May 2004

Multiple District MD5M Newsletters

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May 2004 Volume 1, Issue 10

 Dear Lions, Lioness & Leos,

     Two months left of this current Lions fiscal year.  So I encourage you to continue with your projects. Lionism does not stop just because we will be coming to an end of the current year.  We just continue with going into another year with new offi-cers.  Many clubs have their busiest time during the summer, while some are busier during the winter.  The important thing is that we maintain membership to take care of our needs.  Membership is what a club is all about.

         5M-5 membership on July 1, 2003 with 1637 and by December 31 our membership was down to 1605.  As of February 29, 2004 we gained and have 1614 members.  So we are growing again.  We will have new members in March, April, and hopefully May and June.  Congratulations!

         Hopefully all clubs had representatives at the ROAR College.  This is a leadership course for the officers to enlighten them to lead a club.  It will be of benefit to each club with the leaders being updated and renewed in their roles as officers.  The officers are to lead a club. Think of a piece of string, you can lead it, but you cannot push it.  Same principle applies to a club.

         All of our Region/Zone meetings are over for this year.  Your Zone Chairs did a great job of presenting informative dialog among the Committee chairs and the club officers.  The reports that came from those meetings were so impressive.  It is great to learn what all the clubs are doing.

         At the Cabinet meeting I was presented with the Helen Keller Award, due to the donations given in my name when I would speak at a club.  Thank you one and all for making this possible.  I was totally stunned.  I have enjoyed being at the clubs and meeting Lions I hadn’t met before as well as renewing friendships with those I already know.    

         May is Recycle for Sight month.  Lions, as individuals, clubs and as Lions inter-nationally make lives brighter.  We help by collecting, restoring and distributing millions of glasses each year.  Check your community and see if you have placed the eye-glasses collection boxes in businesses, shopping centers,  and churches. 

         See you next month, which will be my last issue and I’m planning to give an update of some of our accomplishments and highlights. 

         Yours in Lionism,

                  Dist. Governor Jackie Morlock

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ROAR COLLEGE

      The education and training session for new Lions and new Lion 2004-2005 officers known as ROAR COLLEGE will take place Sunday evening, May 2^nd from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Center Civic Center, 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway (I-694 East to Shingle Creek Exit). 

      Keep in mind that a light supper will be served for $7.50/person so an RSVP is a must.  Clubs are encouraged to pay for all members attending.

      Come join the dinner, education, fun, prizes and more. Contact your club secretaries for more info.

ANNUAL LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ~ JULY 5 - 9, 2004
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, USA /

DETROIT, WINDSOR, CANADA

            Lions and their families and guests from around the globe are invited to experience a unique convention site in 2004 - the U.S. and Canada.   

            SECRETARIES  - DON’T FORGET! 

By the time the INFORMER reaches you the PU 101’s should have been sent into International and to Jackie, the District Governor, by the first of May.  If not,  PLEASE DO IT NOW.  The form is included with this issue of The Informer. We need the names for the new District Directory.

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      There is still time and room to get your delegates and interested Lions to the 5M Multiple convention, May 21-23 at Mahnomen. It will be a fun weekend.  At this printing, 5M5 have 55 Lions attending.

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      Lion Jim Ebert is back home now and sends his thanks for the many cards and prayers while he was in the nursing home.  He also expressed his appreciation to the PDG Fellowship for the John Lutter Award pre-sented to him at the Mid-Winter Convention.

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 “OUR” MARCHING BAND NEEDS HELP

    The District Governors of MD5M are asking clubs in their district to consider a voluntary money donation for the Sauk Rapids Marching Band.  They are our Lions Marching Band Ambassadors to the 87^th International Convention in Detroit, MI this summer.  In the past our marching bands have represented our Multiple and other states as well, and have won Band Division in the parade many times.  The Council of Governors votes to give the representative marching band an upfront $2,000 stipend, which comes from the MD5M budget.  We realize that for a band to go on a trip like this they need additional financial funds and we District Governors are asking you to consider an additional monetary donation.  Additional voluntary funds will help secure future bands to consider being our representative for the parade.  Any donation from each club would be grateful.  Send to MD5M Lions Executive Secretary Bob Harms, 72530 CSAH 27, Dassel, MN 55325.  Lion Bob Harms will collect and document the donations and send them to the band director.

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International Convention, continued from page 1

      Registrants will be assigned to hotels on both sides of the international border.  Detroit has had a profound impact on the world - from the invention of the automobile to the Motown music sound.   At the start of the 21st century, metro-Detroit is starting to reap the rewards of decades of work put into revitalization.  Windsor is situated just south of Detroit on an international border.  Visitors can enjoy miles of walking paths along the Detroit River, shopping in the city center and visit the casinos.  

Coretta Scott King will be the keynote speaker at the 87th Lions Clubs International Convention. King, wife of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leading participant in the American Civil Rights Movement. She has traveled the world speaking out on behalf of human rights, religious freedom, the needs of the poor and the rights of women and children and has been active in developing programs of the Atlanta-based Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Mrs. King speaks at the plenary session on Thursday, July 8. 

            If you’ve never attended an Int’l Convention, Detroit/Windsor would be a good place to start!

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GOV’S CALENDAR & UPCOMING EVENTS

April      25   New Hope Pancake Breakfast     

               29   Roger Leo Club Charter Night

               30   Wayzata Wine Tasting/Auction    

May         2   ROAR COLLEGE

               11   Mpls. Northeast Lions Visitation

               17   Eden Prairie Visitation & Installation

          21-23   MD5 Multiple Convention

               26   St. Bonifacius Lions Visitation

June    7-19   Special Olympics Opening Eyes   

          25-27   All Star Baseball Tournament

July       5-9   2004 Lions Int’l Convention,                      10         Maple Grove Corn Feed

               23   N.E. Lions Golf Tournament

August     7   TC Airport Caribbean Mercy Tour

      Remember to check for a listing of up-to-date events at our website www.5M5.org.

      There will be a June newsletter with a May 15 deadline  to be on-line by June 1.  There will be a combined July/August newsletter (deadline June 15) which will be online by July 1st.  The September Informer deadline is August 15 and will be online (hopefully) by September 1st.  Please keep these deadlines in mind for publicizing your fund-raising events in the June, July/August or September issues of The Informers.

It is great to welcome these new members that have joined our organization.  Do your best to make them feel welcome!  Sorry if someone from your club is not included.  The names of new Lions are the ones I receive from the Membership report or the club Newsletter.   – Governor Jackie

Lion Kurt Zellars                                Maple Grove

Lion Phil Stegora                                Maple Grove

Lion Ken Thoma                                 Bloomington

Lion Mike McCormick                                Rogers

Lion John Wilsey                      Transfer to St. Boni

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                        by Roger Badenhop, 5M-5 Coordinator

                           Special Olympics MN Opening Eyes

      In a few months we will have the warm sun of June and the Special Olympics of Minnesota summer games.  In the past two years the Lions of 5M5 have work with doctors and opticians in a program called Opening Eyes.

      The objective of the Opening Eyes program is to check the vision of the Special Olympic athletes and provide free glasses were needed.  LCIF has established a $2 million Core 4 grant to help with the cost of the program worldwide.  This is a substantial amount of money but only cover 50% of the cost of the program.  LCIF wants local participation and is asking the local clubs and districts to fund the balance and provide volunteers for the Opening Eyes program.

      There are approximately 6,000 Special Olympic athletes in the state of Minnesota and in the past, 1,000+ athletes have participated in the summer games.  Last summer we did vision screening on 223 athletes.  In Minnesota we still have a large task ahead of us.

      At this years Mid-Winter convention the district cabinet approved the Special Olympic Opening Eyes event as a 5M5 project.  The district needs to raise $5,000 to cover the portion not cover by LCIF and we need volunteers to work the project.  The dates for this year’s event are Friday June 18^th and Saturday June 19^th  Each day will be split into two shifts of 4 hours each.  You will be receiving more information re-garding volunteer opportunities in a few months.

      Let us partner with LCIF and Special Olympics Minnesota to help these athletes achieve their personal best.  Special Olympic Minnesota is a non-profit 501C3 organization and their federal ID# is 41-1228157.  If you are able to support this program financially please make your check payable to Special Olympics Minnesota Opening Eyes?

      Please call (612-721-1625) if you have any question. Thank you very much for you time and support.

YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM

                                                   by Brenda Reeves

      As 5M5 Youth Exchange Chair, I am looking for individuals and families interested in hosting a youth from another country this summer.                                                          

      The youth range in age from 16-18 years old. The visit to your home lasts from 6-8 weeks usually starting late in June.  One of the weeks they are here they will be attending Camp Spicer, a multi-district sponsored Youth Exchange Camp. Camp Spicer happens the last week of July. During Camp Spicer, visiting youth from our area travel around southern Minnesota, learning more about the Minnesota culture, seeing area sights and learning more about each other.  It is a very exciting time for the youth and they make lifelong friends at the camp and at their host home. 

      As a host family, the only requirements are that you have a bed for the youth, and will provide a warm, inviting environment for your visiting student. A reference from your local Lions Club is required, and you will also be expected to provide transportation to and from Camp Spicer.

      On Tuesday night during Camp Spicer (July 27) the youth will stay in host homes giving the counselors a chance to get a good night's sleep  (the youth don't like to waste time sleeping during the week when they could be spending time with their new friends!).  Brooklyn Park Lions sponsor the one night home stayover.  If you can't open up your home for the 4-6 weeks but would like to open up your home for one night and get to know 1-2 youth, please contact me. 

      So far this year, Linda and Wayne Harkness and my husband & I are taking in youth.  Two Japan-ese students have been placed with the Lions Club of Mpls.  As of 4/16 we still had 10 youth to place.  If you are interested please contact me, Brenda Reeves 612-819-1662.  I can answer your questions and lead you to the website for  additional  information.

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bow-lines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”  ~ Mark Twin . . . . . .  . and host a Youth Exchange student in your home!

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LIONS CLUB OF MINNEAPOLIS

PARTICIPATES IN YOUTH EXCHANGE

      Lions Club of Minneapolis will be sponsoring Mpls Southwest High School student, Evan Rausch, to attend Japan District 335 Int’l Youth Camp in the Osaka Japan area this summer.   Evan and his family reside in Minneapolis. 

      Evan will also be a guest of Ibaraki Oak Lions Club during his time in Japan.  Ibaraki Oak Club is the sister club of Lions Club of Minneapolis in the Osaka area.

      Evan speaks quite fluent Japanese and was highly recommended by his Japanese teacher as part of the selection process.  He also has good writing skills in use of Japanese characters. 

      He will spend two weeks as a participant in the Youth Camp and several additional days in home visits with member families of Ibaraki Oak Club.  He will be in Japan from about July 8th until a scheduled August 2nd return flight.  Evan will be an excellent “ambassador" for Minneapolis and will gain good ex-perience useful in his language studies and student life.

      Lions Club of Minneapolis will also host two Japanese students sponsored by the Ibaraki club who will spend some weeks in August as our guests in the Minneapolis area.  They are Ms. Ai Nakayama and Ms. Mio Kawada. We look forward to receiving them as guests & helping them experience a  Mpls summer.                                          by:  Lions John Stoltzfus

                                   Youth Exchange Chairman

                                   Lions Club of Minneapolis

International Convention 2009 website

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Last modified: July 24, 2008