Next Meeting - Tuesday, July 19 - JACK HEIM arranged the program, but he didn't go far to find it. The speaker will be Lion MARSHALL FLAX, who is a Certified Low Vision Specialist and runs the vision aids store at the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired here in Madison. Presumably he will tell us about the state of the art in helping people to get the maximum benefit out of what vision they have if they are impaired. We've come a long way from illuminated magnifiers and “talking books,” and they can do some amazing things. Some of them can be a big help if you work on tiny little somethings, even if you're not Visually Impaired. Come and learn about it, so you know where to tell people to look for help when you get the opportunity, as we all do occasionally.

Last Time - Our numbers were few, as expected for the day after a major holiday. We set a new, and not glorious, attendance record of 10 Lions, 1 guide dog and no guests. As a result, while the conventions were observed, the atmosphere was somewhat informal, which turned out well. Pres. JIM used the usual opening procedure, leading the Pledge of Allegiance (in full with no omissions), LINDA BERGREN led the song as a double quartet and ROSS ROYSTER gave the invocation. We had a great view of the lake from the Captains Table room, the meal was good, the service impeccable and we even got dessert. It was hot outside and cold inside.

There was some Lion business. The Golf Outing will be Aug. 22. There will be an “all ages” Vision Screening at the HyVee on Aug. 20. JIM SCHUTZ and SCOTT GROVER have the info on that one, and it's a good chance to actively participate in one of our best “hands on” projects. It would help if you were trained and certified on the equipment, but that's not necessary to participate - there are lots of ways to help out. We will not be working a concession stand at UW football this season, but we will have a stand for basketball at the Kohl Center.

Pres. JIM led off the program with a description of a recent trip to the northern fringe of Wisconsin (Cornucopia) area, when the weather looked bad and the car radio informed them that there was a severe thunderstorm with 80 MPH winds approximately over their head. Had some interesting moments, but escaped damage or injury. JACK HEIM recounted an experience when Walker kept telling him there was a hole ahead and JACK, not having found it yet, kept moving forward anyway, until he did find it. It was about 8 feet deep where he fell in. Fortunately help was nearby and JACK is durable, so he was OK. Presumably he spent the next several days apologizing to Walker for his lack of faith. ROSS ROYSTER recounted a harrowing tale of driving into a snowstorm in the California mountains, ultimately wrecking his car. He was luckier than the Donner Party - he survived. WALT PRIDHAM told the story of circling the entire US and part of Canada on a huge BMW motorcycle. Bet none of the rest of you knew that he was a daredevil on a big bike! LINDA BERGREN went to Mexico shortly after marrying hubby David York, and used 1 name on some ID, another on checks, and a third registering at the hotel. The Mexican authorities were not amused, and she had some explaining to do. LINDA being LINDA, she dealt with it, and avoided the calabozo. SCOTT GROVER noted that he started out on a 2-week vacation to the Boundary Waters with a van, three canoes and a wife, and wound up staying in NC for a year. He lost his wife in the process, but apparently kept the van and a canoe. (He spent that year caring for his ill mother.) TOM STEVENS told of a time in his misspent youth when he had a Ford Mustang Cobra sports car with fancy mag wheels, and once left it parked overnight and found it sitting on the ground in the morning with the wheels gone. Your editor gave a “won two, lost one” scorecard, telling how he got into the signing ceremony for the WWII Peace Treaty, saw the dress rehearsal of the Mormon “Days of 76” celebration in Salt Lake City, and describing a car crash in northern Wis. when his specially-installed primitive seatbelts saved him and Mary from serious injury. ROSS ROYSTER won the new “Schutz Traveling Trophy” for the best story. When the trophy hit the floor, “G” seriously considered killing it. You had to be there.

This just in, as they say on TV - the speaker for Aug.2 will be Prof. Aparna Lakkaraju of the UW Dept. of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and member of the UW Eye Institute, speaking on “Insight Into Age-Related Macular Degeneration.” GAIL STIRR is the Program Host for that one.