Our next meeting - Tuesday, September 6, at the Edgewater - will be the first meeting of our Fall schedule, and, more importantly, the first meeting of our new schedule. Starting with our next meeting, we will go to two meetings each month, on the first and third Tuesdays. Now you already know what one of the actions voted on at the last meeting was. Our program, with JODI BURMESTER as Program Host, will be George Dreckman, head of the recycling and rubbish collection program of the City of Madison. He will tell us about major changes in the recycling program which will begin the week after he speaks to us. We will meet on the pier, weather permitting.

Important: Treasurer MELISSA ABBOTT and accountant/consultant CHARLIE LIBERTY are installing a new accounting system for our Club, which hopefully will make our financial management easier. As with any new system, particularly where computers (they are wonderful - they enable us to make mistakes with lightning speed) are involved, it is taking more time than we thought and there are glitches. One big one: the dues invoices for the July-August-September quarter which were recently distributed did NOT include past due balances. If your invoice for the previous quarter has not been paid, or worse yet, had a past due balance on it, you still owe the Club that amount. If you know you owe a previous balance, please get your check to MELISSA immediately, if not sooner. If you aren’t sure, ask her. The Club needs the money, and clearing up past due amounts will make the whole problem a lot easier. Please help

President CHUCK BASFORD called our last meeting to order as an official business session, and we began as usual with JIM SCHUTZ leading the song and TOM STEVENS giving the invocation. VP SAL AL-ASHKAR reported on our sponsorship of the Conference on Treatment of Children With Diabetes. This meeting, held annually in Madison, brings together people from the Wisconsin Department Of Health, local medical professionals, UW Hospitals, Milwaukee Childrens’ Hospital and teachers, to share information on diabetes in children. Topics included how to recognize and treat symptoms, dietary information on “carb counting,” the legal responsibility of the school system, and new methods of administering insulin. Diabetes information is one of our major projects, stemming originally from the fact that diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of blindness, and now more important than ever because of its spread to children and youth. We are involved through funding support, and volunteers who help stage the Conference. It is an opportunity for service, which also provides visibility for Lions. Talk to SAL to find out how to help.

We welcomed back JIM BRADLEY, crutching his way along as he recovers from serious injuries from being hit by a car while cycling. Nice to see him out and about, and to have him with us again.

DON NEVIASER says the Sports Raffle will kick off on September 20. Packer and Badger tickets, and good old hard cash, as prizes again this year. Should be a painless sale, and we need everyone to help. PHIL STOWITTS will once again have Bucky Books for $35 (profits to Club) and LINDA BERGREN says we’ll have Holiday Cakes and Nuts in November. PHIL also noted a “thank you” from the Latino Child Care Council for some Mallard game tickets we got from Bucky Books and gave to the council.

Our business meeting discussed the proposed change in meeting schedule to twice a month, on the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesdays each month. Obviously this will reduce our meal costs, which will ease our financial crunch, and also reduce the time commitment during business ours now required of our members. After discussion, the change was approved by a large majority of those present and voting.

The proposed budget for our General (operating) Fund was also discussed, including proposed dues increases. After discussion, it was amended to include a $10 per quarter increase (to $35) in dues for Associate and Veteran members (to cover increased LCI and State dues and operating costs not associated with meals) and no change in the quarterly dues for active members, with provision for review in six months. As amended, this motion also passed.

We still have a lot of work to do. Our committee structure is a work in progress, but for right now, if you have something for Sight Conservation, see SCOTT GROVER. Eyeglass collection/recycling, HAL OTTERBACK. Community Service, STEVE BRIGGS. Diabetes SAL AL-ASHKAR. Bulletin, TERRY SCHAR. Membership, LINDA BERGREN. Eye Tissue Transporters, CHUCK BASFORD & JIM KEMMETER. See 3^rd paragraph above for the chairpersons of upcoming fund raising projects.