September 2003 Volume I, Issue 2
ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE – ELIMINATE THE NEGATIVE
Dear Lions,
Since our last news-letter we have been to Den-ver for the International Convention. I was in classes for five days before the convention started. The Convention was awesome with the many seminars, with Lions from all over the world; the exchanging of pins which is a big thing. Another highlight was being in the colorful and musical parade, of which many members from our Multiple 5M and our own 5M5. Our Multiple sponsored a band from Litchfield High School and won first place in competition.
We witnessed the installation of the new International President Dr. T.S. Lee from Seoul, Korea. His theme is INNOVATION: THE GATEWAY TO THE FUTURE. Of which I encourage every club to be INNOVATIVE. Starting with the running of the club to new ideas and/or ways to do what we can to better ourselves, our clubs and our projects.
As you may have heard the dues increase was passed and by a large margin. With the increase in costs and the decrease in membership this was something that became necessary. Also passed was the right to be able to belong to another organization.
We also had the pleasure of a trip to International Headquarters in Chicago, then flown to Rochester, MI to tour the Leader Dog School. They have a new housing facility for the students, which is fabulous. The whole experience is something else. Our Multiple is now tops in donations. And our 5M5 is 100%, which means all the clubs contributed. Thank you clubs for making this possible.
Our new Lion year is upon us with upbeat officers and members. This is necessary if we want to recruit and maintain quality members. Remember my theme song: “We need to accent-uate the positive and elimin-ate the negative”. Also lets “Unlock the Secret of Lionism”. Let the public know who we are and what we do.
I apologize to the Camden and Robbinsdale clubs as their names were overlooked on the map in the directory.
Yours in Lionism,
Lion Jackie Morlock
District Governor
THE HONDURAN FIREMAN’S PROJECT
Most of you are familiar with the creation of “Lions City” in Honduras in the aftermath of Hurricane Fifi in 1975. In 1999 Hurricane Mitch devastated much of the country and Lions again stepped forward with assistance.
In 2000, MD5M Lions collected $35,000 and, along with a $20,000 LCIF grant, built a water and sewage system to serve two newly-built communities. Church missions built 20 new homes named “Mercy Meadows” and the LeCieba Lions built 10 homes next to the project and named it “Lions Village.”
The area has two fire stations serving 80,000 people and the firemen lost their homes in Hurricane Mitch. Funds were not available to rebuild these firemens’ homes, so the city of LaCeiba and Standard Fruit Co. offered to provide adjacent land for new houses. Unfortunately, the land was a ravine – but the determined firemen filled in the ravine – by hand!!
Not only did the firemen fill in the ravine, but they also made the cement blocks used to build the homes. What a great lesson in how to eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive! International Health Service agreed to provide the materials needed on the condition the Lions would pay to extend the water and sewer lines to the area where the firemen’s new homes were built.
The MD5M Council of Governors approved an LCIF grant request for $10,000 and received the check from LCIF. However, no funds can be disbursed until the LCIF grant is matched. According to Project Director PDG Jack Riordan, only $5,000 is left to finish the job.
Please consider donating to the Honduran Firefighters Water Project. If you need a 501 c because of the Gambling Fund, make your check payable to Lions of Minnesota Charitable Foundation with a note stating it is for the Honduras Project. You will receive a note from the Foundation for your records. You may send your checks to:
PCC Vern Harjes
4501 Park Glen Road
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
The following 5M-5 Lions and Lioness clubs have already contributed to the fund: Mpls. Airport, Brooklyn Center Lions, Brooklyn Center Lioness, Bloom-ington, Chanhassen, Corcoran, Dayton, Hopkins Evening, Lions Club of Minneapolis, Mpls. Lyn Lake, Mpls. Riverview, Orono, Osseo, Plymouth, Robbinsdale, Southwest and St. Louis Park.
How about it, 5M-5 Lions? Wouldn’t you be proud to have your club help complete this project? After all, someone has already done the hard work….. filling in the ravine!
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"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but by how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst....a spark that creates extraordinary results." – Author unknown
SUCCESSFUL SPECIAL OLYMPICS “OPENING EYES PROGRAM”
HELD June 20 and 21, 2003
Information submitted by Roger Badenhop
The 2003 Special Olympics Opening Eyes Program was a huge success. With the help of the dedicated Lions and Lioness volunteers we were able to accomplish the following:
223 athletes screened on site
22 pairs of glasses prepared on site
48 prescriptions sent to lab for completion
17 athletes referred to their local eye care provider
18 sports goggles made on site
1 set of swim goggles made on site
Sun Glasses with UV protection distributed:
62 regular sun glasses given to athletes
not needing prescription glasses
12 clip-on sun glasses
There were 10 opticians and 8 medical doctors present. They were ably assisted by volunteers from 10 Lion and Lioness clubs
Thanks to a grant from LCIF and contributions from the Lions of 5M-5, everything was provided free to the Special Olympic athletes. Thank you to the Lions and Lioness of 5M-5 for a job well done!
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IN MEMORIUM
Lion Ernie Kliewer, President of the Minneapolis Hiawatha Lions Club passed away on August 11, 2003. He is survived by his wife, Barb, and daughter, Debra, and 4 grandchildren. He was a dedicated Lion for 29 years and was also a member of the Knights of Columbus 435 and Eagles 34. Lion Ernie will be missed by his Lion friends and family.
“There is a way to find out if your mission in life is over. If you are alive, it is not over.” -Richard Bach
PLAN
AHEAD!
DISTRICT 5M5 CALENDAR
2003-2004 - (Tentative)
September18-20 USA Canada Forum
Portland, OR
October 4 or 11 World Service Day
October 10 Mpls. North Lions Charter Night
October 11 Thanksgiving for Vision
(Pres.) Earle Brown Center, BP
October 16-17 VDG Training
Mahnomen, MN
October 18-19 Council of Governors
Mahnomen, MN
October 26 Camp Courage Halloween
Party – Near Annandale
October 27 District Cabinet Meeting
Place: Camp Edenwood
October -- Sight Night –New program
November 10 Region West/Zone Meeting
Place Minnetonka Mist
November 12 Region East/Zone Meeting
Place TBD*
December 6 Salvation Army Bell Ringing
*TBD – To be determined
GOVERNOR’S SCHEDULE
September
3 Bloomington Visit
4 Brooklyn Center Visit
5 PDG Reunion (Harley’s)
18-21 USA/Canada Forum
24 Maple Grove Dande Visit
25 Old Log Theater-So’West Lions
October
4-11 World Service Day
6 Hopkins Evening Visit
10 Mpls. North (Charter Night)
11 Thanksgiving for Vision
14 Wayzata Visit
17-19 17-19 Council of Govenors-Mahnomen
23 Hamel Visit
26 Camp Courage Halloween Party
27 Cabinet Mtg-Camp Edenwood
28 St. Louis Park Visit
ATTENTION CLUBS! As you can see, Gov. Jackie’s calendar is filling up. Please contact her soon to reserve a date for her official visit to your club. Call her at 952-401-9455 or email her at hmorl@hotmail.com.
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CREATE A BRIGHTER TOMORROW
2003-2004 Lions Int’l. Peace Poster Contest
“Create a Brighter Tomorrow” is the theme of the 2003-2004 Peace Poster Contest. Lions clubs can sponsor the contest in their community for children in local schools or organized, sponsored youth groups. Students, ages 11 - 13 on Nov. 15, 2003 are eligible. Students select a medium as outlined in the contest rules to draw, paint or sketch their interpretation of the contest’s theme.
Lions clubs may purchase a contest kit ($7.95) for each school or youth group sponsored through the Club Supplies Sales Department. For an order form log on to www.lionsclubs.org.
5M-5 clubs are encouraged to sponsor the contest in their local schools or church group. It’s an excellent means of enlisting young people to think about the quest for peace throughout the world.
Deadlines are fast approaching: October 1: Deadline to purchase kits from Club Supplies at Int’l. HQ; November 15: Postmark deadline for a club to send one winning poster to the district gover-nor; December 1: postmark deadline for governor to send one winning district poster to multiple district council chairman.
Order you kits today, or contact Lion Jon Stern at 763-560-0570 if you need more details.
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CHARTER NIGHT SET FOR NEW MINNEAPOLIS NORTH LIONS CLUB
The Urban League Community Room will be the setting for the Charter Night of the newly formed Minneapolis North Lions Club on Friday, October 10, 2003. The Community Room is located at 2000 Plymouth Avenue North (corner of Penn and Plymouth).
Extension Chairmen PDGs Bucky Hartkopf and Charley Williamson report they have enlisted a great mix of enthusiastic men and women to become charter members of the new club. Pilot City Director
Gary Cunningham, will serve as Charter President; Lori McPherson as Secretary and Randy Swanson as Treasurer.
Guiding Lions Wayne Anderson and Kenneth Wojack from the sponsoring New Hope Lions will be assisting the new club as they take their first steps to becoming a significant presence in their North Minneapolis neighborhood.
5M-5 Lion Clubs should watch for further information arriving in the mail and again in the October issue of The Informer. Make a note of the date – October 10th and plan to attend this special charter night celebrating the formation of a new Lions club.
LET'S REVIEW – HOW IS THIS NEWSLETTER SUPPOSED TO WORK?
Hi! Well, I’m back for a second month – I’m glad you are too! I’m Marilyn Lieb, your Informer editor, and I’ll keep running an updated version of this column until we get it right. I’ve listed some corrections from the last newsletter, and from Gov. Jackie’s 2003-2004 5M-5 Club Directory. I’ll continue trying to explain how The Informer is distributed to, hopefully, each and every Lion, Lioness and Leo
The deadline for the October Informer is the 15th of September. When The Informer is complete (between the 20th to 25th of each month), it is emailed to Cabinet members, club presidents and secretaries whose email address I have, to Cabinet Secretary Lion Joan Andrew, and to each club’s Email Contact person. I will also send an email copy to Web-master Lion Steve Larson who will work his web magic and you will be able to view it online by the first of each month at www.5M5.org.
Secy. Joan is responsible for mailing a hard copy to those Cabinet members and club secretaries who do not have email, or to a club Mail Contact person. That Mail Contact (a club member who volunteered to take on this job) should then print and distribute the newsletter to fellow club members who haven’t received it by email.
We realize this all seems very cumbersome but the cost to print and mail a copy to every member is prohibitive. We ask your patience while we get everything in place. Please use the email address informer@dfti.net when writing to me.
ATTENTION LEOS! AND LEO ADVIS-ORS -- we would like to know what your clubs are doing and what your projects are. Please send some information to me at E-mail: informer@dfti.net.
That's it for September. I look forward to talking to you next month! ML
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ATTENTION ALL LIONS ---
---If your group is holding a forum, lecture, benefit, festival or other event, write to Community Calendar, Star Tribune, 425 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55488; email commcal@startribune.com; fax 612-288-8482; or call 612-673-7551
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Please make the following corrections and additions to your copy of the 5M5 District Directory (the small white one)
Corrections/changes to the Cabinet listings:
· Cabinet Treasurer-Dave Apold
· Eye Bank-Tom Shinnick
E: trshinnick@comcast.net
· Informer Editor
· LEHP-Lorraine Shinnick
· Extension-Charley Williamson
· Orientation&Mid-Winter Convention
Robert Lieb
· Youth Outreach
Corrections/changes to club listings:
· Chanhassen meets 4th Tues.
President, Paul Palmer
· Dayton, President John Jacobs
E: jjacobs@atmi.com
· Hamel President Lil phone: 763-478-9800
· Hopkins Evening
· President, Monica Sage
· Osseo, Secretary Brian Salisbury
E: mbsalisbury@comcast.net
· Plymouth Secretary Merv, E:merv_bjerke@comcast.net
Changes to the Multiple 5M Directory (Green)
· Page 9 Wayne Swanson, B:218-281-4343 F:218-281-1888 E: LawFirm@wayneswanson.com
· Page 12 Roy Larson, E: roylarsons@aol.com.
· 5M5 Section: Same as above
· Section B
Page B1, Thorfinnson, Fax: 952-944-0951
B2, Thorfinnson, Fax: 952-944-0951
B21,Thorfinnnson, change b to C: 612-819-1743
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SIGHT NIGHT 2003!
Jeepers Creepers!
We want your old Peepers!
On trick-or-treat night 2003 you can help provide a real “treat” to people in developing countries in need of glasses.
In a unique twist to the collection of eye-glasses, volunteers across North America canvass their neighborhoods to collect unwanted eyeglasses during trick-or-treating.
Want to help? It’s so easy…it’s almost scary!
· Gather a group of friends, family or community groups who want to participate.
· Go to www.sightnight.org, or call toll-free 1-877-605-4242 to order a FREE Sight Night collection kit (available at the end of August). One kit per group, please. First come – first served!
· Have a howling good time collecting used eyeglasses while trick or treating on Sight Night.
· Tell us how many glasses you collect using the fax-back sheet included in the kit. After Sight Night, your group will receive a Sight Night Certificate.
· Drop off the glasses you collect at any LensCrafters location. They will recycle the glasses and give them to people in developing countries.
LensCrafters Foundation and Lions Clubs Int’l. sponsor missions to developing countries. The local Lions in mission countries are instrumental to its success and handle publicizing the clinic, selecting a site, organizing volunteers and arranging other logistics. Currently there are ten two-week missions a year and at each approximately 15,000 people are helped.
Since 1988, Lions Clubs International and LensCrafters have partnered to deliver the gift of sight to needy people around the world. Sight Night volunteers have “scared up” almost a half million pairs of glasses since 1999.
This would be a frighteningly fun project for a scout group, a church group or grade school. Check out all the information on the Sight Night web site www.sightnight.org. There is loads of information there. Need even more information? Contact Lion Ellie Reitmeyer at 952-540-0425 and watch for more information in the next Informer.
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“There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” - Unknown
LIONS NIGHT WITH
THE TWINS – SEPT 5!
The Minnesota Twins and Lions of MD5M have “teamed up” to bring you Lions Night with the Twins. This special discount is available to all Lion Club members, families and friends, for the game on Friday, September 5 at 7:05 p.m. - Minnesota Twins vs. Texas Rangers.
All tickets are discounted $2.00 from the regular price. Lions may sit together in the lower reserved area along the first base line. All Lion clubs ordering tickets will receive a welcome on the Twins scoreboard.
Order deadline is September 3rd and tickets are limited. To receive an order form, call Dist. Gov. Jackie at 952-4010-9455, or you can order tickets by calling the Twins phone contact, Jason Stern 612-375-7502.
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THE JOHN LUTTER
MEMORIAL AWARD
The 5M-5 Past District Governors are seeking nominations to honor an outstanding Lion member for extraordinary service and dedication to Lionism. The Lutter Memorial Award is named for Past International Director John Lutter, who passed away in January 2003.
The recipient of this award should be a club member who exemplifies the beliefs held by John Lutter – those of cooperation, enthusiasm, love of God and country, and a willingness to respond to the needs of their Lions Club. This person would be one who lives the Lions motto – “We Serve.”
The award will be presented at the Governors’ Banquet at the Mid-Winter Convention in 2004.
Nomination forms were distributed at the Cabinet and Zone meetings. Contact your Zone Chairman for a form and nominate someone you think is deserving of this honor.
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“Promises must be kept, deadlines met, commitments honored; not just for the sake of old-fashioned morality, but because we become what we do (or fail to do), and character is simply the sum of our performances.” -Leo Burnett
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SET GOALS: Do you think the world’s high jump record would be as high if there wasn’t a crossbar? - Unknown