Next Meeting Tuesday, May 19. One of our business meetings, and Pres. JODI (assuming that she's recovered from her encounter with the orthopedic surgeon) will have some reports for us, and lots of Lion information. You have a lot better idea how important you/we really are when you listen to, and participate in, the discussions of the work we do at the Club, District, State and International levels. There's also the chance to ask those nagging questions that you wonder about but never knew - somebody at the meeting will have an answer for you.

We'll also celebrate Lion birthdays for those who joined in April and May. This is one way we recognize the Lion service given by our members, and there's a lot of it this time - 252 years, to be exact! You know who you are, because MICHELLE told you - stand and be recognized! (And bring a small gift for the TT drawing. "Tis better to give than to receive.")

In JODI's absence, 1st VP KAREN AL-ASHKAR presided. Momentarily we had no flag, but CRAIG BUTLER saved the day, and made an admirable flagpole. MICHELLE VETTERKIND gave the invocation, and not being one to duck a challenge, VP KAREN led the song. We were a little ragged on the start but finished strong. We had three guests - John "Jack" Heim, and his dog Walker, were with us again; and Gail M. Stirr, Asst. Administrative Director of the new UW Eye Research Institute, came with our speaker.

KAREN asked for a show of hands by those interested in having a Club picnic again this summer, and there were some. She also noted that a Lions Night is planned for a Mallards game this summer, and tickets are available. See JODI for more information, because the editor doesn't have any. What few notes he had have vanished into the intergalactic bit bucket.

MELISSA NOVINSKI presented the report on our Rose Day flower sale. As always, it was detailed and gave a complete picture of what we did and who did it. Of most importance, we expect a profit of about $7,700. We sold 545 bouquets, 24 less than last year, but made a little more profit because our cost was lower. Leading salespersons: ROSS ROYSTER, with $1830; DAN STOUDT, $1206; JIM SCHUTZ, $1200. Others over $500, KAREN & SAL, DON NEVIASER, STEVE BRIGGS, CRAIG BUTLER, MELISSA NOVINSKI, DAVE MIES and TOM STEVENS. Twenty additional Lions sold flowers or made donations. 26 Lions worked on deliveries and routing. More than half our membership actively participated, including some who don't often make it to meetings. A round of applause and thanks to everyone who took part - this is vital to our service activities! VP KAREN presented the "LION OF THE WEEK" award to MELISSA for her work on the report and the rose depot. Well deserved-MELISSA always comes through! Her response, typically, "Get your money in!."

It was a good day - some familiar faces were back with us after having been missing for a while. AL "MR G." GOLDSTEIN , DALE ST. JOHN, and JIM KEMMETER. We've missed them and it was good to see them. Hopefully they'll be back again soon.

Our speaker was Dr. Dan Albert, Emeritus Chairman of the UW Dept. Of Ophthalmology, former MCLC member, and now Director of the new UW Eye Research Institute. He commented that he had once received a Lions donation to the UW Hospitals, and the check was too large to get in the car - Wisconsin Lions were the largest contributor to that particular project, presumably both literally and figuratively. The Institute he now heads is being organized as a special part of the UW Hospital, to bring together diverse sciences to research vision, like the Waisman Center for children and the McArdle Center for cancer. There will be a new building in 2010-2012, to house about 60 members from 6 UW Schools and 20+ departments. They will work together to learn more about the eye, which Dr. Albert noted was involved in about 80% of the brain's function, and to find new treatments for eye problems, such as the laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy which was originated here at UW Hospitals. It will add to UW-Madison's abilities as a complete university - all but two of the recognized academic programs at the university level are offered here, and those two are at UW-Milwaukee.

As Lions, we support all kinds of vision research and treatment, and this new facility will take the knowledge of the field to a new level. We've commented before that several of us owe our continued vision to recent developments, and hopefully this sort of help will be available for more problems as yet unsolved. That's what we're all working for.