Beautiful San Geronimo Valley
The San Geronimo Valley Lions are proud to introduce you to our small valley and our four villages of Woodacre, San Geronimo, Forest Knolls and Lagunitas. Our valley is the best kept secret so don’t tell anyone about our pristine Papermill Creek with famous Coho Salmon runs, our gateway to Samuel Taylor State Park and Point Reyes National Seashore, Mount Barnaby fire lookout, and an exceptionally active Lions Club.
LIONS CALENDAR YEAR SEPTEMBER 2024 - AUGUST 2025
Dear Fellow Lions
As we begin a new fiscal SGV Lions year, we look forward with great anticipation and look forward to a great year of friendships and projects as you will read in the following paragraphs. Our plans this year include the following:
- Family Pot Luck dinner
- Valley Health Faire
- End of summer BBQs
- Two Lions Blood drives
- Annual Holiday Faire
- Xmas Holiday Dinner
- Annual Lions Crab Feed
- Rebuild the Valley Projects
- Two valley cleanup projects
- Eye Collection May
- Annual 4th of July Flea Market and BBQ at Dickson Ranch
Fiscal yesr September 2024 thru August 2025
Family Pot Luck
We will begin the year with our annual outside pot luck held at Lion Andy Giddings house. This will be a family pot luck dinner at the end of September on Wednesday 9/25.
The following is a summary of 2023-2024 Projects
September 2023
September is traditionally our welcome back Family Pot Luck, although the last several years have not been traditional. The pandemic lingers, but we are coping by being outside and/or wearing masks. Our Board of Directors have decided to begin the year with our annual outside pot luck with safe distancing and masks if necessary. This year our annual family pot luck dinner was Wednesday September 27,2023 at the home of Andy Giddigs, 21 Crescent Way, Woodacre; and we had a great time.
Our annual family pot luck family dinner was great; highlights were:
- 24 members and guest attended.
- The membership voted that after the first of the year, we would switch the monthly dinners and board meetings back to Thursdays.
- We have a new president, Lion Dana Noland, and a new set of officers.
- Lion David Puglisi has volunteered be Lion tamer for this year.
- Lion Michela McCurdy to head up crab feed committee for 2024.
- Many thank you Lion Andy Giddings for hosting our meeting.
From left, Lion Chloe Cook, outgoing Lion President Jerry Feickert, incoming Lion president Dana Noland
Officers for the 2023-2024 year:
- Dana Noland President
- Allison Puglisi Secretary
- Amy Schauf Treasurer
- Matt Pheanis 1st VP
- Matt Cohen 2nd VP
- Michela McCurdy 3rd VP
- Giff Lewis 4th VP
- David Puglisi Lion Tamer
- Alexander McQuilkin Tail Twister
March 2023
More rain than we have seen in several decades; and yes, snow, can you believe it? Spring has not sprung; it is formally paused until the final atmospheric river flushes the every house down the Papermill Creek into Tomales Bay.
Long time SGV Lion Paul Torikian (since 1989) and his lovely wife Christina are ‘retiring’ from our club and moving to a retirement home in Santa Rosa. Please come back to visit!
SGV Lions grew by two more new members this month. We are proud to announce Howie Cort (sponsor Alexander McQuilkin) and Matt Cohen (sponsor Michela McCurdy) as new San Geronimo Valley Lions. From left VP Dana Noland, New member Matt Cohen, New member Howie Cort, Howie's sponsor Lion Alexander McQuilkin, Matt's sponsor Lion Michela McCurdy.
We are happy to celebrate two birthdays during our March dinner meeting with both carrot cake (thank you Tony Miceli) and yummy cupcakes (thank you Lee Feickert). The SGV Lions were established 65 years ago; Happy Birthday SGV Lions.
AND, Happy Birthday Howie Cort; as you can she enjoyed the cupcakes.
February 2023
Our annual Lions Crab Feed on the 4th was the best ever. Our Lions members came out in force as did the Lagunitas school 8th grade students to help with all aspects from setup thru cleanup. it was the most fun event we could have imagined; as wekk as netting $20,000; all of which will be donated back into our precious valley.
The Crab Feed netted over $1,700 in donations to the Lagunitas school 8th grade class for their social studies trip to Georgia and Alabama.
In addition to the $1,700; our membership approved a grant of an additional $2,000 for their trip to Georgia and Alabama. Add the earmarked donations from the Crab Feed totals over $3,700. Below is a nice thank you letter from Katherine Sanford's 8th grade students.
A highlight of our February dinner meeting was guest speaker Katherine Sanford presenting the agenda and schedule for the trip to Georgia and Alabama.
From the left: Lion Petra Toriumi, soon Lion Howie Cort, Guest Katherine Sanford, Lion Jerry Feickert, Lion David Puglisi.
The SGV Lions membership approved a $2,000 grant a valley senior graduating from Archie Williams High School.
New SGV Lion Dawn Wronski was inducted, an avid trail runner and axious to help with Lions projects. From left: Lion Sponsor Michela McCurdy, New member Lion Dawn Wronski, Lion Jerry Feickert
January 2023
Yahoo! Finally we get welcome rain in abundance, and the return of our trademank salmon run in the Papermill Creek!
Two new members were inducted, Allison Coolidge and Griff Lewis.
From left: Jerry Feickert President, New Lion Allison Coolidge, Lion Sponsor Poko Giacomini, New Lion Griff Lewis, Lion Sponsor Sean Vogt
We mourn the passage of prior SGV Lion member Allison Ryder.
We are in the final Intense planning for our February 4th Crab Feed.
December 2022
We had a wonderful, and well attended, Holiday dinner at Rancho Nicasio.
Citizen of the Year award was presented to Noel Fernandes
The Holiday Xmas Faire Kathmandu booth at the SGV Comunity Center raised $500 for our Kathmandu sister club. Lion Christina Nelson created this beautiful poster for our Kathmandu Nepal sister club.
November 2022
SGV Lions participated in the Tomales Community Health Faire BBQ and vision screening.
A check for $2200 was sent to our Kathmandu Sister club.
Ten SGV Lions members participated in building a wheelchair ramp for a compromised valley resident having problems getting into his house.
From left: Guest Chris Bliss, Lion Don Bliss, Lion Matt Phaenis, Lion Dana Noland, Lion Davis Puglisi, Lion Bruce Wick.
October 2022
SGV Lions participated in the San Geronimo Valley Health Faire BBQ and vision screening.
New member Siri Humber was inducted.
New Member Siri Humber super happy with the 2023 Crab Feed Silent Auction.
Our board discussed how we could help other West Marin Lions clubs with shrinking membership.
A crab feed committee was established to consider all aspects of a renewed crab feed for early 2023.
Members approved grant requests for our Kathmandu Sister club and our Rebuild project both for $1000.
Members voted to hold this year's monthly dinner meetings at Giaco's Valley Roadhouse on the 4th Wednesday of the month, a great choice.
A new topic has been added to the monthly dinner meetings; Open Announcements; births, deaths, graduations, hopes, dreams and yes JOKES.
September 2022
September is traditionally our welcome back Family Pot Luck, although the last several years have not been traditional. The pandemic lingers, but we are coping by being outside and/or wearing masks. Our Board of Directors have decided to begin the year with our annual outside pot luck with safe distancing and masks if necessary.
The September Family Pot Luck brought us special guests Rick Carnal (Big Rick) 1st District Governor and District Governor Beverlee and Carl Steiner.
From left: Lion Carl Steiner, Lion Chloe Cook, Guest John Young, Lion Bruce Wick, Lion Jerry Feickert, Lion Sean Vogt, Lion Liora Soladay
Enjoying the party. From left: Lion Petra Toriumi, Mariposa Lion Frank Binney, Lion Susan Conard.
Officers for the 2022-2023 year were inducted
- Jerry Feickert President
- Allison Puglisi Secretary
- Amy Schauf Treasurer
- Dana Noland 1st VP
- Matt Pheanis 2nd VP
- Michela McCurdy 3rd VP
- Don Bliss Lion Tamer
- Alexander McQuilkin Tail Twister
SGV Lions participated in the Pt. Reyes Health Fair BBQ and vision screening.
(A BUSY SEPTEMBER)
ABOUT US
Thanks to the forsight of early San Geronimo Valley residents, we became a Lions club in 1958.
1958 Charter Dinner Program
Lions International Club Charter
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
San Geronimo Valley Lions proudly provides financial support to the following organizations:
LEAP
SGVCC Golf Tournament
SGVCC Summer Internship Program
SGVCC Food Bank
SGV Emergency Fund
West Marin Senior Citizens
Toys And Joys
SGVCC Community Gym
Lions Eye Foundation
Kathmandu Budhigandaki Nepal Lions Club
Lagunitas School 8th Grade social studies trip to Georgia and Atlanta
Archie Williams High School Senior Scholorship
MEETINGS
San Geronimo Valley Lions meet twice per month. The second Thursday of the month is a business and service project planning meeting; this is a Board of Directors meeting open to all SGV Lions. We also have a full membership dinner meeting with spouses on the 4th Thursday of the month (check calendar for exceptions) This meeting is both informative and entertaining. Dinner meetings this year will be at the newly remodeled Giaco's Valley Roadhouse in San Geronimo.
LEND A HELPING HAND
Would you like to lend a helping hand when needed? There is no limit to the power of volunteerism, and you can make a significant contribution. Membership as a SGV Lion can be a rich and rewarding experience, provide volunteer opportunities, and put you in touch with active community members.
Do you believe people can make a difference? So do the Lions, and we prove it by our many service projects. You can help in many ways:
Contribute to the worthy community organizations,
Join us at one of our community service projects
Give us your ideas on an unmet need, and potential service project
Become a Lions member and help others in need
Making San Geronimo Valley a Better Place Since 1958
Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.
