District Governor visits Moses Lake Lions Club

MOSES LAKE - In the midst of visiting 66 Lions clubs throughout Washington and Canada, District Governor Mike Conley took time to speak in Moses Lake.

As District Governor for Multiple District 19-D, Conley's responsibilities include checking up on all the clubs in the district, which spans 700 miles from Mattawa up to Canada. 

During the Jan. 5 stop at the Moses Lake club, Conley and his wife Carol completed 45 of the scheduled visits, which ensure Lions are paying their club dues and keeping up on service projects.

"It's a pretty big commitment because our district is so big geographically," Conley says. "We go clear up to Prince George in British Columbia."

While no clubs were delinquent on their dues, Conley said the biggest problem clubs are facing is the lack of young members.

"But we heard about a lot of different projects and met a lot of good Lions," Conley says. "We've still got 18 clubs to visit up in Canada and we'll head back up there in February."

Conley is no stranger to community service, after joining the Lions in 1970 he has been active in five different districts in Washington, Oregon and Montana.

Currently, Conley serves on the Moses Lake Eyeglass Recycling Hub committee as well as holding a cabinet position for Diabetes South, which aims to raise awareness about the disease. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Lions International President's Award.

In 1987, Conley joined the Moses Lake Lions and has since served as club president three times, secretary four times, vice president once and zone chairman once.

"Our club is an old club; it's going to be 70 in November," says Conley, who also turned 70 in early January.

Since Orville Wilmont was chosen in 1948, Conley is the seventh Moses Lake Lion to hold the year-long position of district governor.

Born in Emmett, Idaho, Conley says he learned to be a public speaker through the Future Farmers of America program when he was younger. He obtained a bachelor's degree and master's degree in agricultural economics from the University of Idaho and later became a banker. 

"I used to love taking my city friends into coming out to brand cattle," Conley said, grinning. "Their jaws would just drop."

Conley is now retired, but serves as a Port of Moses Lake Commissioner in addition to his duties as a Lion. When asked why he chose to become a district governor for the Lions, Conley says it was his need to stay busy.

"I reached a point in my life where I needed things to do," Conley says. "But the honest truth is that I'd been a Lion for 40 years and I got to go to Sydney, Australia, to get trained."

When he returns to Canada, Conley says he hopes to see a moose, rather than just moose hunters.

Chicago business leader Melvin Jones founded the first Lions club, aimed at community service, in 1917. The club has since grown to 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs across the globe.

 "Being a Lion is about having fun and helping your community," Conley says. "Each community is a little different. That's one of the things I like very much."