April Livewrire Newsletter 2000

Convention 2000 News

The 55th Multiple District 49 Lions' Convention will be held May 10-13, 2000 at the Sheraton Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska. Jointly hosted by the Mt. McKinley and Spenard Lions the Convention promises to be informative, maybe controversial and definitely fun. The Mt. McKinley and Spenard Lions are doubly proud to be putting on this year's Convention because both Clubs are celebrating their Fiftieth Anniversaries in November, and the Convention is just the start of each Club's festivities.

It is a little late to get the early registration fee of $95.00 (US), since early registration expired on April Fools Day. The current registration fee of $105.00 (US) is still a bargain because just the individual meals amount to more than that!

The Convention will start off at full gallop with the Ice Breaker at the Eagle River Lions Den, Wednesday, May 10. We won't be having shuttle service, so if the Anchortown Lions can help carry the out of town Lions to the Ice Breaker the fellowship will start early. Besides the Ice Breaker, the convention package includes breakfast, lunch, Awards Banquet on Friday May 12 and the Governors' Ball Saurday May 13. This year we have the added bonus of a "personal night" Thursday May 11 so make plans for your own Night on the Town.

All Lions are responsible for their own hotel arrangements. To receive the advantagious rate negotiated with the Sheraton for Convention 2000, the Hotel must receive your reservation by April 10, 2000. The rates are $95.00 for a single and $105.00 for a double room. The Sheraton's phone numbers are (907) 276-8700; within Alaska (800) 478-8700 or FAX (907) 276-7561.

Remember to place an ad for your Club, Business, Hobby or Favorite Candidate. The rates are Full Page - $200.00; Half Page - $125.00; Quarter Page - $75.00; and Business Card size $25.00. All ads must be camera-ready in black and white only. The deadline is April 10, 2000 for inclusion in the Convention Booklet.

This year anyone interested in sponsoring a Coffee Break can do so for only $500.00. The sponsorship includes a full page ad in the Convention Booklet. Come and join your fellow Lions from all over Districts A and B and Light up the Night Sky with a Lion's Roar!

You Can Make A Difference by Lion Charlotte Henke

LCIF has developed a way for individuals to make a memorial donation to the foundation, upon the death of a loved one or friend. I have memorial cards that advise the family that a memorial donation has been made to LCIF to honor their family member that pass on.

The donation form is easy to fill out and comes with a pre-address envelope making this very simple. Remember when you give a gift to LCIF it keeps giving and giving.

Blind Veterans of America by Lion Mady Burnett

The Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation provides services to individuals with disabilities who would like to acquire particular work skills. The training will assist individuals in an effort to return them to work. This opportunity will help provide individuals with the skills they need to become meaningful members of the community work-force. One section in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation deals specifically with the skills of blindness.

The Alaska Center for the Blind is the only “center” in the state of Alaska that provides on-going training and supports to individuals who experience blindness. The Alaska Center for the Blind provides training opportunities in the following areas: reading and writing Braille, home management, mobility training, adaptive computer use and related assistive technology, wood shop skills and community outings. All of these areas combine to help build work, leisure and social skills so vital everyday life.

After the skills of blindness are learned by an individual who is blind, they have a choice of either going to college and work toward a degree, or they may decide to become a food service provider. Individuals also have a choice of returning to their former work-site. This often times takes a little work with the supervisor and a job-coach. It takes a lot of patience and willingness from both the employee and the employer to make the newly learned skills become truly functional within the job setting, but it is well worth the effort. Further, it is the employers responsibility to make efforts to see that an individual who has a newly acquired disability be rehabilitated and return to work where possible.

I have recently learned about another service provided thorough the Veterans Service. This service is for those veterans who have lost their sight not related to their military service. Often times, veterans are turned down for services from DVR. One reason for non-qualification could be due to mandated income restrictions the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has recently put into effect. The new VA program is called, Blind Veterans of America. It allows Veterans to apply for services to learn blindness skills such as the cane, wood shop, home management, Braille, etc. Often the individual will receive training for these skills and then go on to training on the computers. The Blind Veterans of America will provide individuals with necessary equipment they need to complete their training.

If you or anyone you know may benefit from such a program and you seek additional information you can call me at work (248-7770) or home (248-9990) and I will be glad to help you make the appropriate contacts.

Livewires In The News by Lion Charlotte Henke

Legacy of Lions pins were given to Lion Louise Dunn, Lion Roland Elledge, Lion Robert Nelson and Lion Fred Walatka for bringing in new Lions in October 1999 through February 1999. Congratulations fellow Lions for doing a Great Job!

Atta Boy goes to new Lion Jim Minton for helping to put solar panels on a children's hospital in Vietnam. These children have been affected by Agent Orange. What a heart warmer, Thanks Jim.

A big thanks goes out to the Anchorage Lions Club that donated $50.00 to the Spenard Leo Club.

The March the Food Bank distribution again proved to be a winner. We served 142 families for a total of 490 family members and distributed approximately 13,000 pounds of food. There were 25 volunteers who donated approximately 135 man-hours. This program just keeps growing and we can't thank enough our fellow Lions who are there on Saturday to make this program run as smoothly as it does.

The Spaghetti and Wine Tasting event was a winner bringing in a total of $1485.00 for District Governor Candidate Lion Dennis Cummings and our own Vice District candidate Lion John Regan. Thanks to all that helped out with this event.

On March 4th President Michael and Lions Kathleen Conley, Mady Burnett, Lionel DeSouza and John Regan, Jr. and Lionel's wife were at the Imaginaruim photo screening 126 children. Keeping them in line were Guide Dogs Skippy and Savannah who of course were also the center of attraction for the children. Then on the 11th Lion Kathleen and Lion Mady along with Savannah were at Chuck-E-Cheese for four hours Photo screening.March also had us at Tudor Bingo on the 16th with Lions Don and Edrie Ballard, Pete Weimer, Royce Larson, Lauri Hilton and her son Chris helping to clear tables of paper and food. Thanks to all of you for helping out, it is important that remember that the largest amount of our project money comes from Tudor Bingo.

President Michael was looking pleased on the night of March 19th at the Royal Fork. President Michael has worked really hard at putting a Leo Club together and it couldn't have been more successful. Those present were three other Leo Clubs and several Lions Clubs I was told that it was close to ninety people who helped celebrate the Charter Night of the Spenard Leo Club. District Governor Shirley Littleton, Vice District Governor Dennis Cummings and Council Chairman John Trautner sat at the head table and helped with the ceremony. Leo President Carlos Chavesta didn't sweat the small stuff when someone took his bell and gavel, but Governor Shirley said that they had to return it, as it had to be presented to the Leo Club before it could be confiscated. It was a really nice night for them and we all look forward to see them accomplish the goals they have set for themselves.

Americans With Disabilities Act and Service Dogs by Lion Mady Burnett guide dog picture

People often ask about the use of service dogs (guide dogs for the blind, canines for independence, dogs for the hearing impaired, seizure dogs, etc) in terms of their desire to learn about how and where these dogs can be used in public. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) uses some broad language to protect individuals with disabilities who use service animals. In fact, the language is so broad almost any dog could be trained to be a service animal and qualify as such under the ADA.

Some might ask, so what’s wrong with allowing just anybody to train their dog to be a canine helper to help a person with a particular disability? The answer is not an easy one, but I have my fears about the growing numbers of people who are claiming to have trained service animals, circumventing any state mandated licensure or certification to verify that the animal can do what its trainer says it can. In reality, there is nothing to prevent an individual (with or without a disability) the use of their dog in a public facility, whether trained through a certified program or not. Sure, if challenged the individual could be found guilty of fraud or misrepresentation, but an individual does not have to publically disclose their disability even if asked.

I would personally like to see state legislation that would require mandated certification of all service animals. Animals could be individually trained but owners would have to see that their dog be certified through the state. For more information about ADA and guide dog use, please visit our web site and go to the link on Guide Dog Use and The ADA.