District 29-L Newsletter

Transcription

1 District 29-L Newsletter February 2018 Halfway there by District Governor Lee Ann Welch You see a cute sheep doing cute things on You Tube or Facebook and you smile, right? Awwww, how adorable, you say, right? But, they have shepherds for a reason. They are followers. Not unlike most of our population. They are followers. Not willing to step up and take the lead. They are content to walk through life, not drawing attention to themselves, following the crowd. Don t confuse them with workers who have purpose and a goal; those who are willing to work together and do what it takes to get the task accomplished. It s the Power of We, as President Naresh says. Now, look at a lion. King of the jungle. A natural-born leader. Bold. Brave. No shepherd for them. When you share your passion for Lionism, which are you? When asked why you are a Lion, do you say, We do good things, or do you boldly launch into your elevator pitch? Lions Clubs International is the world s largest volunteer humanitarianism organization, serving 200 million people across the globe each year. Where there s a need, there s a Lion! We tutor children in reading and math. We feed the hungry and help the homeless. We certainly show up at natural disasters overseas, but we also show up when those happen right here at home! Derecho? Lions provide clean water and supplies to help folks clean up. Towns swept away by floods? Lions provide supplies and manpower to get people back on their feet. Sure, we provide eye exams and glasses, but Lions do so much more! Be bold about this Association you believe in so strongly. Lions are leaders. Be brave to get out and work in a service project that stretches you out of your comfort zone. Personally, eight years ago I would not have believed I would work weekly with the homeless. That was surely a stretch out of my comfort zone. In a land of sheep, walk like a lion. Cabinet Members District Governor, LeeAnn Welch First Vice District Governor, Gary Pitcock Second Vice District Governor, Jordan Glass Immediate Past District Governor, Linda Leasure Secretary/Treasurer, Harry Schramm Zone 1 Chair, Linda Amos Zone 2 Chair, Chris Doty Zone 3 Chair, John Wensyel Zone 4 Chair, Dan Heintzman Zone 5/6 Chair, Jordan Glass Zone 7 Chair, Dave Roberts Zone 8 Chair, Richard McMillan Zone 9 Chair, George Woodrum Zone 10 Chair, Donna Pinkerman

2 Service and membership go hand in hand by Gary Pitcock, First Vice District Governor I hope that those of you who attended our WV Lions Leadership Retreat enjoyed the weekend and came home with some great ideas, as well as, being charged up! We had great speakers with timely, interesting presentations. I would like to speak with you about service and membership, which go hand in hand. With more members, we can provide more service and with more service activities we can help more people. We need you help Lions of District 29L. We will soon be working on forming 2 new clubs (in March). One club will be in Mineral Wells area and the other somewhere in the Morgantown area. We need Lions in both areas to please step up and assist us in getting new members in these areas. We are also in need of Guiding Lions for these new clubs from possibly Parkersburg, Williamstown, Boaz or Vienna for the Mineral Wells club. We will also need 2 or more Lions in the Morgantown area to act as Guiding Lions for the Morgantown area club. Please, Lions from the surrounding areas of these 2 potential new clubs, we need your assistance in the recruitment process for members for these new clubs. Won t you please consider giving a day or more of your time to work with us in this effort. This is a huge undertaking, but I know as a team, we can do this. Please contact me at gary.pitcock1@comcast.net or for more information or if you are interested in learning the recruitment process that has been successful in other areas of the state and the country as well. Start planning now to elect new officers by Bernice Pitcock, Leadership Chair Its that time of year again!! Its time for your club membership to begin the process of choosing your leaders for the upcoming Lions year. This is a reminder for the clubs to choose their nominating committee and to begin the process of nominations/elections of club officers. Remember, your club needs to report incoming officers to LCI prior to May 15, I encourage you to look at the possibility of electing members to leadership roles who have not served as officers in the past. Fresh, new faces and ideas are essential to the growth and sustainability of our Lions clubs. In addition to club level officers, your incoming District Governor (PDG Gary) is on the look out for interested Lions to serve as Zone chairs and at the District level. I encourage all Lions to consider stepping up to serve in leadership roles in the various areas of the organization. As Leadership chair, I am in the process of investigating the training that the District will be providing to our incoming leaders. Please contact me at bpit@comcast.net for any ideas or suggestions you may have to improve the training process. I wish you much success in finding our new Lions leaders!

3 Cabinet meeting scheduled Next Cabinet Meeting will be held Sunday February 11, 2018 at 11:30 am at the Lesage Lions Clubhouse at 6020 Kyle Lane, Lesage, WV. No Charge for Lunch for Cabinet Members Non-Cabinet Members - $11.00 Cost of Lunch RSVP by February 8 to: District 29L Secretary/Treasurer PDG Harry Schramm hms.jr@suddenlink.net or phone Send reports to PDG Harry Schramm or to DG Lee Ann Welch no later than February 8, At this meeting, the District will receive your annual contributions to the following Funds: Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) WV Lions Sight Conservation Foundation Leader Dogs for the Blind Pilot Dog Disaster Recovery and Relief Youth Exchange WV Blind and Deaf Recreation Program Quest Romney Student Work Program Please make every effort to attend. We do not plan on having another cabinet meeting until the State Convention in April. Upcoming Events Feb. 3 Zone 5/6 meeting, Panera Bread, Patteson Dr., Morgantown, 10 a.m. RSVP to Lion Jordan Glass at jmglass@gmail.com to receive updates if the meeting has to be rescheduled due to weather. Feb. 11 Cabinet meeting. Lesage Lions Clubhouse May 4-6 MD 29 Convention, Lakeview Resort and Spa, Morgantown May 5 Council of Governors, Lakeview Resort and Spa, Morgantown May 5 2 p.m., Sight Foundation meeting, Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa, Morgantown Receive the Newsletter by Mail Would you or members of your club like to receive a printed copy of the District 29 L Newsletter by mail each month? Subscribe to the District 29 L Newsletter for the Lions year for $10. Contact Lion Heather Sammons, District Public Relations & Lions Information Chairperson at heatheresammons@gmail.com for more details! Be Featured in the Newsletter Please send any newsletter submissions to Lion Heather Sammons, District Public Relations & Lions Information Chairperson at md29lnewsletter@gmail.com on or before the 20th of each month in order to have your club s events or accomplishments featured in the district newsletter.

4 Clubs asked to appoint Club Service Chairperson by PDG Linda Leasure, GST District 29L Coordinator LCI is asking each club to name a Club Service Chairperson. This will be an elected position, but for now your club can appoint a Service Chairperson. The duties of the Service Chairperson are to encourage the club to participate in the following service projects and then insure after completion that the project has been reported to LCI. The five projects are hunger, environment, pediatric cancer, diabetes and vision. Many of you regulary do all or most of the service projects listed above. The Service Chairperson will now have the ability to go online at LCI and report the service project. This position DOES NOT replace the Club Secretaries duties. It is an aid for the secretary. If the club secretary hasn t had time to report the activity to LCI then the Service Chair can now help by submitting the information. It is very important to add your Service Chairperson to the officers rooster on LCI. The Service Chair will be able to add service projects for their club only after their name is added. Why do we need to report to LCI? LCI needs up to date statistics on the number of people we serve. Those statistics are used to apply for many different grants available globally. For example, the measles initative was a grant from the Gates Foundation. Some of you may not know that the Gates Foundation is no longer matching the funding for our measles project. Why? All Foundations want to maximize the number of people they reach with their funding. Sadly, half of the service projects we do are not reported and this impacts our ability to attract potential new partners. You will soon be having club election of officers. Please remember to add the position of Service Chairperson to the ballot. Remember when submitting your PU 101 form for new officers to include the Service Chairperson position along with your Membership Chairperson. This will enable the Service Chair to report your club service projects to LCI. LCI has new service project idea brochures available. Please check the following form numbers on the LCI web site. Hunger GST 1B EN Environment GST 1E EN Pediatric Cancer GST 1D EN Diabetes GST 1A EN Vision GST 1C En

5 Find out more about the Global Action Team by PID Steve Glass, MD 29 Global Leadership Team Coordinator Your Multiple District GAT now has its own page on the multiple district web site. You can access it by going to wvlions.org, then opening the link called MD 29 GAT Toolbox. Our MD IT Webmaster, Lion Chris Doty, has created five links under that page for composition, leadership, membership, service and LCIF. The idea for having this toolbox is to provide resources that are available to use for all Lions in a convenient location. Our goal is to place Power Points, Word documents, FAQs, and other documents in one of these links, which club officers, zone chairpersons, and district leaders can access easily and use as needed and desired. Please visit the link and become familiar with what s there. Remember that it is brand new, and it is a work in progress. As time allows, we will upload resources to each category that we believe will be helpful to all members. Lions Youth Exchange needs host families by Henry Krautwurst, MD29 Youth Camps & Exchange Chairmam I hope you enjoy Corey Crowder s adventures in Peru. It is your contributions to the Youth Camps & Exchange program that make the opportunity to travel possible. Lions clubs around the world send us their youth just as we send out ours. While the contributions provide the opportunity to travel, nothing can happen without a host family. Have you considered sharing your home with a student from another country? You don t need to have kids in the house or kids the age of the incoming student. All you need is an adult who is at home during the day that would like to share experiences and opportunities with their guest. Host families include their guest in everything they do and take them everywhere the go. You are exposing them to the American culture and lifestyle of your family. They will meet many people as you do things with them. When Lion Lorrie and I host a student the first thing we tell them is that we are their parents for the duration of their stay. We tell them that our home is their home so they should do at our home as they do in their home. Our guest goes with us to Lions meetings, District cabinet meetings, Leadership Retreats, Ruritan meetings, church and church activities, family events and sightseeing; they are a part of our family. We try to do things that involve other kids so they at least get some contact with American youth. We have been truly blessed having these students come to live with us and to be able to get to know them and ultimately their families. As we have learned, we are making life long friends. I would like to invite you to contact me about becoming a host family. Don t be afraid to encounter an experience that will forever change your life.

6 Crowder visits Peru by Corey Crowder, Lions Youth Exchange participant It really is quite the thought: A boy from West Virginia, never having been on a plane before, finds himself on his way to Lima, Peru sitting next to a trilingual girl from the Bahamas and a tarot card reader from Boston. This was when I realized that this trip would be like nothing I had experienced before. As in my original essay for this program, I must quote the French humanist François Rabelais in saying, I go to seek a great perhaps, however this phrase must now be mended to say I went to seek a great perhaps. My perhaps was what awaited me in Peru. The idea of leaving my family, my friends, and the comfort of even my native language was daunting to say the least. I had to ask myself how this program would benefit me, if I was ready for a shock of cultural diversity, and most importantly, if I was ready to spend a month away from home. The only problem was that the answers to these questions were not here in the mountain state, but in the streets of Surco, the beaches of Miraflores and with the artists of Callao. For all those who have not yet travelled, I ll let you in on a secret: the answer to those questions is that this world has so many opportunities and experiences to offer, and if you take them, you ll truly see the beauty of our world and the compassion of others to the point that it feels like you never left home. At around 10 pm my plane landed at the airport in Lima, Peru. Excitement quickly rushed through me, as it was time to finally meet my host family, which I shared with a girl named Madison from West Virginia. They greeted us holding signs with our names on them, and in return, I greeted them speaking the most proper form of Spanish I could muster after such a long plane ride. That is until Kelly, the mom told me it was completely unnecessary. Eventually after a a 40 minute car ride, a first look at the touch-and-go nature of Peruvian drivers, we made it to the bright purple house that we would call home for the next month. The family who welcomed me into their home was with out a doubt some of the nicest people I ve ever met. The mother was named Kellyta, Kelly for short, and was the operator of an organic eco market. She double as a complete encyclopedia, as she could discuss anything from current politics to the Spanish conquest of the Inca empire. Kelly s son, Ítalo, whom is shared a room with, was always up for an energetic discussion of biology. Admittedly, we bond over our favorite scientists throughout history. His sister, Paz, is arguably one of the better artists I ve met. Paz was always ready to have fun and had colored pencils in her hand for a majority of the day. At 11, she didn t hesitate to stand in front of a room full of people at a literature expo and ask her favorite illustrators about their work. This would be an inaccurate representation of my experience if I failed to mention Benjamín. Without a doubt, he is the funniest 8 year old I ve ever met, matching that with his extensive knowledge/obsession of dinosaurs, I always loved when he would come to visit. Benjamín was Ítalo s and Paz s half brother and he lived with his father, Alfredo. To say I was lucky in being match with this family would be an understatement. On the first day of our trip we went to the eco market that our host family owned. At this

7 market we met an array of people both from Lima and the surrounding provinces, as the would come to the market to sell their organic products. At this market we would spend every Sunday buying groceries for the week. If I had to choose one clear representation of my trip, it would be the bus ride from el óvalo in Surco to Larco in Miraflores, as we frequently utilized the Lima bus system, getting lost only a few times. Miraflores was home to one of the nicest malls I ve ever seen, named Larcomar. This mall was cut into the cliff overlooking the ocean. Many times we would go buy frozen yogurt and sit in the outside food court watching the activity down in the beach. Larcomar also has two of the best restaurants in Peru: La Lucha, and China Wok. La Lucha is traditionally Peruvian food in a fast food style, so it is easily one of the most popular restaurants in Lima. Now, my personal favorite was China Wok. This isn t necessarily Chinese food, but rather what they call Chifa. Chifa is a mix between Chinese and Peruvian dishes. I very soon became a regular at the Larcomar, always eating chaufa, a very delicious Chifa rice dish, and interacting with locals to improve my proficiency in Spanish. Larco, a vastly popular street in Miraflores, had quite the selection of stores where one could find a variety of hand-crafted art. Miraflores definitely was more of a tourist location; however, when you walk through Kennedy Park, where natives of the city spend their free time, you can absolutely feel that you are off the beaten path. The district of Callao has to be one of the most beautiful locations in Lima. Every block has a new painting on it, each completely different than the last. Graffiti is a form of representing culture in Callao. The walls in this district of Lima, I can say with certainty, have some of the best art I ve seen on them. These painting came not just from times of war or protest, but also from the strong cultural influence present in Peru. Everybody you meet is not afraid to tell you how much they love their country. During the patriotic festivals on the 28th of July I attended a concert by a Peruvian singer named Eva Ayllon. At this concert the whole crowd shouted the words to one of her songs, Este es mi tierra, este es mi Perú. In English that would be this is my land, this is my Peru. My trip to Lima, made possible by the Lions Club, has changed my perspective of people and the world so much. I originally saw this as a chance to improve my Spanish speaking skills, but what I found in Lima was one of the nicest families in a city so rich with the familiarity of urban life but also the strong influence of native culture. Every day I spent in Peru brought me closer to its history, its people, and its culture to the point that saying goodbye felt like I was leaving home again. This trip has given me a second home in a city a continent away that will always hold a special place in my heart.

8 Lions partner with Boy Scouts by Lion Bill Hensley At a regular meeting of the Scott Teays Lions Club, Lion Bill Hensley presented a check to Boy Scout Zachery Williams, Senior Patrol Leader of BSA Troop 17. This was not a donation. The check represented the Scout Troop s share of the proceeds of the Lions Christmas Tree sales. For the past several years, the Lions have been unable to have their Christmas tree sale due to a lack of manpower. The scouts, their parents and leaders provided the extra manpower needed to make a Christmas tree sale possible. Also, Trees in WV were scarce this year but Nathan Wills, owner of Southern States Supply in Nitro, found some trees in Ghent, WV and delivered them to the Lions. BSA Troop 17 is sponsored by St John s United Methodist Church in Scott Depot. Leadership Retreat a Success by PDG Bob Moffett, Lions of WV Leadership Retreat Chair The Lions of West Virginia Leadership Retreat provided informative seminars and excellent keynote speakers Paul Daugherty, Johnathan McCormick, PID Cindy Gregg, and Lion Ann Hammond. In addition, there were plenty of opportunities for those attending to share with other Lions from West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee and New Jersey. There were 109 registered attendees who participated throughout the weekend. Thirty of those were attending for the first time this year. Twenty-five attendees were from District 29L. Seminars covered topics on subjects ranging from Leading and Serving in the Next Decade, by SVDG Jordan Glass, to Effective Utilization of Social Media and My Lion App, led by Lion Heather Sammons and Diabetes and Ways Clubs Can Get Involved, led by PDG Bernice Pitcock. Plans are underway now for the 2019 Retreat. Plan now to attend.

9 District Governor s Contest Update by Lion Ramona Sago Here are the standings for the District Governor s Contest as of January 31, District Governor s Contest All Clubs Combined Vienna 112 pts Wheeling 78 pts Grantsville 67 pts Friendly 61 pts Fairmont 50 pts Morgantown 40 pts Harrisville 37 pts Doddridge 39 Elm Grove 27 pts Barrackville 24 pts Washington Lands 23 pts Cheat Lake 22 pts Pleasants Area 21 pts Western Mon. 20 pts Weirton 20 pts Mt. Olivet 20 pts Washington Lands 20 pts Parkersburg 20 pts Moundsville 15 pts Sistersville 14 pts Chester 12 pts Warwood 11 pts Wellsburg 11 pts South Parkersburg 11 pts West Liberty 9 pts Boaz 9 pts New Cumberland 8 pts South Huntington 7 pts Westover 7 pts Wheeling Island 7 pts District Governor s Visitation Contest Club Contest Points 36 members & over Wheeling 19 Parkersburg 10 Warwood 8 Wellsburg 8 Doddridge 1 Moundsville members Friendly 21 Morgantown 20 Mt. Olivet 20 Harrisville 10 Fairmont 9 West Liberty 8 Sistersville 7 Elm Grove 1 20 members & under Weirton 32 Washington Lands 32 Cheat Lake 18 Western Mon 4 Vienna 4 Westover 3 Pleasants Area 3 Barrackville 2 Wheeling Island 1 District 29-L Welcomes New Lions Barboursville Lions Club Angela Webb Dallas Lions Club George Crawford Glenville Lions Club James O Dell Milton Lions Club Brad Stewart Washington Lions Club Mike Bird Williamstown Lions Club Stella Johnson

10 Barboursville Lions Club Celebrates 75th Anniversary by Lion Charles Buzzard On Tuesday evening, January 23, the Barboursville Lions Club celebrated its 75th anniversary at the Barboursville Senior Center. District Governor Lion LeeAnn Welch, Past District Governors Lion Bob Roach, Lion John Pinkerman, Lion Donna Pinkerman, and Lion Eddie Queen were honored guests. Barboursville mayor Chris Tatum presented a proclamation honoring the club for its many years of service to the community. Past president Lion Lib Ciccolella presented a history of the club. He noted that the club was sponsored by the Huntington Downtown Lions Club. He reviewed projects that the club did over the years and some interesting and amusing anecdotes. He noted that the club had its own clubhouse for many years until it sold the property to the city to provide a senior center. Another past president, Lion Charlie Buzzard, highlighted five presidents of the club beginning with the first president, Lion W.D. Bourn, who served for the first three years ( ). Other presidents featured were Lion Charlie Astle, Lion Gerald Sturgeon, Lion Lennie Roe, and Lion Roger Hesson. In 1972 the club sponsored the Lesage Lions Club during the presidency of LIon Gerald Sturgeon. Two past presidents served on the District level. Lion Roger Hesson served as District Governor of District 29-O. He also served as a trustee of the West Virginia Sight Conservation Foundation. Lion Stephen Nash served as Second Vice-District Governor until his health prevented him from continuing The club has sponsored Leo clubs for the past 15 years. Two school-based clubs were at Cabell Midland High School and Barboursville Middle School for several years. Like the Lions, the Leos serve the community. One project was collecting food items for food baskets given out at Thanksgiving. Four years ago a community-based club was formed. This club currently has 55 members and is doing great work in the community under the leadership of Lion Tom Turman, who is their advisor. Projects of the Leos include serving meals at the city mission, collecting food for the Cabell Midland food pantry, and doing flood relief at Clendenin. Currently they are working on a Braille Trail project at the Barboursville Community Park. The Cabell Midland Show Choir performed their competition show for those in attendance. It was a very impressive show. All in attendance gave the choir a standing ovation.

11 St. Mary s High School Leo Club certified by Leo Advisor Lion Loura Rinard St. Mary s High School is partnering with the lpleasants County Lions Club chapter to create a Leo Club. Through the Leo Club Program, young people serve as positive agents of change within their communities. These young leaders develop valuable leadership skills, make new friends and have fun. SMHS students grades 9th-12th work together under the guidance of adviser, Loura Rinard, Mandy Mote and Susan Travers to develop service projects that will address needs within the community or to give back to organizations that have helped either students or families within Pleasants County. To officially charter this group with the Lions, a dinner was held on Sunday, December 10th. The dinner was held to officially induct members as well as have area Lions members meet Leo Club members. The dinner was organized by local Lion Tony Vandenberg, who approached SMHS in the summer months regarding this partnership. The Leo Club has already completed several projects such as: Positive Posters and messages throughout the high school Can food drive with items donated to Neighbor Network Care bags made to patients at Strecker Cancer Center with items such as gloves, hats, blankets and positive uplifting messages. Raising funds to be donated to Nationwide Children s hospital in Columbus OH for their Red Wagon Project The Leo club adopted a family for Christmas Christmas stockings to be donated to children at The Children s home in Parkersburg WV Future events include serving dinner at the Latrobe Street Mission, raising money to be donated to Gary Sinise Foundation which specialize in building specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans, providing funds for essential resources to first responders, lifting spirits at military medical centers, or supporting their families in times of need, we re serving America s heroes and their loved ones every day. Leo Club members are also going to donate a day to volunteer in area agencies/organizations such as the Humane Society, Neighborhood Network, The Hertiage and Carehaven to name a few. Leo Club members would also like to develop an Out of Darkness walk to raise funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention which Senior Class members spoke to other students previous in the year in honor of a classmate. The Leo Club is represented by President Bradon Vannoy, Vice President Ryan McFarland, Treasurer Kassidy Evans, Secretary Emily Hadley and Board of Director Zac Long. These students work along side Pleasants County Lion Club as well as other students to develop and plan for all events. If you would like to make a donation or help with any future events please contact Loura Rinard at SMHS at or lrinard@k12.wv.us

12 2018 Multiple District Convention Registration Form May 4-6, 2018 Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa Registration Fee: $ per person for full weekend (Includes four meals, entertainment both nights, seminars, and more!) For Friday night dinner and activities only: $40.00 For Saturday Luncheon and activities only: $30.00 For Saturday night dinner and activities only: $50.00 Hotel Room: $109 per night plus all applicable taxes for single or double occupancy. Make room reservation directly with Lakeview at (304) by April 10, Make sure that you tell them you are with the Lions MD Convention for the special rate. Name(s): Address: City: State: Zip Code Telephone: Club: District: L C I First Timer: Y N If any meal restrictions, please indicate here Amount Enclosed If you are not paying for full registration, please indicate here which events that you are paying for Make checks payable to 2018 MD 29 Convention. PayPal option is available by contacting Steve Glass. Please mail completed registration by April 20, 2018 to PID Steve Glass at 191 Ridgeway Drive, Bridgeport, WV If you have any questions, please contact PID Steve Glass at or scjglass@aol.com.

13 Milton Lions Club welcomes new member Brad Stewart Volunteer Organization Protection Act helps Lions by Lions Clubs International The Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2017 impacts every Lion in the United States. Under current law, service clubs have been forced to dissolve when they have been unable to afford the costs of litigation resulting from a volunteer s negligence. VOPA can help protect your club from being drawn into lawsuits should an accident occur during a Lions Club service activity or event. Milton Lions have a roaring good time at bell ringing by DG LeeAnn Welch Milton Lion T. Rex (Greg Meadows), was a bell ringer for the Salvation Army at Hobby Lobby in Barboursville, and according to Salvation Army officials, set a single kettle record of nearly $500. Their kettle was overflowing and when asked why they did so well, Mrs. T. Rex, Lion Lynne Meadows said it was the costumes. Although not pictured, she was dressed as an Elf. Children and adults went out of their way to bring cash to the kettle and many even wanted selfies with the darling dino! Whatever it takes, said District Governor Lee Ann Welch. I hope other clubs appropriate this idea and we can make an even bigger impact on our communities.

14 Lion Heather Sammons District 29 L Information Chairperson 5053 Riverwood Circle Fairmont, WV We Serve