Club Officer Nominations and Elections
Be ready to elect and report your 2023-24 officers in April 2023
We are now half way through this Lion’s fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. So even though your current club officers still have six months left of their term, January is a good time to look ahead and check on your timeline for nominating and electing your club’s 2023-24 officers. This is especially important for clubs that only meet once a month, as there are fewer meeting dates that can be used for holding a nomination meeting before holding an election.
Many district clubs are not nominating, electing and reporting their officers according to the procedures and timeline established in the Club Standard Constitution and By-laws. (The current version of the Standard (also known as LA-2) can be viewed on https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-members/resource-center/legal-resources.) Some members may not be aware of the rules surrounding elections, so we are providing this refresher – and stressing the reasons why timing matters. Some clubs are forgetting that they need to enter officers in MyLCI in April every year, and only get around to it when they are asked for officers for the District Directory. Clubs that don’t plan ahead, may find out at the last minute that no one in the club feels prepared to take on the role of club officer, if a long-time officer wants to step down. This can lead to membership loss or unpaid bills, and can even lead to the club folding or needing to merge with another club.
Why not make a New Year’s resolution to elect your officers on time and be the best club you can be? You are doing a disservice to your officers if they are not chosen in time to attend officer training before taking office on July 1. And you could be costing your club money or even risking financial suspension with missing or untrained officers. Secretaries who do not learn how to use MyLCI are not able to drop members – which leaves the rest of the club unnecessarily footing the bill for their dues. If a treasurer can’t access a club’s statements online, bills go unpaid. When a club is on financial suspension, members cannot be added or deleted in MyLCI, and clubs are prohibited from doing service or holding fundraisers until payment is arranged.
Club Elections should be held in April, and the results reported by the Club Secretary within 15 days of the election. So basically most 2023-24 club officers should be entered in MyLCI by April 30, 2023 and no later than May 15, 2023 if your club meets on the last day of April. Each club has different meeting days and frequencies, so will of course need to set its own dates for nominations and elections. Below is the list of activities that need to happen to properly run an election. With a reporting date of April 30th in mind, clubs should work backwards through the following list to assign dates to each activity. This will ensure that each step is completed on time so as to not delay reporting officers in MyLCI.
Steps to Electing and Reporting Lions Club officers.
- Appoint Nominating Committee. The club president appoints a nominating committee. Typically, this is done in January or February in order to give the committee ample time to reach out to potential candidates
- Nominating Committee Meets. The nominating committee meets at their convenience (not during a club meeting) to come up with a slate of officers to propose at the Nomination Meeting. All nominees for club officer must be current on their dues and be an Active member (Members-at-large, Honorary, Privileged and Associate Members cannot hold club office.)
- Notice of Nomination Meeting Sent. Club members must be notified of the date of the club meeting when Nominations are presented to the club, at least 14 days prior to the meeting.
- Nomination Meeting Held. The nominating committee presents its slate of officers to the club. At this meeting additional nominations can be made from the floor. This meeting is typically held at the club’s regular meeting in March.
- Notice of the Election Date Sent. Club members must be notified of the date of the club meeting when the election takes place at least 14 days prior to the meeting. This notice should include the names of all nominees approved at the nomination meeting.
- Election Held. The election shall be conducted by secret ballot by those present and qualified to vote. No nominations may be made from the floor at the election meeting. If all of the officers are running unopposed, the club may decide not to use secret ballots. This election is typically held at the club’s regular meeting in April.
- Reporting of Club Officers to International. The current club Secretary (not the newly elected one) must report the names of the club officers in MyLCI by the end of April. If the Secretary is unable to access MyLCI to report, the club can contact the District 16L Administrator to enter the officers in MyLCI on behalf of the club by April 30th.
- Installation of Officers. All club officers begin their term of office on July 1st – whether they took part in an Officer Installation ceremony or not. When, or even if, a club has a fancy installation is up to each individual club. Most clubs view it as a celebratory event that is an opportune time for a club to express gratitude to the previous board members as they complete their term of service, while honorably transferring authority and responsibility to the newly elected. Typically, installations occur in late June or early July.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Club Officer Elections
All our officers are serving two-year terms. Do we still need to hold an election?
While it may seem like a formality, unless your current club’s Constitution and By-Laws says otherwise, you should hold elections annually. It is also important to remember to re-enter your officers in MyLCI every year, even if they are repeating. The MyLCI database will only accept one-year term intervals for officers, and does not carry them over to the following year. So, if you don’t add the officers again for the second year, as of July your club will show no officers in the system because the terms expired and no one in your club will have access to MyLCI.
We have no current secretary (or have a secretary who can’t access MyLCI). When we have elections, we’ll have no one to enter the new officers in MyLCI. Can’t we just mail a PU-101 form into headquarters in Chicago?
No. MyLCI is the preferred and fastest method for updating club officers. Virtually no one uses this form anymore, even though you may still be able to find it on an internet search on lionsclubs.org. If you need help getting your officers added to MyLCI, contact the District 16L Administrator (PDG Karen Ressler karen.ressler4@gmail.com or text to 856.220.6484). A District Administrator has the ability to make changes to MyLCI data on behalf of any club within the District. So, if your club is in a bind, send the names and contact information of each officer (including email address and mobile phone number) to the District Administrator as soon as you hold your election in April, so it can be entered for you.
Our club doesn’t meet over the summer, so we prefer to elect our officers in the fall instead of the spring, in case someone drops out or moves over the summer. Is this a problem?
In a word, yes! All clubs, regardless of their meeting schedules are expected to elect officers for the next Lions year (July 1 – June 30) in April. If someone who was elected in April, is no longer in the club or able to serve come the fall, there are provisions in the Standard Constitution and By-laws to address vacancies. If a president or vice president position opens, the vice presidents should advance in rank to fill the position. For the other positions, the Board of Directors can vote to appoint someone to fill the vacancy. If the office of the president or vice president cannot be filled by advancement, then the entire club would need to vote to elect someone to the vacated president or vice president position.
Even if your club doesn’t meet over the summer, your club officers still have obligations to fulfill every month. Your club treasurer still needs to pay your club’s semiannual dues in July, and your club secretary needs to report membership (or report no new members) 12 months of the year – not just in the months when the club meets. All officer terms expire in July, so last year’s officers can’t access MyLCI to see billing statements, or enter or drop members. The previous club Secretary will not be able to enter the new officers in the fall, because their term expired in July and they are locked out of MyLCI.
We have a small club. What officers are we required to have?
At the very minimum, to remain a club in good standing a club should report a President, Secretary and Treasurer in MyLCI. If you don’t have enough members to fill every position suggested by Lions International, it is OK to “double up” on positions in MyLCI. For instance, you can list the same person as both the President and the club LCIF coordinator. This way any communications related to LCIF will reach the club. The District and International send targeted messages to just certain officer positions reported in MyLCI and the Directory. If you leave those blank, important information may be missed.
The Standard C&BL lists the following as club officers: president, immediate past president, the vice president(s), secretary, treasurer, service chairperson, marketing chairperson and membership chairperson. Clubs are strongly encouraged to fill these officer positions: Membership Chairperson, Marketing Chairperson and Service Chairperson. Many clubs, including large ones with lots of members, leave these offices vacant, when each oversees a vital component of successful club operations.
In addition to the officers, the Standard lists members of the Board that would also need to be elected if a club includes them: 1st and 2nd year directors, Lion tamer (optional), tail twister (optional), club LCIF coordinator, program coordinator, safety officer (optional), branch president, if your club has a branch, and any other position that your club has added to its Constitution and By-laws as an elected office.
Our club elects a sight chair. I don’t see a place to enter this in MyLCI and don’t see it in the Directory. Why is that?
While vision has been, and continues to be, an important area of service to our clubs, this position is not considered as an officer by Lions International. Many clubs elect a Service Chairperson, which is considered an officer and is reported in MyLCI and the District Directory. Some clubs assign the duties of a vision chairperson (the preferred term instead of "sight chair") to their Service Chairperson. In larger clubs the vision chairperson could be a separate position that reports to the Service Chairperson. The Service Chairperson develops and communicates the clubs service goals and plans for all areas of club service, not just vision. It is also the Service Chairperson’s responsibility to report the club’s service activities to Lions International (currently done through MyLion). If they are not reported in MyLCI as an officer, they can’t get access to report service.
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MD 16 Council of Governors Meeting
Update on Statewide activities
Lions Multiple District 16 held its third Council of Governors meeting on January 7, 2023 at the Town Diner in East Windsor, New Jersey. This is the third different meeting location tried this year. Finding a venue with ample room, privacy, a reasonable meal price - and a location that is centrally located to balance the travel time from the northernmost and southernmost parts of New Jersey - can be a challenge. All Lions are welcome to attend a Council meeting. The next one will be held on March 25, 2023. If you are interested in attending, keep an eye out for the meeting announcement in your email, and on the District's website and social media.
District 16L was well represented with fifteen members in attendance. CC Bob Freidel (Medford Lakes Lions), DG Mateo (Pennsauken), PID Mel Bray (Toms River), 1st VDG Donna Freidel and ZC Tal Kramer (Clayton-Glassboro Lions), MD16 International Convention Chair IPDG Doug Both (Allentown Lions), 2nd VDG Terry Rosiak and ZC Heather Roark (West Berlin Lions), GMT-MD Coordinator PDG Dave Skrivanek (Stafford), MD 16 Chaplain Tom Volpe, ZC Milly Smith and CS Ken Lee (Westville Lions), MD16 C&BL Chair PDG Karen Ressler (Westmont Lions), PDG MaryAnn Ragone DeLambily (Haddonfield Lions) and PDG Bob DeLambily (Hammonton Lions).
Some highlights that may be of interest to District 16L Lions:
MD 16 Marketing Chairperson, Subarna Sahni, showed a rough cut of the PSA (Public Service Announcement) video that is being produced to promote Lionism in New Jersey. Meeting attendees were asked for their feedback.
The MD 16 Diabetes Chairperson, 1st VDG Donna Freidel gave a progress report on activities throughout the district, and reminded everyone to support fundraising events, including the Strides Walk at the convention in Atlantic City in May. The shirts will be red this year so Lions will be really visible on the Boardwalk.
NJ Lion Newsletter editor, PDG Ruth Molenaar, is happy with newsletter submission she has been receiving from the sub districts, and reported that the deadline to submit articles for the March 22, 2023 edition is March 28.
 There are still seats left to attend the Regional Lions Leadership Institute (RLLI) being offered later this month. Instruction will be held over three days: via Zoom on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 7:00pm, and in-person on two Saturdays, January 21 and 28, 2023 from 8:30am - 4:30pm. The in person sessions will be held at 820 Washington Road, Parlin, NJ. The cost is $25.00 per attendee and is open to Lions and Leos. If you are interested in attending please contact DG Ely Mateo as soon as possible at 609-468-8921 or Mouserock@comcast.net as seats are limited to just 30 participants. To be eligible to attend an RLLI, you should not have attended an RLLI with the las five (5) years. Lions who wish to pursue leadership roles within their Lions community will benefit from the RLLI, where they will learn about club operations, opportunities and resources available to clubs, and gain both valuable leadership skills and a deeper understanding of how to better serve clubs. Some topics to be covered at this RLLI include Diversity, Public Speaking and Time Management.
The 105th Lions International Convention will be relatively close-by this year since it will be in Boston, MA July 7-11, 2023. This is an excellent year to attend, especially if you have never been to an International Convention before. It is quite an experience! Any Lion or Leo (and their family or companions) are welcome to registrar to attend. You can learn more, as well as register online through the Lions International website at http://lcicon.lionsclubs.(Click on the LCICon link).
IPDG Doug Both is leading the MD 16 Delegation and is working on the parade banner and uniform (embroidered polo shirts) and gathering information about our region's breakfast at the Convention (this year it will be hosted by our neighbors, MD 14 Pennsylvania). The hotels assigned to New Jersey Lions are the Hampton/Homewood Seaport ($279/night) and the Boston Park Plaza ($288/night) which are 0.5 and 1.6 miles from the Convention venue respectively. If you stay in any of the Convention hotels, there will be shuttle busses available to take you to and from the venue. If you register before January 13, 2023, registration is $175 person, but will go up to $250 after that, so if you are planning to attend, try to register before the deadline to save some money. A hotel deposit of $200 is expected at the time of registration. You can cancel up until May 1, 2023 and get a refund (except for a $10 processing fee per person) if your plans change. There will be additional charges if you choose to attend any of the following special events: Melvin Jones Fellow Luncheon $75 (July 9 at 12:30pm); PIP/PID/DG/PDG Banquet $125 (July 10 at 8:00pm) or the Regional breakfast (details to be announced). IPDG Doug and his committee will be sending out more information about how to purchase a parade shirt and sign up for the breakfast soon. If you have any questions Lion Doug can be contacted at (609) 915-6932 or bothdoug@outlook.com.
 The Flight for Sight Balloon Festival which will take place on June 16-18, 2023, at the Flying W Airfield in Medford, NJ, now has an event committee in place. They are working out the myriad details associated with running an event of this magnitude - such as Vendor booths, Food Trucks, Entertainment, Security, First Aid, Advertising, Program Book, Site Logistics, etc. If you are interested in serving on the planning committee, or volunteering at the event (taking tickets, manning service booths, cleanup, etc.) please contact CC Bob Freidel. Clubs can also help by purchasing a program book ad (information to be sent out shortly) and encouraging friends and family to attend the event. There will be hot air balloons, vendors, and WW II vintage planes on display, as well as service projects during the day throughout the event, and an opportunity to take a hot air balloon ride. Rumor has it that International President may attend and is interested in taking a balloon ride!
The Multiple District was fortunate enough to receive a $15,000 Marketing Grant from Lions International to help with event expenses, which are estimated to be about $30,000. $10,000 is available now, and the remaining $5000 will be sent once all the paperwork is submitted after the event. Because the event is so close to the end of the Lions fiscal year (June 30, 2023) there is less than two weeks to get the forms into LCI, so the committee will need to be on top of this to ensure we receive all the funds. The purpose of the event is to raise Lions Awareness in our region and to also raise funds for the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum that our Multiple District is hosting in 2025 in Atlantic City.
MD16 Convention. PDG Dennis Brubaker shared some information about some of the final preparations that they are making for the annual Multiple District convention that will be held May 18-20, 2023 at the Tropicana. They need to get the registration links so they can send out the registration forms. They still need to meet with the Tropicana again to firm up some meal details. It looks like the Saturday morning coffee service will be limited this year, and considering the state of the economy, food prices are higher. At present the all inclusive Convention "Value" Package is proposed to cost $195 per person, and individual Tickets can be purchased as follows: $10 for Convention Registration, $35 for Saturday Breakfast, $85 for Saturday evening banquet, and $90 for Friday evening's LCIF Dinner and performance by magician David Corsaro. Hotel rooms are $69 for Thursday night, $109 for Friday night and $179 for Saturday night (plus taxes and fees.)
No details were provided about training events or service projects at the convention. It appears that they plan to have the same general events that they usually do. The MD meetings will be on Friday, and Saturday afternoon, and the Sub-District meeting will be on Saturday morning. The LCIF program will be shorter this year to leave ample time for all to enjoy the entertainment. The JDFR walk will again be held on the Boardwalk. The PDG Association is considering having an off-site cocktail reception rather than their traditional Friday luncheon at the convention hotel. There was some discussion about where the funds would come for to pay for the Vice District Governor candidates hospitality room. The committee was assuming that each sub district had a line item in their individual budgets to pay for this, but it appears that 16L didn't include this in their budget.
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DG Ely Mateo and 1st VDG Donna Freidel and 2nd VDG Terry Rosiak are on the road traveling to clubs all across the district throughout the 2022-23 Lions Year.
Freehold Township Lions Club
On December 18, 2022, District Governor Ely Mateo visited with the Freehold Township Lions Club at their holiday social gathering at the Our House Restaurant Banquet Faculty in Farmingdale
Westville Lions Club - 95th Anniversary Celebration
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DISTRICT AND MULTIPLE DISTRICT DATES TO REMEMBER
- January is Hunger Awareness Month
- January 9, 2023 - District 16L PDG Association Meeting – UNO Chicago Grill, Maple Shade 6:30pm
- Regional Lions Leadership institute (RLLI) - January 19, 21 and 28, 2023
- January 24, 2023 - MD16 PDG Association Meeting – Virtual 6:30pm
- January 28, 2023 - District 16L Cabinet Meeting – Ramblewood Country Club, Mt. Laurel 8:45am Breakfast Buffet
- February is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- February 18, 2023 - 16J Charitable Foundation Sweetheart Charity Dinner Dance, Parlin
- March 3, 2023 - Lions Day with the United Nations, New York, NY
- March 22, 2023 - Deadline for submissions to the NJ Lion Newsletter
- March 25, 2023 - MD16 Council of Governors Meeting
- March 25, 2023 - District 16L Charitable Foundation Mystery Dinner Fundraiser - O'Connor's' American Bar & Grill, Easthampton
- April is Environmental Awareness Month, Leo Awareness Month
- April 1, 2023 - District 16N Charitable Foundation/Testimonial - Chandelier, Belleville
- April 24, 2023 - District 16L Cabinet Meeting – Ramblewood Country Club, Mt. Laurel) 6:30pm Sign In, 7:00pm Meeting & Dinner
- May is Strengthen Membership Month
- May 18-20, 2023 - MD16 Lions Convention - Tropicana, Atlantic City
- June 16-18, 2023 Flight for Sight Balloon Festival- Flying W, Medford, NJ
- June 24, 2023 District 16L - District Governor's Testimonial - Pennsauken Country Club, Pennsauken 6:00 - 9:00pm
FOR INDVIDUAL LIONS CLUB EVENTS, SEE THE 16L EXPRESS EMAILS OR CALENDAR
REMINDER: Flyers about upcoming club events, fundraisers, cabinet meetings, etc. should be sent to Rochelle Stern rstern5019@gmail.com for inclusion in the 16L Express email. Flyers about future events are not included in the Governor's Gazette. To see the District 16L calendar, visit: http://e-district.org/sites/16l/page-8.php
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Service Scenes is a collection of photographs depicting District Lions in action serving their communities. This column also includes helpful tips from clubs about ideas they had to make their project more successful.
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Medford Lakes Lions Club - Making Spirits Bright!
The Medford Lakes Lions club house was bursting at the seams, as the club collected and assembled food, toys and gift certificate donations for 75 families for Christmas. A large tent was set up outside where boxes with fresh and canned food were put together in an assembly line fashion. This was a truely collaborative effort with donations from businesses and community members and hands on help from groups like the Shawnee High School Football team and the Scouts.
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Eatontown Lions Club - A Christmas Story
 During December each year the Eatontown Lions Club hosts a Christmas Party for children of displaced Monmouth County families who are being sheltered in our town. The guests are treated to pizza, cookies, assorted beverages, entertainment by a magician, and a visit by Santa Claus. Santa greets the children and makes sure they each receive an age-appropriate gift.
This year one of our members took the time to visit with each child to inquire about how school was going and what they were hoping for this Christmas.
One fifth grader’s detailed wish stood out to him. She was hoping for a violin so she could learn to play it and join her school’s band.
Later the same day when the member who had spoken with the fifth grader earlier just happened to mention to another member the unusual request he had gotten when speaking with the party guest. The visiting member stunned him when he indicated he thought he had a new beginner’s violin in storage at his home. Later that evening he located the stored violin and emailed the other member about the great fortune. He also took the initiative to order the beginner’s study manual for the violin.
The member who had spoken with the student was able to locate the student’s mother and advise her that the Lions Club would likely be able to fulfill the Christmas wish. The mother was extremely thankful. The violin and study manual were delivered to the mother by the member who had the original conversation with the student. In typical Lions fashion, the donor chooses to remain anonymous!
Stories like this is what makes the season so very special. Submitted by PRC Sal Granata
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Allentown Lions Club
Rob Schmitt and Ed Fox of the Allentown Lions Club present a donation check on Sunday December 4, 2022 as part of the Breakfast with Santa fundraiser for the Ugi family. Their son is battling synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Our hearts and prayers are with Nate and the Ugi family and for Nate to have a complete recovery. Also pictured is Kelly Owens, of Allentown's Giveback Foundation and the owners of Ivy on Main Beauty & Home Decor, who together organized & hosted the benefit.
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 Service Tip for your club:: Basket auctions, raffles, and casino nights are all common ways Lions raise funds. Be careful to follow all local and state gaming laws and file all necessary paperwork. Factor in the cost of any license fees when planning your event budget. Don't forget to add your License or Permit number to your tickets or flyers as applicable.
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Westmont Lions Club - Holiday Party and Toy Donation
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Audubon Lions Club - Breakfast with Santa 
On December 10, 2022, the Audubon Lions Club held a breakfast with Santa in conjunction with the Kove Restaurant in Audubon where the club holds their club meetings. The Lions Club provided coloring books and crayons for the children. Families enjoyed a delicious brunch and each child got to visit with Santa.
Westville Lions Club - Tree Lighting Refreshments
Westville Lions club members served cookies and hot chocolate at Westville's annual parade and tree lighting event on December 2, 2022. The picture on the right is of Westville Mayor/Lion Fritz Sims with his wife Linda.
 
Atco Lions Club - Helping local family
The Atco Lions Club presented a check to the Renzulli Family to provide aid to them after a recent house fire damaged their home. The club donated $500. An additional $700 was personally donated by several Lions Club members making the check's grand total to $1200. Other members also sent their donations privately to the family.
Avalon Lions Club - Gaining a New Appreciation for Homework
Homework. For many students it is not their favorite assignment. But at the Martin Luther King Community Center in Whitesboro, dozens of elementary school children look forward to spending an hour or two doing just that. Their homework.
With the help of local teachers and volunteers, more than seventy boys and girls spend their after school time at the Rainbow Homework Club operated by the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro. The Center opened its doors to members of the Avalon Lions Club to show them around and show off their unique way of making young students successful at their studies.
Lions Club members and officers donated five thousand dollars to the program to help defer some of the costs over the school year. The Avalon Lions help support more than a dozen community organizations in Cape May County, including a popular spot for kids happy to do their homework. Go figure.
West Berlin Lions Club - Peace Poster winners
The West Berlin Lions sponsored a Peace Post Contest at Our Lady of Carmel school, and presented checks to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Eighth grader, Brooks Mayer (on left) won 1st place for the West Berlin Lions peace poster, and also placed first in the District 16L contest for his poster about compassion. Second place winner Vanessa Candito is on the right. The West Berlin Lions is thankful to the school for encouraging the students to participate and appreciate the students hard work on this project.
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Service Scenes
Submitting your photos to the Governor's Gazette
Service Scenes is a collection of photographs depicting District Lions in action serving their communities. Like to see your club featured here? Send your "best shot" of your club's fundraiser or event and we'll do our best to include as many as we can.
Please send an email with a high resolution photograph to Lions16LExpress@gmail.com (PDG Karen) to be included in the next edition of "Service Scenes". Please try to submit only one photo per event. Pick your "best shot" and submit it with a caption that tells the "who, what, when, and where" details about the photo and event. If you have a lot of photos you'd like to share, create an Album on Facebook or other site, and we'll include a link to it in the Gazette.
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The deadline to submit materials for the next edition of the Governor's Gazette is January 1, 2023. Please send information to The Governor's Gazette editor, PDG Karen Ressler via email to: Lions16LExpress@gmail.com.
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