(Left to right) 2nd VDG- Elect, Tom Volpe of the Westville Lions Club, DG-Elect Donna Freidel of the Clayton-Glassboro Lions Club, and 1st VDG-Elect Terry Rosiak of the West Berlin Lions Club.  

District 16L holds Annual Meeting at the NJ Lions Convention in Atlantic City

DG Team and Charitable Foundation trustees elected 

The District 16L annual meeting was held on the afternoon June 18, 2023 at the Tropicana in Atlantic City. The main order of business was the election of the District Governor, and the First and Second Vice District Governors for the 2023-24 Lions Year. As there was only a single candidate for each office, the actual election was swift, with delegates just raising their cards, rather than marking ballots. Congratulations to DGE Donna Freidel, and future 1st VDG Terry Rosiak and future 2nd Vice District Governor Tom Volpe. Their terms will begin when they get back from the Lions International Convention in Boston next month.

As is tradition, all the Past District Governors escorted the newly elected District Governor to the podium and offered their well wishes and congratulations. DGE Donna then addressed the District Lions, describing her hopes and plans for the district in the coming year. 

Each year elections for Trustees of the Lion District 16L Charitable Foundation, Inc are held at the Annual meeting at Convention. Lions Terry Rosiak (West Berlin Lions), Nancy Sapper (Berlin Lions) and CC Bob Freidel (Medford Lakes Lions) were elected for three year terms, that will begin on July 1, 2023. There are nine elected  trustees on the foundation, with three positions open each year.

More details about the 102nd New Jersey Lions Convention will be forthcoming in the NJLion Newsletter. However, we'd like to call attention in this Governor's Gazette to several District 16L Lions, who were present at the Convention who received various awards and recognitions. (District 16L Lions who were not present will be presented their awards at a later date.) 

At the LCIF dinner on Friday evening, Lion 1VDG Donna Freidel became a Melvin Jones Fellow (MJF) and was presented with a plaque and pin by the convention's International Guest, ID Deb Weaverling. A Progressive Melvin Jones Fellowship (PMJF) was presented to 2VDG Terry Rosiak (her first) and GET-D Karen Ressler, PDG, who received her third PMJF.

At the awards breakfast on Saturday morning, ZC Heather Roark, of the West Belin Lions Club, was presented with the International President's Leadership award, which is the third highest honor in Lionism and is given to those Lions who have demonstrated significant leadership contributions. At the District 16L Annual Meeting, Medford Lakes Lion's Club President, Nick Bloodworth received an International President's Certificate of Appreciation. The award is in recognition of distinguished achievements in fulfilling the service mission of Lions Clubs and is the fourth highest Lions International award presented to a Lion. 

Left Photo: ID Deb Weaverling and ZC Heather Roark wearing her Leadership Medal; Center Photo: ID Weaverling presenting CP Nick Bloodworth with a Presidential Certificate of Appreciation. Right Photo: 1VDG Donna Freidel (on right) with her MJF Plaque. Also pictured,  ID Deb Weaverling, ID Jeff Gans, PID Mel Bray and PID Bob Moore. 

DG at the NJ Lions Convention 

DG Ely has completed his club visitations for the year, but the mileage is still being racked up. He traveled to the Tropicana in Atlantic City for the New Jersey Lions 102nd State Convention on May 18, 19 and 20, 2023 for some business, fun and fellowship!  

 

     

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Return to Moorestown

District Governor Ely Mateo made his club visitation to the Moorestown Lions Club in March, but returned on June 7, 2023 to install their 2023-24 club officers. While there, he also inducted three members who joined the club in May, Vic Bobadillo, David Weiss and Rachel Campise, as well as members who joined the club earlier this year, Zach Boren, Tony Pasquale and Zeff Lazinger. 

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Home Club Service

District Governor Ely Mateo and Pennsauken Lions Club President, Matthew McDevitt, placed a wreath at the Wellwood Park Memorial monument in Merchantville on Memorial Day. They wanted to honor the men and women who served this country and thank them for our freedom. The event was sponsored by the American Legion.
 

 

Welcome to our New Members 

Lions registered in MyLCI during May 2023

DISTRICT 16L MEMBERBSHIP
As of May 30, 2023:  1341 
Added Members since July 1, 2022: 159
Dropped Members since July 1, 2022: 196
Net Loss: 37 members

Congratulations to our newest members and their sponsors.

Avalon Lions Club
Joyce Johnson ~ Sponsor: Susan McDermott

Berlin Lions Club
Andrea Alvarez ~ Sponsor: Michael Yaros
Jennifer Tocco - Sponsor: Stephanie Spancake

Brigantine Lions Club
Mark Milbank ~ Sponsor: Frank Congemi

Haddonfield Lions Club
Carole Simon ~ Sponsor: Kenneth Landgraf

Middletown Township Lions Club
Livia Derdova ~ Sponsor: Vincent Losapio

Moorestown Lions Club
Vic Bobadillo ~ Sponsor: Kristen Holmbeck
Rachel Campise ~ Sponsor: Janice Dickinson
David Weiss ~ Sponsor: Janice Dickinson

In Memorium

Lions Clubs International has been notified of the passing of the following Lions who were listed as active members at the time of their passing.  Our deepest condolences to their family, friends, and members of their Lions Club.

Haddonfield Lions Club
Kendall C. Clement - May 11, 2023
https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/27958896/kendall-c-clement



Greater Wildwoods Lions Club
Carmela M. Caruso - April 27, 2023
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/carmela-caruso-obituary?id=51766747
 

Club Secretaries: Be Prepared for transition to new Lions Portal

Remove duplicate emails from MyLCI Database

Lions International is updating the digital tools we use as Lions. All clubs will be transitioning away from  using MyLCI, MyLion, Insights, etc. and will begin using a new system called the Lion Portal.  The roll out will likely be over the summer, but an exact date has not yet been announced. Follow this link for updates and to see answers to some Frequently Asked Questions.
https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-members/digital-products/portal-updates 

Update your Lion Account information. Make sure your Lion Account information is correct and up to date in MyLCI. Have you moved, changed your email or mailing address recently? Have you given up your land line and only use your cell phone? Make sure that you club secretary has entered the new/changed information in MyLCI. Note that the new Lion Portal will require a unique, unshared email, and phone numbers will no longer be supported as a log in credential. So if you never had your email in the database before, it now needs to be added.

If you’re a club president, secretary or administrator, updating member information is simple:

• Log in to the current member portal with your Lion Account credentials
• Navigate to MyLCI
• Select “My Lions Club”
• Select “Members” 
• Click on the member whose information you need to update.
• Select “Edit Member” to enter in their revised email address and other updated information. 

Below are the 16L Lions members who are using a duplicate email address. One of the two should ask their club secretary to change their email address by the end of June to be prepared for the transition. The email address will be the login ID, and each Lion has to have a unique login ID to access the Lions Portal. So two Lions cannot have the same email address listed in the database.

Some Lions may be on the roster of two clubs, perhaps as a full "Regular Member" in a NJ club, and an "Associate Member" in another state where they spend part of the year. (Per LI, an associate member has active membership in one Lions club and associate membership in a second club in their community of residence or employment.) Lions International hasn't addressed how to handle this situation yet, but for now, we would suggest leaving your email on your primary club, and using an alternate email for the other club.
 

Club Treasurers: New International Dues Schedule 

Make sure your club's budget includes the International dues increase

When clubs receive their Semi-Annual Membership Dues Invoices in July, the dues increase previously voted on at the International Convention will be reflected in the charges. Your club will be charged $23 for every Lion in your roster in MyLCI. This will be $1.50 higher, as the new $3 per year increase to LCI dues will go into effect. So the annual cost per Lion  for 2023-34 will be $46. There are still discounts for different categories of membership, such as student and family, etc. so dues for those Lions would be $11.50 for six months ($23/year). 

You may want to download the table below to use as a reference as to how to prorate the International dues when a new member enters.

Service Scenes is a collection of photographs depicting District Lions and Leos in action serving their communities. Here is a sampling of the variety of projects and fundraisers taken on by some of the Lions Clubs of District 16 L. 

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. We DO NOT include write ups about club meetings, with the exception of major anniversary celebrations.

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. Photos taken on older cell phones do not work well in this medium.

Running for 2nd Vice District Governor in Spring 2024

Be aware of the timeline and qualifications for the position

Even though we just had elections for our district leadership, it is not too early to start thinking about next year’s elections. The Second Cabinet meeting, when resolutions are due, can happen as early as October.  And if you need to satisfy any of the years of service qualifications that are required, now would be the time sure you are elected or appointed to the position you need.  

There are misconceptions about who is allowed to run for 2^nd Vice District Governor. Basically, any Lion who meets the qualifications can throw their hat in the ring. One doesn’t have to be “invited” or “recruited” by the “powers that be” to run for office. If the Lion and their club think that the Lion can do the job, and has the energy and desire to do it – they can go for it! Current or former district leaders may approach potential candidates and encourage them to run – they do this because they have a strong interest in seeing the district succeed – not because they get to choose who runs.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with more than one person running for the office at the same time. (That’s why we have an election!) No one should be asking you to “step back a year” because someone else is also running. If you don’t win, there is always next year – and there are plenty of leadership positions that need to be filled each year in the district that you could do instead if you want to serve at that level.
 
How someone is nominated and placed on the ballot is set by the District’s Constitution and By-laws. It is best to consult the current document, rather than relying on someone’s recollection of how it was done years ago when they or someone in their club ran for office.
 
The deadlines for potential candidate to file (in writing) their intention to run, and the Lions International’s checklist that delineates the minimum qualifications for the job, are in the District 16L Constitution and By-Laws (the document posted on the District 16L e-district website).
 

By-laws ARTICLE II, Section 3.
(a) Any member of a club in the district 16L seeking the office of first or second vice district governor shall file his/her intention to so run in writing with the Nominating Committee prior to 2nd Cabinet Meeting of the fiscal (Per Article V, Section 1 (a) of these By-laws, this meeting shall occur in the second quarter of the fiscal year – October, November or December).
 
(b) Anyone filing his/her intention to so run must at the same time also furnish evidence of his/her compliance with the qualifications for said office set out in the International Constitution and By-Laws. [Refer to the First and Second vice district governor nominating committee checklists - Exhibit “E” and Exhibit “F” included herein for the qualifications.]
 
EXHIBIT F
Candidate has submitted sufficient evidence (to the District 16L Nominating Committee) showing that he/she has met the following Requirements:

 
‘  Candidate is an Active Member in good standing of a chartered Lions Club in Good Standing* in his/her sub-district.
‘  Candidate endorsed by his/her Lions Club or a majority of the Lions Clubs in the District.
‘  Club President:                                                   Year Served  __________                            
‘  Club Board of Directors:                                     Two (2) Years Served ___                   
‘  District Cabinet (check one)
    ‘  Zone or Region Chairperson                            Year Served  _________                            
    ‘ Cabinet Secretary and/or Treasurer)                 Year Served  _________                            
‘  With none of the above being accomplished concurrently.

 
While this list of requirements seems pretty straight forward some language may not be familiar, or may be misinterpreted. Here are some clarifications that might help:

• Good Standing means there are no dues in arrears.    
• Endorsement. A club resolution can be submitted as proof of the endorsement. A club would vote to approve a resolution document that endorses the candidate, which is signed by the club president and secretary.  If the candidate happens to be the current president or secretary of the club, the signature of the vice-president or other officer could be added.
• Years of Service. Typically, a term of office is one year. But if a Lion takes over a position mid-year, that position can count toward the qualification provided the Lion was in office for six months and a day.
• Concurrent Service. The way the requirements are set, a candidate should have at least four years serving in an officer capacity before moving on to this high office; that is why none of the positions in the checklist can be held in the same year. For example, a candidate can’t be their club's president the same year they serve as the District Treasurer and have both count for that year.
• Board of Directors. The requirement that a candidate serve on the Club “Board of Directors” does not mean you have to have held the position of “Director”. (Some clubs don’t even elect Directors). The Standard Club Constitution and By-Laws (LA-5) defines the members of the “Board of Directors” as shown below. So, if for example, a candidate served for one year as a club’s service chairperson, and one year as a club’s treasurer, they would have been a member of their club's Board of Director for two years, and able to satisfy this criterion.

 ARTICLE VIII Section 1. MEMBERS. The members of the board of directors shall be club officers, Lion tamer (optional), tail twister (optional), club LCIF coordinator, program coordinator, safety officer (optional), branch president, if so designated, and all other elected directors and/or chairpersons.
 
ARTICLE VII.  Section 1. OFFICERS. The officers of this club shall be a president, immediate past president, the vice president(s), secretary, treasurer, service chairperson, marketing chairperson and membership chairperson. 

District or Multiple District Projects or Clubs needing a few more hands to carry out a successful project, can put out a call out for help in the Service Opportunities column. This is for "hands on" help - not to sell merchandise or tickets to an event. To be listed, send your service needs (time, location, tasks) and who to contact to the Gazette editor via: Lions16LExpress@gmail.com.

Looking for an out of town getaway?

Register now for one of these great Lions events!

USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum - Reno, NV
September 21-23, 2023  Registration Information



105th Lions International Convention - Boston, MA
July 7-10, 2023 Registration Information

 
USA/Canada Leo Leadership Forum - Rockport, IL
August 2-6, 2023 Registration Information