The next meeting on Jan. 19 is a business meeting, and we're not fully informed on what Pres. JODI has up her sleeve, except that there will be no monkeys. They are the province of TT DOC STEVENS. We can expect to hear about our Rose Day/Flower Sale project, and perhaps also about Vision Screening and "Lions In Sight." If you don't recognize that last one, you're part of the problem.

As always, we need a few more good people for our Concession Stand at the Kohl Center. This is one way we obtain the funds that we use for service, and each volunteer makes us about $30 for each session. SCOTT GROVER is the chairman for this important project, and you can see him for info or to sign up. Since he is also our web wizard, you can find a place to sign up on our Club website, and since he also propagates the web version of the Lions Tale, you can bet that those receiving it by e-mail will find a link to the signup page in this paragraph, even tho the Editor doesn't yet know it by heart. Character defect.

Pres. JODI opened the last meeting by wishing everyone a Happy New Year, LINDA BERGREN led a melodic version of "America", and DALE MUELLER gave an appropriate invocation. JODI noted that ROSS ROYSTER has assumed the chairmanship (if not the ecclesiastical rank) of the Invocation Committee, and DALE MUELLER will head the Salvation Army bell-ringing project, taking up the service formerly performed by BOB BOHN. Our Club has made a donation to WLF in BOB's memory.

JOHN JENSON said that the District Convention, scheduled for March 12 and13, will actually be held in Dubuque, Iowa, at the Holiday Inn. They had the best facility near the southwest corner of the district. Not the first time we've gone out of state - we've been in South Beloit a time or two. The Multiple District (State) Convention will be at the Stevens Point Ramada Inn on May 13-15. A note of explanation - our District, 27-D1, in south central/southwest Wisconsin, is one of ten which make up Multiple District 27. In our case, the Multiple District boundaries are the same as those of the state of Wisconsin, so our Multiple District convention is popularly called the State Convention. This is not universally true - several Multiple Districts encompass more than one state, and some (New York/Bahamas comes to mind) actually include territory in more than one country.

Former MCLC members in the news - Melissa Abbott reports that New York City produced more than excitement and a new job - she's newly engaged! And Sal and Karen Al-Ashkar, not finding a Lions Club nearby in the desert, are volunteering at a museum.

Membership Chairman/Director CRAIG BUTLER reminded us that the best way to get new members is still "just ask" - friends, co-workers, acquaintances from church or work. Our radio/TV ads will be seen and heard this month - if you can't think of any other way to do it, ask your friend if (s)he's heard them, and go from there. We have a good thing going - let's get others to share in it!

The Community Service Committee has donated $275 USD to Bethel Horizons Camp for disadvantaged children. Helping kids is building a future.

We've had some successful Vision Screenings, and there are more on the way. JIM SCHUTZ is the chairman, and there are lots of ways to participate. Best is to be trained on the equipment and actually do the screening, but "non-scientific" help is needed as well.

Our members are always on the lookout for service - LINDA BERGREN and JIM BRADLEY's Home Savings Bank are table captain/sponsors for an upcoming dinner benefiting the YWCA. If you'd like to participate we're sure they can find a seat at a table for you.

LINDA, who never sleeps, still has some almonds, fruit cakes, chocolate raisins, pecan clusters, etc from our Holiday Treat sale. The fruit cakes are going to a food pantry, but let's take the other stuff off her hands. Must be a break room in your office somewhere that could munch them.

MICHELLE VETTERKIND introduced our speaker, Brad Clark, who told us about the Madison City Channel. Seen on Charter and U-Verse cable and streamed on the internet, it covers major City and County meetings live, and has a number of public affairs programs - interviews with the mayor and alderpersons, candidates and special meetings and events. You can see meetings on your TV, or streamed live on your computer, and find out what's happening on issues that concern you, without having to rely on some reporter's interpretation. There's a lot more there than we thought, and as the newspaper gets smaller and the TV sound bites shorter, you can see and hear it for yourself.