The
President's CornerNovember Newsletter
The
President's Corner
Fellow Lions. This past month has been a busy one for the Spenard Lions Club. Our Food Bank has been bursting at the seams, the Great Pumpkin is finished for another year, and our commitment to Tudor Bingo has started. I would like to thank each and every Spenard Lion for their hard work, their commitment to Lionism, and their wonderful fellowship.
I am pleased to report that our Club is gaining new members at a steady rate. Recently, I attended Rabbit Creeks 35th anniversary dinner. Rabbit Creek President, Lion Mike, gave some wonderful comments regarding generation X's life experiences. Lion Mike noted that this is a generation that knows nothing of a past that many of us have lived through and take for granted. What could the Lions offer to a generation that knows no experience of the first moon landings, the first TVs, or the first President to ever throw up in a Japanese Premier's lap. How could we , as Lions, offer these youth the qualities of Lionism that all of us cherish. Well, I have a solution to the question. Just ask them to become Lions. It is that simple. My wife, Lion Kathleen, has to continuously tell me to calm down on my recruitment efforts. Virtually everyone that I meet is asked the question What do you feel about doing volunteer work? Most everyone feels that they do not have the time, but every once in awhile, I manage to get someone who is interested. Some of these folks eventually join the Lions. None of this would have happened if the question of Volunteerism had not been asked. Every Lion reading this, won't you ask the question of someone you meet today?
The Spenard Lion Club Christmas dinner is on December 4th at Gwennie's. Tickets will be in high demand and I urge all of you to get your tickets early. Participating in the event with us this year will be the Midtown Lions and the Lake Hood Flying Lions. I welcome any other Lions who wish to join us for this great night of fun.
Our resident squirrel has managed to tunnel holes through the sheetrock in the Clubhouse and make himself at home. Lion John Regan has been waging war against our buddy for several seasons now, and the squirrel is winning. Lion John swears that he finally got the critter. I think that the squirrel is hibernating. The saga continues.
The midwinter is coming up at Kodiak. Few Lions are as fun as the Kodiak Lions, and anyone who can make the trip should do so. Lion Kathleen and I are going and hopefully not a single scallop will be left in the waters surrounding Kodiak after I try to fulfill the Kodiak Lions challenge of, Just How Many Scallops CAN You Eat? Please join us at the Mid Winter Conference.
Before closing, I would like to give special thanks to Lion Joanne Koss for her work as the Chairlion of Convention 2000. Spenard and Mount McKinley hope that our convention will not be forgotten for along time. Thank you to Lion Kathleen Conley for sewing up a beautiful gold and purple banner to be used at photo screening events. Thank you new Lion Hans for your work at Tudor Bingo. Thank you Lion Milo for your contribution of eyeglasses, which now number ten thousand that you have contributed. Also, thank you for the beautiful watches that you donate for door prizes, and most recently for the stunning Rabbit gavel that you presented to Lion Mike at the Rabbit Creek anniversary. And last but not least, thanks Lion Mady for a wonderful newsletter.
As the holiday seasons approach, I wish each and everyone of you the warmest and most delightful of seasons tidings.
Sincerely, Lion Michael Curley, President
Special points of interest:
Lion Donna Stanton was able to break away from work to attend a lunch meeting and was successful in winning the Split the Pot Drawing. She donated some of her winnings to the projects fund to be used as best fit.
From The Editor...Lion Mady Burnett
The snow is on the ground. The Great Pumpkin has come, visited, and left for another year. Now it is time to look for the perfect turkey to feast upon. When that perfect turkey is found, the yams are ready to be served, and the last piece of pumpkin pie is eaten, we will still sit around the living room and meditate on our thanksgiving's.
What are our thanksgiving's? I not only think about it on the one given day of the year, I think about it quite frequently during the entire year. My blindness is a gift that was given to me. It has developed my character to be a better person. I can truly say that prior to my blindness, I was not a very happy person. I had loaded myself with a lot of unnecessary burdens and sadness. I have learned to be a patient person because my blindness taught me to do things slowly and carefully. Without the loss of my sight, I might not have learned about the LIONS club. I am not usually a joiner of clubs; however, I was led to join the LIONS because of their unselfish gift of love to the blind.
The LIONS not only help the blind, they also help all needs in the community. I enjoy all the members of the LIONS throughout the entire state of Alaska. I have also met several LIONS outside the Alaska LIONS and am thankful for those long distance connections. My loss of sight has given me this and many other things in my life. May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I look forward to continuing to carry my thanksgiving's throughout the year and add to them during the new millennium.
From The Board
During the November 2nd Board Meeting, the Spenard Lions took the following actions:
Lion Kathleen reported that the Mid-Winter Conference scheduled for November 18th through the 20th in Kodiak would have International Director, Rick Meyers as guest speaker. Non-support group president Joe Koss would hold a class on Gaming. Lion Kathleen said that if anyone wished to attend the cost for the conference was $95.00.
October a Busy Month For the Spenard Lions by Charlotte Henke
Lion's Mady, Kzuko, Kathleen, Jenni and John Harris sold tickets for at the Northway and Dimond Mall. They were accompanied by Lion Joyce Campbell of Benton Bay Lions and Lion dog Savannah helped to keep their spirits up. (Mady maybe you can add how the ticket sells went) Along with helping with the clean up of Great Pumpkin Festival we did photo screening which was most successful a total of 43 three pictures were taken.
Lion Kathleen Conley has put in over 16 hours hauling bread and chilled food for the food bank in the past couple of month.
Lion Fred Walatka attended a club meeting while on a cruise ship.
Lion President Michael, Kathleen and Bob Nelson attended the Food Bank of Alaska's 20th Anniversary and Ribbon Cutting. They thanked the contributors for the fight against hunger. Amazingly the Food Bank has distributed a record 3 million pounds of food last year to help feed more than 60,000 needy people. We should really be proud that we are a part of this distribution.
Spenard Lions helped out at Tudor Bingo on October 22nd and again on October 31. Lions helping out from 7 PM to 12:30 AM were Hans Metz, Milo Mujagic, Pete Weimer, John Harris, Royce Larson, Maxine Plett, Edrie Ballard, Cleora Hamases, Fred Walatka, Iwalani Carion and John Regan.
Spenard Lions attending the Valdez Lions Club charter night celebration were President Mike Curley and Lion John Regan. The Spenard Lions donated $100. As a gift to the new club.
The Spenard Club has a large amount of Christmas wreaths that were made last year. The Center for the Blind will be selling them and we will be receiving 40% or the profit. We received a very nice letter from the AK Center for Blind and Deaf Adults thanking us for the $2000 donation to purchase tools for their wood shop.
We were heroes according to Anne Ver Hoef who is a speech pathologist who asked for help for one of her students who needed help in reestablishing her independence again after a devastating auto accident by paying her electric deposit. We also received a thank you note from the student.
Intervention Helpline sent a very nice certificate for our support on their 4th Annual Walk for Recovery. Spenard Lions are proud to be a part of the "cause" for Drug & Alcohol Free Alaskans.
On November 9th Spenard Lions had an official visitation to the Senior Center Lions Club. Spenard Lions visiting were Lions Skippy, Pres. Michael, Kathleen, Mady, Pete and John Regan, Jr. Later or November 9th Lions Pres. Michael, Kathleen, Skippy, Milo Mujagic, LeeAnne and John Regan, Jr. attended the Rabbit Creed Lions 36th Anniversary. Lion Milo presented the Rabbit Creek Lions with a ????
Spenard Lions will be having their Christmas dinner on December 4th at 6:30 PM no host cocktails and 7PM dinner. This will be a joint part with Lake Hood Flying Lions and the Midtown Lions Club. Only 80 tickets will be printed so get yours right away. Lion's LeeAnne Regan and Joanne Koss have assured us that there will be lots of fun and door prizes. Cost of the dinner is $19.99
Boxes, Boxes and More Boxes
It takes empty cardboard boxes to pack the food that's given away and we go through quite a few on food day. The collection process is a simple one that takes little time several times before the 2nd Saturday of the month. A primary source of empty boxes is from beverage stores and the beer boxes appear to be the best suited for this purpose. Another source for boxes is a mailing company on the airport. They get plenty and usually fold them so they don't take too much storage space compared to the other boxes. In this way these boxes serve in another way before being discarded. The outside crew who package the wheat, produce and occasionally vegetable and fruit distribution find that the plastic shopping bags do best. We have a good supply stocked thanks to the constant re-supplying by Lions bringing in their spares. Keep on doing that. What ever cardboard can not be used is carried to the recycle center so it gets used again.
News Flash!!!
Spenard Lions Club Christmas Party Saturday December 4, 1999 at Gwennie's Restaurant
5:30pm No Host Cocktails
6:30pm dinner $19.99 per person
Dinner choice will be: Prime Rib or Prawns or Chicken
$10.00 exchange gift per person
Join us for Fun--Food--Lions Family Limited seating
Tickets must be purchased by December 1, 1999
Tickets available--call Lion Lee Anne 342-4333