St. Johns Lions Club - Michigan

06/18/2026

What a spectacular performance on June 17 at the city park by the Jeff Baldori Band! They performed songs by Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Woolies, and others that had a small but enthusiastic crowd of concertgoers clapping their hands and singing along.

Several members of the St. Johns Lions Club were there serving beverages and snacks in the pavilion while the food trailer stayed in storage due to expected thunderstorms. The Lions food trailer will be at the city park next Wednesday serving its usual menu of pulled pork sandwiches, hotdogs, and more.

Thanks to Lions Gloria Carnicom, Carrie Hartenburg, Cheryl Hickey, and Bob & Gwyn Jansen for showing up to help.

06/17/2026

Due to expected thunderstorms this evening (6-17-26), the St. Johns Lions Club will be serving beverages and snacks in the city park pavilion instead of from the food trailer. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to see you next week with a full menu.

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

The St. Johns Lions Club had another great meeting at Main Street Cafe on June 11. There were 19 people in attendance that included five guests, two of whom will be inducted as new members next month.

Guest speaker Christine Histed from the Tri-County Office on Aging talked about the many services and programs provided by TCOA to support older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers in Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties. She recently conducted a six-week Diabetes PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) Workshop in St. Johns that was co-sponsored by the Lions Club. For information, visit their website at TCOA.org.

Photo below: Lion Carrie Hartenburg, First Vice President of the St. Johns Lions Club, with Christine Histed of the Tri-County Office on Aging; the two of them are colleagues at TCOA

06/10/2026

Lions Nancy Baker and Dean & Carrie Hartenburg of the St. Johns Lions Club attended the second annual Gift Card Bingo fundraiser hosted by the Clinton County Senior Center on June 9 at AgroLiquid. It was a sold out event. Lions Nancy and Carrie were there to play, but Lion Dean was there to help. He delivered dozens of cookies, cupcakes, and other desserts donated by club members to support the event.

05/28/2026

Lion Dean Hartenburg, President of the St. Johns Lions Club, was privileged to present $500 Community Service Scholarships to two St. Johns High School seniors on May 27. The recipients are Rachel Jackson and Jackson Daman. Both excelled academically and dedicated many hours to community service activities.

In addition to an impressive academic record and commitment to volunteerism, Rachel is a skilled athlete, competing in basketball, tennis, and volleyball. She shared her enthusiasm for sports by mentoring other students. She is passionate about mental health and su***de prevention, working to raise awareness and to support a local su***de prevention nonprofit organization.

Jackson is a member of BSA Troop 72, earning the rank of Eagle Scout. He also is a member of the St. Johns Redwings Marching Band. He helped with the Lions Easter Egg Hunt for several years, volunteered at the Lions Recycling Center and at the Knights of Columbus annual fish fry fundraiser, participated in Sleepy Hollow State Park cleanup, and carried flags for Hometown Heroes in the Mint Festival Parade. His Eagle Scout project was making blankets for children in hospitals across Michigan.

Congratulations to Rachel and Jackson. Both have exciting futures ahead of them.

05/17/2026

EDITED TO CORRECT A NAME
Lions Kenny Kinsey, District Governor Elect, and Dean and Carrie Hartenburg, President and First Vice President, respectively, represented the St. Johns Lions Club at the Multi-District (MD) 11 Lions Convention that was held on May 14-16 at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire. The Lions of Michigan were privileged to host Lions International President A.P. Singh of India.

Lion Kenny was featured in the convention program book for stepping up to serve as 2026-2027 District Governor of Lions of MD 11 C2. Cerebral palsy may be a part of his life but it does not dictate his worth, abilities, or potential. In July, he will attend the Lions International Convention in Hong Kong, China.

The Lions of Michigan All-State Band performed at the convention, including Owen Denovich
[CORRECTED FIRST NAME], a St. Johns High School student who is a drummer in the band. They will be traveling to Hong Kong to perform at the Lions International Convention.

05/15/2026

Another productive meeting of the St. Johns Lions Club on May 14 with a little bit of fun thrown in. Eighteen members and two guests were in attendance at Main Street Cafe.

Lion Marilyn Witter kicked off the meeting by performing a ceremony to induct 2026-2027 club officers, effective July 1. They are:

President - Dean Hartenburg
1st Vice President - Carrie Hartenburg
2nd Vice President - Pauline Baert
Secretary - Gloria Carnicom
Treasurer - Nancy Presocki
Assistant Treasurer - Kim Chapko
One-Year Director - Bob Jansen
Two-Year Director & LCIF/LMF Coordinator - Duane Witter PDG
Membership Chair - Laurie Blackmer
Tail-Twister - John Triantaflos
Lion Tamer - Nancy Baker

Tail-twister Lion John Triantaflos followed the ceremony by sharing answers to a “What Lion Said This” game based on information shared by members in a survey from a few months ago to gage their interests and concerns. Lion Carrie Hartenburg had the most correct answers and was awarded a cute stuffed Lion.

After members completed discussing a long agenda of business items, Lion Duane Witter PDG thanked those who worked at a very successful 50/50 raffle fundraiser that was held at Owosso Speedway on May 9. He presented each with a pretty bag with what they thought was a gift. Turns out the bags were full of losing raffle tickets. In return, members showered him with those tickets that he had to help clean up.

Finally, Lion Cheryl Hickey, a recipient of the “Leo the Lion” award in January, passed on the traveling trophy to another deserving member. She presented it to Lion Gloria Carnicom who Lion Cheryl said has demonstrated exceptional service. She serves as secretary, newsletter editor, and social media manager, represents the club at district Lions meetings and conferences, chairs the annual white cane sale, manages the Lions food trailer, coordinates the community service scholarship program, and volunteers for every club fundraiser and project.

05/12/2026

Lion Duane Witter PDG was the guest speaker at a MARSP (Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel) meeting on May 11 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Ovid. He gave an informative presentation on the Lions of Michigan Foundation, including how the foundation started and all the services it provides. He distributed complimentary Lions mints and informational flyers to all attendees. Approximately 40 people attended, including Lions Cheryl Hickey and Marilyn Witter who are both members of MARSP.