Thank You

Number 3 of 

The 10 Commandments of How to Get Along with People Number proclaims, 

"Praise Good Work regardless of who did it." 

My disclaimer - There's no way I can possibly even know and remember everyone who lent a hand and did good work at the 19F Spring Conference. There were too many of you. If this column leaves you out then Commandment 8 applies - I apologize promptly and also Commandment 4 - I regard you as a person of importance (even if my memory fails me.)

Crystal

Thanks and admiration to Crystal, Sam and Karen for dotting the i's and crossing the t's, ordering and selling the Purple Polo shirts, processing the registrations, paying the bills and doing the reports on the Conference. Wow!

Thanks to Derence, Crystal, Kathy, Kay, Bill, Fred, Paul, Patty and Steve for the beautiful 19F Conference Program.  

Sam, Karen, Melissa, Sunshine Jim, Kathy and Keith served up a great Fun Night Dinner at Conference. Thank you all so much!

We appreciate Ed, Darrell, Marie, A.J., the Boys, Jon, The Grangeville Wild Men and the Bunko Uproar Women for playing well with others.  

Thanks to the Prescott Lions - Mike, Sandi, Len, Sue, Chuck, Matt and Patty- for the Horseshoe Pits, The Skyrocket Wine and for being supportive Lions and good friends.

Tessa Fresco

Thanks to Allen, Ashley and Tammy and Tessa for the very sweet Peace Poster ceremony. 

We are grateful to Sarah, Vision Source Clinic of Ellensburg and Cle Elum, the Downtown Walla Walla Lions, and the Yakima West Valley Lions for stepping up to honor Marge and pay for Conference pastries and coffee.

Thanks to Fred, Ruth, Ben, Marsha, Karen, Caitlin, Darling, Tori, Steve, Viva, Kay, Ashley, Ken, Tammy and Erma for doing the lobby, the raffle, the election and the displays. 

Kudos to Ken and J.B. for preparing and bringing your Club Display Board. It was great.

Thank you Crystal, Jim, Michelle, Bill, Paul, David, Marie, Darrell, Betty, and Carol for honoring our Departed Lions with dignity and respect.

Gloria and Anne

Thank you Bob, Wanda, Steve, Larry, Gloria, Ret, Richard, Hal, Marie, Viva, Anne, Tom, Bill, Carol, Patty, Enoch, Dave and Sam for the words, the wisdom, the speeches, the presentations, the inspiration and the humor. You Guys are Great!

Thank you to all the Lions who hadn't been to Conference before and gave the Walla Walla Conference some fresh faces to look at.

Special Thanks to Alex, Carl, Brenden, Caitlin and Darling  - our youthful College Place Lions - for their stamina, strength, enthusiasm, talent and skills particularly during the Chevron Banquet.  

Thank you all of you thoughtful Lions who took time to email or actually write and mail Thank You and Congratulatory notes to me and DGE Crystal concerning  how much you enjoyed the 19F Spring Conference. Those notes buoyed up our exhausted spirits.

Now what you've all been waiting for - 

The Ten Commandments of

How to Get Along with People.

1. Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think. Cultivate a low, persuasive voice. How you say it counts more than what you say.

2. Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.

3. Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody. Praise good work, regardless of who did it. 

4. Be interested in others, their pursuits, their work, their homes and families. Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard him as a person of importance.

5. Be cheerful. Remember, everyone is carrying some kind of a load.

6. Keep an open mind. Discuss but don’t argue. Disagree without being disagreeable.

7. Let your virtues, if you have any, speak for themselves. Discourage gossip. It is a waste of valuable time and can be extremely destructive.

8. Be careful of another’s feelings. Apologize promptly.

9. Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Simply live so that nobody will believe them.

10. Don’t be too anxious about the credit due you. Do your best, and be patient. Forget about yourself, and let others “remember.” Success is much sweeter that way.

 
                                  Dave

Blueprint

“What Do We Do Now?” was the last line of Robert Redford’s 1972 movie The Candidate. Having spent so much time running for his office his character was ill prepared to take on his new job.

Fortunately, the good folks at Lions Club International have a handy little guide where a new club officer can join with his or her club’s Board and general members and plot out a fresh and perhaps new direction for your club.

It’s tried. It’s true. It works. It’s called Blueprint for a Stronger Club.

It’s at this link

http://www.lionsclubs.org/resources/EN/pdfs/DA-STPBG.pdf

The most effective Lions clubs regularly identify ways to expand their service impact, develop leaders and meet club members’ needs and expectations. Like any worthwhile project, it is important to develop and implement a plan, or “blueprint,” to guide your actions.

LCI offers tools to help you develop your club’s blueprint, with emphasis on strengthening club operations, service leadership development and membership.

Create Your Club’s Blueprint

Download the Blueprint for a Stronger Club Guide for step-by-step assistance with assessing your club, establishing goals and developing your blueprint.

Identify your goals, challenges and possible solutions with the Planning Process Worksheet.

Create your action plan based on input from club members using our Action Plan Worksheet.

Goal Statement Form

Outstanding and unique plans will be shared with clubs around the world! Send questions to englishlanguage@lionsclubs.org.

Chevron

Honoring Lions for their years of service with a Chevron for their Lions pin, a Serving Generations Certificate and a Letter from the Lions International President Bob Corlew was the highlight of the 19F District Conference for me. Service is paramount and has been for 100 years of Lionism.

We augmented the honoring by giving awardees the option of adding a "fun" photograph to the normal shakes hands with the highest ranking dignitary while you get your award shot. I had tempted them with "This is the photo your grand kids will find in a trunk in the attic one day and wonder what kind of a fun guy their grandma or grandpa really was!"

Council Chairman Enoch Roland was doing the hand shaking. Whether they were solemn, smiling, or having a bit of a hoot Lions in the following photos are great!

John Warford, Grangeville Lions, 10 Years of Service
with Council Chairman Enoch Rowland

Judy Riggers, Benton City Lions, 10 Years of Service

with Council Chairman Enoch Rowland

Richard Redick, Kennewick Lions, 10 Years of Service

with Council Chairman Enoch Rowland

Richard Redick, 10 Years of Service

Marie Vogel, Troy Lions, 20 Years of Service

with Council Chairman Enoch Rowland

John Menter, Troy Lions, 10 Years of Service

with Council Chairman Enoch Rowland

Allen Aplass, Walla Walla Downtown Lions, 40 Years of Service

with Council Chairman Enoch Rowland

Allen Aplass - 40 Years of Service

Steve Noble, Yakimka Lions, 25 Years of Service

with Council Chairman Enoch Rowland

Steve Noble, Yakima Lions, 25 Years of Service

Jon Whitman, Pullman Lions, 30 Years of Service

with Council Chairman Enoch Rowland

Jon Whitman, 30 Years of Service

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!