June 14, 2005 Lion's Tale

Our next meeting will be June 28. We will install our new officers for the 2005-06 Lion year. No word on whether we will hear “How We Did It” from outgoing President LINDA BERGREN, or “How We’re Going To Do It” from incoming President CHUCK BASFORD, but we want everyone there to find out. Your officers and directors need your support, and your input, in order to continue our traditions of Lion service and friendship.

One of our three faithful readers spotted a typo in last week’s internet edition of the BULLetin. The August meetings are on the 9th and the 23rd. Your editor just copied what the writer had put in the print edition the week before. The reader correctly observed that most, at least, of our members would realize that we meet on Tuesday.

At our last meeting, President LINDA opened with the glad exclamation “We’ve got OTTO back!”, and it was true, at least in part. OTTO FESTGE was back, and he successfully led the song with one arm. The other one is temporarily out of service, apparently because he got some new electronic hardware to keep his tempo correct. Your editor barely stopped himself from replying to LINDA with “no, HAL’s not here” because OTTERBACK was at the doc’s office and not at the meeting. Turns out he too had a brief hospital stay but is up and about again. DALE MUELLER gave last week’s invocation.

Guests introduced were Gary Prisbe, a prospective member, with SAL AL-ASHKAR; Susan Hineline, OTTO FESTGE’S daughter and Waunakee Lioness (her husband is a Past President of Waunakee Lions); and Shirley Fitchen, wife of our speaker.

President LINDA announced that the joint (old and new members) Board of Directors meeting would be on June 28th. Supposedly at DON NEVIASER’s house, but he wasn’t present to confirm it. She also mentioned the Service Club Olympics, but it was quiet without DON to encourage everyone to take part. It is a fun day.

Only report on the golf outing was that MELISSA ABBOTT was apparently one of those who subscribe to the “drive for show, but putt for dough” motto. The golf outing was somehow involved in TTOTW ROSS ROYSTER’s machinations, but it came out same as always. A lot of people paid.

MELISSA NOVINSKI reminded everybody to get their Rose Day money in. Everything out there is profit, now, and we need every dime. Bring in as much as you can, as soon as you can. Our service projects need the money!

President LINDA introduced speaker Allen Fitchen, of the Madison Audubon Society. His opening questions disclosed that most of us at least have bird feeders, and some keep lists of the birds they’ve seen. The “Life List” is the biggie for veteran birdwatchers, some of whom even plan their vacations to visit locations where they may find new species for their list. There are 840 known species in North America, and only a few people have seen more than 800. 700 is high achievement, and 600 and up is attainable. Good locations in the area where you can add to your list are the Arboretum, Picnic Point, Elks Club parking lot in winter (some of us remember that one), the 9 Springs E-Way, Hoyt, Owen and Quarry Parks, Tiedeman’s Pond, Pheasant Branch Creek, Cherokee and Gov. Nelson State Parks, and someplace called “Shoveler’s Sink.” There is also Goose Pond (owned and maintained by the Audubon Society) and Schoenberg Marsh near Arlington, and the dam area at Prairie du Sac in the winter, for eagles. He says you need three things to be a birder: a good pair of binoculars, a good field guide (Sibley’s Guide To Birds, National Geographics Field Guide, or the classic Roger Tory Peterson’s Field Guide); and a jacket with pockets for the binoculars and the guides. He didn’t mention insect repellent.

He correctly pointed out that birding is a good hobby, because it gets you off the couch and outdoors in beautiful Wisconsin and elsewhere. You can keep a variety of lists: your own yard, annual for a given year, and the Life List. You can also just fill your birdfeeders and look out the windows, or go to specific locations in search of species you won’t see elsewhere - water birds being the obvious example. An enjoyable program, with all sorts of suggestions on how to expand your knowledge and experience.