Fellow Lions, Lionesses, Leos and friends and family, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the place where Lions clubs became an international organization when the first club outside of the United States was formed in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. During this 87th International Convention in Detroit, Michigan, USA and Windsor, Ontario, Canada, there will be many opportunities to share innovative ideas, attend informative seminars and enjoy all that our host cities have to offer.

Over the past year, I have been fortunate to visit more than 80 countries and multiple districts, where I witnessed first-hand the spirit of this year's theme, "Innovation: Gateway to our Future," being put in action. Lions, Lionesses and Leos have begun numerous innovative projects to better serve their local community while continuing to improve the legacy of our association. Members have also worked to strengthen our membership numbers, ensuring that Lions Clubs International remains the greatest and largest service organization in the world, and for the world.

Let this convention be both a time of reflection over successes from this past year and an inspiration in continuing these successes throughout the years to come. I look forward to our week together July 5-9 in Detroit and Windsor.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tae-Sup Lee
International President