What do you think? Is Spring here or just more Winter? Carol and I are still covering our Hosta plants at night and wondering if our trees are going to bud out and finally show some life. Weather however has not stopped the business of Lionism.

We recently travelled to Nashville and attended DGE and VDGE training for the five TN Districts. The training was organized and accomplished by the Multi-District Lions. In attendance and participating were District 12-N Lions we elected as 2018-2019 officers at our February convention in Kingsport: DGE Brandon Johnson, 1^st VDGE Carol McDonald, and 2^nd VDGE Millie Burke. They received many documents to help them during their year of leadership. Please thank them for attending this training.

We just went to Roanoke and were given a tour of the Lions Eyeglass Recycling facility, one of six in the US and one of nine worldwide. I have never seen so many pairs of glasses! We helped out by learning how to sort the donated glasses into four categories, to determine the prescription using a digital read-out lensometer, and to bag and record the prescription on the bag. We also spent the day enjoying the company of other Lions while prepping the glasses to be sent out to other countries via vision missions from many organizations. On an interesting note, we separated out some frames containing gold – these will bring a higher price when selling for recycling and will help to support Lions Eyeglass Recycling Inc.

Carol and I continue to visit clubs in the District. The clubs are all busy and helping with their individual community’s needs. Every club has to do fundraising and our observation is that this can be anything from magic shows to turtle derbys to motorcycle runs to annual carnivals. From small to large clubs I have been impressed with the creativity and energy being expended. And I continue to be impressed with the number of Lions receiving chevrons for service, some with as many as 65 years in our organization. May God bless you for your faithful humanitarian service in Lions.

I know that each of your clubs is very busy selecting new officers and getting ready for the handoff from the past to the new. As such I want to remind you of a few tasks ahead:

1. Please encourage the new officers (President, Secretary, and Treasurer as a minimum) to attend training at the locations pointed out by 12-N GLT Paulette Bailey;
2. Please read (President, Secretary, and Board Members) the Club Constitution and By-Laws and then ratify the changes handed down from LCI;
3. Adopt the new club organization chart showing the Global Action Team assignments. It is understandable that some clubs because of the small number of members will have problems trying to cover all of the assignments but each club has a responsibility regardless of size to add new members, perform service and ask for funds in our communities, and provide new leaders in our clubs;
4. We need desperately your registration and attendance at the State (MD-12) Convention in Murfreesboro at Embassy Suites Hotel on May 4-5, 2018. We as an organization need your participation and input to carry out our state’s strategic plan and tactics.

Again, thank you for your hard work and the hospitality shown to Carol and me. East Tennessee is a better place because of you and your club. Be sure to thank your fellow Lions for all that they do!

Adam Bowling

District Governor 12-N