District 26-M2 Newsletter
Message from the District Governor Kelly
Greetings Lions of 26-M2,
Fall is fast approaching. Colors are starting to change. But what I do see changing is the amount of service and community activities going on within the clubs and
within the District. We have the momentum, and membership recruitment is in full swing!! And that’s a great thing!! As the Governor Visits are going on, I see a
lot of Legacy activities happening!! 100th Year Club Anniversaries, 75th Year Club Anniversaries, Lifetime Memberships, etc. Congratulations to you all!! Great Job!!
Let’s not lose that momentum for Membership and Service. To "Bee Successful" we must make these activities our priority. Again, I would like to thank you for all the effort and hard work!! As we move forward, to get credit for your efforts I encourage all clubs to report their service into the portal. Just remember, even club meetings and committee meetings are considered service.
We have a Mid-Winter Forum coming up in February in the works and from what I have been gathering, it’s going to be a fantastic event. There are a lot of training
opportunities for leadership advancement. If anyone would like to take a leadership role going forward, please reach out to any of the cabinet members for information. This can apply to outside Lions as well. Let’s keep up the great work serving and making things happen.
To Make a difference, we need to Continue to "Bee the Difference"
Yours in Service,
Lion Kelly Rackovan
District Governor
Message from 1st Vice District Governor - Phil Karrer
Fellow Lions,
We are approaching the busy holiday season. If you and your clubs are able, please help out your local food pantries. I would like to let everyone know that Missouri School for the Blind is doing their Giving Tree program. If you don’t know what it is, they have several kids that you can support with gifts for Christmas. Carlie Lee at the school has a list of boys or girls and what their needs are. Please help these kids have a great holiday season. They are also putting on their MSB Holiday Extravaganza on Thursday December 17th from 1 – 3pm. The kids will be putting on a music program, there will be refreshments, and they will be accepting the Giving Tree items. I hope you all can attend.
On a side note, my wife Lion Lyn is looking for recipes for a cookbook she is putting together. She will need them by December 10th so we can get them printed up to sell at the convention. The proceeds will be going to LCIF. Thank you and keep up your great work.
Lion Phil Karrer,
1st Vice District Governor
Message from 2nd Vice District Governor - Sandy Halama
Finally, I get to say Hello Lions!
My second Vice District Governor year did not start as planned.
A broken wrist caused me to miss the first Cabinet meeting, and even the first Newsletter! As a result, it was necessary to pivot, to rethink how to support the clubs and the district at meetings and events.
When life throws us a curveball, we may need to pivot to new plans. If something isn’t working for your club, pivot. Think about new service projects, new fun meetings, new ways to engage your community through social media, events, and flyers. Look at new
technology, more hands-on service, and consider lifestyles that may not support attending meetings.
Gen Z and millennials have more interest in the environment. Encouraging service projects that help the planet thrive not only supports those members, but is also one of LIONS International’s core global causes.
Let’s keep thinking outside the box on service, membership, and meetings. I look forward to a great year supporting Governor Kelly, learning about our District, and how I can help make it better than ever!
Lion Sandy Halama
2nd Vice District Governor
Deadline for the next issue of The Lions That Roar is December 12, 2026.
Now is the time to for you to get an article in spotlighting your club or a special event. Do you have a “Did You Know” article? Pictures will be used
whenever possible. Do you want to share why you became a Lion? Maybe you can inspire others.
Please send to the Editor Lion Dave Kinkade at editor@lions26m2.org.
NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, the District 26-M2 “The Lions That Roar” newsletter is published bimonthly.
Following is the “ROAR” schedule for the
Lion year of 2025 – 2026.
Unless otherwise noted above, please send articles for
publication by the 12th of the month of publication.
August 2026
October 2026
December 2026
February 2027
April 2027
June 2027