Last week, Conroe Noon Lions Club held their annual elections to select our new club officers. Our club consists of close to 300 members. A club this size requires some pretty strong leaders to keep things running smoothly. In our 87-year history, our Lions club president Tracey Irvine is only the third female president. It took a while, but we have finally figured out the benefits of electing strong female leadership. Tracey’s term is almost complete, but our first VP Sharene Carr is ready to step in. And newly elected third VP Sheila Thomas will be taking the reins in a few years. Congratulations to all our incoming officers and board members!
For a large club like Conroe Noon, it might seem challenging for members to connect and really get to know each other. But with a little effort the opposite is true. We have enough committees and service opportunities to appeal to a wide range of members. When a member finds something, they can be passionate about, you can see the change in them. You can see their commitment to Lionism blossom. I have been a member for 25 years and I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know and work with some of the best people. When you get involved, the members become your family. Recently two of my “family” members did something I will always remember. Two of our VPs Lion Sharene Carr and Lion Andrew Perry asked if they could nominate me for president. Due to health reasons I had to decline. They knew I would say no but they felt I deserved the respect of being asked. And that means everything.
There are many opportunities to find your family in our club. One of my favorite events of the year is our Texas Lions Camp – work weekend. This year’s event is in two weeks on May 2. Our volunteers will head up Friday night and spend Saturday doing special projects to get the camp ready for summer. A good time is had by all. There are usually a few good stories told at the cookout on Saturday night and a few good stories to tell after. I haven’t been able to go in a few years, but I can definitely say some of my best memories are from the work weekend at the camp.
Another one of our famous bonding activities is the Montgomery County Fair concession stand. CNLC has hosted the concession stand in the livestock barn for some 30 years. It is one of our oldest fundraisers and requires a lot of hard work and teamwork. Every member is asked to work at least one shift. Many members can be found at the fairgrounds helping throughout the week, sometimes daily. We have committees that manage the volunteer manpower, order the food, make sure all the supplies are well stocked, manage the grill, the fryers, and help with set up and tear down. Not only do we make some money, but we also provide an affordable alternative for those participating in the fair. A big THANK YOU to committee chairs Charlie Irvine, Joey Sullivan, G Sethi, Jeff Christy, Rob Hamilton, Ralph Perez, Bobbi Brennan, Steve W, Brian Rennell, Sheila Thomas, and Irene Guajardo. And to all the co-chairs and volunteers that made this year’s concession stand a success!
Lions District 2S2 Convention is this weekend at Hilton Houston North. Our own Lion, VP Andrew Perry is receiving a Distinguished Achievement Award and Past President Lion Wes Carr is on the ballot for 2nd District Vice Governor. If you’re at the convention, stop by and say HI!
Want to know how you can become part of our “family”? You can join us at noon on Wednesday at the Lonestar Convention Center in Conroe. Call our club office at 936 760–1666 for more information.