IMPORTANT Next Meeting - Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Edgewater somewhere. Our Vice Presidents, JODI BURMESTER and SANDY SOBECK LESLIE, will present a club operations program - what we do and how we do it. This will tell newer members how the system works, and older members how the system works now, and give all of us a chance to ask questions and contribute suggestions. “The Times, they are a-changin” and so must our Club. Be there to help plan our future! Your editor thinks the presenters are a perfect blend of knowledge and enthusiasm. With these two leading the way, you’ll have to move fast to keep up, which is how it should be!

Our Awards Night came off on schedule if not in the planned room - the Edgewater seems to be sheathed in plywood for the season. A goodly number enjoyed the appetizer buffet and the social time, and the meeting was presided over by VP JODI BURMESTER. We opened with the Pledge, skipped the song and the invocation, and had a few announcements: We really need more volunteers for the Kohl Center stand - a schedule is available here on our web site and at meetings, or you can call SCOTT GROVER to sign up. Be there about 2 1/2 hours before game time, and you’ll make about $40 for our service funds for each shift you work. This is how we fund our service - help out! PHIL STOWITTS is down to his last 4 Bucky Books. This too benefits our Club - take them off his hands.

TailTwister Doc TOM STEVENS showed up with his arm in a sling, having had carpal tunnel surgery. Presumably from too much effort gripping the Lion Bank in his various schemes. Watch out, he can collect lefthanded if he has to. It was reported that WALT PRIDHAM has had a setback in his recovery from immunization-induced illness. He’s back home again, but coming back slowly. OTTO FESTGE is hospitalized with a stroke, which apparently had occurred some time before it was detected. Keep these Lions in your thoughts and prayers. Former member DICK POMO sent his regards as well as a challenge to make some noise at the basketball games, and some photos of his new blond friend (he reports that Sharon is fine with this new blond - amazing woman). See below.

Lion Birthdays were celebrated, led by PP MICHELLE VETTERKIND, who went home to study some arcane UW subject afterwards. MELISSA ABBOTT, HAL OTTERBACK and DALE MUELLER were present in person and DALE ST. JOHN by proxy. Drawing winners: JIM KEMMETER, JOHN JENSON (resplendent in green Lion coat), SCOTT GROVER, and LINDA BERGREN. The award presentations started out with LINDA BERGREN and her new tradition, the Pain In The Butt Award. After some comments about previous recipient JOHN JENSON having set the bar pretty high, she presented this year’s version to TOM STEVENS for his innovative interpretation of the TailTwister role. Well deserved, but we fear it will only spur him on to greater heights, and there’s still more than half the year to go.

The first formal award was a brand new one, the Knight of Sight Fellowship, conferred by the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin on nomination by our Club. PDG JERRY RABBACH , representing the LEBW, presented it to Past President JIM KEMMETER. JIM was honored for his work in setting up and managing our section of the Transport Network, which performs the vital task of transporting donated eye tissue to and from the Eye Bank. This is one of the most important projects the Lions of Wisconsin do, and JIM is a key player in the system. He does whatever it takes to get the transporting done quickly, at all hours of the day or night. No one could be more deserving of this new honor.

The second award, a Birch-Sturm Fellowship awarded by the Wisconsin Lions Foundation, also on our Club’s nomination, went to a happily surprised SCOTT GROVER. SCOTT has been a Director, eye bank transporter, worked many shifts at our Kohl Center fundraiser, Sight Conservation Chairman, invaluable help to the Lions Tale, but most of all has brought our Club into the 21st Century by managing and maintaining our web site, which contains a wealth of information on the Club directory, calendar, organization, and projects, available to all and requires a lot of updating and input. The presenter, TERRY SCHAR, referred to SCOTT as “our resident wizard.”

Melvin Jones Fellowships, LCIF’s highest recognition for service, were presented to LINDA BERGREN and SAL AL-ASHKAR. Both are Club Past Presidents, and in addition LINDA has been song leader, eye bank transporter and Holiday Treat Sale manager, and is one of those who always steps up when help is needed. SAL has worked tirelessly on our vision projects, and most importantly, on Diabetes Awareness at both the Club and District levels. Both exemplify the leadership that keeps us going. PID PHIL INGWELL made the presentations.