Holiday Greetings!

Next Meeting - NOON - Jan.15, 2013. A new calendar year begins, and our first meeting in the New Year will be at the Sheraton, at 12:00 noon. PID PHIL INGWELL is once again the Program Host, and he will take another run at presenting Joyce Kratz, Technical Director of the LEBW. She will speak about the details of cornea donation, processing and delivery to Surgeons. Our Eye Bank is a central part of our service, and they keep making improvements in the technical processes, which in turn produce better results for recipients.

We will be celebrating Lion Birthdays at the next meeting for MELISSA NOVINSKI, 19 years; CRAIG BUTLER, 20 years; JOHN JENSON, 32 years; and AL GOLDSTEIN, 52 years. Their names are writ large in the records of our Club's service, and that's what we're really celebrating.

Pres. LINDA opened our last meeting, JIM SCHUTZ led the song, which turned out to be “We Wish You A Merry Christmas!”, and MICHELLE VETTERKIND gave the invocation. Lions International awards for service were presented to PID PHIL INGWELL, 45 years, and MICHELLE VETTERKIND, 20 years. This is recognition well deserved, and one of the benefits of membership in Madison Central Lions is getting to know people with this kind of dedication to serving their community, however large you want to define it.

Our project for this month is Vision Screening. We have only this next noon regular meeting in January, and the Board will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 22. Dunno where, but hopefully the Board members do [hint: the Board also meets at the Sheraton.].

LINDA BERGREN still has some Holiday Treats left - candy, nuts, and one fruit cake. It seems she bought a little extra stock, so as to get “free shipping” and boost our unit profits. It is not true that the one fruit cake dates to 1965. They were bigger then.

The basketball conference season has started, the crowds are bigger smaller, and we need some more volunteers for the Kohl Center concession stand fundraising. Sign up on the web>, or talk to SCOTT GROVER. He needs from one to four more people for upcoming games.

PHIL INGWELL had juggled dates and speakers for the last meeting about three times, but most of the possibilities went up in smoke when the Director of the Eye Bank quit without prior notice, and not only took himself off the list but created a major problem for everyone else connected with the Eye Bank. Luckily, we have experienced administrators in Lions who stepped in, and PHIL INGWELL, and DICK HAUSER, President of the Eye Bank Board, are keeping the system going while a new Director is sought. The technical staff is still running, and our service continues, with about 14 technicians and 2500 Lion transport volunteers statewide. We'll hear more about that at the next meeting.

JODY BURMESTER's “Wisconsin Lion” newspaper says that our District Convention will be at the Marriott in Middleton, on March 8 and 9. Full program details will be in next month's issue, but see John Jenson for registration info. Remember how to get there, too, because the State Convention will be at the same location, in May. These are two great opportunities to see the larger picture of Lionism close at hand. You should go, particularly if you've never been to a Convention.

Holiday Greetings!