Marge

Conference Update

A scheduled highlight of the March 10th and 11th 19F Conference in Walla Walla is Saturday’s two hour Lunch on your Own break. Bill Lake, Walla Walla Downtown Lions, has gotten dollar off coupons for every Lion at the Conference who wants to visit the Fort Walla Walla Museum during their free time. Bill volunteers at the Museum.

A Special Tribute

Lions who serve for decades are the backbone and wisdom of the clubs in our district. When they pass on their legacy is remembered and cherished as long as people who breathed the same air they did survive. We mourn the loss of and celebrate the incredible accomplishments of one of our greatest Lions, Marge Shepherd, who passed away this February. She was 85. Marge served her community as a Yakima West Valley Lion for over 37 years. She held offices as Treasurer, President and  Zone Chairperson, Secretary/Treasurer ,Secretary and as 19-F Cabinet Secretary. Marge was three time co-winner of the Secretary of the year Award. Marge served the district for 12 years as the     19-F Peace Poster Chair . She was a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow. Marge attended 19 International Conventions and 9 US Canadian Forums. She received the International Leadership Medal and Medal of Merit along with many other distinguished awards. She served as Trustee of the Northwest Lions Foundation Sight and Hearing Foundation and International Lions Club Peace Poster for 15 years. She earned 8 International President Certificates and 3 Lion of the Year awards. She also served on the board and acted as treasurer for the last 5 years for Cub Scout Pack 214. Her last position with District 19F was that of Co-District Historian serving along side her husband of 57 years, Lion Bill Shepherd.  

One Final Reminder

As you arrive at the Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla and get your conference registration packets on Friday March 10th from 3:00 PM to 6 PM or Saturday March 11th from 7:15 AM until 12 PM , please bring your auction items and baskets. We appreciate your generosity with this tradition that is both exciting and worthwhile. Also, remember to bring canned goods and dry goods contributions for a Food Bank.  

 

Diabetes

Diabetes Awareness is a matter of great importance to Lions International and local Lions Clubs Worldwide. Tom Smarsh is the Multiple District Lions Diabetes Chairman. Tom, who will be a guest presenter at our District Conference, shared these pages from the American Diabetes Association and asked us to share them with you. 

Ribbon

Conference Chairman Sam Clayton shows off a new metal cut Lion clubhouse decoration.

After meeting with Conference Chairman Sam Clayton and Registrar Karen Clayton we are just about ready to put a ribbon on the March 10th and 11th Conference and call it good. Everyone is pulling together, chipping in, donating and volunteering to help out so VDG Crystal and I are breathing a little easier.

As an individual Lion you can do two great things to help: 

1) Register for the Conference within the next 3 or 4 days so your check and registration will have time to get to Registrar Karen, The Hotel has asked us for a headcount for meals on March 1st so let's get this done.

2) As an individual (or a club) it is perfectly okay to bring items for the silent auction and raffles and we hope you will do that. 

Silent Auction, Raffle items and Raffle ticket sales are essentially what pays for the niceties that surround a conference.  Your participation on both ends of that process is fun, great and appreciated.

As a club, whether you are in attendance or not, you can can do two great things to help:

1) Sponsor an event at the Conference

2) Sponsor an advertisement in the Conference Program.

Check out the list below and then call VDG Crystal Walk at (509) 200-0109 to lend a financial hand.

SPONSORSHIPS
            Morning Break Coffee                          $120
            Morning Break Pastries                        $210
            Friday night Hospitality Room             $100
            Saturday night Hospitality Room         $100
            Saturday Training Lunch  group1        $100
            Saturday Training Lunch  group2        $150  sold
PROGRAM
            Inside Front Cover Full  $125
            Inside Back Cover Full  $150
            Pg. 3  Full Page                $75                         sold
            Pg. 4  Business card         $25                         sold
            Pg. 5  Full Page                $75
            Pg. 7  Full Page                $75
            Pg. 9  ½ Page                    $40                         sold
            Pg. 9  ½ Page                    $40                         sold
            Pg. 10 Business card         $25
            Pg. 10 Business card         $25
            Pg. 11  ½ Page                   $40                        sold
            Pg. 11  ½ Page                   $40
            Pg. 12  Business card        $25                         sold
            Pg. 13  Full Page               $75                         sold
            Pg. 15  Full Page               $75                         sold

We will appreciate your help.

You Guys Are Great!

5%

On one our club visits a couple of extremely seasoned Lions were  struggling with the amount of dues their club paid upward to Multiple District 19 and Lions Club International. They asked two extremely pointed questions. One went something like, "There's children and poor people in our town who could really use the $1,000 bucks we pay for dues. How can we justify sending money like that away from our town?" The other went more along the lines, "What does the dues money we pay actually go for?"

The Lions in this club were not parsimonious. Quite the contrary, they contributed generously to the four Lions charities for which we collected. They had Melvin Jones Fellows among their membership and in their history.

Your Lions pin, the sign that announces club meeting times at the edge of town, the painted logo that adorns your clubhouse and the medallion on your podium have something in common. Each have the picture of a Lion and then the words Lions Club International. There are 46,000+ Lions clubs in the Lions International World. All across the world, Lions clubs like yours work hard to be salt of the earth, youth supporting, environmentally caring, vision enhancing and hunger abating leaders of their communities. It is a great thing to think about!  You are not alone in your efforts to do good! 1.4 million individual Lions in the next town, the next county, the next state, the next country and on the next continent are doing just what you are doing! Wow!

Yet, members each of these clubs, by right of membership in Lions International, have the privilege and opportunity to extend their humanitarian reach beyond the borders of their own town. Dues and contributions see to that. Dues provide the organizational structure that our Lions charities and good works hang on.

When VDG Governor Crystal and I visited our 46 Clubs we passed around 4 cookie jars labeled Lions Club International Foundation, Leader Dogs & Guide Dogs for the Blind, Northwest Lions Foundation and CARE. Club members in all our clubs contributed to all the charities and it was wonderful to watch pocket change, bills and checks turn into more than $5,000 dollars.



Donations from District 19F's 46 clubs get combined with Pacific Northwest clubs from MD 19's District 19A through 19I clubs (that's about 430 Clubs) to where serious money is applied to alleviate suffering, blindness and to the support of youth and the world's environment.


I quoted myself a few times at different clubs with my 95 to 5% maxim. "Of course, 90 to 95% of your fund raising should benefit your town's local activities. But when you give the extra 5-10% to benefit your zone, region and world then you truly are part of Lions International."

At the end of the visit where the two seasoned Lions had asked their pointed questions, one 30ish Lion in a vest and a ball cap put a cherry on top on the discussion by saying, "I am proud to be a part of an International organization that does good all over the world."

Well said.

You Guys are Great!

Home!

Woody's is Craigmont’s night life, bar, restaurant, historical mural gallery and the meeting hall for the Craigmont's Lions Club.

What a great place for a club to call home!

Typical of rural Idaho clubs, the Craigmont Lions are the heartbeat of their town, the champions of their youth and caregivers to those in need. Their passion for service and their generosity is inspiring.

You Guys are Great!

Day Trippers!

In the eight years that we've been Lions, VDG Crystal and I have attended our fair share of Conferences as Day Trippers. Face it, there are just so many $25-$40 meals a a family group of Lions can afford. That's why there is only one of those fancy meals scheduled for the March 10-11 19F Spring Conference in Walla Walla. Friday's Generation of Fun Night is just $15 which includes the meal. Breakfast is free if you stay at the hotel and lunch is on your own in the town. 

 

Tip: La Cocina De La Abuela (GrandMa's Kitchen) on 36 S. Colville Street is run by Lion Manny Perez and features Mexico City style cooking which is excellent and way different from Tex Mex cuisine.

19F 1VDG Crystal Walk

Consider Day Tripping on Friday or Saturday. You still have to spend the twenty bucks to register but picking and choosing what you will or won't do based on your pocketbook is smart and exactly why Crystal set up the Conference Registration the way she has. 

Download it here and check it out.

If you're from the drive-able area please consider joining your fellow Lions for as many activities as your time and pocketbook can manage. Conferences can be great fun whether you are a two day participant, lend a hand putting on the conference, or pick and choose as a Day Tripper.

We want to see you there. If you're coming to the Saturday Banquet your cut off for Registration is officially  February 19th which is Sunday. If you can't make the Sunday Deadline call Vice District Governor at (509)200-0109 and she'll work on it with you personally.

Party!!

At our 19F Spring Conference on March 10th the Generations of Fun Party starts at 4 pm, and ends at 9pm. Gaming is the thing from 4 until 6 with Bunco, Darts, Horseshoes, Pokemon Cards, a Cookie Baking Contest (3 dozen entries) and Croquet. Non performance District Contest and awards like Club Brochures, Club Bulletin or Newsletter, Club Business Card, Traditional & Non Traditional Scrapbook, Zone Chairman Newsletter and Club Website should be turned in to Contest Chairwoman Carol Butterfield during this time period. 

Here's a link to the judging criteria for all the contests.

At 6 the Hamburgers, Floats, Dancing and Performance Contests begin. DJ Jon Loney does digital tunes for dancing and listening on request. Your DG Dave Walk will attend attired in jeans, tee shirt, head band and love beads in keeping with the dress of the era when he started dancing.  Interspersed between the recorded music will be entrants for the District's traditional Performance Contests which include the 5 Minute Speech on a current year achievement of your club, a 3 Minute humorous story, a Musical Comedy Performance, and a regular Musical number. You may enter as many categories as you wish and I wish you would. I don't want to be the only old folkie embarrassing myself with my singing and guitar playing. 

The Chevron Dinner (a.k.a Purple Polo Poobah Party) starts at 7 on Saturday Night. I promised you no long formal speeches during my club visits and you get to help deliver on my promise. Here's how it will work. A trumpet fanfare will get the audience's attention. Let's say your club is to receive an award for Best Club Service Project or you are called forward to receive your Chevron for years of loyal service as a Lion. Amid resounding cheers and applause you stride to the platform to accept your award and pose for the picture! Next, it becomes your privilege to don a Flintstones style Horned Poobah Helmet and a Royal Ermine Robe and be ushered to the Throne Chair for fun pictures. Should you then wish to share a short speech of thanks or encouragement the microphone will be yours. The awards (Chevron, Achievements, Contests, etc.) will be given out between inspiring speeches by dignitaries such as Past International Director Anne Smarsh, Northwest Lions Foundation Chairman Bill Lundin and retiring MD19 Executive Secretary/Treasurer Patty Allen.

We look forward to seeing you and your participation at our Annual Conference. 

Registration is here! 

Registrations are due by Sunday February 19th. Book your hotel room at the Marcus Whitman by Friday to get the special $109 rate. For reservations at The Marcus Whitman Hotel call 1-866-826-9422 ask for the Lions District F Spring Conference discount rate.


Party On!