2026 USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW LIONS INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORS!!!

WE'RE GONNA "MAKE OUR MARK"!!

What a WONDERFUL weekend we had here at Mid-South Lions!

Our golf tournament made some money and went off without too many glitches. Thanks to Cherokee Valley Golf Club and staff, to our major sponsors HEI Surgery Center, Duncan Eye, Graves Oil Co, and the Blytheville Lions Club as well as our other sponsors.

Cataract-A-Thon began early on Saturday morning as volunteers and patients arrived to start the sight-restoring process for 24 patients. Thanks to everyone who helped the faces leaving HEI were obviously delighted, and their stories will soon be seen on our www.midsouthlions.org website and our YouTube channel.

I don't recall any annual membership meeting that was better organized and run by our President Leanna Rich, the executive committee and all our other officers, board members, trustees, and volunteers. We talked about what a great year we had (860 patients, 120 more than last year), and that our finances were excellent considering the increase in patients.

We still need your club contributions, your booster and Champions donations to keep moving forward, and to continue providing "A Miracle A Day" or this year, two miracles a day!

Thanks again to anyone and everyone who had a hand in making this Lions year one of the best in recent memory. Y'all are just the BESTEST!!!

The City of Atlanta has informed Lions International that Atlanta will be unable to host the 2026 Lions International Convention in Atlanta due to the schedule of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Thank you to the Atlanta Host Committee for all their efforts.

Lions International is working to identify a new host city for 2026. Lions and Leos will be notified once a new site has been chosen for our 2026 Lions International Convention.

Our good friend Carolyn Schriber and others were recognized for their service during the memorial service at the TN Lions state convention.

With Weny Wendy Amrhein Cain and Loon Barbare from South Carolina at the TN state convention.

One last Gulf view before heading home.

I got to keep Lainey for a whole today. We had a really hood time.

Here's my personal donation page as once again I'm raising money to help the kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/bradpa13

Please JOIN me NOW in making a generous donation so that we can eliminate chidren's cancers.

For all you Lions, you know that Childhood Cancer is one of our service programs internationally, so here's a great chance to PERSONALLY make a difference in the lives of St. Jude's kids.

Thanks so much for all you do!

Hours for St. Jude presented by BlueCross The FedEx St. Jude Classic is almost here. I support the life-saving work at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through Hours for St. Jude presented by BlueCross.

Working with Lions International to change the world on Capitol Hill.

Rubbing shoulders with some Lions dignitarians.

Lions on The Hill Day training.

Got to DC. Passed over the bridge that was damaged, then the National Mall and monuments.

"If I can make it there..." New York, New York!

We had an absolutely great Visiting Lions Weekend at Mid-South. Thanks to all our volunteers, HEI faculty and staff, and all those who attended!

Solar eclipse topic at JUH Lions tomorrow
at our bi-weekly meeting. Jonesboro University Heights Lions Club will feature a presentation by Dr. Scott Austin of the University of Central Arkansas, one of the preeminent astronomers in the state. He runs the UCA Observatory and is Director of the Griffin Planetarium at UCA. He will speak via Zoom about the coming total solar eclipse.

The club’s meeting will be TOMORROW morning, April 2nd at 6:30 am in the Eggsellent Café at 906 S. Caraway Rd., across the street from the police station. Dr. Austin’s presentation will begin via Zoom around 6:50 am, however. In-person visitors are always welcome; those wishing to view Dr. Austin’s presentation can login to this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85416289954.

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Happy St Patrick's Day!!

We made it to Hot Springs for the board meeting and Oaklawn Outing. Wish you were herr!

We received this from one of our recent patients, addressed to Lion Betty. He was referred by HEI Lions Club:

"My name is Van. You assisted me with my application and approval for assistance from Mid-South Lions back in December 2023. I wanted to provide you with an update on my progress with the enucleation and prosthesis of my...eye.

Dr. Brian Fowler and the Hamilton Eye Institute (successfully) performed the enucleation (removal) of my ... eye on December 28. I am very grateful to Dr. Fowler and the staff at Hamilton Eye Institute for the treatment and care I received.

Mr. Bob Thomas with Thomas Ocular Prosthetics Laboratories created my prosthesis for my ... eye on February 19, 2024. The prosthesis is great. It is incredible how natural the prosthesis looks and resembles my other eye. The amount of movement the prosthesis has is amazing. Mr. Bob contacted me the next day to confirm that everything was going well with my prosthesis. Mr. Bob is a super nice man. I am totally amazed at the level of skill, talent and dedication that Mr. bob brings to the table. He is one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable in my opinion. I have included a photo for your reference.

I would like to thank you and Mid-South Lions for their assistance with my enucleation and prosthetic eye. None of this would have been possible for me without the assistance of Mid-South Lions. I will forever be grateful to Mid-South Lions. I am willing to volunteer my assistance to help Mid-South Lions in an attempt to help for the assistance that I received. Please contact me if I can ever be of assistance to Mid-South Lions.

Thank you.

Van"

The photo is below. I intentionally omitted which eye was replaced so you can guess. I promise it will be difficult for you to tell which is which.

Please pass this great news and thank you to everyone on your list.

Folks, this is what we do. Every single day. For 82 years. Be proud!

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO! SPECIAL THANKS TO DR. BRIAN FOWLER, HEI STAFF, AND MR. BOB THOMAS WITH THOMAS OCULAR.

What a wonderful world. 2/22/24 sunset.

Had brunch with some of our great friends from Mississippi.

Please keep Lions Debbie and Al Blumenberg in your prayers. Debbie is in the hospital fighting off a serious infection.

Welcome to our new page. We hope to see you in Louisville for this year's USA/Canada Forum.