Our next meeting - Tuesday, August 23, at the Edgewater - will be used for discussion and a club vote on two matters. First will be the proposed change in meeting schedule to twice a month, on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Second will be our budgets for the coming year. The Board has approved a General Fund Budget (shown below) based on 24 meetings per year with alternate figures for a 44 meeting schedule. We would like as many members as possible to be present, hear the discussion, and vote.

The schedule has an impact both on finances and membership. Obviously, it would greatly reduce our meal expense, along with minor reductions in Lions Tale printing and postage. Most of our members now come a considerable distance to attend meetings, and fewer meetings would mean a significant time savings. Many, if not most, Wisconsin clubs meet only once or twice a month. Offsetting factors include fewer opportunities to communicate with members, a reduction in fellowship time, less time for group work on projects, and a change in routine.

Our General Fund income has not covered expenses for the past several years, at an accelerating pace. Lions International dues, District (State) dues, and meal costs have all increased, along with overhead costs for operation, we now have fewer members to carry the overhead cost, and there has been no dues increase for some years. As a result, a small dues increase (about $5 per quarter) will likely be necessary even with the reduced schedule. Maintaining 44 meetings would likely result in a further increase of $20 per quarter.

These are the issues, and some of the reasons. We will have to talk over the details and make decisions. The General Fund budget follows, and the proposed, but not yet Board approved, Foundation budget is on the back.

Print readers received copies of the budget displays on paper. Online readers can find the informationhere.

For those who haven't used the MCLC info before, a user/password combination is required.

Some clicking around is necessary, particularly the little tab at the bottom of the window, to see the figures. Your Editor was able to print the pages, though, and if he can do it most anyone should be able to do it.