empower individuals with vision and hearing impairments, ensuring that they have the support and resources they need to lead fulfilling lives. Now, let's talk about what you've all been waiting for—the sweepstakes itself! The 2024 Sight and Sound Sweepstakes is the annual fundraising initiative that aims to gather support for the Lions of Illinois Foundation while giving participants a chance to win incredible prizes with a first prize of $5,000 and a total prize money of $23,050. Participating in the sweepstakes is as easy as 1-23! Here's what you need to do: Visit our website https://lionsofillinoisfoundation.o rg/sight-sound-sweepstakes/. Page 13 Governor Newsletter

Order your Sweepstakes ticket booklets: Sweepstakes books will have 5 Tickets for the price of $10 ($3 for individual tickets). For every purchase you make, you'll receive entries into the sweepstakes. Sweepstakes tickets are also available from any Lions Club or trustee of your district. The more you give, the more chances you have to win! Spread the Word: Share the sweepstakes with your fellow Lions, friends, and family. The more people involved, the greater the impact we can make together. Mark your calendars and get ready to embark on this exciting journey with the Lions of Illinois Foundation. Winners will be selected by random drawing during Annual Membership Meeting of the Lions of Illinois Foundation on May 19, 2024, at the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield Double Tree by Hilton, 701 E Adams Street, Springfield, IL 62701, beginning

at 8:00 A.M. Winners need not be present. Winner’s names and amounts will be disclosed in Lions publications. There also will be more chances to win prizes with Early Bird drawings on the first Wednesday of March, April, and May. Sold books must be in the Foundation office by the Tuesday before the drawing no later than 3pm. As Lions, we know that every action, big or small, can make a

difference. The 2024 Sight and Sound Sweepstakes is not just about winning prizes; it's about coming together as a community to support a cause that matters. So, let's roar with pride, make a difference, and perhaps win some fantastic prizes along the way. Thank you for your continued dedication and support. Trustees, Frank Kirar and Ralph Zarada

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DISTRICT 1A CHRISTMAS PARTY 23

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COLORS OF CHRISTMAS 2023

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NURSES FOR DIABETES CHRISTMAS PARTY AT DARIEN GOLF COURSE

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THE FOREST KALA SAMPATH LIONS CHRISTMAS

PARTY

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2023

SPECIAL

OLYMPICS

CENTER,

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UNITED CHICAGO

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It was with great pleasure to

District 1A Governor Thomas

celebrate

Chicago

Elsey. It was a fun-filled holiday

Healthcare Alliance Lions Club

celebration which was held at

holiday with a visit from our

the Walden Office Square in

the

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Schaumburg,

Illinois.

Other

"Faye"

Mendiola,

Zone

guests were the District 1A First

Chairperson Region 3 Mercy

Lady

Matousek

Barbara

Elsey,

Zone

Chairperson Region 3 Cleofe Page 21 Governor Newsletter

and

Lion

Matousek, and Medical

Tom

Coordinator and Voices Director

Exchange gifts, Dinner, Violin

Lion Hina Trivedi. The highlights

and Dance Performances, Free

of the event were: Induction of

raffle draw for all. The guests

new members, Party games,

brought used winter clothes and

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non-perishable

food

for

Governor

Thomas

Elsey:

donation to the needy. Three

Membership Key, Membership

Lions pins were awarded to

Advancement Key, Builder Key,

CHALC Charter President by

and the Club Excellence pin.

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MD1 District Conventions (as of 9/30/23) 1-A March 22-24, 2024 Westin Chicago Northwest, Itasca IL 1-BK April 12-14 Holiday Inn, Bolingbrook, IL 1-CN October 27 – 28, 2023 St. Jacob Community/Activity Center, St. Jacob, Il. 1-CS April 13 Sparta Lions Club, Sparta IL 1-D March 22-23 Radison Hotel Rockford IL 1-F March 8-9, 2024 Embassy Suites, Deerfield, IL 1-G April 19-20, 2024 Best Western Premier, Alton, IL 1-H April 12-13, 2024 Holiday Inn Rock Island IL 1-J April 5-6, 2024 Holiday Inn Carol Stream IL 1-M November 3-4, 2023 Holiday Inn, Champaign IL Page 25 Governor Newsletter