January 28, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact: Lee Martin, Lions Club of San Felipe B.C.
577-2863 or [email protected]

LIONS CLUB OF SAN FELIPE, B.C. IS OFFICIAL

San Felipe, B.C., Mexico

The newly formed Lions Club of San Felipe, B.C. received Charter status at a dinner meeting on Friday night, January 26 at the Los Arcos Restaurant in San Felipe. Dignitaries of Lions International from Mexico and the United States were on hand to witness the induction of 71 officers and members into the International Club.

The San Felipe club joins Lions District B-1, which includes the cities of Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali, San Luis, Guaymas and Nogales.
In his opening statement, Gary Dilley, president of the new Club, expressed his gratitude for all the hard work the Lions have done over the past three months in getting the Club to the charter point.

He introduced the Honorable Vincente Martinez, Governor of B-1 District Lions, who performed the induction. Martinez said that inducting over 70 charter members into the Club is an historic occasion as it holds the largest chartered membership in the Baja.

Alice Tana, Governor 4-L6 from the San Diego and Imperial County Lions. also played a large part in the induction ceremonies. She thanked the local Lions, calling the event a very exciting and auspicious occasion. In installing its officers, she gave each a brief description of their duties. San Felipe officers and Board members are Gary Dilley, President; Cliff White, Vice-President; Elayne Caldwell, Secretary and Robin Kissee, Treasurer. The Board includes the
following Committee Chairpersons who are also members of the Board of Directors: Projects, Tom O’Neill; Membership, Bob Lux and Raphael Navarro; and Fundraising Chairs, Horacio Aleman, Lee Martin, Debbie Lux and Sheri Pollack.

Principal speaker, Governor Martinez, honored Guide Lions Frank Marquez, Heber, California, and Salvador Sanchez, Mexicali, for advising the new San Felipe Club. He congratulated the California, Arizona and Baja Lions, for helping to bring the two countries of the United States and Mexico together.

In his keynote address, Governor Martinez asked all members to be actively involved in providing services to the local community. He added that we must strive to identify the talents that each member possesses and where their interests lie. He also stressed that it is important that more and more women join the Lions clubs in their area.

The festive evening ended with a raffle of gifts presented to the Club; including a beautiful wine and cheese basket, a bath set and pizza baking stone from the 4L6 Lions and a 50/50 drawing. Alice Tana also presented President Dilley with a monetary gift from the Brawley Lions Club.

New members are encouraged. Contact any member of the club and they will gladly sign you up. Lion’s projects this year include organizing and coordinating an upcoming visit by The Flying Samaritans, a medical team who will be treating local people who cannot obtain regular medical care. A Poker walk in town on March 17 and a golf tournament sometime in the spring are being planned to help fund services to the local community.

The Club joins the 1,300 Lions in District B and there are 13,000 Lions in Mexico.