Tuesday, December 13, is our Winter Wonderland Gathering. We will meet at the Edgewater from 5:30 to 7:30 to “Mix, Mingle and Meet ” with fellow members, spice (plural of spouses) and friends, have some hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and a lot of fun. Mostly just visiting and enjoying the season and each other’s company, lots of Lion Birthdays, and presentation of a few awards. Every Central Lion should be there, and hopefully with a guest or two!

Our last meeting began when OTTO FESTGE introduced the East High Swing Choir, directed by Brooksey Bilkey. These young men, in bright red suits, and young women, in “little black dresses ” , presented a fast-paced program of popular and show music and dance. The country will be in good hands after all — their performance showed the result of hours and hours of practice effort and preparation, and good coaching as well. There were about 30 of them — they kept moving too fast for an accurate count, and they put on a great show — soloists, group singers and dancing, in the process adapting to some minor equipment problems without missing a note. They were fun to watch, and they seemed to have fun performing. Outstanding program — if you weren’t there, you missed something! President CHUCK paid them his ultimate compliment — he said, and did, “ Hats Off ” to their performance.

The regular agenda began with JIM SCHUTZ leading the singing of “America.” Having learned that one of our guests, LINDA BERGREN’S granddaughter Alexis was five that day, he also led us in “Happy Birthday.” That one needs work before next week’s Lion Birthdays. DICK POMO improvised an appropriate invocation on the spot.

We had an impressive guest list. Dr. TOM STEVENS brought Kristi Arnquist, a Stark Realtor and wife of the surgeon who did a great job on the Editor’s eye last September; MELISSA ABBOTT brought friend Dan Eernisse; DON NEVIASER brought Kevin Drake; GLENN SCHAEFER, wife Judy; DALE MUELLER, wife Gwen; DICK POMO, wife Sharon, LINDA BERGREN, daughter Jessica Pellegrino and granddaughters Kayley and Alexis; OTTO FESTGE, daughter and Waunakee Lioness SUE HINELINE. Beaver Dam Lions PDG HAROLD NAGLER and BOB GARTZKE were here with their citrus fruit.

SUE HINELINE announced a Benefit Dance, sponsored jointly by the Waunakee, Madison/Monona, Cottage Grove and McFarland Lioness Clubs, to be held on Saturday January 28 at the VFW Post 7591 Hall, 301 Cottage Grove Road. Tickets are $10.00. If you want some and didn’t get them, see PHIL INGWELL.

PHIL STOWITTS has about 16 Bucky Books left. Proceeds at this point are all profit to our Club — give one to somebody, or to yourself. They are a particularly great deal for golfers and take-your-spouse-to-dinner people.

LINDA BERGREN has all the Holiday Goodies — nuts, fruit cake, malted milk balls, etc. etc. on hand. If you ordered and don’t have yours, contact her to get them. She has some items left over — help her out by taking them off her hands!

The District Curling Bonspiel is the weekend of January 13-15 at New Berlin, and DON NEVIASER says the District Bowling Tournament is the following weekend, January 20-22 at Ten Pin Alley in Verona. Both events would like more Lion participants, so see President CHUCK about Curling or DON about Bowling, or both. Great opportunities for those who like to throw heavy objects.

The TailTwister began a kind of goofy raffle, in which you could win half the pot, but your chances appear to be slightly worse than Powerball. Something about the winning ticket each week draws a card from a deck, and if it’s the Joker you win half of the money collected up to that point. He says your odds get better each week, because he started with 53 cards and he’s already down to 52. That must mean that after next week he won’t be playing with a full deck. But it is an ingenious way to raise money for our Club.

WHAT HAVE WE DONE LATELY; We’ve donated $200 to the District Youth Exchange Program, sent half our pledge to the Lions Eye Bank, and appropriated $10,000 towards the new UW Hospitals Pediatric Eye Clinic. And many Lions are working hard to raise more money by staffing the Kohl Center Concession Stand. That one could always use more help — See SCOTT GROVER or President CHUCK to volunteer.

No meeting December 20. After the December 13 party, the next one is on January 3, 2006.

M ERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

December Web Link — There are still opportunities for working at the Kohl Center Concession Stand.