Next Meeting - Tuesday, June 21 - JERRY HODDINOTT is the Program Host, and he will introduce Ms. Kyle Rechlicz, new assistant coach of the Badger Women's Basketball program. We should hear all about the goals of the new head coach Bobbie Kelsey, and the plans for reaching them. The Badgers have been “on the verge” of success for years, but never quite able to get over the hump, and hopefully the new staff will be able to bring in players who can get it done. Certainly the women would like to play to the level of the men's program under Bo Ryan. Ryan, Alvarez and Bielema have proved that Badger teams can compete on a national level - now it's Coach Kelsey's turn.

Pres. JIM SCHUTZ opened the last meeting, LINDA BERGREN led the song, and “Father ROSS” ROYSTER gave the invocation. Brief, topical and to the point, as usual. Pres. JIM noted that we would be installing the new Board at the next meeting, but since the new Board is virtually the same as the old Board, it should not take long. They all know what has to be done and how to do it by now.

MELISSA NOVINSKI updated her report on the Flower Sale. We made about $6K profit, and there is still about $500 to come in. Last year she had it all by the end of June, and that's the goal this year as well. Much better that past years when it dragged on into November. If you still have sales money to collect and turn it, please get it done.

Our Golf Outing, which we share with the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin, will be on August 22 at the Oaks Golf Course. Find your game, and be prepared to bring it, preferably with a dozen or so of your best friends - this is a fundraiser, too, after all.

Report from SCOTT GROVER of the Concession Stand Committee is that we were not offered a good location for Badger Football this fall, so we are going to pass that one up and concentrate on the Kohl Center stand for basketball. For one thing, it's a lot warmer in there.

Your editor had the opportunity to visit with Evelyn Otterback at a high school reunion lunch - she's staying in the home she and HAL shared, and probably still sorting through HAL's airplane stuff. She says “hello” to all of us. We certainly miss them both - Evelyn backed up HAL a lot on things like eyeglass collection.

LINDA BERGREN introduced our speaker, from Slave Free Madison, who told us a lot about a practice that many thought ended with our Civil War. Today, it's called “human trafficking” and exists in all sorts of ways all over the globe. Few involve physical force, but people are still forced into involuntary servitude, mostly involving labor or sexual conduct. There have been a number of reported cases in Wisconsin, but so far only one successful prosecution. In the US 80% of the victims are female, and 50% are minors. They are vulnerable, and recruited by promises, but then trapped into situations they do not know how to escape. The majority of cases involving sexual exploitation are in cities, and where worker exploitation occurs, not surprisingly 50% are illegal aliens. Most come from Latin America, followed by SE Asia, Africa and the former Soviet Union.