Next Meeting - Tuesday, June 5 - JIM SCHUTZ is not only the President and the Flower Guy, he's the Program Host for this next meeting, and our speaker will be Lisa M. Schleicher, a Child Life Specialist from the UW Children's Hospital. She will tell us about a program they have called Courage Lion. It is intended for children with trauma injury or serious illness. This program was developed using materials consisting of a stuffed animal, CD, and a book that follows along with the CD. The child gets to keep these items, and it is designed to be something they attach to and also helps give them courage to be strong through whatever they are experiencing. Obviously there could be some synergy here.

At our last meeting, Pres. JIM opened the meeting, and as Song Leader directed our version of “America”, appropriate to the season. SCOTT GROVER gave the invocation, also appropriate. Lion JERRY RABBACH, representing the Eye Bank, was a visitor, and DALE ST. JOHN was at the meeting, wearing his Honor Flight cap, which he got when he went on one of the recent flights. It was great that he made the flight, and great to have him with us again.

SCOTT GROVER reported a successful Vision Screening, with Lions from four Clubs participating, and about 30 referrals for further eye testing. Many interpreters participated, to facilitate the testing of people who were not fluent in English. Clearly, this is a service much needed by a segment of the population who have little or no access to vision specialists. Sight can often be saved by catching a problem at an early age.

MELISSA NOVINSKI delivered her usual complete, concise and meticulous report on Rose Day. We sold 384 bouquets, about 25 less than last year, and will net about $5,200 for our service fund. Top salesman was DAN STOUDT, with $1,540, followed by ROSS ROYSTER, MELISSA NOVINSKI, JIM SCHUTZ, CRAIG BUTLER, STEVE BRIGGS, TOM STEVENS, Dave Mies, MICHELLE VETTERKIND and GAIL STIRR, $260.00. Other Lions who made sales or donations, LINDA BERGREN, SCOTT GROVER, JACK HEIM, JERRY HODDINOTT, JOHN JENSON, JIM KEMMETER, CHARLIE LIBERTY, WALT PRIDHAM, DALE ST. JOHN and TERRY SCHAR. About 73% of the proceeds are in, with about $2380 still to come. That's our profit, Lions, so please, if you have money still to come, get it in to MELISSA soon. Particularly credit card sales - that facility costs money, and we need to shut it down ASAP.

The Golf Outing, sponsored for the Eye Bank by our Club, is coming up soon - June 11. We need sponsors, prize donors, volunteers and golfers - we have the grass and the sand. See CRAIG BUTLER for any/all of the above. It's at Cherokee Country Club.

PHIL INGWELL prefaced his introduction of the speaker by reading some lines from “Flanders Fields”, a poem written in memory of those who died in World War I. He then introduced Steve Bartlett, one of the Honor Flight coordinators, who told us about the two flights so far in 2012 and the two more than are to go in the fall. All veterans so far have been from World War II, because of the 16 million Americans who served in that war only 1.7 million are left. There are over 100 Honor Flight groups now sending flights, and 81,000 veterans have made the flights. There are about 90 vets on each flight, each with a “guardian”, family member or volunteer, and the organizers can handle any and all physical limitations, with all necessary lifts, wheelchairs and other equipment. Priority is given to TLC (Their Last Chance) individuals, and there have been several whose trips were just about the last thing they did. The TSA and the Dane County Airport personnel have been extremely helpful, and when the flight arrives in DC there are 250 to 1000 welcomers on hand. The last one had a military receiving line, from enlisted men to a Navy Captain, and the vets had a motorcycle escort for their buses as well. They visit the various monuments and the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington. Emotions are evident, and old creases and wrinkles disappear, at least momentarily, at the ceremonies. On the way home there is a Mail Call, and each one receives a packet of mail from family and friends celebrating the event and the individual. There is a welcoming crowd literally of thousands at the airport to welcome them home.