At our next meeting, the ballots will be counted and the results of the Club election announced. If you haven't returned your ballot, do it now. Or, as a last resort, bring it next week and give it to JOHN JENSON before the lunch. There will be a program, as yet unannounced, and a short Board of Directors meeting directly after the noon meeting.
First up to the microphone this week was our frequent visitor from McFarland, and former Central Lion, DENNIS URECHE. Apparently he had somehow found a cap that one of our rose deliverers had left behind somewhere in McFarland, which he was holding for ransom for the TT fund. He didn't really say whether it was our club fund or his, but at least HAL OTTERBACK got his hat back.
Next up was TT DALE MUELLER, newly returned from Arizona. He was respectfully greeted with a chorus of boos, after which he blew the punch line of his opening joke. Maybe for that reason, it seemed above average. He did innovate, fining DON NEVIASER for being without his name badge. Now, if he'd go after the non-pin-wearers......... The editor's pin last week was from Bangladesh. This week, the Multiple District that includes New York and Bermuda. Lions Clubs International.
OTTO FESTGE was back, and led the song with enthusiasm and dispatch. Best we got out of the piano was STEVE BRIGGS' sounding of "Middle C." We miss ORV. ED NEESE gave the invocation.
There were many hardworking Lions who got the flowers out yesterday. Chairpersons DAN STOUDT and MELISSA NOVINSKI led the effort by example, and there were many others who spent most of the day at it. We'll try to have a complete list next BULLetin. This was a big effort by a lot of Lions, and it paid off. DAN reported at today's meeting that he only had 25 rose bouquets and 8 carnations left, and by the time he got through almost all of those were gone. There have been relatively few requests for replacements so far.
JIM SCHUTZ reminded us that the Regatta was this weekend. He still needs a little help on Friday afternoon and a couple of boat drivers, but he said that this year the UW was doing the lions' share of the work. Not sure how he meant that, but he said we still stand to raise some money. If you can help out this weekend - Friday through Sunday - call JIM.
SCOTT GROVER is back in touch, working from someplace in the Carolinas, and the BULLetin is once again available on the web. Print copies are sent at periodical rates, which save us 2/3 of the mailing cost, but may result in slower delivery. Editor HAL lived close to the USPS head shed on Milwaukee St. so he could mail there, but TERRY mails at the West Side Station, which can cause an additional one-day delay. Consequently, the deadline for going to the printer is Wednesday morning. Normally, the web page is posted Wednesday or Thursday, so you can usually get the latest news there first. It is symbolic of our modern age that an editor in Madison types a BULLetin which is web-posted from Carolina so a Lion in Hawai'i can read it. Note - if you experience delays in getting your BULLetin, please let Lion TERRY know. If you get both web and print versions,and don't really need the printed one, let him know that also.
JIM BRADLEY introduced Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, whose opening remark noted OTTO FESTGE's presence, commenting that seeing OTTO made him think that holding the mayor's job was "good for both longevity and good looks." Mayor Dave also noted that he had been elected on April 1 (April Fool's Day) and inaugurated on April 15 (Tax Day). He clearly has a sense of humor. He followed with a number of general observations on the position of Mayor and the City of Madison: he has found out that he doesn't have to look for controversy, it will find him; he can't please everyone; you can't change an organization's culture just by decree; Madison is a contentious city (surprise!). He feels that argument is better than apathy, says he might as well take credit where he can get it because he'll get the blame anyway, and wants to make Madison a progressive leader. He noted that some things got done without the lengthy and bitter arguments so common in prior years, such as the new power plant going up on Campus Dr. and the compromises on security issues around Camp Randall Stadium on game days, which affect area residents. He commented that he thought the local media were pretty fair and reasonable, but the performance of national media in the recent Audrey Seiler incident was abysmal. They demanded all sorts of answers that were not reasonable to give, particularly as things evolved, and gave wide publicity to all sorts of rumors, putting heavy pressure on city officials. He said the UW brought 5700 of the world's brightest to Madison every year, which we shouldn't take for granted. A skilled and excellent speaker, even if you don't always agree with him. No harpoons in the questions afterward, either.