Next Meeting - Tuesday, Nov. 17. A business meeting, where, among other things, the recent survey of members' opinions on the Club and its operation will be reviewed, commented upon and maybe even acted upon. If you didn't say anything, you missed your chance. The times, they are a'changing, and it seems that Lions are not exempt, even us old guys of the GG Generation. What needs to be remembered is that there are lots of roads that lead in a given direction, but what's important is the destination, not the route. Translated, Lions are about service, and we need to keep our organization active and growing to keep delivering that service. Whatever it takes.

Pres. JODI always has lots of business to discuss, and so you need to be there to know what's going on. For one, the Board has approved extending our Club's membership in the Madison Chamber of Commerce. This provides us with a number of opportunities to attend meetings, circulate, meet people, and tell the Lion story.

LINDA BERGREN expects to have the products for the Holiday Treat Sale on hand to deliver. Be sure to pick up your order at the meeting, so we don't have to store it and/or cart it around. There will be additional product available for sale as well.

At the last meeting, the TailTwister was present, obviously having seen at least one too many Johnny Depp movies. But his attempts at extortion were largely successful, as usual. VP JIM SCHUTZ presided, proving he hadn't forgotten how, and MICHELLE VETTERKIND gave a short and sweet invocation. It was reported that MELISSA ABBOTT received a Birch-Sturm Fellowship at Awards Night for her work as Treasurer the past several years, and DON FENNO and SUE SABIN received Knight of Sight Awards for their work with the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin. Editor TERRY SCHAR, having missed the Awards Night, got a LION SPEAK award from LINDA BERGREN for putting out the Lions Tale. The Editor has noted that the Lion on the award is pictured with his mouth wide open, which is probably appropriate. SCOTT GROVER got a similar award for keeping our web communications going.

BOB BOHN, who at age 87 is our most senior member or close to it, was at the meeting to help in setting up this year's bell-ringing service project for the Salvation Army, which he has managed for years. He's not feeling well, and he told us he's in a special treatment program at UW Hospitals. We all fervently hope it's successful, so that "Quasimodo" (the head bell-ringer) will be back with us soon.

SCOTT GROVER thanked all those who have worked the UW concession stand - basketball is starting, and we have a good location, so he needs more help for that one. Sign up on the web, or see SCOTT.

PHIL INGWELL has received 100 overage school desks from the Madison schools, and needs a place to store them (and transport to get them there) until the next Mission to Mexico. If you know of an empty warehouse somewhere, tell PHIL.

Our public relations spots are still running, on WTDY in the morning and Magic 98 in the afternoon, and we are trying to find ways to take part in IP Eberhard Wurf's "Lions In Sight" (meaning visible) program the last two weeks in January. We're also planning to do some vision screening during that period. CRAIG BUTLER screened five kids at the Leopold School Health Fair, and found one that needed attention, which makes it all worth while. He even had a Spanish interpreter - muy bueno, no?

DALE ST. JOHN sends word that we need to put more effort into our Eyeglass Collection project. Bins are available from JOHN JENSON, and can be placed where there is foot traffic for people to drop their old glasses. We collect them - JOHN, again - and they are transported to the Lions Eyeglass Center at Lions Camp near Rosholt. There they are cleaned, broken or unuseable ones discarded, and then they go to a read/sort facility (we have one, at M&I Bank on Verona Rd., and there's one at the Portage Prison) where the prescriptions are read on a lensometer, and the glasses packaged and labeled. Then they go back to the Eyeglass Center, from which they are supplied to missions to undeveloped countries to be given to those in need. There are a lot of "those in need," and the stories of long lines, and gratitude that come back from these missions are heartwarming. We need more collection boxes out, and we need Lions to do the prescription reading and packaging. See JOHN JENSON to help.

Plan Ahead, But Hurry! The Kohl Center Basketball schedule is happening as we speak. We need your help! Volunteer now for the games you can work.