Dear Fellow Lions,
Our District Convention is quickly approaching. I hope you’ll join us November 13–14 at Camp Dogwood. A great deal of thought and effort has gone into planning a convention that will be both informative and enjoyable. THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER.
Please keep these important deadlines in mind:
• November 1: Deadline to receive the reduced meal rate
• November 7: Final deadline for all food orders; no orders can be accepted after this date
Room reservations should be made directly through Camp Dogwood at 828-478-2135, ext. 250.
This year, we’re trying some new things to put the FUN back into Fun Night. We’ll kick off the evening with a well-known radio personality, followed by a trivia contest that should bring plenty of friendly competition and laughter.
We’ll also continue some of our favorite service activities. Once again, we’ll decorate and fill stockings for the McCune residents. Please bring nonperishable food donations as well; these will be donated to a food pantry in Catawba.
We are also offering several local tours that may be of interest to spouses, family members, and friends who are not Lions. We want everyone who comes to Camp Dogwood to have an enjoyable weekend.
I hope you’ll make plans to attend, enjoy the fellowship, participate in our service projects, and help us make this a convention to remember. I look forward to seeing you at Camp Dogwood! Keep scrolling for details of the weekend's agenda.
In friendship and service -
Dick Wilcox
DG31L
REMINDER: bring canned food for the food drive, stocking stuffer items for the service project and proceeds from the Saturday auction will go to our McCune Center.
Friday, November 13
1:00 to 5:00 pm - Deveste Winery Tour-Troutman
3:00 to 5:00 pm - Hospitality Room Open-Lobby
3:00 to 5:00 pm - Certification of Delegates-Lobby
3:00 to 6:00 pm - Registration-Lobby
3:00 to 6:00 pm - Booths Open-Lobby
6:00 pm - Deadline Peace Poster Contest
6:00 to 6:30pm - Judging of Peace Posters in Library
6:30 to 7:30pm - Friday Night Meal-Dining Room
7:30 to 9:00pm - Fun Night, lead off by Chuck Boozer followed by Trivia Game Night along with McCune Stocking Service Project
Saturday, November 14, 2026
6:30 to 7:30am - Registration-Lobby
7:00 to 9:45am -Tail Twister Breakfast (7:00-8:00 Food only. Auction to follow in Cates)-Dining Room
8:15-9:30am - Certification of Delegates-Lobby
8:15-9:30am - Registration-Lobby
10:00am-12:00pm - Cabinet Meeting-Cates Room
10:00am-4:00pm - Booths open- Main Lobby
12:00pm-4:00pm - Hospitality Room open – Side Main Lobby
1:00-2:00pm - Town Hall Meeting, Cates Room with International Director - Jim Barbare, International Director
(Greenville, SC)
2:15-3:15 - Diabetes & Vision Screening Cates Room
3:30-5:30 - Memory Lane Museum Tour
5:45pm - Head Table Line up
6:00-9:00pm - District Governor’s Banquet-Dining Room
Hospitality Room, Cancelled
Sunday, November 15, 2026
8:00 to 9:00 - Continental Breakfast
Lions Depart for Home
Dear Fellow Lions,
When we serve, we change lives. For years, District 31-L has proudly championed the Marjorie McCune Community as our greatest project. Today, this vital community serves as a safe, loving, and homelike environment for up to 64 residents who call it home. For many of these individuals, the McCune Community is not just a place to live• it is their only option. They rely on us entirely to provide the
care, dignity, and stability they deserve.
To continue fulfilling this profound blessing, we must now come together to protect it. The Marjorie McCune Community is facing a critical turning point. Having stood for over 60 years, the age of the building is catching up with us. We are currently facing significant maintenance challenges that require immediate attention.
Our most pressing needs include:
• Critical Infrastructure Replaced: Over six decades of use have caused severe deterioration of our plumbing system. We urgently need to replace our aging and failing pipes.
• Building Repairs and Remodeling: We need essential repairs, remodeling, and updates to aging areas of the facility to improve safety, comfort, and accessibility while maintaining a welcoming, homelike environment for our residents.
• Equipment Repair: Essential operational equipment requires urgent service and repairs to ensure our staff can safely and efficiently care for our residents.
These structural burdens have arrived at a time when inflation has placed a severe strain on our operational budget. The cost of daily care, utilities, and provisions has risen significantly, making outside donations and hands-on support more critical than ever before.
As lions, we answer the call when our community needs us most. We are reaching out to every club and every single Lion within District 31-L to ask for your financial support, in-kind donations, and volunteer assistance. Whether your club can sponsor a specific repair project, provide a corporate donation, or organize a workday, every ounce of support will directly preserve the home of our 64
vulnerable residents.
Donations can be sent directly to McCune Community, 101 Lions Way, Black Mountain, NC 28711. Because we are committed to stewardship, every dollar raised will go directly towards these urgent capital improvements and resident care.
We cannot let these residents down - they have no other options but us. Thank you for your enduring dedication to the Marjorie McCune Community, your spirit of service, and your immediate help in preserving our proudest legacy.
Yours in service,
Brittney Helms
Administrator/ McCune lions Club
Lions District 31-L
Greetings from the 1st VDG. Hello Western North Carolina Lions,
Welcome to the fall weather! It has been a great year for club projects and children’s vision screenings, all amazing projects we can be proud of.
In only few weeks we will be celebrating not only our WNC Convention but also our Country’s 250th year celebration. So, I am reaching out asking you to register today to attend and before you say no, please let me give you the reasons why.
First and foremost, your attendance to the convention will show not only your support to the district but to all your fellow Lions. Secondly, we heard you loud and clear that last year it was dull and just plain out boring! So, your convention committee went to work and addressed the issues you expressed as being less that adequate. We met with the Camp Dogwood Kitchen Staff and they have
stepped up the level of the banquet food which the committee had the opportunity to sample and agreed it is great! Next, we added two offsite excursions, one on Friday afternoon to Daveste Winery who will be giving all Lions showing their Convention Badge or Lions Name tag a 10% discount off a wine flight. The second excursion will be on Saturday afternoon to the Memory Lane Museum, not just a car museum but a collection of famous movie props and vehicles. For the Lions they have given us a special rate of only $10.00 each.
And now for Friday night fun night where we tried to put FUN back into the name. After our dinner meal we will be having ‘Chuck Boozer” famous radio personality and host of ‘On Second Thought’ give his humorous monologue. Next, we will move to the Cates room for a night of Trivia hosted by Valerie Carpenter, known by Lions near and far with some very nice prizes! For those not interested in Trivia we will also have a service project running where we will be putting together Christmas Stockings for McCune residents.
So put on that Lions vest and attend the 2026 Lions District Convention to show support for your fellow Lions of District 31L!
International President Mark S. Lyon is a husband, father, musician, corporate executive, leader – and in many ways, just a regular Lion. President Lyon believes that service is the cornerstone of our organization and that every act of service, whether big or small, has the power to create a ripple effect of positive action.
Like a mighty oak, Lions are rooted in purpose and service. Our strength comes not from standing alone, but from the help, hope and care we provide others. For more than 100 years, Lions have supported communities in moments of need, changing lives through compassion and action. Service is the soil in which we grow — our roots run deep, our impact endures and our work is built to last for generations.
Each moment of service strengthens the foundation of our clubs and communities. Here’s how we can grow and thrive together.
Get back to our roots.
Our commitment to service makes
us who we are. When we focus on acts of service, both big and small, we strengthen our communities, our clubs and the bonds we share. Embrace the joy of service and the purpose it brings.
Plant the seed.
Every Lion holds the power to grow their club. With each new member, our service, our impact and our potential grow, allowing us to do more and be more for our communities. Invite a new member and plant the seed for growth.
Let our leadership shine.
We change lives through our service, but we are also advocates for the people and causes we serve. We can expand our reach by connecting with key community stakeholders and partners who share our passion. Let’s start big conversations, and even greater change.
Lean on your global foundation.
Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) offers more than funding — it’s a lifeline of compassion and hope. The transformative work that Lions and LCIF bring to life is made possible by you. So support LCIF and let LCIF support you.
Be the ripple.
Clubs have the potential to create change that is felt throughout the community. It all starts with that moment of purpose, that act of kindness. It starts with you. Be the ripple that travels far and wide, touching lives along the way.
Stay connected.
For Lions, connection is about people — the people who serve, and the people we serve. Embrace the personal connections we make through the Lion experience to create a culture of gratitude, positivity and fun.
Branch out.
We get better and our future gets brighter when we engage the next generation in our mission of service. Young people are ready to serve and lead, so give them a chance to do it as Lions and Leos.
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