Next Time - Tuesday, March 3. March already! Our speaker will be Dane County Executive candidate Nancy Mistele. It seems that elections are a way of life these days, and we will hear what she proposes to do/change in our home county if she’s elected. SAL AL-ASHKAR got the program, but he may still be sitting on a cactus somewhere in AZ, and so someone else may introduce her.

We Need To: Get our flower sales going - contact your customer list, add to it, let them know by mail, e-mail, phone, visit, whatever, what we are offering this year. Guaranteed flowers, vases, and a chance to support our service work. And be sure to let JERRY HODDINOTT know how many you’re going to sell. We don’t have much flexibility in our order this year, so he needs to make it right. Too few, and we have orders we can’t fill. Too many, and we give away our profit at the end.

District Convention - At the Sheraton, right here in Madison, Friday and Saturday, March 13 and 14. You will learn a lot about Lionism when you go, including the fact that Lions wear gold vests on occasion, plus details on all the ways your Lion participation helps others. Friday night is hospitality night, when you can meet a lot of new Lion friends. Our own District Governor JOHN JENSON will be a key player in this convention as he heads toward the end of his year as DG, so be there to add to the appreciation that will be given for his service. He could probably use some help, including Friday night, so see him to volunteer. Remember, too, our Club pays the registration fee and Saturday lunch for our members who sign up in advance to attend.

Play A Vital Role! - Training to be a certified Vision Screener will be offered in Cottage Grove on Saturday, March 21. This is one of our most important projects, and you can be on the front lines of a vision-saving battle. You have to be trained and re-certified every two years, and then you can work on the equipment when children’s screenings are done. If we find one kid with an eye problem than can be fixed, we have changed someone’s life for the better, permanently. Get yourself involved!

This Sunday! - Because this issue is early, when you get it the Texas Hold’Em Tournament will be just hours away. Sunday, February 22, 3:00 PM, J T Whitney’s on Whitney Way. Everyone’s encouraged to participate, and be sure to wear some Lion gear when you go. Rumor has it that the Club vests will be there for our members to wear, too. Hopefully, someone will get a snapshot of Pres. JODI in a Lion vest, because that would be a collectors item.

Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, February 24, at noon at the Edgewater.

March is our Eye Transport Month. To help out, see SCOTT GROVER. (Transporters Information)

Last Meeting - The inventive and devious mind of the TailTwister took yet another turn, aided in this case by a set of vampire teeth. We think he got a fair amount of money for avoidance, but proving once again that he has a heart of gold, the “kisses” that he offered turned out to be the Hershey kind. Lion TOM has done a great job of keeping us off balance all year!

Pres. JODI opened the meeting, JIM SCHUTZ led us in a pretty good baritone version of "America", and ROSS ROYSTER gave the invocation. He prayed for our flower sale, which is good, because our service funds need all the help they can get. Sec. JOHN JENSON reported that our membership now numbers 49, and Treas. MELISSA ABBOTT reported the expected, a drop in our interest income, so we have our work cut out for us in both areas.

ROSS ROYSTER reported for the Flower Sale Committee. The sales are starting to come in, and it’s important to start selling NOW, because there isn’t really a lot of time, and only 3 Club meetings between now and the delivery date. The Committee will need help with delivery, too, so put Monday April 20 on your calendar. The distribution headquarters will be at the Edgewater.

The good news was that we got a check from our Gum Ball project for $1,031. If you know where a machine could go, tell JODI.. Over the years this project has brought us over $150,000 for our service work. We need to sell the rest of the Holiday Treats, too, because so far the profit on that one is $178. There’s more of it still out there, so help out with the last few items.