Show It!

When we strolled into the Open House The Sunnyside Lions were hosting at our visit we were greeted with the smell of what would prove to be an amazing dinner and a Welcome Display table. On the table was a three science fair boards displaying pictures of each of the club members and descriptions of the service projects and programs the Sunnyside Lions are involved in.

What a simple and amazing idea. As visitors we were not only able to scoot back over to the table when we forgot the name of someone we had been introduced to but we could also have a frame of reference for what the club was involved in.

VDG Crystal liked the idea so much that we began asking clubs on our visits to prepare a similar board to bring to the March 10 and 11 District conference on a great project or several great project each club undertakes. We have asked clubs to also provide a handout sheet of paper or even a simple brochure for other clubs to take home so shared ideas could be tried or modified in different towns.

For instance, Nezperce and Lind could put together a board on their Combine Demolition Derby. Washtuchna could do a show and tell and how to on Community Bingo. Waitsbug could show and tell a Salmon or Barbecue Feed. Zillah and Granger might show off their Turkey Bingo Fundraisers. Harrington could highlight their Harrington Days. Palouse could showcase their involvement with Scouting. College Place could detail their Fishing Derby. West Valley and Prescott could showcase their new parks. Walla Walla Eastgate and Dayton could show off their Crab Feeds. This list does go on and on and on.

Every club we have visited has great projects they have accomplished or are currently involved with. We ask that every club come to conference and bring a Sunnyside like display to showcase.

We will have a browse about room set up at the Marcus Whitman for clubs to display their boards where Lions can informally exchange ideas.

You Guys are Great. Show it off a little bit!

Powerful!

Jon Whitman. Julia Hart. Carol Whitman, Jim Kemp, Steve Noble, Melba Fujiura,  Lonnie Morgan,  Erma Kemp, Larry Carley, Viva Metz,  Paul Kauzlarich, Kay Metz, Bill Shepherd  and Marie Vogel have several things  in common.  

They are wonderful people, great Lions, members of the 19F District Cabinet and Past District Governors. 

As Past District Governors you'd think they'd be at home like Old Generals remembering past battles and days of glory. 

There is little past about them. 3 are Zone Chairs, 2 serve on the District Global Membership Team (GMT), 1 is the Global Leadership Team (GLT) leader, 1 is the Vice Council Chairman. 1 is on the Northwest Lions Foundation Board. 4 others serve in important Cabinet positions.

Together they work tirelessly to bring improvement and offer guidance to their own indivudual clubs, to their Zones, our District, our multiple District and ultimately to Lions International. 

Forget the Power Done Gone jokes. These powerful Lions are no joke. Heed their counsel.

Here are timely reports from two of them:

PDG Paul Kauzlarich

FROM THE GMT

MEMBERSHIP-----I want to wish each of you and all the members of your club a special and healthy New Year. This New Year can be special and healthy for your members and your club by doing one thing. That one thing is to hold a membership drive in March. 

Every Lions club in Multiple District 19 is being encouraged to bring in new members in March of 2017. SPRING AHEAD in March with some type of membership drive that will bring in at least one new member in your club. Any type of membership drive will do. We personally think a good “Open House” membership program is the best and will get your club a lot of new members if done right.

I know, we keep talking about membership. We do this because many of our clubs are in trouble and may not survive without getting some new members in March. This maybe the most important thing you can do for your club this year. 

Please let me know if I can help or if you need some ideas or suggestions. I am willing to come to your zone or club to talk about getting new members. You can call me at (509) 949-9704 or email at Pkauz46@gmail.com

Thank you for helping.

Paul Kauzlarich
District F Membership

FROM THE GLT

PDG Larry Carley

There will be an Officers Training for Club Presidents, Secretaries, and Treasurer's at the Spring Conference in Walla Walla on March 11, 2017. We need a list of attendees, and what Officer Training they will be attending. This Training will be before the Club Officers Elections, but anyone is welcome to attend, so all clubs need to send potential Club Officers to that meeting.    

It was also discussed that the Leadership Chairman was to be the one responsible for setting up this coming years Officers Training in all the Zone in our District. The Leadership Chairperson will be contacting the Zone Chairpersons in each Zone for a Date, Time, and Place for Group Club Officers Training to be presented in their Zones.


A Vice District Governor, and Zone Chairpersons are needed for this coming year. We need the help of all the Cabinet Members, and all the Clubs to select qualified Lions for these positions. 

Qualifications needed for Vice District Governor are as follows. 

1. Member in good standing in their Club.
2. Been President of their Club for one year.
3. Been a Board Member of their Club for 2 consecutive year.
4. Been Zone Chairperson in their Zone. 
A letter of intent and their qualifications are to be submitted to the Multiple District 
Office and the seated District Governor Signed by their Club Secretary or Club President.  Elections for this positions will be at the Spring Conference in March. The Lion applying for this position need to select their own person to place their name in to nomination, and a person to second their nomination at the Spring Conference. 

Zone Chairpersons positions for 2017-2018.
F-1  Gary Johnson
F-2
F-3
F-4
F-5
F-6  Daryl Combs
F-7
F-8 

Qualifications needed for Zone Chairperson are as follows.

1. Member in good standing in their Club.
2. Been President or Secretary in their club for one year or the greater part of one year. 
3. Been a Board Member of their Club for 2 consecutive years. 

A letter of intent and their qualifications are to submitted to the Multiple District Office, and the seated District Governor Signed by their Clubs Secretary or President. Election for these positions will be held at a special Zone Meeting held at the Spring Conference in March. 

These Leadership positions are very important for the strength of our Zones and District.   

Respectfully Submitted:
GLT Chairperson, PDG Larry Carley

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.