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!