Strathmore Lion is new District Governor
Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter
Bruce Bishop, a Strathmore Lion, can look forward to being busy after being elected to the position of District Governor at the Lions Convention held in Strathmore on January 13 and 14. There were just over 200 Lions and Leos Present.
“In our Multiple District 37, the Strathmore Lions is in the District called 37-O. We have 51 clubs in our district, and I’ll be the District Governor of those 51 clubs,” said Bishop.
He said the Strathmore Lions Club is a part of a greater multiple district which includes all of Alberta, part of British Columbia, all of Montana. There are approximately 1515 members in the Strathmore District. The District Governor has to visit every club during the year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. They must also attend four Council and Cabinet meetings as well as many Charter Nights, Conventions and Leadership Rally’s.
Bishop has been a Lion for 37 years, coming to Strathmore in 1984. He had been a member of the RCMP and when he was transferred from Brooks to Elk Point, east of Edmonton, there wasn’t a Kinsmen Club there, which he had been a member of for five years in Brooks, so he joined the Lions and has been a member ever since.
Service and helping the community are two of the things he likes most about being a Lion. The Strathmore Lions host the senior’s breakfast during Heritage Days at the hospital, and have two food booths at the rodeo grounds. They also host the town Christmas party, and the seniors Christmas party at the Civic Centre. The Lions are good supporters of the Children’s Wish functions. They also take part in the Relay for Life by being a sponsor and cooking the pancake breakfast.
In April there is the Ladies and Gentlemen’s Auction to raise money as one our projects.
“The Lions is the largest single service organization in the world. We are co-ed, multicultural. We have over 40,000 clubs in 206 countries and 1.35 million members give or take a few, and we are the only service club in China,” said Bishop.
When a natural disaster strikes, such as a tsunami or earthquake, there is the Lions International Fund. The District Governor of the affected area can request assistance from the fund, and the Lions are first on the ground providing assistance where needed, as there is usually a club in the area.
“One hundred per cent of any funds donated to Lions that we make from our projects must be spent on the public, not on the members. There is absolutely no administration fee, 100 per cent is given to the public,” said Bishop.
The Strathmore Lions put in the Splash Park at Kinsmen Park, have always been a big supporter of the swimming pools, helped with the skateboard park, and also donate to a number of different groups around town.
Becoming a member is by invitation only, and people interested must be of good moral character and 18 years of age, or older. The Strathmore Lions has sponsored a Leo’s Club, which is based out of Strathmore High School.
The Strathmore Lions currently have 54 members, and Bishop believes there are soon to be four or more new members, making it the fourth largest club in its district.
They have had four previous District Governors since becoming chartered in 1939, and there is only one club in Calgary who has had more. In 2017 Lions International will be celebrating 100 years of service.