NEXT MEETING - Tuesday, August 6 - AT NOON!. At the Sheraton. Although the meeting time has changed back to noon, the meeting type apparently hasn't, so this will be a session on all things Lionistic, emphasizing the projects that our club has on its calendar, drawing board and crystal ball. Which means there's also time for socializing. It's summer - if you're not at the lake or in the mountains, you should be at the meeting. Bring a friend while you're at it - someone who would like to feel that they're giving a helping hand to someone in need, be it around here or across the globe. Lions are good at doing that, and your friend might want to get in on the action.

At the last meeting, we installed our officers and Board members for this Lion year (which runs from July 1 to June 30, in case no one ever told you.) President, LINDA BERGREN; VPs PHIL INGWELL and MIKE KNOWLTON; Secretary JOHN JENSON; Treasurer SCOTT GROVER; TailTwister JACK HEIM; Membership Director CRAIG BUTLER; Directors STEVE BRIGGS, GAIL STIRR and MICHELLE VETTERKIND. That list should look pretty familiar by now, but if you have ideas or concerns, these are the Lions to take them to. Particularly if you have a prospective new member.

We also celebrated the Lion Birthdays of GAIL STIRR, JACK HEIM, TOM STEVENS, MICHELLE VETTERKIND, STEVE BRIGGS, JIM SCHUTZ and JIM KEMMETER. These Lions have given a total of more than 200 years of service to our community. Among the drawing winners for the gifts were MIKE KNOWLTON, DEBBIE MAHAFFEY and WALT PRIDHAM.

Our most immediate project is probably the Stuff The Bus effort, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17. Lions are working with others statewide to help provide school supplies for kids whose families don't have the resources to send them to the first day of school properly equipped. Channel 15 is a partner in this effort, and our logo has appeared as part of the publicity. JODI BURMESTER is the point person, and help is needed both to solicit donations and to process them once we get them. International President BARRY PALMER will be in Milwaukee as part of the project.

SCOTT GROVER reported on the football concessions fundraiser - “no news.” Since then the media has reported that UW has an agreement with a concessionaire, and service club volunteers were mentioned, but no specifics. Change is not always progress, and it seems pretty clear that it's all about the money, so if we still get to work we may have to work for peanuts. Or Dr. Pepper.

Our speaker told us about the Alzheimers & Dementia Alliance, which has disaffiliated from the national organization but still has two locations in Madison. Main message “We're here to help!” This can be one of those life difficulties that most everyone faces without preparation, so knowing where to go and whom to ask is important. Their Help Lines: 232-3400 and 888-308-6251.

This week's gems from the internet:
    7. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
    8. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
    9. It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end-to-end, someone from California would be stupid enough to try to pass them.
    10. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.
    11. The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.
    12. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer.
    13. Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.
    14 . God gave you toes as a device for finding furniture in the dark.