Fellow Lions, let me first congratulate the new Knoxville East Club and the new Sevier County Club for joining our fold in East Tennessee. You are now part of a world-wide humanitarian organization that believes in supporting those individuals in our local and global communities who need a hands-up. Let me also praise those Lions who worked so very hard to canvas the communities and sign up the charter members. And thanks to the two sponsoring Clubs and the four Guiding Lions for your continuing efforts to support these two new Clubs! You must know how happy you made IPDG Paulette and myself. Again, thank you!

Thank you to all of the Lions and others who purchased tickets for the Reverse Raffle to benefit 12-N Charities. It was a success but a lot of hard work by everyone, especially Lions 2nd VDG Carol and PDG Bill McDonald. The 12-N Charities Board will provide more information in News & Views with their thoughts on how to divide up the funds among our District charities prior to requesting your vote to accept their recommendations. Thank you to the Fountain City Lions Club for hosting the party while we determined winners of the Raffle. All three big winners were present at the Cabinet organization meeting in July to receive their checks.

As most of you may know, we held our first Cabinet meeting on July 15, 2017, at Lions Volunteer Blind Industries in Morristown. Although our attendance was less than we hoped, we still had a lively meeting as we discussed the work to be done over the next several months. We also gave accolades to IPDG Paulette and her Cabinet for a year filled with many successful endeavors. Let’s hope the upcoming year during my Cabinet’s tenure will come close to their results.

For those of you who did not make it to the International Convention in Chicago, you should know that all went well. Our new International President is Mr. Naresh Aggarwal from Delhi, India. His pursuit is to have our organization (LCI) become “The Global Leader in Community and Humanitarian Service”.  He strongly urged the incoming District Governors to organize projects in five key areas of service: Vision, Hunger, Environment, Diabetes, and Pediatric Cancer.

Both he and Past International President Bob Corlew reviewed the successes of this past year but emphasized the importance of supporting Lions Club International Foundation at all levels of our organization. All of our Districts and Clubs in Tennessee are being asked – in support of Bob Corlew and LCIF – to be 100% in Club donations regardless of the dollar amount. District 12-N is participating and requests that each Club designate a donation worthy of your Club’s size. We are asking for donations from one dollar and up. Please help Tennessee be a 100% State in honor of our Past International President and fellow Tennessean Bob Corlew. Thank you!

Adam Bowling, DG, 12-N