Simpson named Lions District Governor

By: 
Philip A. Janquart
Betty Simpson has assumed the position of District Governor of Lions District 39W (west), which is comprised of 30 active Lions clubs in southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon.
 Simpson has been a Weiser Lion for 16 years and husband, Jim, for 49 years. The two are the previous owners of the Weiser Signal American, with Jim serving as publisher and editor for many years.
 “It is a great honor to have been elected as District Governor of Lions District 39W,” Simpson told the newspaper last week. “I look forward to representing our clubs and guiding and collaborating with our members into the future.”
 Her duties include overseeing the district, working with and visiting clubs, and participating in fundraisers and service projects, among other things.
 The Lions is a volunteer organization and Simpson receives no compensation in her role as District Governor.
 She was given the title of District Governor Elect following the district mid-winter convention’s official nomination and clubs delegate voting process held in Boise in February. Serving as the 39W First Vice District Governor during 2021-2022, she has spent the last year in training, in preparation for assuming the role of District Governor, a process that was finalized at the Lions Club International convention held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in June 2022.
 The international convention is held at various locations around the globe and is scheduled for Boston next year.
 The training required to become an active district governor is comprehensive, helping to prepare individuals for the role of Lions District Governor.
 “This year it was even more extensive and updated than it has been in the past,” Simpson said. “We began with virtual meetings in August [2021]. I was assigned to a training group by Lions Clubs International and there were 28 in my group, from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the Philippines.”
 In addition, Simpson also took part in “dual training,” a new component added to the traditional training procedure.
 “We met with what they call a Global Action Team Trainer and we met virtually, on a monthly basis,” Simpson said. “Ours was from Arizona.”
 In all, the meetings spanned the course of about 10 months, ending with two days of in-person training in Montreal before the convention started.
 The convention ran from June 25 to 28, and included talks from international Lions members, guest speakers, a live performance from iconic Motown singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson, and a parade that lasted over three hours.
 “I loved meeting all of the people from around the world, and we had amazing speakers. One of my favorite things was our classes two days before the convention,” Simpson explained. “In our individual district governor elect (DGE) classes, they partnered us with another training group team, and we shared ideas. They brought in two interpreters. My partner team’s group was from South Korea. They assigned specific questions that we shared regarding things like membership, marketing, and service projects, so it was very interesting.”
 The convention opened with an Olympic-style international flag ceremony in an enormous sports stadium.
 “There were over 200 countries,” Simpson said. “There is a Lions district in Ukraine; they have about 700 Lions. When their representative came out with their flag, everyone started cheering.”
 Lions International supports five main causes, including the environment, vision, hunger awareness, diabetes, and childhood cancer.
 Local clubs, however, can champion other causes, as well.
 Simpson, who will serve through June 2023, said she has some plans that include new cabinet committees, including a marketing committee and childhood cancer committee. 
 “In May, we Zoomed with Camp Rainbow Gold and we will also be working with Angel Wings,” Simpson said.
 Camp Rainbow Gold serves Idaho children diagnosed with cancer and their families. Angel Wings Network is a local nonprofit that also serves cancer patients and their families.
 Weiser Lions was always a natural fit for Simpson.
 “Philanthropy and service has always been important to me, and I had been involved in other things in the community. A good friend of mine joined. She became my sponsor and I joined six months after she did,” Simpson said. 
 

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Weiser, ID 83672
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