Dannevirke Lion is new District Governor

Lions District 202M Governor Murray Pringle. Photo / Dave Murdoch

Dannevirke Host Lions member Murray Pringle has formally been inducted as the new Lions District 202M Governor.

It is the first time in 36 years that the Dannevirke club has had this privilege when Peter Holyoake gained the honour in 1984.

Just as significantly another member of the Dannevirke club, Simon Williams, was inducted as First Vice-District Governor to follow when Pringle's term ends this time next year.

For Pringle it has been a busy decade in Lions since becoming a member of the Wellington Pride club in 2010. When this club went into recess he and sponsor Simon Williams transferred to the Dannevirke Host Lions of which Pringle became president in 2014-15.

He had already been on the Lions District Cabinet as its constitutional adviser and on relinquishing the presidency of Lions Host he became a zone chairman for two years before becoming Second Vice-District Governor.

Pringle's year as District Governor of 202M is a huge challenge, just in travel alone as it extends from Gisborne to Wellington on the east coast and includes Kapiti. There are 47 clubs with a total of 1000 members.

The Lions International Convention in Singapore, at which Pringle would have been formally inducted, was cancelled because of Covid-19 and multiple District Conventions in Australia and New Zealand were also cancelled.

Instead all the District Governors of Australasia were inducted remotely with International President Jung-Yul Choi of South Korea in late June.

The seven New Zealand District Governors were together at a retreat at Hanmer Springs for that weekend.

Lions International Headquarters at Oak Brook, Illinois, USA has been in recess since the end of February although Pringle was able to squeeze in a training week at the start of that month with 1000 other District Governors-elect in Illinois.

He returned to New Zealand to quarantine.

For Pringle his theme is "Looking Forward With 2020 Vision", one he chose last year before the world changed.

He sees his priority as encouraging membership and supporting the clubs, some of which have struggled at not being able to meet together and serve the community during lockdown.

He says it is all the more important that the clubs get out and continue the great work they have been able to do as restrictions lifted.

He is also keen to promote the Wellington Playscape Project for which three Lions Districts (202M, 202D and 202E – Southern North Island and Northern South Island) are trying to raise $500,000. This will build a specially equipped playground at the new Wellington Children's Hospital.