At our next meeting, March 29, the speaker will be Tracy Perkins, and her subject, "Macular Degeneration." This condition is one of the major causes of vision loss, particularly in the elderly, and there is a lot of research going on about its cause and treatment. MARSHALL FLAX is the Program Host.

Before the meeting even got started, DAN STOUDT took the mike to let us know that he was circulating signup sheets for delivery on Rose Day. We need everyone we can get - if you are planning to deliver some of your own sales, make sure you take any others that are going to the same area. Then DON NEVIASER appeared, noting that he was volunteer TailTwister of the Month for the day. He seemed to be clutching a bunch of notes, but apparently has a reading disorder, because not much of what he said made any sense, as usual. And it cost most everybody a quarter, also as usual He said he'd be gone next week, and JERRY MILLER was appointed by acclamation to take his place as Interim TT. We'll see.

Your editor sat next to DICK POMO, who seemed to have some inside knowledge of what the TT was talking about, but we still got fined. DICK wasn't having the best of days, because he had to depend on the editor to pick out his lunch and he was on the edge of starvation as a result. Fortunately, the Edgewater guy assigned to feed the Lions made up a beautiful full-sized salad, and DICK got enough to eat after all.

President LINDA opened the meeting, OTTO FESTGE led the song, and the assigned invocator being inexplicably absent, LINDA improvised an invocation on the spot. We had two guests: CHUCK BASFORD brought well-known Madison radio personality Tammy Lee, from Q-106, and JODI BURMESTER brought her daughter Erin. LINDA announced that we have an opportunity for a special meeting - a lunch at, and a tour of, the new Overture Center. The catch is that the lunch will cost about $7 more than usual, which would be billed to attending Lions' accounts. We will vote next week on whether there are enough willing to pay the extra tab for the group to go. If you haven't seen the Overture Center yet, you certainly should go. If you've been there, this will be a chance to see some of the areas you wouldn't ordinarily see. If you'd like to go, make sure you're at the next meeting to say so. Date is May 17.

DAN STOUDT says he has to put the rose order in on April 6. He needs to know your total anticipated sales figure by that date. We don't want to order more than we can sell, nor do we want to come up short, so get busy and get a handle on how many you will sell. JOHN JENSON gave a "last call" to sign up for the Lions State (Multiple District) Convention, which is at the Abbey at Fontana on May 13-14-15. If you've never been to a State Convention, you should go. JODI BURMESTER is looking for car poolers and roommates for the USA-Canada Forum, which is close by, in Peoria, IL, this year. This is an informational session designed to help Lions in leadership and management roles, and much of what they tell you is useful in all parts of your life. It is a great opportunity, and you should go. Every one of our Club members who has gone to one has come back saying it was time very well spent. It's usually held in early September. Talk to JODI for more details.

MICHELLE VETTERKIND presided over a celebrations of Lion Birthdays, recognizing each one's years of service in our Club. LOUISE FRITZ, 1 year; SHARON MOLL-BRENNAN 4, SCOTT GROVER 5, LINDA BERGREN 9, DAWN JOHANKNECHT 9, JODI BURMESTER 12; ROSS ROYSTER 24, JIM BRADLEY 28; RICH (aloha!) MATZELLE 34; PHIL INGWELL 38, JIM RUNDELL 43; and SAM SANFILLIPPO 48. Some of the Lions that won gifts in the drawing were JERRY MILLER, THAYER BURNHAM and LOUISE FRITZ. Your editor got so excited when he won that he missed the others.

PHIL INGWELL inducted our two newest members, noting in the course of the ceremony that our Lion service is worldwide, far beyond just the boundaries of our local community. JONATHAN "JON" WINSKI is an optician at Shopko East. He and his wife Kirsten live at 3133 Forest Ridge, Madison, 53704, phone 442-3533, e-mail opticalguy@go.com. His sponsor is HAL OTTERBACK. WILLIAM "BILL" SWANSON is a residential channel coordinator for TDS Metrocom, and lives at 2302 Jonquil Rd, Madison 53711, phone 442-8415,
e-mail madbs@tds.net, with wife Tanya, who is originally from Ukraine. His sponsor is CHUCK BASFORD.

Speaker Carol Madrzak, a yoga and aerobics instructor, gave us some good examples of exercise and yoga that anyone, even your editor, can do. She says these activities have to be fun to keep you at it, and music is important for pace and atmosphere. She said that yoga exemplified "mind and body together" and had us try a number of the simpler poses and exercises. Interesting, helpful and too detailed to describe here. Our last two speakers have showed us a lot of things we can do to get in shape.