May 2005

Multiple District MD5M Newsletters

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May 2005 Volume 2, Issue 9

Governor Ole and Lion Karen’s Travels Through

Service & Membership:                      

 Dear Lions of 5M5 - 

What a GREAT DAY!!!!!  I’m sitting here reflecting on  this past Lions year.  Even be-fore the beginning of  Lions year 2004-2005, there was a committee formed to see if we could increase our member-ship in 5M5.  Lots of committee meetings and sub-committee meetings, brain storming with Zone Chairs and Region Chair, Membership Committee, Retention Committee, Leader-ship, PDG’s, PID’s, and Lions. Our sole purpose was to see if we could help the clubs in our District grow.  Out of the meetings came “The Plan”.  This was not necessarily received as a do-able program by some in our District and I dare say some people were even hoping that it would fail.  You see, almost every year Lions International pushes membership…increase the numbers and I’m sure that a lot of Lions kind of turn a deaf ear.   I just want to say. “ Thank you for listening and taking this seriously!”  

      Let me tell you just a couple of success stories that have come about because of “The Plan”.  At the end of January, our District was down 23 members. As of today, we are down only 1.   Plymouth Club is up in membership, Eden Prairie is up, the new kids on the block , the Ambassador Club is growing by leaps and bounds…if they keep going at the pace they are, they will double their membership within their first year in existence. We have a club that has gone from 5 to 15 members.  Is “The Plan” working?  I should say so. 

      I have a special success story.  Lion Karen and I were out to St. Boni for our official visit. I spoke of the Healthy Club and Membership and The Plan.  President Daniel Ebert told me that St. Boni was going to have a wild game feed and a membership drive at their next meeting. I asked if they would like some help with a Lions Orientation. He agreed and PID Ross, Lions Lynda and Karen and I went out with a power point presentation and to answer any questions that they might have.  At this meeting there were nine non-members.  Wonderful dinner, fellowship and conversation about Lions, what they do at the International level, District level and then St. Boni told them what they do at the Club level. On April 6, I had the honor on installing seven of those non-members into the St. Boni Club.  Is “The Plan” working?  I should say so!

      You are all successful Lions Clubs. To increase your membership you have to sell yourself.  I have noticed that at the breakfasts we have gone to this last year, more and more of you are putting together pamphlets and signs of what you do in your community…Great job! I know you are all proud that you are Lions and proud of what you do.  BUST THOSE BUTTONS and tell the story!  If you would like to have an orientation done, please do not hesitate to contact me. We do have teams ready and willing to come out and give you a hand. Even if you want an orientation done for your club members….sometimes we forget how Lions got started, or who does what job at Lions International.  Sometime, we forget that our club is a part of a bigger organization. It’s a good refresher for all of us.

      We still have a lot of work ahead of us in the next 3 months. We do have some new clubs that are just about ready  to come on board…We talk of getting new clubs and new members, but let’s not forget about retaining our existing members. 

      Am I fired up?  Ya sure ya betcha!  I will always be fired up….I’m proud to be a Lion and to have the opportunity to serve 5M5 as your District Governor.  I’m not going to be a flash in the pan . . . I am going to see “The Plan” all the way through!

      Make it a GREAT day! 

Yours in Lionism,

     DG Ole                                 

Portions submitted by VDG-elect Bob Jechorek

      Don’t miss the 2005 Multiple District convention to be held in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, May 6-8, 2005 at the Keystone Center.  The convention will be hosted by Brandon area Lions who are well-known for being outstanding hosts. – and making sure no one over sleeps!!

      The guest speaker will be PID Dennis Tischner, from MD36, Oregon.  

      As the “home” Multiple District of PID Ross Thorfinnson, 5M delegates will be asked to endorse his candidacy for 2^nd Vice President Lions International.  All of the districts comprising Multiple 5M unanimously supported the 2^nd VP candidacy effort of PID Ross at their Mid-Winter conventions.  You can be a part of this thrilling journey of Ross, Lynda and our Multiple 5M.  5M will serve as the foundation of Ross’ international campaign.  Get on board as we set out to present this extraordinary candidate to the Lions of the world.

      Remember when nominations were made of outstanding Lions from 5M-5 for induction in the Lions Hall of Fame?  The names of the Lions chosen for this honor will be revealed at the convention.

      The convention hotel is the Canada Inn, which is attached to the Keystone Center.  Room rates for regular rooms are $89.99 (CDN).  Each person is responsible for making their own room reservation.  The hotel phone number is 1-888-332-2623.  Mention account #10 when making your reservation.  RV parking facilities are available (including electricity and water) for $18/night.

      Hospitality books, which cover all meals and entertainment, are $99 (CDN).  Cancellations will be accepted before April 15, 2005, for a $20 charge.

      Make your plans to attend the convention now.  Below is a list of additional hotels in the area.

PU 101

Remember to fill out your PU101 forms and send them in right NOW to LCI, Governor and your Zone Chairman. The information is used in a directory to help keep us informed of the leadership in your clubs.

CLUB OFFICER TRAINING.

To be held Sunday, May 22 from 5:00 – 9:00 at the Brooklyn Center Civic Center. All Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers and Membership Chairs should attend…of course, everyone is welcome to attend….cost is $7.50 for the meal. Plan on an evening of fellowship and education.  You won’t want to miss it!

submitted by Lion Charlie Johns, Eye Bank Co-Chair

      The Minnesota Lions Macular Degeneration Center at the University of Minnesota's Department of Ophthal-mology and the Vision Foundation present the sixth annual Macular Degeneration Symposium on Saturday, April 30, 2005 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center.

      The MAC seminar brings together experts from the community and Minnesotans affected by macular degeneration.   Presenters give updates on the latest research and treatment options for macular degeneration, and a question and answer period follows.  Vendors will be on hand to demonstrate low-vision tools.

      Check-in will be from 8:00a.m.- 9:00a.m. with the program from 9:00a.m. - 12:00p.m.  Seating for this event is limited and registration is strongly recommended.  The Symposium is free and open to the public. Please call 612.625.8992 to register.

by Lawful Gambling Chair Lion Bill Nelson

      To illustrate just how much Lawful Gambling impacts our daily lives, there have been twenty-seven (27) new bills introduced to date in this current legislative session dealing exclusively with gambling in the State of Minnesota. These bills, or proposals, include everything from casinos, pull-tabs, video lottery games and everything in between. As an example, there is even a proposal under consideration (HF 1009), to allow a casino operation run by the Minnesota State Lottery at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. Just how many of these proposals will make it out of committee and actually become law by the end of this year's Legislative Session is another thing. However, we can almost predict with a reasonable degree of accuracy that we will definitely see a proliferation and expansion of gambling in the State of Minnesota before the end of this current legislative session in May.

      How will this ultimately effect Lawful Gambling and our Lions Clubs in District 5M5 and their respective charitable giving remains to be seen. Currently, we have had somewhat of a "corner on the market" with pull-tabs, bingo, raffles and the like, but, with the possible addition of a State run casino in the Twin City area and, even legalized sports wagering (SF 449 and HF 968) we could be in for a "run for our money." Although there seems to be an insatiable appetite for gambling in our State and also what is apparently an almost unlimited spending potential for gambling, I would estimate that we could possibly see a decline in our collective sales, profits and giving by a few percentage points if even some or, part of this proposed legislation actually becomes a reality or, law.

      The Lawful Gambling industry as we now know it is already a $1.4 billion (gross sales) industry on a statewide basis that employs over 24,000 people. Of that $1.4 billion, 93.05 percent is spent on pull-tabs. Gambling is huge in our state and could even become larger as our legislator's ponder the question and come to terms with expanded gambling to ease the projected deficit position, increased spending, education and the stadium issue among many other pressing issues.

      Charitable Gambling has been good for our respective Lions Clubs in 5M5, our community and, has had a very large impact on improving the lives of thousands of deserving individuals and groups, both on a local and national basis who otherwise would have been unable to afford a decent or, better life without those charitable funds. Lions, especially those

of us in District 5M5, are a very caring, giving and generous group of dedicated individuals. Couple that with the fact that Lawful Gambling currently contributes over $56 million dollars a year in revenue (tax dollars) to the State of Minnesota. As a result, I can virtually guarantee everyone that Lawful or, Charitable Gambling as we know it today will be in existence until there is no longer a state or, planet. They need our tax dollars from charitable gambling to help run the state and we need the money from our charitable gambling operations to continue our good works for the benefit of our less fortunate neighbors and humanity.

      My recommendation: Keep your charitable gambling operations up and running. We ain't done yet by a long shot!

Information provided by Marge Jenkins

A reporter from a neighborhood publication, the Southwest Journal got an eye-opening when they started asking questions about volunteers in the Uptown area. 

      The reporter wrote glowingly about the Uptown Rotarian Club and the Lyn-Lake Lions Club volunteer efforts at Joyce Food Shelves, Jefferson Elementary School and other local venues.  The Lions run the raffle for the Jefferson school carnival while teaching kids about the power of service work.  The Lions just finished a four-day food drive among the kids that netted 700+ pounds of food for Joyce Foodshelf.  The Lions then served 16 pizzas and 8 gallons of orange drink to the 2 winning classes that brought the most food for the drive.

      This relatively small club always has an impressive list of projects in their monthly newsletter.  The South-west Journal article featured a nice group picture of several of their members.  They are hopeful the good publicity from the article will generate some new members for their club!

DISTRICT 5M5 CALENDAR

Apr 30     St. Louis Park Casino Bus Trip

Apr 30     MN Lions Macular Degeneration Symposium

May 1      Hopkins Eve/Noon Club Spring Concert

May 6-8   Multiple Convention, Brandon, Manitoba

May 15    Hopkins Eve Belgium Waffle Breakfast

May 22    New Club Officers Training Session

Jun 2-5    Eden Prairie Schooner Days

Jun 11      Champlin Lions 4^th Annual Car Show

Jun 17      NE Mpls Lions Annual Golf Tournament

Jun 17      Eden Prairie Lioness Garden Tour

Jun 24      Special Olympics, Bierman Field U of M

Jun 26-Jul 1 - Int’l. Convention, Hong Kong, China

Sep 21-24  - USA/Canada Forum, Peoria, IL

            Since the last month Carol & I have eaten a lot of pancakes.  We have been to nine breakfasts.  We also had a couple of committee meetings, the MERLO team met to finalize the membership & retention part of the plan.  We met with 5M6 to finalize the LCIF Benefit concert, which was held on Saturday night April 9, a very good time was had by all, and 5M5 & 5M6 raised close to $15,000 to be given to Past International President Tae Sup Lee that night, for the tsunami relief.

      We also had our last Zone meeting for the year.  We still have work to do in our district.  We have work to do on our Membership, Retention, and Orientation. 

      We need to see more Lions sign up for the 5M convention, in Brandon, Canada.  The convention is May 6,7,& 8.  This is a very nice time of the year to travel and see Canada.

      We also had a Cabinet meeting in March.  All of our committees, and zones are working very hard to complete their goals for the year.

      See you in Brandon, Canada!

            Yours in Lionism,  -   DG-elect Lion Jack

            Submitted by Lion Roger Badenhop

      On June 24^th approximately 1,200 Special Olympic Athletes will arrive at the Bierman Athletic Complex on the campus of the University of Minnesota for this years Special Olympic Summer Games.

      This year the athletes will have the opportunity to have their hearing, eyesight, teeth, feet and glucose checked.  In order to make this summer event a success we will need approximately 15 to 20 volunteer for each of the 4-hour shifts.

      Check your calendar and if possible join us this summer and make this year’s healthy athlete program a success.  The shifts for this year are:

·   Thursday, June 23^rd  -  Set up - 9:00 am until complete  (approximately 2 hours)

·   Friday, June 24^th  - 8:30 am until 12:30 am

·   Friday, June 24^th - 12:00 Noon until 4:00 pm

·   Saturday, June 25^th - 8:30 am until 12:30 pm

·   Saturday, June 25^th  - 12:00 pm Tear down & pack up 

      Those of you who have volunteered at this event know that it isn’t what you give this day that touches your heart – it’s what you get from working with these wonderful individuals.  Please contact Roger at 612-721-1625 to volunteer!

      The LCIF Benefit Concert was a success.  There were over 250 people in attendance; the Augsburg Centennial Chorus was excellent and best of all we had a check for $15,000 to present to Dr. Tae-Sup Lee, Imm. Past Int’l. President/ LCIF Chairman.  IPIP Dr. Lee was kind enough to present a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellowship to Lion Carol Ann Sideen.  The Progressive Melvin Jones was given as a memorial to the late 5M-6 DG Wes Sideen by the Current District Governors, CC Keith and Marian John, Exec. Sec. Bob and Debbie Harms and PID Ross and Lynda Thorfinnson, Jr. 

      IPIP Dr. Lee also spoke briefly about LCIF and the donations for the Tsunami Relief effort.  The LICF Trustees had originally committed US $2.5 Million from the reserves which they expected to be matched           by US 2.5 Million in contributions from Lions Clubs throughout the world.  To date individual Lions, Lions, Lioness and Leo Clubs have contributed over  U.S. $11 Million which will be used primarily for the rebuilding of homes, schools & hospitals in the affected countries.  The money will go directly to these construction efforts as it is funneled through Lions Clubs in the affected areas who will direct the          work and expenditures.

      IPIP Dr. Lee also spoke of his tour that afternoon of the Lions of MN facilities and programs at the University of MN.       He said "He is proud to be a Lion" after the tour.  He commented on the close relationship between the Lions of MN and the U of MN, a relationship that is unprecedented in the world and producing leading edge results in research and clinical work.  We can all be proud to be Lions and be proud of our work at the U of MN.  We are making a difference in people's lives daily!

submitted by Camden Lion Bill Moore                                       

      In a move (which calls into question our Club President's grasp of reality), the Camden Lions have been asked by one of our charter members &
President of the Minneapolis Park Board, Jon Olson, to provide 75 volunteers per day for an event on July 16-17, 2005 in conjunction with the Mpls. Aquatennial.

      The event is the National Log Rolling Championship,  The event organizers have committed to 3 years at North Mississippi Regional Park, Carl Kroening Inter-pretive Center, just east of I-94 at 50th Ave N.
      The Camden Lions are asking for help from 5M5 Lions in providing at least 75 volunteers per day for a minimum of a 4 hour shift.  Currently, we have been told that our responsibilities will be in traffic and people control; this could change as we get closer to the event. Volunteers would be giving people directions and not acting as policemen.  Organizers expect as many as 10,000 people during the 2-day event.

      Primarily, the Lions would act as ambassadors for the event – and garner a great deal of positive publicity for our Lions organization.

      The Lions will slso host a Lumberjack Breakfast on Sunday morning; with proceeds shared by the clubs that volunteer. 

      The event will be comprised of Log Rolling, Pole Climbing, Log Chopping and other types of lumberjack activities.  Whoohee!  This is a national championship and there should be news coverage. 

      Camden Lions President Tom Bain sees this as a huge opportunity to show Lionism in community action.
      We look forward to hearing from all our Lion friends in 5M5 by June 30 to volunteer some time for this great event. (If all 42 clubs in 5M5 had 2 people per
day come to volunteer that would be 84 people.)  There will be a volunteer sign up sheet at our great new web site, www.camdenlions.org or you may contact Lion Tom Bain at 612.701.5379 (tombain@mn.rr.com) or Lion Bill Moore at 612.522.0784.

      Thanks for your support, and we look forward to hearing from you!

      The Brooklyn Center Lions Club would like to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to those who attended our 50th Anniversary. Without you it would not be the success it was.  We appreciate your coming and celebrating that evening with us.

Member                Club                              Sponsor      

Richard Post           Crystal Lions           Ed Thonander

·         Deadline for the June  issue of The Informer is May 12, 2005.  Send articles or ads to me at informer@dfti.net 

·         Note to Informer Editor:  Brooklyn Center’s 50^th anniversary was Friday night, April 8 - not Saturday night, April 9.  Sheesh!

·         The City of Eden Prairie recently dedicated the Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area. The area's 130 acres, located off Flying Cloud Drive near the Chanhassen city line, contain spring-fed streams, steep bluffs overlooking the river, and a diverse ecosystem that includes forest, savanna and prairie.  The area is accessible from a parking lot at 18700 Flying Cloud Dr.  The Eden Prairie Lions Club has donated $6,000 towards placing interpretative signs around the trail that runs through the area, describing the area’s plants and animals. 

·         The Orono Lions gave 124 $20 certificates to Orono first graders who read 20 minutes a day every day in February. This RED (Read Every Day) Lions project has been a great promoter of Lionism in our community. Many thanks to the teachers and staff who have been so helpful in our reading promotion. We encourage other clubs to adopt this wonderful plan.

·         On April 8th the Brooklyn Center Lions celebrated their 50th anniversary. The event was attended by over 150 Lions, Lioness and guests. The Reverend Joseph Kim pastor of the Korean Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn Center gave the invocation in both English and Korean. Our own charter member Lion Larry Roen led the pledge. The Mayor of Brooklyn Center the Honorable Myrna Kragnes read a proclamation praising the Lions for their service to mankind. Representatives from the Brooklyn Center Rotary Club honored the B.C. Lions for all they have done. Former Mayor Phil Cohen representing 5th District Congressman Jim Ramstead read proclamation that was  read into the Congressional Record in Washington D.C.   Dr Tae-Sup Lee immediate Past President of Lions Clubs International and LCIF Chairman gave an inspiring message about LCIF and the Tsunami relief effort. He praised the B.C. Lions for their 50 years of service. The celebration was wonderful, the food was great and everyone had a great time. We thank everyone who attended, you made it a success.  PDG Tom Shin-nick, Secretary Brooklyn Center Lions Club.

·         The final newsletter for Gov. Ole will be the next issue . . . the June issue!  There will be no July issue, but there will be a combined July/August Informer due out the first of August celebrating the beginning of Gov. Elect Hines year.  If you want to publicize your June or July fundraiser in the June issue please have the information to me by May 12.  If you want to publicize an August or later fundraiser in the July-August issue I’ll need to receive your information by July 12.  Send me a note, or give me a call!

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