The Santa Monica Lions Club has had a fun and productive few months. In September we were very fortunate to have Matt Hall, editor of the SM Daily Press, to speak. His presentations are always highly anticipated events. He discussed a wide range of topics, from government and social issues to territorial development and economics. We always get away with new knowledge and a broader perspective.
In October, we welcomed four of our Los Angeles area chairpersons, District Governor Bhong Gracia, First Vice District Governor Farideh Monghate, Second Vice District Governor Lily Harris, and Emmie Masansala, a district administrator. DG Bhong not only shared his history as a Lion, but also kept us updated on news from some of the other 58 clubs in our district.
The biggest news I was happy to announce is the merger of the Pacific Palisades Lions Club into the Santa Monica Lions Club! We’ve been working with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State for two years, and the permit was eventually given. We are now the Santa Monica Pacific Palisades Lions Club. This merger was a natural progression as we have worked together in the past, providing support and services to our local communities as well as the Westside. As soon as Lions Clubs International changes its name on our website, we will change the name on our Facebook page. We are also excited to welcome Kanda Kandasamy, President of the Palisades Lions Club, to our board of directors as Vice President of our combined clubs for the remainder of this fiscal year.
Later that month, as part of an effort to resume community service, we delivered homemade baked goods to Fisher House in Westwood. This will be our third year of supplying US Veterans with Christmas cookies while they receive medical treatments and surgeries at Veteran’s Hospital. We are so lucky to have Fisher House in the WLA VA Center. Much like Ronald McDonald houses for children, they provide inexpensive and / or free accommodation for US veterans and their families who live too far away.
To learn more about the Fisher House and the impact Covid-19 is having on their services, Lisa Dykes will speak from the Fisher House in November. It will be part of our U.S. Veteran’s Salute as we were also greeted by Dr. Kingsley Fife will be heard about his service as a medic with the U.S. Air Force. Future Lions president Susan will pass the gavel on to Kingsley as he becomes the second president for this fiscal year. SM Lions have three presidents per year, with Kathy Boole taking over from Kingsley.
If you are interested in learning more about the Fisher House or becoming a Lion, we welcome you to Elks Lodge on Wednesday November 10th at 6:00 PM. To attend dinner, please register with Yoriko Fisher at [email protected] or Kingsley Fife at 310-454-2960. Please remember that due to the reintroduced health guidelines, masks are required for all indoor events.
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