How does that old saying go? “We’ll see likely see “lions, tigers and bears… oh my!” Technically, we’re only going to be seeing Lions, Lionesses and Leos this weekend, but we know that it’s going to be filled with fun at the upcoming Wisconsin Lions State Convention in Appleton.

Unlike many of our conventions, the activities actually start today at the State Golf Tournament to be held at Royal St. Patrick’s Golf Links from 10 am to 4 pm. Convention goers are invited to get out and enjoy the beautiful weathers while watching the pros perfect their golf game; followed by the opportunity to learn more about the Appleton area with tours of the History Museum at the Castle and the Fox Valley Tech Public Safety Training Center.

The fun officially begins the next morning at 8 am with the Strides Walk in the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel lobby, immediately followed by informative breakout sessions, which will take place on both Friday and Saturday. The theme at this year’s convention appears to focus on the magic involved in Lions. (We don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’re also hearing a lot about Harry Houdini who identified Appleton as his hometown!) We’re going to hear from experts about the future of Lions, the state of art technology involved in different programs such as vision screening and organ/tissue donations as well as the importance of staying up-to-date with changing technology to continuously recruit new members.

Of course, we’ll also have the opportunity to take part in more light-hearted presentations such as the Houdini Magical Experience and Beer 101 – Micro Breweries and Home Brewing.

We are most looking forward to the story of Bradley Wagner. He will be sharing his experiences with us about his time as a camper at the Wisconsin Lions Camp and enrolling in Lakeshore Technical College as a high school senior. Bradley is also a four-year varsity letter winner in cross country and has been diagnosed with a severe Autism, but he’s not done yet! We’re excited to hear about his plans for the future. See the descriptions of this weekend’s seminars.

In between, we’ll get to participate in district meetings, hear from keynote speakers and so much more. We can’t wait to spend another weekend filled with learning and friendship. We may be a little biased, but there’s no other group of people that we’d rather than spend our time with than with a group full of Lions.

Be sure and stop by the vendor and display booths, say hello to the folks from Lions Pride and pick up informational brochures.

Are you headed to the Wisconsin Lions State Convention this weekend? If so, which activity are you most excited for?

From all of us here, we hope you have a fun and educational weekend. See you in Appleton!