Lions Clubs of Multiple District 36, Oregon and Northern California

We Serve

Eugene, OR USA

541-484-0452

Lions of Oregon & Northern California are a part of an international network of 1.4 million men and women in 200 countries and geographic areas who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world. Lions are best known for working to end preventable blindness, the giving of eyeglasses and hearing aids for the needy and local service projects.

 

Mission Statement of Lions Clubs International:

 

"To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation."

 

Hello fellow Lions of District 36G

July 02, 2026  /  Jennifer Brewster

Hello fellow Lions of District 36G. I would like to introduce myself to you. I have been a member of the Hermiston Lions Club since 1979. My wife Carol and I have been married for 48 years and 1 day. We celebrated our anniversary yesterday with family in Quebec City with a wonderful steak and frittes dinner.

My wife has supported my Lions activities since the very beginning. Ten years ago, she finally took the plunge and formally joined the club after participating in more activities than many members. We have two daughters and one granddaughter and one grandson.

Our daughters were raised with our Lion service activities and participated with the Hermiston Club's largest fundraiser, a concessions booth at the Umatilla County Fair. Our youngest daughter learned to make change at an early age and when her teacher in fourth grade starting teaching the class how to make change, she found our daughter already knew how to do that from her booth experiences and had her demonstrate to her classmates.

My background includes being raised in Butte Montana and graduating from Montana State University with a BS in Industrial and Management Engineering. I moved to Oregon to begin a management career with Lamb Weston, a potato processor, and never left. I retired in 2018 after a career spanning 40 years in various management positions. My last job was the Energy and Environmental Manager for three processing facilities which make more than one billion pounds of potato products each year.

Since I retired, I continued my Lions service. In 2023, I was honored to receive the Melvin Jones Fellow award at the Hermiston Club's 50th anniversary celebration. I found my wife was capable of keeping secrets since she found a way to invite friends and family to the celebration and my award without any suspicion by me.

I have also been committed to other service activities in Hermiston. I continue to serve on the Board of Directors for Umatilla Morrow Head Start for over twenty-five years. Most recently, I was the Chairman during a period of leadership transition. We will be returning to Seattle from our family trip this coming Sunday, and then flying on to the Lions International Convention in Hong Kong on June 30th. We will know much more about Lionism after our return in July. We are looking forward to meeting and learning more about each of you. As we say at Hermiston meetings, ROAR! 

Comment
“Will you not help me hasten the day when there shall be no preventable blindness; no little deaf, blind child untaught; no blind man or woman unaided? I appeal to you Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and brave and kind. Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?”
— Helen Keller's Speech at 1925 International Convention Cedar Point, Ohio, USA June 30, 1925