Back to normal, if one can call it that, next Tuesday, October 12. We meet as usual at noon, and JIM BRADLEY will be the Program Host. He will introduce Michael Goldberg, VP of Programming for the Overture Center, who will tell us how the opening week went, and what we can expect to see and hear at the new Center in the coming weeks. Mr. Goldberg had a similar job at the Memorial Union Theater, and is a good, easy to listen to, speaker. Should be both informing and entertaining to hear.

Our last meeting was a nice break from our usual schedule, and a lot of fun. We met in the Rigadoon Room, and there was a lot of good conversation, food, and drink. The "heavy hors d'oeuvres" took care of supper for most of us, and the lake view was a nice backdrop for the gathering. An opportunity to visit with Lion friends with no TT to interrupt, and also to meet spice (editor's plural of spouse) and guests. President LINDA BERGREN did formally open the meeting, but business was kept to a minimum. VP MARK LARSON got stuck running a sort of TailTwister raffle, but he made $40 for the TT fund. DENNIS URECHE won the first prize. He's on to something - his was the last ticket bought and the first one drawn. There was a Bingo game involving identification of members present, but your editor was too far away to learn whether anyone actually won. We did see some cards completely filled out, tho, so someone must have. Lion Birthdays in September and October were noted, and the gifts brought were distributed. DON NEVIASER, WALT PRIDHAM, DAVE WEINBACH and CHUCK BASFORD celebrated their Lion anniversaries, and ROSS ROYSTER, PHIL INGWELL, THAYER BURNHAM and DICK WATTS won the gifts. All the action was at one end of the room, though. The drawings need some shaking up.

Part of the fun was that there were a lot of guests and spice. CRAIG BUTLER brought Betsy, DALE MUELLER brought Gwen, Alice JENSON was with JOHN, MICHELLE VETTERKIND brought Kirk, JODI BURMESTER brought Dale, BETTY INGWELL came with PHIL, Mary Schar with TERRY, Leslie with DON NEVIASER, DON GOLEMBIEWSKI brought Irene, STEVE BRIGGS brought Jane, DAN STOUDT brought our old friend Bernie, DAVE WEINBACH brought Dina, Marcia Riquelme was with PHIL STOWITTS, Sylvia Kundret with THAYER BURNHAM, Laverne Tesch with LOUISE FRITZ. DENNIS URECHE managed to fit the meeting in between appointments. There weren't any guest cards, so if we missed anyone we apologize, but it was nice to meet all these friends and family, and perhaps give them a little glimpse of what Lions are about.

There were a few "awards" - TERRY SCHAR got a "rock solid" plaque for always being there, CRAIG BUTLER a "Superman" plaque for carrying the Club as Acting President and President for what must have seemed like a very long time, and JOHN JENSON an award which defies description in this newsletter, but which really recognized that fact that he keeps all the records that keep the Club going, and also keeps the Board and the officers on track, Lionistically. Officers come and go, but a good Secretary is invaluable, and it's good to point that out occasionally. Not that JOHN is permissive by nature, but he keeps us out of quagmires. Your editor also got a Certificate of Appreciation from Pres. LINDA and a very nice framed photo of "the editor at work" from CHUCK BASFORD. Both were much appreciated.

And there was one Award. A Melvin Jones Fellowship (the highest recognition from Lions Clubs International for dedication to service) to MICHELLE VETTERKIND. MICHELLE has been a bright spot in our Club since she joined (she was our only woman member at the time), was our first woman President, and a year or so ago served at the call of the International President on the Women's Initiative Committee, a group of 14 women Lions formed world-wide to advance the goal of more women in Lionism. This was a high-powered group- some Past International Directors, high government officials, and women very well known and highly respected in their own countries, and MICHELLE fit right in with these leaders as an everyday working Lion from the USA. From that group has come the impetus for about 25,000 new Lion members and a renewed emphasis on recruiting more members from an enormous talent pool. Our Club is proof of how much women bring to the mission "We Serve!"

All the raffle tickets are out. If you have some, make sure you sell them. We don't want them back. If you aren't able to sell them, tell GEORGE ALBRIGHT or MELISSA NOVINSKI, so they can be given to someone else, quick. DON NEVIASER is selling them like hot cakes, and others are, too.

Nice story in the paper two Sundays back about AL GOLDSTEIN. He was the "Madisonian", and it told about all the things he has done, and is doing, for the community. We knew all that, but we also know that he was one of our most active fundraisers. Fruit cake, light bulbs, raffle tickets - he sold ‘em all, and raised thousands of $$ for our service work. His stores were fruit cake depots for years. Thanks from us too, AL!