Good Works!

SIGHT & HEARING REPORT

Foundations Funding

Most funding for Northwest Lions Foundation comes from Sight Life. Next year $461,342 has been budgeted from Sight Life for NFL. We have budgeted $100,000 from white canes.

White Cane Days

The Wenatchee Lions Club now owns the machine that makes the white canes and they have already made 60,000 white canes. Clubs in MD 19 order your white canes and other supplies thru Marsha from NLF as before.

Mini Health Screening Units

Group Health has agreed to fund new mini trailers for MD 19. District C has the first mini trailer funded by Group health. The trailer contains 2 illuminations cabinets, Optical vision screeners, 4 audiometers, 2 pop up tents, color printer, tables, chairs, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and more. The trailer is not big enough to do the screening. The sole purpose of the trailer is to store and transport the supplies for screening. Group Health is fully funding the trailer and supplies. The next two areas to get a trailer will be Spokane and Everett.

Group Health is merging with Kaiser Permanente. The partnership between GH and NLF helps GH fulfill their community outreach and health screening objectives. This is a great partnership between Lions and Group Health.

The Washington Legislator has changed the WAC laws so using the new sight screening devices manned by volunteers meets the school requirements.

Health Screening Unit.

New schedule comes out next week. We are still looking a part time fill in driver.

Hearing Aids

Club Cost is $340 for both ears. I have reported to some the cost to the club was $340 per ear. That is not correct.

Patient Care Grants

Still Available

PDG STEVE NOBLE

SIGHT & HEARING CHAIR

     

Save Some Money

Just two weeks left to get your Purple Polo Shirt and save $20 on your March 10^th and 11th 19F Conference registration.

You can order your shirt by phone by calling 1VDG Crystal Walk now at 509-200-0109 or you can go to our  Online Conference Registration and click a few boxes to order the shirt and complete your registration. Have your credit card numbers ready when you call Vice District Governor Crystal.

The 79 of you who already have your shirts or have them ordered need to go to step two which is to complete the Online Conference Registration

If you are uncomfortable with using an online form you can Download the Registration Form to fill out, snail mail it in or scan it and email it back. You will still need to call VDG Crystal Walk at 509-200-0109 to make payment.

The good folks at the Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center will then need to hear from you so please call them and make your early Mar 9th, that night March 10^th or linger longer Mar 11^th date of reservation for your room. Your choice. Call 866-826-9422 and ask for the discounted Lions District F Conference Rate of $109 a night.

Inspiration!

Up an iron alley staircase or up the steep wooden and narrow front stairs at the old American Legion Hall in Palouse, America is an amazing Lions Clubhouse. 

On one wall, is a 48 star American flag that once belonged to the American Legion Post who previously inhabited these digs. The current inhabitants of the Legion Hall. the Palouse Lions Club, have left other Legion mementos on the walls including photos of past Local Commanders. It is, after all, a history of public service in their town which is a history that the Lions now continue.

The room is large, welcoming, has a bar, a kitchen, a restroom and a huge storage room for a Cub Scout Pack 417 and a Boy Scout Troop 455 which the Palouse Lions sponsor. 

Three pairs of father-son Lions who were in attendance at the meeting received Serving Generations pins. After the meeting two other Lions pointed out legacy items in the Hall that were from their now passed on fathers.

After showing me the Scout storage which is at once a museum and a functioning new Scout gear room, Lion Scoutmaster Jay Iverson pointed out Scout items on display in the main hall. 

Just behind the American and Boy Scout flag next to a framed poster of the Palouse Days Auto Show hung a unique, wonderfully crafted clothes pin Boy Scout rank Award display which fascinated me.

From the top each cross member shows the ranks each Scout strives to attain: Eagle, Life, Star, First Class, Second Class and Scout.

When they pledge allegiance to the flag the current Boy Scouts in Troop 455 cannot help but see their own progression toward Eagle Scout. And then when they see the Eagle Rank they see the clothespins that represent all the young men and grownups in the community who have attained their Eagles.


What an aspiration for them!


What an inspiration for us all!

Connecting the dots in my mind and looking out at the Lions in the room who were lingering yet departing from the meeting, I asked the obvious question, "How many of your members were Eagles in this troop?" Lion Scoutmaster Jay smiled and started pointing them out...

You Guys are Great!

The Ayes Have It!

 Lions are a lot alike in a lot of ways - you know... salt of the earth, patriotic characters who care for their towns like a big dog cares for a his prized soup bone. Lions are generous souls and that soul extends into their pockets and wallets as they continually put their service money where their mouths are.

 

Near the end of our Serving Generations show we pass around the now infamous 4 sectioned "dog bowl" and members take out their change and ones and fives and the occasional tens and twenties and chip in. Good causes are good causes and Lions are good people and those donations are collectively turning into a pretty good stash of cash.

Clarkston Lions Sean Marcellus and Cathy Bailey

It's the unusual donations that stick out in the memory... Clarkston's Lion Sean Marcellus asking us to stick around while he went home to get his spare change jar that contained more than $100 in silver coins...Yakima President Cathy Birdwell passing on a $2,500 check made out to Leader Dog's through us...

DG Dave Walk and Yakima President Kathy Birdwell

                                                                                    ...and Potlatch Lion Phillip Smith turning over his club's ongoing Leader Dog change jar into our care. On several occasions Lions have come up to us after the dog bowl had made its way around the room and handed us personal checks. All good memories from all good Lions. Thank you one and all.

Lind Lion Bill Wills

                                                          This December, sandwiched between snow storms in the frozen town of Lind, WA, I got interrupted during my asking for donations spiel by 85 year old Lion Bill Wills. Lion Bill apologized for cutting in and then made a motion that the club make a donation as a whole rather than each of the members digging into their pockets.

 

Another Lind Lion seconded it and when someone asked "How much?" another Lion allowed that $50 in each of the 4 charity's "bowls" would be a good idea. "All in favor?" asked President Taylor Kerr and the Ayes had it unanimously. I could not quite make out who had done the seconding and amending but when Robert's Rules are going your way why kick the sugar bear?

THE LIND LIONS CLUB AYES HAVE IT

Another good memory!

Thank you, Lind Lions. Thank you to all of you 19F Lions everywhere who donate your time and money in service to your world.

You Guys are Great!

Smarsh!

A couple of years back, I was attending a presentation by Lion Tom Smarsh on the 2007 tornado in Greensburg, Kansas. 
Tom had been a part of the Lions ALERT Program that brought emergency aid and comfort to those devastated by the storm. He was, at least for me, bringing to life the Lions slogan “Where There’s a Need… There’s a Lion.”

Tom’s PowerPoint showed pics of the damage, listed the procedures that District Governors and ALERT Coordinators go through to get $10,000 of LCI monies on the scene. The money was for a quick fix of food and emergency supplies for people in dire need. Evenutally, LCI would add another $15,000 while Kansas Lions Clubs raised $90,000 more. 

Toward the end of his training session Tom's wife Anne slipped into the room. From the back row of the room, much like my wife does for our Serving Generations show wrap up, Anne poured compassion and emotion into the end of Tom’s presentation.  

Together they served up a pretty good one-two punch and the message of the ALERT program stuck with me. 

Anne, a member of the renowned Renton Lions Club will be the Grandest Poohbah of them all at our District Convention, March 10^th and 11^th in Walla Walla.  From 2009 to 2011 Anne served as an International Director for Lions International.  Officially her title is PID which is Past International Director. Her LCI Bio lists her many remarkable accomplishments.

At our March District Conference Anne and Tom will reprise their ALERT presentation, host a formal reception on Saturday Afternoon and officially preside at Saturday night’s Chevron Dinner AKA The Purple Polo Poohbah Party. PID Anne Smarsh is a warm, gracious, astute and wonderful Lion. We are fortunate to have her as a part of our MD19 family.

Purple Shirt

Registration for Our Conference in now Online

http://e-district.org/sites/19f/page-7.php

 http://e-district.org/sites/19f/page-7.php

There's Ladies Here!

When we had finished setting up our AV equipment, I looked up at the Granger Lions sitting at four long tables.  My mind flashed back to and stole an old Mel Brook’s line and said to me, "There's ladies here!"

VDG Crystal Walk next to Granger Lions President Rosie Alegria

Across our District 19F there are 1307 Lions in 46 Clubs. 77% of the Lions are men. 23% of the Lions are women.The Granger Lions club has 25 females and 9 males which just about reverses those numbers to 74% percent females and 26% men. On the night of my visit 12 lady Lions had shown up and 1 male Lion.

Granger Lions Secretary Marylou Campos and 1VP Valdemar Valenzuela 

Do those numbers mean anything? As far as what service each club does and its importance in the community, those numbers have little or no meaning as far as this DG can tell.  Lions are Lions. In nature, male lions have longer hair than the females. In Lions International, female Lions usually have longer hair and the male Lions have short hair.

Service is the main ingredient for an active, vibrant Lions club. The Granger Lions club is very active and very vibrant. In the 2015-2016 Lions year, the Granger Lions donated money to the City’s Movie Night, for middle school supplies, high school scholarships, White Cane Days, LCIF, to the Police, Fire and Public Works Departments, to the Menudo Breakfast, Project Warm Up, Christmas Food Boxes, Food Bags for Santa to give to kids, eyeglasses, the school band, Leader Dogs and the Food Bank. Whew!

2016 Little Miss and Miss Granger and the Royalty

The club also took the lead and/or or participated in the Granger 4^th of July Parade, the Moxee Parade, the annual Cancer fun run/walk, the Yakima Sun Parade, Halloween Trunk or Treat, Turkey Bingo, a Salmon Baseball dinner. They capped off the year with the Granger Cherry Festival where they built two floats, one for Miss Granger and one for Little Miss Granger. They were in charge of parade, carnival pre-sale tickets, concessions, entertainment, and the fishing derby for the three day event. Wow!

The Granger Lions Serve and Serve Very Well.

Granger Lion Yolanda Alegria receives a Serving Generations recognition pin from 1VDG Crystal Walk. Yolanda is the mother of Rosie Alegria, president of the Granger Lions CLub

You Guys are Great!

There's Ladies Here!

When we had finished setting up our AV equipment, I looked up at the Granger Lions sitting at four long tables.  My mind flashed back to and stole an old Mel Brook’s line and said to me, "There's ladies here!"

VDG Crystal Walk next to Granger Lions President Rosie Alegria

Across our District 19F there are 1307 Lions in 46 Clubs. 77% of the Lions are men. 23% of the Lions are women.The Granger Lions club has 25 females and 9 males which just about reverses those numbers to 74% percent females and 26% men. On the night of my visit 12 lady Lions had shown up and 1 male Lion.

Granger Lions Secretary Marylou Campos and 1VP Valdemar Valenzuela 

Do those numbers mean anything? As far as what service each club does and its importance in the community, those numbers have little or no meaning as far as this DG can tell.  Lions are Lions. In nature, male lions have longer hair than the females. In Lions International, female Lions usually have longer hair and the male Lions have short hair.

Service is the main ingredient for an active, vibrant Lions club. The Granger Lions club is very active and very vibrant. In the 2015-2016 Lions year, the Granger Lions donated money to the City’s Movie Night, for middle school supplies, high school scholarships, White Cane Days, LCIF, to the Police, Fire and Public Works Departments, to the Menudo Breakfast, Project Warm Up, Christmas Food Boxes, Food Bags for Santa to give to kids, eyeglasses, the school band, Leader Dogs and the Food Bank. Whew!

2016 Little Miss and Miss Granger and the Royalty

The club also took the lead and/or or participated in the Granger 4^th of July Parade, the Moxee Parade, the annual Cancer fun run/walk, the Yakima Sun Parade, Halloween Trunk or Treat, Turkey Bingo, a Salmon Baseball dinner. They capped off the year with the Granger Cherry Festival where they built two floats, one for Miss Granger and one for Little Miss Granger.  They were in charge of parade, carnival pre-sale tickets, concessions, entertainment, and the fishing derby for the three day event. Wow!

The Granger Lions Serve and Serve Very Well.

Granger Lion Yolanda Alegria receives a Serving Generations recognition pin from 1VDG Crystal Walk. Yolanda is the mother of Rosie Alegria, president of the Granger Lions CLub

You Guys are Great!

Odessa

The Odessa Lion of the Year Tapestry

As I was setting up my screen and projector at the Old Town Hall, remodeled home of the Odessa Lions, President Clark Kagele came through the door. He looked at me, my suit coat and my gear with a face full of astonishment that meant my scheduled visit had slipped through the cracks. His recovery was smooth and professional and he seemed happy when he found out my presentation took about 15 minutes. As a DG, I like getting through with my gig in time to watch clubs operate and do business.

(L to R) Lion Clark Kagele bombs Secretary Neil Fink as he is recognized with a Serving Generations Medal

The main business on the Odessa agenda that night for the club was the upcoming Turkey Bingo event. Burgers, turkeys and logistics were ironed out as Clark rolled though his checklist with experienced good humor. Three members of the Ritzville Lions were visiting to hawk tickets for their club's raffle. Clubs in Zone F-8 do a good job of supporting each other.

Ritzville Lions give out three prizes to Odessa Lions who bought tickets in their raffle.

    

Typical of 19F farm communities, the Odessa Lion Club is the heartbeat of their town. The club does wonderful work for their community and schools from harvest to planting. Scholarships are given, causes are supported, traditions are upheld and pretty much everything that is great about Lionism takes place in a we love our town kind of way. These guys are great.

 

As a District Governor it has been my privilege to see this happen over and over again on my visits. 

 

You Guys are all Great! 

White Room

When you roll into a town on a District Governor visit looking for a club building based on a roster provided address and a maybe GPS heading, there is no telling what you will encounter. Some clubs share civic or community buildings, some clubs are their community's meeting place, some meet in restaurants, some at local businesses, some have their own club houses, some meet in bars, and some clubs are a bar.  :)

The Red Mountain Lions of West Richland, WA meet at the Sandberg Event Center.  When VDG Crystal and I walked into their wedding chapel it was deja voux all over again. Having had a videography business about 15 years ago, we had recorded our fair share of weddings in places like the Sandberg. The elegant place fairly well begged for a ceremony and sure enough Club President Garth Reed asked us if we would mind conducting  what amounted to an induction affirmation ceremony for some of the members of the club.

(L to R) Lions Sheldon Cragun. Heidi Dudney, Jill Toombs, 

Brian McElroy, Jan McElroy, Darrell Toombs, Garth Reed,

Frank Wolf, and Mandy Reed.

                                   

 

Because of the white curtains, soft lighting and classy decor, the idea reminded me of how couples after some good years of marriage have a ceremony and a party and say their vows over again. "Sure," I thought, "why not?" and then out loud to President Garth I said, "I'd be happy to!"

 

Combining a Lions Code of Ethics and a Lions New Member Induction Ceremony, we crafted the Affirmation for the members who repeated the words with a wonderful  seriousness of intent. 

 

I was impressed with the new idea, the Red Mountain Lions and their willingness to reaffirm together their dedication to the ideals of Lionism. 

 

You Guys are Great!

Bright

Vice District Governor Crystal Walk is a Lion with remarkable grace, patience, skills and talent. Unlike most Vice District Governors, hers is not a wait until next year job. 

During the Lions 99th year she has so far made 32 of 33 District Governor 19F club visits, planned the March 10-11, 2017 19F Conference in Walla Walla, managed the sale of the new purple shirts for the conference, and collected and disbursed the donations of clubs to our Lions causes. 

She helps keep the DG awake and in his lane on the country roads, cooks for cabinet meetings, researches members and service activities for the clubs we are visiting and by the way she's an artist. The three Lions acrylic paintings you've scrolled through will be among the auction items at our District Conference in March.

On our visit to the Harrington Lions when we were tag teaming our description of the upcoming conference one of the members, no doubt amazed at Crystal's perspicacity, decided to rib me a bit and asked, "Who is in charge here?"  I paused a minute for effect and double negatived my reply as I nodded toward her, "She's not unbright!" 

The Vice District Governor is very bright. VDG Crystal will be a magnificent District Governor for the 100th year anniversary 2017-2018 Lions year.

Fun with Bruce

Bruce Beck of Palisade, Minnesota is a Lions International Director.

 

 

At the MD19 Spokane Fall Lions Convention, Bruce delivered the keynote address to an appreciative audience. He echoed International  President Bob Corlew's Mountains to Climb message with humility, a passion for service and a healthy dose of humor.  

 

 

Bruce shared this 2 minute Lion Pancake Breakfast video with us. Bruce was fun!

We Like It Up Here

In Nezperce, Club  President Brian Kirkland greeted me at the curb. Having been awed on the way in by a fiery sunset over immaculate golden wheat fields I commented on the beauty of his place. After a pause, Brian smiled and said, "We like it up here."

The Nezperce club has bridged the generation gap with 9 of its 34 members under 40 years old. The meeting I dropped in on was two weeks before their 10th Annual Combine Demolition Derby. In about 45 minutes they ran through a punch list of 19 things that still had to happen so the Derby could take place. The young men of the group took those assignments on without griping and with a good measure of cheer and camaraderie.

At the meeting's conclusion Brian and several other club members invited me to come back to the Nezperce for Combine Derby. They were being polite and I could tell they really didn't expect me to make the 3 hour drive.

Nezperce Lion President Brian Kirkland

Surprise! It showed on their faces when VDG Crystal and I walked up to the flat bed trailer reviewing stand in the rodeo fairgrounds arena. The surprise turned to smiles and then to graciousness as they invited us up on to the platform to sit next to event emcees in what was the closest seat to the unfolding Combine Demolition Action...

... It was close enough to get dusted when the racing grain trucks rushed by, 

close enough to feel the shock wave of the impact of combines smashing into each other, 

close enough to watch the hail of numbered tennis balls aimed at the coffer of a grain harvester and close enough to see the delight on the faces of children and teens in broom horse races....

... and close enough to use our cells & Ipad to make you this video.

https://youtu.be/VgXP9ARF8A0

 Clink the Link

White Cane

Each year the Northwest Lions Foundation hosts the White Cane Days fundraiser with the help of Lions Clubs throughout Washington and Northern Idaho. The goal is to help blind children and adults in the Northwest regain their sight and self reliance.

Dayton Lion Holly Kaczmarski, District 19F's District Blind Services Organizations Coordinator, shared a rather fascinating link about White Cane Safety Day with me today. It comes from the Perkins School for the Blind. 

October 15 is national White Cane Safety Day, which acknowledges the independence and skill of people with visual impairments who use a white cane to navigate.

October 15, 2015

BILL WINTER

Tap tap tap. That’s the sound of independence.
That’s the sound of people with visual impairments around the United States – and all over the world – using a white cane to confidently navigate to work, around their neighborhoods or to wherever their plans take them.
 
There’s no better day to celebrate the power of the white cane than October 15 – White Cane Safety Day.  It’s the day set aside by the federal government to recognize the independence and skill of people who use white canes. It’s also a reminder that laws in all 50 states require drivers to yield the right of way to people with white canes, even when they’re not on a crosswalk.
 
In honor of White Cane Safety Day, here are 10 quirky facts about the white cane:

1. Yes, it’s legal to take a white cane through security at an airport, according to the TSA, but it has to go through the X-ray machine.
2. White canes are white because of George A. Bonham. In 1930, Bonham, president of the Peoria Lions Club (Illinois), watched a man who was blind attempting to cross a street. The man’s cane was black and motorists couldn’t see it, so Bonham proposed painting the cane white with a red stripe to make it more noticeable. The idea quickly caught on around the country.
3. White canes are going high-tech. Inventors in India, Great Britain and France have equipped white canes with ultrasonic devices that detect obstacles up to nine feet away. Vibrations in the cane’s handle warn users of potential hazards in their path.
4. The standard technique for using a white cane was pioneered in 1944 by Richard E. Hoover, a World War II veteran rehabilitation specialist. His technique of holding a long cane in the center of the body and swinging it back and forth before each step to detect obstacles is still called the “Hoover Method.”
5. Most people who are visually impaired don’t use a white cane. In fact, only an estimated 2 percent to 8 percent do. The rest rely on their useable vision, a guide dog or a sighted guide.
6. There are actually three different kinds of white canes. There’s the standard mobility cane, used to navigate. There’s the support cane, used by people with visual impairments who also have mobility challenges. And there’s the ID cane, a small, foldable cane used by people with partial sight to let others know they have a visual impairment.
7. Unless you’re willing to “walk the walk,” you can’t become a certified Orientation & Mobility specialist. O&M specialists teach white cane technique to people who are blind, but to become certified, you must spend at least 120 hours blindfolded, navigating with a white cane.
8. Today’s modern, lightweight canes are usually made from aluminum, fiberglass or carbon fiber, and can weigh as little as seven ounces. Some white cane users prefer straight canes, which are more durable, while others prefer collapsible canes, which can be folded and stored more easily.
9. White caning can be fun. The Braille Institute sponsors an annual Cane Quest, where youngsters aged 3-12 compete to quickly and safely navigate a route in their community using their white canes. The contest helps kids master proper white cane techniques and encourages independence.
10. In some states, it’s illegal for a person who is not legally blind to use a white cane to gain right-of-way while crossing a street. Get caught in Florida, for example, and you’ll face second-degree misdemeanor charges and up to 60 days in prison.

Sight and Hearing

19F Vice Council Chairman and Pullman Lion Jon Whitman presents a thank you plaque to Pullman Lion Mary Jo Cady for her service to the Northwest Lions Foundation from 2006 to 2014. 

 

19F Past District Governor Steve Noble now serves on the Board of the Northwest Lions Foundation. The NLF brings you the Sight and Hearing Van, a new and improved hearing aid program and help with sight and hearing operations. Their affiliate SightLife is doing amazing cornea transplant work across the world. 

 

Here is Steve's Report shortened a bit by me for this blog. 

Sight and Hearing Report

October 2016

Driver Wanted

The foundation is looking for a driver to help with the Sight and Hearing Trailer.  The schedule is too much for one couple. It is a paid position. If you are interested or know someone contact me.

White Cane Days

As of Sept 1 District F has collected $15,397 from White Cane Days. Last year was 17,924. Many collections have not yet come in.

Hearing Program:

Received Apps: 29

Completed Patients: 32

Number of outgoing aids: 63

Patient Care Grants:

Incoming Apps: – 1 – Rathdrum, Cataract Surgery. NLF responsibility: $2017.00

Completed Apps: - 1 – Salmon Creek Lions Foundation

White Cane Days:

As of 10/3/16: MD19 totals

10/3/15 - $110,032.69     157 Donors

10/3/16 - $96,841.29       141 Donors